LS Weekly Memo Week 4: September  17 - 21

What a great first full week! Thank you for all of your hard work creating effective learning communities in your classrooms.  While I know many of you feel the urge to get going with your academic curriculum, the time you take now to build community will pay off in the long run. I greatly appreciated your energy and enthusiasm at the Back to School Picnic after the first full week.  Our thanks to Carolyn Stanley, Luke and John Stanley’s mom, and Diane Engelhart, Chase and Walker Jones’ mom, for putting this wonderful picnic together. Thank them for that delicious dinner is you have a chance.

Community

Walk-for-Fun and Fitness
Jaime Sales, mother of Kindergartner, Aaron and Third Grader, Ashlyn, is organizing parent volunteers. Stephanie, Scott and Lauren will get Mile File cards to you next week. Look for cards in the Faculty Room.  
As in the past, we will all gather for an Walk-for-Fun and Fitness assembly at 8:10.  Please be in the gym, ready to begin by 8:10- that means heading down around 8 or 8:05.  Can you also remind families in your Weekly Newsletter to be sure to be prompt that day? We will likely have stragglers, arriving late. Perhaps assistants can be out on the walkway or common areas, collecting late arrivals.  
Expect the assembly to be short and sweet. Following the assembly all will walk at least one lap with their students.
Parent volunteers will be on the track all day until 2:05,  marking mile file cards.

Parent Partnership Coffees
Chris will send outhte link to the Parent Partnership Coffees document. Please revisit the google doc for dates and list who is coming.
We start our first round of parent coffees on Monday, 9/24 with Kindergarten.

Buddy Class Survey
Thanks to the 11 classroom teachers who filled out the Buddy Class Survey on Google docs. If you haven’t filled it out, please do so by Monday. We want to establish new buddies by Tuesday, so you can share this information with your families at BTSN.

David at Self Study Retreat - off Campus on Wednesday, 9/19
Chris will be in charge.

Be Present at Meetings
I ask that we all be present in meetings, focused on the topic at hand, not tending to email, correcting student work or attending to other work.


Program

Professional Growth and Goals
We will discuss professional growth and goals at our 9/27 meeting.  Please come prepared with ideas for each.  Professional development connected to goals will be given priority.  

October 12 Professional Development Day
Friday, October 12 is one of two professional development days that we have during the year (The other is Monday, April 1st).  Chris has shared a Professional Development document for you to enter your plans for the day.

How to Sign Up for Workshops
•Connect goals to your professional development work
•Fill out a professional development form- hard copy in the office, or find it on Google doc.
•If your plans include travel and hotel, please write up a proposal with anticipated expenses, to be approved by David
•Once approved, register on line, then come to the office with your laptop so Lyn can pay fees with our school credit card

Walk-a-bouts
On Tuesday mornings and Friday afternoons David has scheduled time to walk about and visit classrooms.  Please let me know if you have a special event you would like me to visit.  The sooner I know the better my chances of being able to come.  I have enjoyed my visit to classes both for reading to the class and simply visiting.

BTSN
Let us know if you have any questions about BTSN.  David and Chris will meet with new teachers to be sure they feel set for next week’s gatherings.
Wednesday, 9/19
K & 2 @ 4:30 - 6:00
PK & 4 @ 6:30 -8:00
Thursday, 9/20
1st & 3rd @ 4:30 -6:00
P & 5th @ 6:30 - 8:00

LSLT - Monday, 9/17 3:15 - 4:15. No Faculty Meeting
See LSLT 2012-12 Agenda
Debrief start of year
Review recess plan
Duties task force

Faculty Meeting 9/20 - No Faculty Meeting
Either rest up from or in preparation for BTSN

Election Year
In this election year, I want to remind you of the need to approach political conversations with your students is a very thoughtful and intentional manner.  Please do encourage respectful discourse, careful fact finding and checking while remaining neutral about your political opinions.

Operations
LS Library at Lunch Recess
Library will be open on Tuesday and Friday for lunch recess. Librarians will encourage most students to select books, then head outside for fresh air and exercise.  

Homecoming - 9/28
As you are likely aware, courtesy of some enthusiastic work by Donna Knight and a number of volunteers, Homecoming is going to be bigger and better than ever this year.  In that spirit I have agreed to have Lower School participate more fully in the excitement.  I hope many of you will plan on attending and showing some school spirit.

Kick - off Rally - Monday, 9/24 from 8:00 - 8:15

Spirit Week - students will have a week of uniform optional ( either they come dress in the theme or they wear their uniforms), theme days to get in the spirit with MS and US.  Thanks to the LS Homecoming Liaisons who helped create the themes.
Monday - Athletic wear day
Tuesday - Career Day
Wednesday - Clash Day
Thursday - Tropical/ Hawaiian Day
Friday - OES Spirit Day

Pep Rally - Friday, 9/28 at 2:35 p.m.
Homecoming Parade, Friday, 9/28 at 5:45 p.m. featuring student made floats. Paretn Volunteers are organizing the float making which will be done outside of class time.

Annual Fund Progress
Thanks to those of you who have given.  Look for an update from Tasha.  It would be great to be at 100% before homecoming to show our OES Spirit.

Specialist Communication with Parents
The question arose in the Specialist meeting last Thursday about how best to communicate with parents. I propose the following:
1. Specialist teacher checks in with classroom teachers to see of there is additional context of relevance about the student.
2. Specialist then communicates directly with parents.  
3. If the Specialist chooses to email, cc classroom teacher. If the Specialist choose to phone or meet in person, the specialist will communicate back to the classroom teacher relevant information.
By following this simple protocol, the Specialist Teachers will be able to have the direct communication with parents that they desire while ensuring the classroom teacher is kept informed about their students.
Thank you again for getting us off to such a good start. On to our 2nd full week we go.