The River of Life - El Rio de Vida
The beginning of another school year often causes me to reflect not on what is ahead, but what happened during the past school year and its impact on decisions to be made during the new school year. 2009-2010 was a great year for Saint Joseph Grade School in so many ways. The Accreditation Site Visit went extremely well and the written report was filled with commendations for a job well done by teachers, students, and parents. It was a positive experience that will help lead all areas of the school curriculum into the 21st century.
The school looks wonderful, and once more, thanks to Mr. Mark Fries and Mr. Gary Mason and their helpers, Tom and Nick, for a job well done. The appearance of the building is so important, and it gives everyone who works here and comes in the door a sense of pride in his or her school. We have all been busy, as have many of our parents, in helping to make sure the building is in good order and ready for a new year.
· All six classrooms on the bottom floor have been painted a lovely yellow that really brightens up their rooms. The hallways on that floor have also been painted a very soft yellow that is very welcoming. Next year, the third floor will be the focus for new paint in the classrooms and hallways.
· On occasion, we are very fortunate to receive opportunities to make purchases that otherwise would be financially impossible; thus, we have very happy teachers who received new literature for their classrooms and six teachers who will be using an ENO (similar to a whiteboard), along with new projectors, for their classrooms. In Science, the sixth and 8th graders will be working with Lego Robotics; I am very excited to see what they will be learning this year using Legos.
· Your SCRIP dollars have been put to good use by carpeting six classrooms, cleaning the classroom and office mini blinds, painting the bottom floor, paying our yearly lease for computers, and much more. SCRIP always provides a very nice gift of SCRIP for the school staff each Christmas and often helps provide classroom materials, as needed, particularly those unexpected requests that occur throughout the year.
· Home and School, which all families are a part of, does much to help the school in so many ways. They provide funds for library books, busses for field trips, professional development for teachers, classroom materials, and much more. It is amazing to see the number of families that volunteer both inside and outside the classroom. HASA committees are hard at work putting together volunteer lists for playground monitors, lunchroom helpers, “bakers” for those special events, and committees to provide help with the book fairs, vision and hearing screenings, and much, much more.
This first newsletter is really important, so please read carefully and transfer information to your personal calendars as needed. Our hope is to help you start the year with information that will answer any questions you may have concerning the start of school and beyond. Look for the following information in this packet.
1. Revised Yearly Calendar – Note that there are no half days this year as mandated by the state department. All schools are to have 180 full days of school. We have taken days off for curriculum days, but they are outside the 180-day count. There are several days when we do have early dismissals; those will be at 2:00 p.m. which meet the criteria set by the state department as far as mandated instructional time. Watching the monthly calendar is very important, as changes will typically be on those calendars. (See below)
2. Monthly Calendars – You will see that we have enclosed monthly calendars for August and September. Please watch these calendars carefully as any changes to the yearly calendar will appear on these each month. This packet has August and September, and as we go through each month, please note that the calendars in the monthly packet will show any changes that have occurred since the last distribution. Now, since I tend to be “wordy”, please be sure to talk to me if I have not articulated this information clearly enough. Another good source for accuracy in calendar dates is the school website at www.stjosephgradeschool.com
3. Parent Information Night – A real must, even though not mandatory. It will help you to get to know your child’s teacher and learn more about curriculum, field trips, and much more. Please try to be there. This is for adults only.
4. Hot Lunch forms for September, and information about hot lunch in general, can be found in this packet of information.
5. Purchasing milk for the first semester – Families have an opportunity to apply for free milk; this information is in the packet. Many of our families can qualify and should take advantage of this opportunity. If you choose not to do so, that is fine – just read the information provided for ordering milk for your child/ren. The cost is $6.30 per child for the first semester.
7. Website – The website is a great source of information; please take some time to explore all of the tabs.
8. Emails – You will be able to contact any staff member through email by typing the staff member’s last name followed by stjosephgradeschool.com – for example: wiwi@stjosephgradeschool.com
9. Hot Lunch, supply fees, milk money – Many of you will be sending in money for milk, supplies, and hot lunch. It is really important that money be in separate envelopes, clearly labeled with your child’s first and last name, and homeroom teacher’s name. This makes Mrs. Pellegrino’s job so much easier.
10. SCRIP – Purchasing SCRIP gift certificates is important, as it has been a big help in defraying the many “extra” costs we might never have been able to afford in the regular budget.
11. Student Handbook: We are in the process of updating the Student Handbook. We will be posting it on our website, click here to to download it; I urge parents to read carefully as there have been some changes, including the area of electronic devices. It is important that all students, who are able to do so, have a firm understanding of these policies. Seventh and eighth graders will be asked to “sign off” stating that they have read the handbook. Parents will find that form at the end of the handbook.
Congratulations to all of you who have read this letter, but thank you as well, because the more information you have in hand the better.
Looking forward to a fabulous year; see you the 19th at the first Parent Night for K-5.
Mrs. Suzanne Wiwi
Principal
