Happy (Chilly) November!

We have just finished the Quarter 1 of the 2019-2020 school year. We look forward to seeing you at conferences this Thursday night and Friday during the day. Don’t forget to stop by the book fair, which supports our LS classrooms with books. Also, please see the note below about QUARTER 1 report cards. Please remember that Friday is a non-school day for Lower School students ONLY (the middle school and upper school have a regularly scheduled day of classes).

We did it! The annual All-School Marathon was a success! We reached and surpassed out goal by earning over $132,000! Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered to make the day a success. We had upper school buddies with us, which is a tradition that started a couple of years when we were off-campus. We have maintained the tradition because of the successful relationships that we are lucky to build in a K-12 school. It is so exciting for all of the students in the upper school and lower school to get to hang out together! It was a really fun (and dry) day! 

Because of this success, the incentive for Lower School is a fun activity day and a non-uniform day, which will occur on Wednesday, November 27. As a lower school, we will be watching the movie Smallfoot (PG- 2018) in the PAC. This is a really fun experience to learn theater etiquette, sit in the dark for an extended period, and hear 450 students giggle at the same time!  If you do not want your child watching the movie, please talk with your teacher. After lunch, there will be activities centered around the history of Thanksgiving (part of our Core Knowledge curriculum) and an activity planned by Mr. Brandt, our lower school phy ed teacher, which will work on state standards in physical education and be lots fun!  November 27 th  will be a fun-filled day! 

If your student is late, please remember that you must escort your child into the school in the main office to sign them in if they are arriving past 9:30 a.m. (the main doors and side doors are locked).  If they are absent or tardy, please communicate prior to the absence at (651) 395-5991. This number is specifically for the lower school office. Attendance letters for Quarter 1 will be sent home/given at conferences this week. Any student with 10% or more days that are impacted by absences/tardies (whether excused or unexcused) will receive a documentation letter (for your records only). At this early stage in the school year, this is to notify parents of days that learning/preparation has been impacted. We know at times it may be difficult to schedule appointments outside of the school day; however, we also want to make you aware of the impact on direct instruction and the foundations missed. Please be mindful of school holidays and try to plan vacations accordingly, so absences are left for illness, emergency, etc.

Additionally, students in the Lower School are not to arrive before 9:00 a.m. unless they stay with an older sibling who will be supervising/responsible for the LS student (if the sibling has an athletic practice, they are not watching the LS student). We do not have adequate supervision for Lower School students in the atrium or outside. If students arrive prior to 9:00 a.m. and/or after school beyond 4:15 p.m., they may be signed in at the YCare program that is offered in the cafeteria. A fee of $12 per event may be imposed. 

Now that we are in Quarter 2, we are in full swing and are working to support reading, writing, science, history, grammar, and math skills. We also have several exciting upcoming events, such as our reward day, Thanksgiving weekend, and the Battle of the Books on December 5. 

Many have asked why there are no concert dates this fall on the calendar. We want to ensure that all of our students are receiving the necessary academic supports to ensure that they have the foundation to move on to the next levels. In the past, by supporting students academically and behaviorally, we have not been able to include all of our students in every concert/art show. To make our programming available to all students, we will now be having a grand showcase at the end of the year in May. We will celebrate the 4 th graders on their own night (highlighting their final LS year), and each of the other grades will have more artwork on display and extended concerts. This ensures that all students are able to participate, to have ample preparation time, and to be part of their class activity.

I am so thankful to get the opportunity to work with you and your children. Thank you for sharing them with us! I hope that you have a restful, thankful, and peaceful Thanksgiving!

Prep for Life! Go Lions!!
Joann Karetov