Welcome to 2011-2012 at McNear Elementary
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Jason Sutter
Aug 11, 2011, 1:35:09 PM8/11/11
to mcnear-eleme...@googlegroups.com
August 1, 2011
Dear McNear Families,
Welcome to another fantastic school year. I trust your summer was full of some quality family time, and we are all ready to get going on a new year. I’m looking forward to another year with the wonderful learning community we have at McNear. We have been incredibly busy getting ready for this school year. Our custodians, Lucy and Francisco, have worked tirelessly to ensure our school is ready for learning and have done an amazing job despite continued cutbacks. Nancy, our school secretary, has been instrumental in preparing classes for students, staff and families. Finally, we have been working closely with the district to make improvements around the school in classrooms, our lab, and our school grounds.
We also have some changes in personnel. We were sad to say goodbye to Nicole Renae in June. She worked with the students of McNear as our Guidance Counsellor for the last three years. She will be replaced with reduced hours by Han Wingate and two interns. We also bid farewell to our Student Adviser Adam Curtis. We wish him well in his move to the East Coast. We will be filling this position very soon. Beth Street has returned to Kennilworth Junior High to teach math, but Joanne Smaciarz will be returning to McNear this year after a one-year leave. We are so excited to have her back.
I especially want to extend a warm welcome to our new McNear families. Whether you are coming into kindergarten or new to us from another school, I invite you to participate in every aspect of your child’s education. It’s critical to your child’s success that you connect and build relationships with other parents in our learning community. There are many opportunities for you to do this - volunteering in classrooms, participating on School Site Council and PTA, assisting with school programs, and taking part in other program, class and school-wide events. Your first opportunity to participate occurs at the PTA meeting on Monday, September 12th, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. in the McNear multi-use room. I look forward to seeing you there.
This year families can expect changes in the way we communicate. We are striving to make our communication streamlined and predictable in four ways. First, we will continue to use our school listserv but will be sending out information on a consistent schedule. If you are not a member, sign up right away. <http://groups.google.com/group/mcnear-elementary-school>. We are also increasing our use of the online school calendar. All known events for the upcoming year are posted on this calendar. Third, we are making a major shift by using weekly envelope that comes home with communications from the classroom and the school. Parents will be asked to check the envelope weekly and return it to school the next day. Finally, we were feeling left out of popular culture, so we have started a McNear Twitter account <http://twitter.com/#!/McNearElement>. I will share more information with you as our communication framework takes shape.
Please take special note of the Dates and Details page, following this letter which outlines important school events, policies and procedures. Make sure to save the date and mark your calendars for McNear’s Back to School Night. Don’t miss this opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher and understand what learning looks like in her or his classroom.
Strong partnerships among families and teachers at McNear are critical to success in learning and a hallmark of our community. Please feel free to contact Nancy Thro at any time to set up a time to meet with me about questions or ideas you have regarding support of your children’s learning and growing. I am looking forward to an amazing year as we work together to make your family's experience at McNear exceptional.
Onward,
Jason Sutter, Principal
Dates and Details
Back to School Night
(for parents only)
Dear McNear Families,
Welcome to another fantastic school year. I trust your summer was full of some quality family time, and we are all ready to get going on a new year. I’m looking forward to another year with the wonderful learning community we have at McNear. We have been incredibly busy getting ready for this school year. Our custodians, Lucy and Francisco, have worked tirelessly to ensure our school is ready for learning and have done an amazing job despite continued cutbacks. Nancy, our school secretary, has been instrumental in preparing classes for students, staff and families. Finally, we have been working closely with the district to make improvements around the school in classrooms, our lab, and our school grounds.
We also have some changes in personnel. We were sad to say goodbye to Nicole Renae in June. She worked with the students of McNear as our Guidance Counsellor for the last three years. She will be replaced with reduced hours by Han Wingate and two interns. We also bid farewell to our Student Adviser Adam Curtis. We wish him well in his move to the East Coast. We will be filling this position very soon. Beth Street has returned to Kennilworth Junior High to teach math, but Joanne Smaciarz will be returning to McNear this year after a one-year leave. We are so excited to have her back.
