Soaring Swifts,
I say it with true admiration for the hard work that many have put since we came back to school. Everyone, students, staff and parents have kept our community strong. Thank you for your presence and leadership.
I had a chance to visit a few classrooms to see the magic happening. Students in kindergarten are learning grouping with manipulatives and visual models, while fourth graders are gathering evidence or details for a writing assignment. There is still one more week of learning.
Our wonderful Mr. Clark prepared the Chapman Chorus with a few songs for our enjoyment, this week he worked with 3rd graders for a performance spot on Live Round Up this Friday. There will also be other fun activities happening at Chapman next week.
Affinity groups have met recently and cross age buddies have started. A chance for students from different grades to learn with and from each other. Teachers have put together a series of activities to make these interactions more meaningful. Thank you.
We have been seeing an increase in students bringing toys to school which is causing frequent disruptions. As a reminder, no toys, including recess equipment (such as soccer balls) are allowed at school without the express permission of the teacher. Even with permission, all toys are to stay in backpacks or other location designated by the teacher. From our Family Handbook & Calendar (June):
A reminder that students should not bring personal property and toys to school. Even on the playground, these personal items may cause disagreements and problems. If these items are a disruption, they will be confiscated and students may pick them up at the end of the day. If problems continue, items will be confiscated and parents may be asked to pick them up. Personal property may also be lost, damaged, or stolen, and the school cannot guarantee the item’s safe return.
Last, I’d like to make our constant plea for the importance of coming to school. We know this coming week will be different in that some people had previous commitments. But please continue to send your child to school everyday on time. One number that has given me perspective about what good attendance means was when I heard that being absent 2 or more days in a month reduces your ability to learn to read and makes someone less likely to graduate from high school. Also to announce the winner of the Bearded Dragon for the the class with the best attendance at last week’s Round Up was Ms. McLaughlin’s 3rd grade class!
We hope you have a restful Winter break and you get to enjoy time with your family and friends.
