Good evening,
Once our regular schedule gets underway when we return from the camping trip, we will be sending a weekly update regularly on Wednesdays (look for the subject line Cycle x Week x MidweekMinute). In these emails you will find a brief description of what we are doing that week along with important dates and reminders for the week(s) ahead. Please make sure to at least review upcoming dates and reminders and add any relevant items to your calendar. Past emails will also be available on our class page on the parent portal.
On to this week’s update — Usually the overview of the week will be short but we have had so much going on this week that it is a bit longer than usual. We have chosen just a few highlights to share with you:
We have enjoyed starting to get to know each other this week and have been participating in games and activities to help us get to know each other, working in groups, and preparing for the camping trip by practicing setting up and taking down tents. Tomorrow and Friday we will be setting up and practicing our organizational systems.
Students read over and agreed to our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) which they should have brought home last night to review with you and they have signed it before returning it this morning so they could be assigned a computer. We have attached the AUP to this email for your reference and would encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions.
For the first big group work of the cycle, students began planning our meals for the upcoming camping trip. They had to plan meals and snacks that included a protein and a fruit or vegetable, stay within a designated budget, and accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences.
Friday the Peace Ambassadors will be hosting our first Community Meeting of the year. This is one of the leadership roles that the Peace Ambassador students have in the school. These all-school gatherings happen most Fridays from 9:00 – 9:30 AM in the Parish Hall and parents are always welcome to join us. Information about each week’s meeting will go out in the school’s email updates. For this week’s meeting, students will be introduced to faculty and staff and we will be celebrating September birthdays.
By the end of this week students will have set up their binders and had a lesson on email etiquette and how we prepare for the weekend. As a part of our system of communication, your student will write an email to you and their teachers each week to let you know if they have any work left over from the week to complete over the weekend. We do this so that everyone is on the same page about what work is still outstanding and also to allow families to plan time for students to be able to complete their work.
Important Dates and Reminders
Monday, September 7 — No School: Labor Day
Wednesday, September 9-Friday, September 11 — Camping at Tuckahoe State Park
If you have not yet submitted all of your health forms, please do so by Friday. If there is a problem with submitting your forms, please speak with the office as soon as possible.
Students should arrive at school for regular arrival on Wednesday with all of their gear (the packing list is on the portal with all of the Back-to-School materials on our class page). We will be back in time for regular dismissal on Friday.
We will be sending a separate email with reminders about preparing for the camping trip later this week.
Monday, September 13 – Regular schedule and classes begin
Thursday, September 17 – Back-to-School Night 5:30 PM
Back-to-School Night will be in our classroom. At least one parent from each family should plan on attending.
Water Bottles: Please make sure your adolescent has at least one water bottle at school each day (they are welcome to leave them in their locker and take them home at the end of the week for washing). It is important that students are drinking water throughout the day and they will need their full water bottles for PE as well.
Indoor Shoes: If your student does not have a pair of indoor shoes at school, please make sure to send them in. We do not require students to change shoes each time they come into the classroom. However, they often need to change their shoes upon returning from PE as the park can get very muddy and we do not want to track the mud into our classroom.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email us.
Take care.
Hannah and Pearl
