August 18, 2008

Important Dates for starting the school year:

Aug. 20 - Mandatory Corporation Meeting and new family orientation, 5:30 - 7 pm

Aug. 21 - First Day of School for all students that are RETURNING TO THEIR SAME CLASS in the Children's House, AND FOR ALL STUDENTS IN THE 6-9 AND 9-12 CLASSES

Aug. 21 - NEW Student Phase-in begins, contact your teacher for exact schedule

Sept. 1 - Labor Day, No School. Sept. tuition notice emailed ($550/$500-sibling)

Year opening meeting schedule and agenda

On Wed., Aug. 20 please meet in your child's classroom at 5:30.

--Teachers will be available to discuss classroom issues, questions and policies from 5:30 - 6:15 in the classroom. Please park tightly in the parking lot and we will all leave together promptly at 7. If the lots are full, park on the road in front of the Norwood House (get completely off the road or you'll get a ticket). Light snacks will be available in your classroom. Everyone will go from the classrooms to a meeting on the playground. Childcare will be available. The following is some of what will be covered:

• Required forms (we have the following from returning parents and some new parents: medical, immunization or immuniz. exemption, discipline policy, handbook/NC law acknowledgement slip. Everyone has to have a new Emergency Contact Info sheet)
• Sunscreen permission forms (please sunscreen children in the morning and fill out a medical permission form that we will keep with your child's sunscreen if we will be keeping it here for them to reapply)
• Before and After School registration (14 total spots available. Before School starts at 8 a.m., afterschool ends at 5:30)
• Parking lot procedures (drive-thru, drop-off lanes, parking and coming in, etc.)
• On payment checks, please write child's name and what check is paying for (tuition, snack fee, donation, etc.) on the memo line

Handbook Highlights (READ the handbook)

• Lunch-packing expectations
• Ride change and drop-off/pick-up policies
• Attendance expectations, 10 a.m. drop-off limit, no parents in classrooms after 9:15, etc.
• 6-12 year olds need sneakers for PE (and inside shoes, and water shoes for creek)
• Health Policy (REALLY! READ THE HANDBOOK!)
• Weather and cancellation policies (email, school phone voicemail, internet, NO RADIO) .

--We will also be asking for volunteers and/or nominations for the new Board of Trustees. Please email if you are interested in serving. If you are not an actual Board member, at least one parent needs to serve on one of the committees.

• Strategic Planning Committee (2 members needed)
• Marketing and Advertising Committee (4 members and a chair needed)
• Development Committee for Grants and Gifts (3 members needed)
• A Parent-Teacher Organization Chair to oversee the festival committees (this is a single board position)
• AutumnFest Subcommittee (chair plus seven members, ideally from families with 3-6 year old children)
• WinterFest Subcommittee (chair plus four members, ideally from families with toddler children)
• Mountain Valleyfest Subcommittee (chair plus ten members, ideally from families with Norwood House children)
• Building and Grounds Committee (10 members that would be available for the director to call in case of a pressing construction or repair need. Obviously, it would be helpful if this person has construction experience)

Community Workday leftovers...

This stuff did not get done on the workday if you would like to put in some volunteer hours. (Be sure to email mpathways@gmail.com if you put in hours, that's how you get credit toward your 30 hour commitment as of this year!):

• Children’s House (Wood Building)

  • Remove sign from front wall of Children’s House and put by road (on new posts which we do not have at the moment)
  • Weed remaining flower beds (particularly those in front of Children’s House)
  • There is a giant hornet’s nest in the plants below the sign in front of the Children’s House AND a yellow jacket nest in the grass near the fence in the same area. These need to be taken care of some evening when there are not a lot of people around, but soon! The cans of poison are here.
  • Hang class pictures in front hallway
  • Clean out gutters of Children’s House
  • Quieten fan in toddler bathroom
  • Deliver or build new picnic tables
  • Devise shade structure for toddler and main playground
  • Check and replace all lightbulbs in both houses

  Norwood House (brick house)

  • Seal the concrete on top of the leaky chimney at the Norwood House
  • Even out the gravel in the driveway at the Norwood House

Trading Post

Place your classifieds here for $5/month.