I especially want to extend a warm welcome to our new McNear families. Whether you are coming into kindergarten or new to us from another school, I invite you to participate in every aspect of your child’s education. It’s critical to your child’s success that you connect and build relationships with other parents in our learning community. There are many opportunities for you to do this - volunteering in classrooms, participating on School Site Council and PTA, assisting with school programs, and taking part in other program, class and school-wide events. Your first opportunity to participate occurs at the PTA meeting on Monday, September 12th, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. in the McNear multi-use room. I look forward to seeing you there.
This year families can expect changes in the way we communicate. We are striving to make our communication streamlined and predictable in four ways. First, we will continue to use our school listserv but will be sending out information on a consistent schedule. If you are not a member, sign up right away. <http://groups.google.com/group/mcnear-elementary-school>. We are also increasing our use of the online school calendar. All known events for the upcoming year are posted on this calendar. Third, we are making a major shift by using weekly envelope that comes home with communications from the classroom and the school. Parents will be asked to check the envelope weekly and return it to school the next day. Finally, we were feeling left out of popular culture, so we have started a McNear Twitter account <http://twitter.com/#!/McNearElement>. I will share more information with you as our communication framework takes shape.
Please take special note of the Dates and Details page, following this letter which outlines important school events, policies and procedures. Make sure to save the date and mark your calendars for McNear’s Back to School Night. Don’t miss this opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher and understand what learning looks like in her or his classroom.
Strong partnerships among families and teachers at McNear are critical to success in learning and a hallmark of our community. Please feel free to contact Nancy Thro at any time to set up a time to meet with me about questions or ideas you have regarding support of your children’s learning and growing. I am looking forward to an amazing year as we work together to make your family's experience at McNear exceptional.
Onward,
Jason Sutter, Principal
Dates and Details
Back to School Night
(for parents only)
- Kindergarten – Thursday, August 25, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- Grades 1 – 6 – Thursday, September 1
School Year Opening
Please note that our first day of school, Wednesday, August 17, is a shortened staff development Wednesday (as with all Wednesdays) with early dismissal as follows: Kindergarten – 11:45 a.m.; 1 – 3 grades – 12:35 p.m.; and 4 – 6 grades – 12:40 p.m. REGULAR (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) dismissals are 11:45 a.m. for Kindergarten, 2:50 p.m. for 1st- 3rd grades and 3:00 p.m. for 4 – 6th grades
School Communication
Regular school communication will include the annual McNear Family Guide and Calendar in September that describes essential information about important dates, school policies, expectations, and opportunities. Please review it well and use it as a reference. Other communication includes our monthly school newsletter, as well as timely information from your child’s classroom. Our school website, mcnearelementary.org, provides current updates, calendar and other information. You are also invited to join the McNear School e-list through the link on the bottom left of our webpage.
Arrival Time and Childcare
We are able to provide playground supervision before school from 8:10 to 8:25 a.m. only. Students arriving before 8:10 a.m. will not have adult supervision and must wait on Sunnyslope Avenue or on the wooden retaining wall on the playground. Bicycle riders must be in at least 3rd grade and must park and lock their bikes in the racks provided. State law requires children under the age of 18 to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. The McNear (YMCA) Daycare Program will begin the first day of school. Operating hours are 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Registration and other information may be obtained from the YMCA at 544-1829.
Cafeteria Program
The cafeteria programs will cost $1.50 (30¢ reduced) for breakfast (8:00 – 8:15) and $3.00 (40¢ reduced) for lunch. Weekly orders are preferred, however, daily orders may be placed in the multipurpose room before school starts. We discourage students from paying for lunches while in line at lunch-time because this significantly slows down the serving process.
Dress Code
Your partnership is appreciated in making sure that your child arrives at school each day in clothes that are clean and appropriate for school children. Clothing should be comfortable and modest, allowing for free movement and exploration. To ensure safety, appropriate shoes (closed toe, closed heel, low/flat heels) for daily physical education and playground activities are required. Thank you for your help.
Class Lists
We know how exciting it is to find out who your new teacher will be for this school year! Class lists will be posted on the multipurpose room windows after 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 16, 2011. Teachers review and adjust all placements the two days before school starts to ensure the best possible placement.
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Jason Sutter, Principal
McNear Elementary School
605 Sunnyslope Ave,
Petaluma, CA 94952
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