Crocker Highlands Elementary School

Crocker Highlands Elementary School

August 30, 2010

Dear Crocker Highlands’ Families,

Summer sure goes by quickly!  Here we are again, ready to start another great school year.  A lot of work has gone into getting the school ready, and we are excited about our students coming back to school.

Together, teachers, students, and parents/guardians make a strong Crocker family.  We appreciate your support as your child enters the classroom, learns, and grows throughout the year.  Let’s all commit to have a good school year, setting everyone – students, as well as teachers – up for success.

One of our goals this year is to build a strong community at Crocker Highlands.  I encourage families to get to know each other so that we can build new friendships and support each other.  Our Annual Spaghetti Feed is a great time to meet new people and visit with old friends.  It’s scheduled for Friday, September 10^th, starting at 5:30 p.m.  It’s a wonderful time to have a delicious dinner and visit with the Crocker community.  Another upcoming school event is Back-to-School Night on Wednesday, September 15^th. The primary presentations (K-2^nd) are from 6:30 – 7:15; the upper grade presentations (3^rd – 5^th) are from 7:45 – 8:30.  In between, from 7:15 – 7:45 is our time to get together, all of us, in the Multi-Purpose Room.  I’ll do a brief presentation, as well as the PTA.  Back-to-School Night is an important time for parents/guardians to meet in the classrooms, and teachers will review curriculum, projects, and grade level expectations.

Please help us to be good neighbors.  The traffic flow around the school is clockwise; the passenger door always opens to the curb for safety reasons.  Make sure to park legally; be aware of blocking driveways.  And, as tempting as it might be to bring your dog up to school, pets are to remain off campus.  If you must bring your dog up to campus for some reason, please keep him/her on a leash across the street from the school.  Be considerate of children and adults who might be allergic and/or who might be uncomfortable around animals.

This will be the only letter that I send home via paper copy.  I would encourage families to sign up for the school bulletin via the Crocker website, http://crockerschool.org/.  School information is also posted on the website, so be sure to check it out regularly.  A couple of our Crocker dads have put a lot of time and energy into updating our website and posting all current information.

We are ready to begin the 2010-2011 school year. The teachers have been hard at work for several weeks.  At Crocker Highlands, the staff, faculty, and administration are honored that you entrust us with your precious ones. The hours that your children are with us each day are so important.  Here’s to a great school year!

Sincerely,

Beth Rhine, Principal

Dear Incoming Kindergarten Families,

Welcome to Crocker Highlands! We look forward to you and your child becoming part of our wonderful school community.  I would like to introduce our Kindergarten team for the 2010-2011 school year.  Anna Henry has been teaching kindergarten at Crocker for many years and is a well-loved veteran teacher on the staff.  Molly Shannon has been on the Crocker staff for several years teaching 4th grade and decided she wanted to broaden her teaching experience and try a new grade.  And to round out the team, Nica Uk is returning to Crocker this year.  Some of you may know her from last year when she subbed for a teacher on maternity leave and then worked with our kindergarten classes.  I am so excited about our kindergarten team, and they are excited to work together, too.  They have already been meeting and planning curriculum. They even went on a field trip to the California Academy of Sciences together this summer!

The first three days of school for all students are minimum days, 8:40 – 1:40.   A full school day can be a challenge for the younger students, particularly after a long summer.  Therefore, in order to make it a gentle transition for our new kindergarten students, we have adjusted their schedule for the first two weeks:

Monday, August 30 – Friday, September 3: Minimum Days (8:40 – 1:25)

Monday, September 6th – Labor Day Holiday for all students

Tuesday, September 7 – Friday, Sept. 10: Optional Minimum Days (8:40 – 1:35)

We understand that not everyone has the flexibility to accommodate minimum days through the second week of school, so for those students who stay, they will have playtime and rest time until the regular dismissal.  We have found that for some, going from preschool to a full day of kindergarten is a challenge.  We want to help the transition by starting off with shorter days, and easing into the full day routine.

On that first day of school, we are inviting all kindergarten families to meet downstairs in the multi-purpose room (cafeteria) at 8:45 a.m. Students and parents will meet their teachers and go to the classrooms.  At 9:05, the new kindergarten students will say goodbye to the parents.  Parents are then invited to stay for a welcome reception with the principal, Beth Rhine, and the PTA co-presidents, Wendy Ghorai and Nicole Radlow in the library.

Information about the classroom routines and expectations will be sent home on the first day of school.  The kindergarten handbook will also be posted on the Crocker Highlands website (http://crockerschool.org/) by the middle of August, so be sure to check it out.  Kindergarten is an exciting time for everyone and we want to make sure everyone – students, families, and teachers – are successful!

For those of you whose children were unable to attend the Kindergarten Round-Up last May, we are having a second one on August 24th at 2:00. (For those of you new to Crocker, Round-Up is an informal orientation for your child where he/she meets the teachers, gets his/her picture taken, etc.) Please bring your child to school and meet at the small play structure on the playground.  The teachers will meet you there and then you have an hour to relax and go get a cup of coffee!

If you have any questions, please email me, elizabeth.rhine@ousd.k12.ca.us.
Hope to see you at the “New Family Picnic” on August 29th!

Thank you!

Beth Rhine,PrincipalCrocker Highlands

• Monday, August 30 – First Day of School

Other important dates:

• Sunday, August 29 – New Parent Picnic
• Monday, August 30 – September 1  – Minimum Days
• Friday, Septemember  3- Whole School Assembly
• Monday, September 6 – Labor Day Holiday (no school)
• Wednesday, September 8 – Spaghetti Feed 
• Tuesday, September 9 – PTA Meeting (General Session)
• Wednesday, September 15 – Back to School Night