Although we no longer have school-age children, most of us are still on a "school schedule." Of course, some of us are retired teachers, so that is not too unusual. It seems that in every small town, the pulse of the town is sometimes based on what is happening at the local school and we are no exception.
The Shopper was full of mainly school news this past weekend--bus schedules, articles from the Superintendent, articles from the principals, articles about what is needed for the students.
The PTO had a big front page ad listing its ongoing accomplishments and announcing their meetings. The first meeting is coming up on September 6 at 2:30 p.m. Not only do they have ongoing projects (such as the playground equipment, book fair, bike rodeo, Grandparents' Day, Teacher Appreciation, yearbook, Mitten Run, etc.), they also have made donations to various school-related organizations. We can all help out by dropping off our Box Tops for Education, which brought in nearly $4,000 last year (and our school was in the top 10% nationwide for this!).
The school calendar is listed also. The teachers are already in meetings today and tomorrow, with Tuesday, September 5th, the first day of school this year. We will all have to watch out on Monday night because the local water pressure might be low as all of that summertime dirt gets washed off before the first day of school!
There is something called "Power Lunch Accounts" that parents of elementary students are encouraged to set up. It seems to be sort of a "Pay it Forward" account for school lunches for the kids. Great idea--no more excuses for lost lunch money!
School pictures are scheduled for Friday, September 8, for grades 7-12. Watch out for that water pressure again on Thursday night! It costs $3 to rent a lock for a locker--but it will be returned when the locks are returned in the spring.
Parents are reminded that immunizations for the students must be up to date. If they are not, the student will be asked to stay home until they are.
A whole system is in place for how students should report their child's absence--a note or a phone call or email. My, how times have changed!
Supplies are listed for materials for the classrooms. We should probably be making some donations to some of the parents as some of these lists look pretty costly.
The elementary school principal also has a letter welcoming the students. It appears that the starting dates are sort of staggered. It looks too complicated for this old brain and many of us are at the point where we don't learn something new if it doesn't pertain to us--selfish, but we deserve it and have earned it! School pictures will be taken on Thursday, September 7th. My gosh, that means no water pressure on Wednesday night also. Guess we'd better bathe during the day next week!
One of the big stories is about our new school project. We have all watched as the playground equipment has been moved and some of the old buildings are being demolished. It seems that there is something new happening every week. The Superintendent reminds us all that the primary goal is providing a first rate education for the students and that it is not the building that creates this quality, but the teachers do. He reassures us that everyone and everything is "good to go" for the school year. He reminds the students that the secret to success is to attend regularly, listen to the instructors, and turn in assignments. He also says that parents should listen to the school, listen to their children, and remember that neither of them always has the full story! Good advice for all of us!
The transportation schedule and maps are included but it takes younger eyes to read the map--we're sure that everyone will get to where they are supposed to get. The Fall Sports Schedule is also listed. There is a football game next week, a girls' swim meet, and volleyball games. Many of us attend some of the games and meets to keep us all young and in the swing of things in the community.
There is a lot more going on in our community, but, for now, back-to-school is the most important event! We'll keep you all posted on how it all comes together.
