Meadows Message

Excitement and nerves manifest themselves in different ways for our kids. To ease those first-day jitters, plan on eating dinner together tonight. Share your confidence in your child and encourage their independence and ability to ask for help from an adult on campus if needed. Get a good night’s sleep and know your student is in good hands!

Read below for a few reminders to ensure their first day of school goes as smoothly as possible.

We will open campus gates at 7:45 am, 25 minutes earlier than our normal daily schedule. This will allow students to get a copy of their schedule (if needed) and walk through the hallways to find classes before the school day officially begins.

5th grade will pick up in the cafe

6th grade will pick up in the library

7th grade will pick up in the outdoor science corridor

8th grade will pick up in the downstairs C hallway

Parents/guardians will be allowed on campus only on this first day of school and are welcome to walk students around. We kindly ask that all parents leave before 8:25 am when the bell rings for 1st period.

Please join us for a brief informational session hosted by administration at 5:15 this evening in our cafeteria. The presentation will last about 40 minutes and then you may take a self-guided tour of campus if you’d like. Teachers will pop by to say hello at the beginning of the meeting and then will head home to prepare for the first day of school.

Can’t make it? Don’t stress! Don’t forget that we are opening gates early on Tuesday. And we will send out a pdf of our presentation so you can view it at home.

You have three options for getting to and from school. Please be sure to communicate your pick-up plan with your student prior to the first day of school!

Parent pick up/drop off (Pick 1 of 2 locations and clearly communicate your plan with your child)

• 3rd avenue drive thru lane (hug the curbs on either side of the lane when unloading/picking up & use the center for passing slowly)

• Celebrations Church parking lot (please be mindful of student walkers & bikers)

Bikers and walkers

• Remind your student to abide all safety precautions (wear helmet, follow traffic signals and signage, listen to the crossing guard, walk near a curb (not on neighbors’ grass or in the middle of the street)

Bus riders

• Review your home address with your child as well as the cross streets of their stop

• Ensure you’ve signed up for a bus, downloaded the Traversa app, and know which bus your child is riding (and communicate that bus name with your child)

Middle school kids have a lot going on in their active brains and they frequently forget their water bottles and lunch boxes around campus. A lot of students have the same brand/color/style of water bottles and lunch boxes so please label your students items with their name.

It’s time for your student to spend some quality time apart from their devices!

Student cell phones are to be off and away (in backpacks) during school hours (8:30 am - 3:40 pm). Students with cell phones out will be asked to check them into the office for the day. NOTE: After 4 offenses, students will receive a minor incident report (MIR) & parents will need to pick up phones from the office.

Does this apply to...Air pods, headphones, & smartwatches? YES. If a student is using Airpods & earbuds they will be asked to take them to the office. This applies to smartwatches if students are using them to send or receive texts. If you need to get ahold of your student during the school day, please contact the front office. Also let your child know that they can ask a teacher to use a classroom phone and/or the front office phone to contact you should they need to.

Students should also leave iPads, Kindle Fires, and personal gaming devices at home!

NOTE: One correction to Med-O-Gram, no Camp Friendly Pines meeting on 8/15, Curriculum Night starts at 5:30.

Don’t let your stress be your children’s stress. Don’t put negative words, thoughts, scenarios in their head.

Instead of thinking, what’s the worst that could happen, reframe how you speak and think, what’s the best that can happen?