Principal’s Corner
September 2010
[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – 1 Corinthians 13:7
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Already the month of September is here. The students are now into a full swing of things with their classes, sports, and other activities. We have had a great beginning. We are looking forward to cooler weather, changing colors, and continued positive school and learning environment.
The week following Labor Day marks the mid-point of our first nine weeks. The teachers will be sending progress reports or getting in touch with any parent whose child seems to be having some struggles. Please keep up with your student’s progress on Parents’ Web, and if you have any questions or concerns, contact the teacher for clarification or help. We want all children to be successful, and we need your help and support to make this happen.
This month is a very busy one (actually, all of our months are busy); so, it is important that you read the Fanfares and keep up with the information on ParentsWeb. We are in the process of updating our website; please continue to use this as a resource, also.
In addition to our sporting activities, the highlights of the month will include pictures on September 22; Chick-fil-A evening on September 23, and $1 out of uniform (the classroom to receive the benefits will be announced later) on September 29.
All of our students are fortunate to be learning Spanish from our native speaking parent volunteers. These classes meet once a week for 45 minutes. Because of this limited time the children have in classes, they may be getting homework. As you know, homework is an important component of learning because it provides necessary practice. Please check with your students to ensure that they are completing and turning in any assignment given them. Their teachers are volunteers, and they are giving their time because they genuinely care about our children and are passionate about them (the children) learning Spanish. They appreciate your support in helping them to give your children a wonderful learning experience.
OLPH Nature’s Place is under construction. The pace is a little slower than we had anticipated; however, it is developing and we are very excited about it. There have been several volunteers working on specified Saturdays, and I extend a huge “Thank You”. A special “Thank You” to Matt Stovall and Tripp Brown (Brown Brothers Const. Co.) for all that you have contributed. There is a lot more to be done, and Kathy Sumrell will be sending out notices on this. If you can contribute anything to this project, it will be very much appreciated. We are still hoping for students to do some planting and get some use of the area this fall.
We would like to remind you about our Homework Policies for students who are absent. Please refer to the handbook on page 9. There is no reason to request homework for the first day of a student’s absence. If the student returns after one day, the teachers will help him/her get all of the information personally. If the student is out for more than one day we will be happy to gather the materials to be picked up. There is time allowed for make up of homework for ill students.
Please forgive my redundancies, but again I need to address morning drop off and afternoon pick ups. First of all, I know we don’t have a perfect system—there just isn’t one. The system we use now is the best one we have come up with that provides safety for students and expediency for parents.
In the mornings, please drive to the ramp outside the gym for your students to exit the car and walk into the building. If you need to park in the parking lot, your child/children need to be walked to the ramp, no matter what the age of the child. Also, in the morning, there are two entrances—one that goes between the football field and church and the other goes behind the gym. These lines merge to one in front of the ramp. If you are parking in the parking lot, do not use the entrance behind the gym because you are driving in front of another line coming from a different direction. It would be safer to use the entrance between the field and church.
All classes, except for kindergarten, end at 3:10. However, the younger children are ready for pick up earlier than the others because the older children go back to their homerooms to gather their belongings. So, for safety and expediency we have asked the following: Kindergarten parents are the only drivers to exit through the archway between the school and church. The crossing guard cannot safely direct traffic with several exits full of cars. The other cars are to enter one of the lanes in the back of the gym to pick up. Preferably, those who have younger children and no one in middle school, use the lane closer to the building pick up the student and drive off as the middle lane is stopped waiting for their children to come out. The lane furthest from the gym is the passing lane—no cars should be waiting in that lane. The younger children are taken to the gym and when their driver pulls into the lane in view of the teacher on duty, the teacher calls for the student/s listed on the car tag/s on the dash board. The students walk from the gym to the car, and the teacher makes sure they are put into the vehicle safely. If a parent wishes to pick up the student from the gym, he/she needs to have the car tag so the teacher on duty knows who to release. Without this information, someone could unknowingly release a student to an unauthorized driver; we are always thinking of the safety of the children. At about 3:20 all students who are left in the gym are escorted to the back of the building to join the older children. Both car lanes are then in full use, with the third lane still being the exit lane. If you are one of the parents picking up a student in person and parked in the school parking lot, you are to use the exit lane behind the gym to pass waiting cars. If you are parked in the church parking lot, you are to exit the access road.
I know this information is a bit wordy; however, I get more comments, questions, and concerns on this subject and these procedures than anything else. Our main goal is the safety of your children. I know schedules are tight and many times we are in a hurry to be elsewhere, but most of the time we have everyone out of here within twenty to twenty-five minutes. I, myself, have been a parent in a car line waiting and frustrated—I do understand. I do appreciate your patience, understanding, and support.
Have a blessed and wonderful month.
Jeri McInturff