Principal Newsletter

Thank you for the great turnout for this year's Curriculum Night.  Parents shared with me that they found their time with the classroom teacher to be informative and helpful. Feeling connected to your student's teacher and the grade level program is important. Teachers share regular class updates via websites, newsletters, or other multiple platforms such as Class Dojo, in an effort for our families to feel well informed. All of our teachers  and staff are available for any parent inquiry throughout the year. 

During the first few weeks of school, students and teachers are getting accustomed to each other, creating norms to support learning, and of course diving into the curriculum. Taking time to establish the norms, rules, and expectations cannot be rushed or assumed. Students like to be aware of the expectations and often for them to be modeled and practiced so that they feel confident to extend themselves with the learning of the classroom and their relationships with peers and teachers. One example of this for the entire school, is practicing our various emergency drills. During the first four weeks of school we take one day each week to be sure students know how we stay safe at school for fire drills, shelter-in-place, emergency drills, and ALICE training. In the event that we would have to actually use these protocols for a real event, parents can expect a communication from the school right away that would also include information on what to do next. You can learn more details about APS safety protocols by clicking here.

Thinking further about student safety, I want to remind parents NOT to drop off students at school before 9:00 am. If you are arriving earlier than 9:00am you must stay and accompany your child until supervision arrives. We appreciate your attention to this important safety protocol.

I'm looking forward to seeing our families at the PTSA Ice Cream Social next Wednesday at 5:30pm. Come join us on the grass field for some ice cream fun, and tours of our fabulous STEAM Lab!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Adam Dodge