August 2011

Dear Montgomery Families:                                                                 

Welcome back to the 2011-2012 school year. We are excited to see you all as we begin the new school year! We have a wonderful certificated and classified staff, terrific group of parents and guardians, and 400 incredible children as a part of our Montgomery community. We appreciate each one of your contributions to creating a school where each student feels safe and valued. Working together we will create and maintain our strong academic program and positive school environment for all.

In preparation for the start of school we will have our “paper parade” on August 18 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Student class assignments will be handed out once appropriate paperwork has been turned in to school staff. Please see Back To School link with instructions.

The first day of school is Tuesday, August 23. The playground opens at 8:10 a.m. and class starts promptly at 8:30 a.m. Please make sure your children are here at school on time each and every day. Please see the school schedule for dismissal times.

The PTA Welcome Coffee is on the morning of August 23. Wish your children a happy first day and come say hello to friends and greet someone new.

One of the changes at school this year will be a play first eat second lunch. We often see students who are so anxious to play and be with friends that they do not spend much time eating. This results in lots of food being thrown away and students that are often hungry before the end of the school-day, which interferes with their learning. We believe that if children play first, are called in to lunch where they spend a full 15 minutes in the eating area and are then picked up by teachers directly from the lunch area they will spend more time eating, have already calmed down after recess and be ready for an afternoon full of learning. We will try this for three months and then evaluate its success. You can expect to hear from me about it’s success at the end of November.

One of the things you can do to help your child be successful is to send a morning snack. This is especially important with our new lunch schedule, as children will be eating lunch a bit later.

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, August 31 as our back to school night. Primary grades will begin at 5:30 and Intermediate grades will begin at 6:30.  These meetings are very important. Teachers will tell you about the academic year they have planned for your children, and answer questions.

ESSENTIALS FOR THE FIRST DAY:

• Talk with your children about the importance of kind, appropriate language and behavior at school.  An atmosphere of kindness and respect is essential for learning and happiness.
• Provide appropriate dress and footwear. Inappropriate items include: spaghetti strap or bareback tops, tank tops that do not cover underwear, bare midriffs, excessively short skirts or shorts, shoes which inhibit running and clothing with unacceptable language or symbols. Thanks in advance for providing clothing that keeps the focus on learning and active P.E. participation.
• Provide snug-fitting bike helmets and bike locks for students’ bicycles.
• Send a nutritious snack that is easily opened for morning recess.
• Pack lunches that children will eat and can open themselves. No glass containers please.
• School lunch costs $3.25 and milk is $.35 a carton.  Free and reduced price lunches and breakfasts are available for families who qualify. Please write checks to “DJUSD” to order lunches in advance, note child and teacher names.
• Bring medications in original prescription containers only and fill out the required form in the office. Note: This form requires the doctor’s signature. By law, only medication prescribed by a doctor can be given to children at school.

TRAFFIC SAFETY

The traffic situation in front of the school calls for courtesy and patience from everyone. Please use the drive-through area at the front of the school for quick pick-up and drop-off only. Do not leave your car unattended in this area. If you wish to walk your student to or from class you must park in the parking lot or on the street. Sometimes this means walking a few extra steps, but it is the only way for us to keep the traffic flow safe for everyone.

ATTENDANCE

We ask Montgomery families to make every effort to have every child in school, on time, every single day that he or she is not ill, observing a religious holiday or away due to death in the family. The state pays the district for your child’s education ONY when the child is in school. Daily attendance by every child generates much -needed dollars for the district budget, especially crucial during these tight budgetary times. Pleases continue to plan vacations and days away from school for normally scheduled school holidays. Independent Study credit can be earned if students are away for more than 5 school days; but ALL assigned work much be completed before the student returns to school in order for it to count. Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

We look forward to seeing you and your children soon.

Sincerely,

Sally Plicka

Montgomery Home Page

Davis Joint Unified School District