S.O.A.R Weekly

Good afternoon Eagle families. I want to take this time to welcome you to the 2018-2019 school year and communicate information to help us to have a great start.

First we would like to welcome our new families and new Garrison Commander Col Clifford. Whereas our school is not a DOD school we work closely with the Fort Gordon community to ensure the best for our families. Last year our students saw tremendous growth in all areas especially in ELA and science. With the help of staff, families, and our great Fort Gordon community partners, we hope to continue growth in the upcoming school year.

In light of our goal, the 2018-2019 theme is: One school, One direction, Up! Please stay tuned for ways you can be a part of this movement.

Sincerely,

Dr. Titania Singh

Arrival Time:

Please do not drop students off before 8:20 am. This is a safety concern as there are no staff members on duty to monitor students. You may see cars, but they are not on duty and will not be monitoring students at this time. Violators will be reported. This is not to threaten any person as we are not here to hurt anyone, but our student safety is important and we cannot look the other way. The school day begins at 9am and ends at 4pm. You may call the school or contact your child’s teacher regarding tutoring, clubs, and other events that may take place outside of these hours.

Arrival - Car line

Please be patient with drop off lines the first week of school. We promise they will get better. If your student is not riding the bus, please use the car line. The first few weeks of school it may be crowded as typical bus riders tend to use the car line the first few weeks while bus routes are solidified. The car line will decrease and become more efficient after the first few weeks.

Arrival - Parking and Walk Ups

If you are not going to use the car line, you must park in a designated parking spot and walk your students to the front door. For our student’s safety you must park in designated areas. Please do not enter the bus lane. This is very dangerous as buses and cars are moving freely during intake. Violators will be reported. This is not to threaten any person as we are not here to hurt anyone, but our student safety is important and we cannot look the other way. Please be aware Freedom Park also has very dedicated and concerned parents who will take your license plate and turn it in to authorities. Again, we are not threatening anyone but want you to be very aware that we have parents and staff who take student safety very seriously.

Please be mindful of the weight of your student’s backpack. It is not necessary to bring all supplies the first day of school. Please break it up into several days to lighten the load.

For the first two weeks all parents must exit the building at 9:30 am. Parents will not be permitted to walk students to class after the first week. In addition, there are no classroom visitors/volunteers the first two weeks.

We love and welcome our parents, however the safety and health of our students is our first charge. Parents are asked to exit the building in a timely manner to allow our students to develop independence and a sense of self efficacy. Students must develop confidence in their ability to self-govern. In additions, they need to build relationships with their classmates and teachers.

Help us to develop a sense of strong self-esteem in your student. Remember, Eagles can only soar outside of the nest. We will be there to under gird them until they can do it alone. After the first few weeks we will welcome our volunteers to support our classrooms.

The first day, parents of first year students (PreK- 1st grade) are invited to join us in the media center for Coffee and Kleenex. We know that gently teaching our Eagles to soar can be an emotional time. We are here for you. Join us in the media center as we spend some time getting to know other parents who are experiencing the same feelings.

We have done our best to fill any homeroom request. Please bear in mind that not all request could be filled due to maximum class size and special educations mandatory guidelines. Having said that, we are growing. As we continue to welcome new families PCSing into our area, some classroom assignments may change. If necessary, students will be randomly chosen to create a new classroom community. We will continue to watch class sizes so that we may make necessary changes early to mitigate the disruption to the classroom environments.

All students in the Richmond County School System eat breakfast and lunch free of charge. Lunch schedules have not been solidified because they are heavily dependent upon the number of classes and students who are served. Please be patient as we work through the schedule the first few weeks of school. If you have a student with special dietary needs, please be sure to inform your student’s teachers and the school nurse.

To make the first day memorable, we plan to have Kona Ice for our students after the lunch period. Please call the school for details on cost and times. If your student has special dietary needs, please plan accordingly (ie carb counts for lunch, etc.). No one is required to partake, but we wanted you to be aware that it would be offered.

Intake and dismissal can be very stressful times. Our goal is to ensure our students have a stress free time. All adults, including faculty, staff, and parents should maintain a positive attitude at all times. Discussions should not be held in the presence of students. Students must understand that the adults in their lives are in a partnership to ensure a healthy environment for them at all times. Remember, we, the adults, are their examples for how to handle conflict and stressful moments. Having said that, the following are a few procedures and tips to follow to ensure a smooth dismissal:

The front door is locked at 3:50 pm each day throughout the school year. We will not open the door until after dismissal has begun and students are safely in their designated area for dismissal. We also will not call students for dismissal after this time. We do this for several reasons:

Student Movement

All students are moving around the building to their dismissal locations at this time. We do not want people standing in the hallways, walking the hallways, or grabbing students out of line. This is unsafe for our student due to the high traffic and lack of security. This has been an issue in the past, but we will continue the process because it is what is best for the students in our care.

Classroom Interruptions

Constantly calling rooms for dismissal so that individuals can “beat the lines” interrupts the last minutes of instruction and confuses our students. It is also hard for students to hear all calls due to the movement in the building.

Poor Attendance - Its the Law

Checking student out early results in a tardy even if it is a few minutes before dismissal. Three tardies results in an absents. Please help us to keep a great attendance record.

The following are tips to make your dismissal experience pleasant.

Dismissal by Surname

• If your last name begins with A-L please arrive at 3:50 for the car line or walk-ups and wait patiently in your car or at the entry to the gym. Students will be released promptly at 4 pm. All students from A-L should be gone before 4:08 and the parking lot will be clearer and have available parking for the next group.
  
• If your last name begins with M-Z please arrive at 4:05. The lines will be much shorter and you will have less time to wait in your car or outside.

Again, if you are not using the car line, you must park in a designated parking spot. Do not create one. Do not park in any area with a yellow curb these are the bus loading zones. You must walk to the gym. Do not leave other children or pets in your vehicle.

Bus Riders: Please see our website for how to sign up for bus ETA text. Expect bus delays for the first few and last week of school. Buses may also be delayed during bad weather. Parents of bus riders should not come to the school to get your students unless you have an emergency on these days. An increase in the flow of traffic only causes things to get worse. We will keep you updated on the ETA of the bus during these times. We will ensure all students arrive home safely. They will be monitored and we will talk and play games to lessen any stress.