LS Weekly Memo Week 21: January 6-10

I hope you have all enjoyed your break and are returning to school well rested, healthy and ready for the all that awaits us in 2014; assessments, ERB’s, progress reports, conferences and admissions.  I have seen a few of you coming onto campus already this year.  Good luck with starting up anew in the new year.

COMMUNITY

Plans for Next Year

If you are considering changing your professional plans for the 2014-15 school, please let David know.  This could include an interest in changing grades at OES or a pursuit of opportunities beyond OES.

SST in January

We look forward to our Pre-Conference check in with classroom teachers, and if possible, specialists.  If you haven’t done so, please sign up on Ari’s  Google doc sign-up sheet for SST this week.

First Assembly of the New Year- MLK Assembly 1/17 at 8:10

We will gather for our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Remembrance.  Our thanks to the Fourth Grade for making this possible. More details to follow.

Welcome Back Kristen Haferbecker

We welcome Kristen Haferbecker back from her maternity leave this week.  She will shadow Dave Hall this week and take pon her full responsibilities starting the week of January 13th.

Thank you Madeleine Jennings

Our thanks to Madeleine Jennings who stepped in for Dave Hall in Carole’s Kindergarten class.  Madeleine will return for one more full week. We look forward to seeing you as a Beginning School substitute in future days.

Thank you Dave Hall

Our thanks to Dave Hall for working flexibly as Beginning School and First Grade Music teacher and Second Grade Assistant Teacher, two very big roles.  He will return to his Kindergarten Teaching Assistant position in Carole’s class after helping Kristen H. transition back.

PROGRAM

Report Cards

• Specialists - See Angela’s template for report writing
• Send Jenny Strode an email if you notice a picture of a student with the wrong name in PCR so she can fix it.
• Friday, January 24 is a report writing day
• Reports are due at 8:00 am, Monday, January 27.  Coordinate with your team if you want to have ½ due at the end of the day Friday, 1/24 and ½ due at the start of the day on 1/27
• We will designate our two faculty meetings to proof reports,Monday, 1/27 from 3:15 - 5:00pm and Thursday, 1/30, 7:30 -8:30am

Change in Winter Coffee Format

Winter Parent Coffees 2014  

Lyn will set up a time for us to meet with you to prepare for these coffees.   Look for an email from Lyn this week.

OPERATIONS

LS Leadership Team, Rescheduled, Monday, January 13th, 3:15-4:30 in Kathy’s Room

Inclement Weather Recess Options

If the weather is particularly bad, you always have the option of opening the Gym and/ or Library for recess, as long as it does not conflict with PE or Library activities.

Kitchen Utensils for Cooking and Entertaining in Your Classroom

Just before Winter Break Shirley lost most of her tongs and serving spoons needed to serve the Beginning School’s lunch.  Please do not use Shirley’s much needed utensils. Instead, we will stock a supply of utensils in the faculty room and establish a “check out” system to borrow spoons and/or tongs.

Fire Drill Second through Fifth Grade, January 10th, 8:30  in Chapel

The first Friday back we will practice a Fire Drill  filing out of the Chapel.  Look for more details in an email next week.

New Stainless Steel Scoops for Aardvark Community Park Excavators

There are now color coded stainless steel scoops in First through Fifth Grade recess equipment bins.  (five for First and Second, and Four for Third through Fifth).  

Please inform your students:

• Students may dig in  two designated areas:
• Sand box by Mini Aardvark
• Sand box by the Zip Line

• Scoops are color coded with tape
• All colors match recess equipment, except Fourth, which have white tape on the handles, not purple

• Scoops are to be returned to bins at the end of recess,  sand and mud-free

We’ll see how this goes. We may need to have separate bins for scoops.