Hello Woodland Families,
First, Kayla and I would like to say what a wonderful school year this has been! With both of us new to the building we were nervous about "getting it right" and making sure everything ran smoothly. What we have found is that the teachers, students, and YOU have helped make this a joyous place to work. Though we sometimes see tears at drop off, most students are dancing their way in and smiling. We hope to reach 100% smiles as kids get more used to being away from home and into the routine of school.
One topic we would love for you to discuss with your children is proper bathroom etiquette. Here at Woodland we say, "Go in, do your business, wash your hands, and leave" when it comes to bathroom use. (Apparently, that has led to an interpretation of lock all stalls, sit on the sink, throw paper towels, and stick around!) We are hoping you can reiterate with your child that the bathroom is a place of privacy, and misbehaving will not be tolerated.
Secondly, we are finding that some of our friends are coming to school using new (inappropriate) words. Many of the words we are dealing with in the office have come from one source: watching YouTube. We remind students that if they don't know a word they should not repeat the word, unless it is asking an adult what it means. Unfortunately, many kids tell their friends, and then we have a problem. Please reiterate with your child that if they don't know it, they shouldn't say it, at least not at school. We REALLY appreciate your help with this one!
And finally, with cooler weather moving in and students bundling up, please make sure to label absolutely everything! Gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, jackets, boots, lunchboxes, water bottles, everything! This time of year kids often lose track of their belongings and the lost and found reaches capacity. Believe it or not we already have 8 coats/hoodies amongst other things. If items are labeled we can find their owner and you don't need to buy a million winter hats!
Happy fall,
Emma and Kayla
