September 11, 2107

Dear Arleta Families,

With all of the challenges to our air quality, very hot temperatures, and two different start times for K-5 and 6-8, it's remarkable that we have had such a smooth opening to the school year. We are very grateful for all of the school supplies that have been brought in. It feels so good to work in a school with such a supportive parent community.

We inadvertently scheduled Back to School Night on the first night of Rosh Hashanah and are re-scheduling for Tuesday 9/19 for K-5 families. For the first time we are scheduling a separate Back to School Night for Middle School Families on 9/27. Both events are from 6:00-7:30 and a flyer will be coming home soon. The goal of both events is for teachers to have time to explain to parents/family members what students will be learning, how that learning will be assessed, how learning can be supported at home, and how best to communicate when concerns arise. In order to fit everyone into classrooms and to be fully present to receive this information, this needs to be an adult only event. This spring there will be an opportunity to visit classrooms with your child(ren) during Student Lead Conferences. More info will be provided on that later in the year.

We are still wrestling with the best way of signaling when students can enter the building in the morning. This week we are going to try an Entrance Bell at 7:55 for Middle School and an entrance bell at 8:10 for K-5. Thanks for your patience and flexibility as we attempt to figure this challenge out. 

This week we are also sending home hard copies of a letter to families explaining our approach to creating a maintaining a healthy school climate. If you would like to learn more about this please click on the School Climate tab on our website.

Finally, I'm out in front of the school on most mornings and please feel free to let me know about what is working well and what could be improved on in the school. Your feedback is really important and helpful. I’m in the process of scheduling times for Coffee and Connections meetings, and will share once those dates are finalized.

Thanks for trusting us with your children and for all of your support!

Seth Jones