Summer, 2008
Dear Parents,
We held our annual End-of-the Year Blessing in the Children's Garden this year. Thank you to the parents, faculty and staff, and special donors who contributed to this outdoor classroom; it will be a special place for our students for many years to come.
The teachers and I really appreciate the hundreds of parents who visited on Portfolio Day. I hope that you enjoyed reading your child's prose and poetry, and I am happy that many of you were able to stay for the band and choir performances.
Next year may be a long way off in some of your minds, but here at school the calendar is planned, the speakers are booked, and the teachers are working on next year's tasks. Please look at the calendars and mark the Open House dates. We expect to see at least one parent from each family on those evenings so that you can become familiar with our programs and the grade level curriculums.
Thank you for entrusting your children to us, and may God bless each of you and keep you safe during the summer months.
Mary and Nancy
Beginning with the 2008/09 school year, the following adaptations will be put into place and/or added to the school handbook...
Eighth graders will wear gowns at graduation.
The only dress requirements for what is worn under the gown are that any slacks/pants visible below the hemline are neat looking and that no gym shoes may be worn at the ceremony. The cost of the gown, $13.00, will be included with the field trip fees.
General Information About Absences ( Parents will no longer need to fill out vacation forms)
Each child is permitted a total of 10 "parent note days" each year for all types of absences. Those beyond the 10 parent note days will only be excused IF there is a valid office visit note from a doctor, dentist, or other health care professional. Excused and unexcused absences will be marked on the report cards.
If you are planning a vacation (these are included in the 10 “parent notes days”), you still need to notify the teachers and either send a note or call the absentee line with that information. If you fail to do so, or if you have used your “parent note days,” the absence is unexcused and the student will have grade consequences for school work and graded assignments. The new text will be included in the handbook which will be available on-line in August.
Unexcused absences have consequences.
Parents may use the ten “parent note days” at any time; however, we ask that you do not take children out of school during the October Count Week - the first week of that month- and during our Terra Nova testing days. Because our state funding is based on attendance during the first week of October, parents of students whose absences are unexcused may be required to reimburse the school for lost state funding.
If your child has an unexcused absence, s/he will be permitted to make up work, but the maximum grade permitted is 70%.
If your child reaches the maximum number of allowable absences for any given school year, you will be invited to attend a meeting during the first six weeks of the following school year. At that time, the teachers and I will discuss educational accommodations that will be put into place for your child in order for him/her to make up missed class time. If this applies to your child, you will be notified by mail later in the summer about these meetings; the student and at least one parent are required to attend.
Parents need to be honest about the reason for the absence. Our students usually tell it like it is. We can attest to a significant number of phone calls from parents who tell us their child is ill, but when s/he returns to school, classmates hear about the vacation or extended weekend trip!