September 10, 2021

Dear Lower School Families,

It was lovely to welcome parents and guardians last night at our Back-to-School Evening as well as today for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Events that we took for granted for many years as a regular part of the school calendar that we were unable to host last year due to COVID-19 take on special importance as we gather once again to meet with each other. As you know, we changed the format of our Back-to-School Night, and I would appreciate your feedback by completing this short survey.

Moving forward, most future letters from me will be shared within your children’s homeroom PACA letters, so please look for them when you receive a message from PACA room parents.

Masks (Help Requested)
Please examine your children’s masks that are worn to school. We are noticing more masks that are becoming loose-fitting, and students are needing more reminders for masks to cover noses. As you are aware, students and adults wear masks inside all Academy buildings. For students, they only take them off when they are outdoors, at certain times during PE in the gym or eating in the dining hall. It is important that your children’s masks cover their noses and mouths and are snug enough that they do not slide down. If a mask is unable to cover these two areas, we will supply a disposable mask for the day but ask that you find a comfortable mask that provides full coverage. Please continue to model and discuss the importance of proper mask usage with your children. We appreciate your support with mask-wearing.

Bus Details
If your children will ride buses home from school regularly, please be sure to set the defaults in SchoolPass with your children’s buses and days they will be riding. You will need to use a web browser to update defaults rather than the SchoolPass app. If you have any problems setting the defaults, please email Michelle Saling (salingm@columbusacademy.org).

Vacations and the School Calendar
Please remember to schedule vacations during the normal school holiday schedule. Students are expected to be in school every day unless they are sick or observing a religious holiday. Thank you for your support and for modeling the importance of being in school every day.

School Pictures
Photographers will be on campus the week of September 20 to take individual student school pictures. All students will have their pictures taken for the yearbook. If you are interested in ordering pictures, information for doing so will be sent home soon as well as the times your children are scheduled for pictures. For families with more than one lower school student, picture day may be different for each child.

Parent Book Club
The Parent Book Club will continue this year, and the first book is entitled “Ready or Not” by Dr. Madeline Levine. You can find the book in many public libraries as well as online. We will meet on the fireplace-side of the dining hall on Tuesday, September 28, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. to discuss the first half of the book (chapters 1-4). If you plan to join us for the discussion, please complete this short form.

Parenting Article
This week’s article is from The New York Times and is entitled “The Secret to Raising a Resilient Kid.”

Upcoming Events in the Lower School
  • September 21-24: School Pictures 
  • October 1: Charlie David Dinner
  • October 2: Viking Rampage Run
  • October 13-15: Conferences 
  • October 14: Noon dismissal for conferences
  • October 15: No school for students (conferences)
  • October 18: Fall Holiday (no school)
  • October 29: LS Halloween parties/parade (details coming soon)

Be well,

Head of Lower School