WEEK AT A GLANCE
Dear Colleagues,
Have a wonderful weekend!
Warmly,
Sharon
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Lunch Program – The equipment for the lunch program has been delivered and installed in time for the launch on Monday. Parents have been given details for enrolling in the program. See Link. The enrollment process includes a prompt for providing information about allergies. Nancy has also provided the Director of Dining Services, Tara Cook, with a list of students and their allergies. Tickets for the students will be printed and brought to the school each day. Each ticket contains the student’s name, their lunch ID# and a list of any allergens. The tickets will be given to the aides assigned to each grade level who will distribute them to the students. Students will then take their tickets to the lunch service area when their tables are called so they can be served based on the meal selected by their parents – Hot Lunch 1 or 2, or Cold Lunch 1 or 2. Students have been told they may not exchange their tickets with a friend because that would be similar to sharing food – a very unsafe and disallowed practice in school. Students who request seconds will be offered fruit options which will be available each day. Faculty and staff are able to order meals by following the procedures outlined for parents in the link above.
Deb’s Bench Dedication will not take place on Monday, September 17th, due to a conflict with the Family Picnic scheduled at all of our elementary schools. You will be updated when a new date has been determined.
Fire Drill Feedback – Thank you for another excellent Building Evacuation. The Fire Department Deputy and Chief were invited by Mike. They viewed our process through different lenses and had much praise for our systems. In particular, they liked our use of the Red/Green Dots and the fact that the entire school was on the blacktop, and out of their way in the event of a true emergency. They will be recommending these procedures be adopted across the district. Thanks again for your cooperation in carrying out the procedures and for keeping the safety of all in mind.
We have now implemented an additional practice to help us account for the adults in our building. Lynne will have a list of teachers and Carole will have a list of aides, which they will use to check off the names of all who are present. To assist with the process, it would be extremely helpful if one teacher and one aide on each grade level could check in with Lynne and Carole as they (Lynne & Carole) walk across the blacktop to let them know which adults on your particular grade level are present and or missing/absent.
Please keep in mind all future Fire drills/Evacuations will be unannounced.
Our first Lockdown will be on September 21st at 10:15. Please be sure you have discussed the purpose of lockdowns and the procedures with your students.
Here are some tips:
Explain that a lockdown drill is very similar to a fire drill. It’s something schools practice just in case of an emergency because practice helps us to develop safe habits. You can even compare practicing drills to wearing a helmet or seat belt. Their parents encourage them to do these things to be safe, just in case, there’s an accident or should they fall off their bike. These things may never happen, but if they do, they are protected.
The more relaxed and less serious you remain while discussing lockdown drills, the more relaxed the children will be. Emphasize that lockdown drills aren’t just for the students but for grownups as well and that they’re designed to keep everyone safe.
For the more curious student who wants to know what a lockdown drill is keeping them safe from, one suggestion is to let them know that adults and teachers may see situations that require them to take action to keep everyone safe. What situations? Sometimes people make poor choices. The school’s job is to keep children safe from anyone around who may be making poor choices.
Classroom Quotes – We are working on getting your quotes printed so they can be displayed in each of your classrooms. Although we neglected to say this, Specialty Teachers and Service Providers, please decide on a quote you would like to have displayed in your rooms. It is not only important that you are included but it also creates a sense of consistency for the children when they are in your spaces of learning as well. We would like to have your quotes by the end of the week, 9/28. Thank you.
FACULTY MEETING SNACK 9/17: Kindergarten
KITCHEN DUTY
9/10: All Faculty
9/24: Shoshana