January, 2008
January 10, 2008
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Our new year has begun well with
many items on the agenda to keep us busy through July!
ENROLLMENT
The Application and Registration
process for new students in underway. Our first Open House was
well attended. Thank you to our staff members, students and
parents who welcomed our visitors. Our next Open House is
planned for Tuesday, January 29th. Please help us
spread the news. Prospective families are always welcome to
visit, please encourage them to call the office if they are
unable to attend on the 29th. We may plan additional
dates for Open House in the near future.
Our Re-registration process for
currently enrolled students is about to begin. Separate letters
will be sent home with more information.
EXAMS AND ASSESSMENTS
New York State English Language
Arts (ELA) Exams are keeping our 4th Graders busy
this week. Eighth Grade State Exams will be administered next
week. Mid- Term Exams for 1-8 Grades begin on January 16th.
Teachers will be sure that review sheets or notes are
distributed as study guides. Teachers will also send home a
testing schedule. Schedules may vary from grade to grade.
Students should be encouraged to study and prepare for these
exams but please help us minimize stress levels that can be
attributed to test taking. Here are a few suggestions: do a bit
of review work each night, weekends too, remember homework is
important review for tests, focusing in class is key to knowing
what will be tested, a good night’s sleep, a good breakfast,
pens or sharpened pencils, and getting to school on time will
all aid test performance.
We are just about ready to open our
Student Information System to parents so that you can access
information regarding your child’s performance. Please remember
that Report Card grades are derived from more than just
test/quiz scores. Class participation, class work, homework, and
projects are all assessed. A separate letter will be sent home
by Monday regarding parent access to the system.
With the new grading policy in
place there is also a different weight assigned to Mid-Term and
Final Exams. The breakdown is as follows:
Each Quarter Grade is worth 20% of
the Final Average.
Mid-Term and Final exams are worth
10% each of the Final Average.
The Mid-Term grade is not
calculated into the 2nd Quarter Average. The Final
Exam grade is not calculated into the 4th Quarter
Average. They are stand alone grades.
ICS WEBSITE
We continue to work on our website.
Please take a look at our newest addition “Nurse’s
Corner.” Mrs. McDonnell offers advice about allergies,
what to do if your child does not feel well, and hygiene hints.
Take a look; I am sure you will find it helpful. We are
currently working to update our Student of the Month link and
hope to add pictures of our ‘Stars!”
PARKING LOTS / DRIVEWAY
Please remember that the first two
rows are numbered spots and are reserved for faculty and staff.
If you find any of these spots open when you arrive please do
not use them. Staff members arrive at different times and if you
have pulled in for even a short time to drop off children, staff
members must then locate another spot.
The upper lot should not be used as
a parking facility in the morning even on cold or rainy mornings
when children are coming directly inside. Pre-K Parents
please make special note: the upper lot cannot be used as a
parking facility when picking up you child after the half day
session. This lot is used as a play facility for upper classes
at lunch time. Please park in the lower lot when picking up.
Thank you.
At all times in the lots please use
caution and be aware that there is much pedestrian traffic.
Always park in a legal spot and defer passage to adults and
especially children as they attempt to safely navigate their way
from point A to point B. Children can be impulsive and could
dart in front of a vehicle anxious to greet a family member. It
is always best to park your car and meet your child in the area
where they are dismissed.
Please communicate these pointers
to anyone who drops off or picks up your child.
I am sure you have noticed the pile
of dirt in front of school. We are waiting for the results of
testing on the soil removed from the oil tank site. These
results will determine where the dirt can be relocated. Once
this is completed we will re-open the driveway to the front
entrance.
PHONE CALLS
Our school phone and door bell are
almost always ringing and the office staff is always ready and
willing to assist both callers and visitors. Because of the
volume of calls made each afternoon with messages for students
regarding pick-up arrangements, it has become almost impossible
to conduct other school business. These messages also cause
disruption of instructional time in classrooms. Please
if at all possible make these arrangements with your child
before you bring them to school. Emergency situations are the
exception. We understand you could be held up at work or an
appointment, even stuck in traffic. Don’t panic if no one is
here at dismissal your child will be brought back inside and
will be well cared for in the After Care Program until you
arrive.
Please remember that if your child
will be absent, a phone call must be made to the office before
9:00 a.m. Receiving a call from you helps cut back on the number
of calls the office staff must make to confirm the whereabouts
of a child. Sometimes this number can be as high as 25 per day!
It is very time consuming to look up numbers, place calls and
converse with parents, sometime more than one call must be made
for each child until a parent is reached. Please consider this
situation and help us by placing a quick call in the morning.
You can even call before hours and leave a message. Thank you!
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Some of our parents have been very
busy planning after school programs for our children. A separate
flier is being sent home with more information. Please be sure
to look it over and send it back with your input. We are almost
ready to get our new band program started. Almost 40 families
responded to our survey! Thank you.
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Sincerely,
-
Maureen J. Harten
-
Principal
