News Detail

Reminders for Heading Back to School

8/23/2018

Bill Wolf-Tinsman

Information you'll want for Monday and Tuesday.

Here are a few reminders and updates that I hope will be helpful as you prepare for Monday and Tuesday. It is shaping up to be an exciting year, and I speak for the faculty in sharing our enthusiasm for what lies ahead.

Additional Information I hope is helpful as you get ready for the start of school:

8^th Grade Trip Departure is on Wednesday, September 29: We will meet by the baseball field at 7:30 am. Please double check the gear list and refer to the reminder note sent out with the August mailer.
7^th Grade Trip Departure is Thursday, September 30: Regular arrival at school. Please refer to the reminders sent out in August for the 7^th grade Community Building Overnight.
School Supply Information: Children should arrive at school on Tuesday, August 28 with necessary school supplies and their charged iPad. The short list of school supplies can be found on the school’s website.
iPad Preparation: All students should arrive on the first day of school with their charged iPad and keyboard. Please also be sure the various aps are updated.
Welcome Back Picnic: We are hoping to see everyone at the Welcome Back Picnic on Monday, August 27 at 5:00 PM.
New Student Technology Orientation: New to the school 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders should meet in the Middle School Community Room at 2:45 pm on Monday, September 27, to receive your iPads. Time will be spent helping you get set up and ready to go for the first day. This session will be run by Jared Katzman, our technology director, and his team. (Please bring your keyboard to this session.)
New Student Orientation: All sixth graders and new to the school 7^th and 8^th graders are invited to an orientation session on Monday, August 27 at 4:00 pm in the Middle School. Parents may reconnect with their child after the orientation at the front desk for the Family Picnic which begins at 5:00 p.m.
Locker Set Up: Interested returning 7^th and 8^th grade students may come to school and set up their locker after 5:00 pm on Monday, August 27. This is optional, and children will be given time for this task on Tuesday, as well. Our hope is that this may be fun for some children and encourage attendance at the picnic. Children will receive their locker number and combination from their advisor. Please do not arrive earlier than 5:00 pm as we will not issue lockers until new student orientation wraps up.
First Parent Association Meeting: Please join me on Monday, September 17 at 8:30 am in the Middle School Community Room for our first PA meeting. I look forward to sharing an overview of our program and highlights of what is new programmatically for 2018-19.
Back to School Night: If you have not done so already, please mark your calendars for Thursday, September 6, so that you can join us for Back to School Night. This is your chance to get to know your child’s teachers and become familiar with our curricular goals for each subject area. The evening begins with a light supper in the dining hall at 6:15. Remarks begin at 6:40 pm.
Student Honor Statement and Technology Use Expectations: During the first weeks of school, advisors will share with students an honor statement and Technology Use Expectations which we will ask each student and his/her parents to sign and then return to school. The honor statement and Technology Agreement serve as reminders of the importance of behaving with integrity from the first day of school to the last.
Health Plans, Medical Forms, Medications and Non-Prescription Medication form: We must have all health plans, medical forms and necessary medications BEFORE the FIRST day of school as we need to be prepared for any medical contingency that may arise. If your child has a health care plan for conditions such as a severe allergy which requires an epi pen or asthma which requires an inhaler, and we do not have the necessary medication, your child will NOT be able to attend school. Please also be sure to consider medications that you would like the school to be able to give during field trips or during interim e.g. medications that are given before or after school as this will save you time later in the year. Similarly, if you child does not have a signed athletic participation physical exam form, s/he will not be able to participate in athletics. Please also note that if you would like the school to be able to give your child any non-prescription medications, we must have both the appropriate signed doctor’s form AND the necessary medication (advil, Benadryl, etc.) By law, any medication that was not picked up last June was disposed of by the school. We are being intentionally very careful about these safety related issues.
ALL 6th Grade and New to 7^th or 8^th Grade Student Family Picture: If you have not done so already, please email a family picture to Fran Clark. Ideally the picture is relatively recent and clearly shows faces. Thanks.
Finally, on the first day of school, we will be taking advisory pictures which will also be used for the yearbook.