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Principal's Page
August, 2009
Dear Sligo Creek Families,
What a glorious summer we had! We are opening school with renewed energy, our “do to list” completed and all we need is the return of our children. We are busy preparing for the opening of school on August 31st. You will receive a post card in the mail from your child’s homeroom teacher the week of August 17th. We hope that you will be able to join us for our Open House on Friday, August 28th from 2:30-3:15 p.m. Your child will have an opportunity to meet his/her new teacher and become acquainted with the classroom at that time. If for some reason, you do not receive a post card, we will inform you of your child’s teacher when you arrive on the 28th.
We will be taking a bus tour of our neighborhood and hope that you and your child will select a bus stop near your home to welcome us. This year our tour will be on Thursday, Aug. 27th. Mark your calendar and come out to greet us. We will allow time to quickly get off the bus and chat with you and your child. We look forward to seeing you at the stops. Please check the attached schedule of stops.
Our very complicated bus schedule is attached. Please note that there is an a.m. and a p.m. schedule for buses. We have enclosed a form which is to be attached to K-2 students on the first day. It is very important that this form is attached as some children will ride a different bus in the morning and in the afternoon, and this is the only record we have of the bus they are to ride. PLEASE ATTACH THIS COMPLETED FORM TO YOUR CHILD ON MONDAY.
We will have the same dismissal process this year. ALL walkers (those actually walking and not being transported in a car) will be dismissed from the canopy exit, at the upper entrance. Please remain outside of the building during arrival and dismissal of students. For the first week, kindergarten parents may escort their child to class. Please do not come into the hallways during dismissal as it is a safety concern and it makes it difficult for students to exit the building. ALL car riders are to be picked up at the front of the school, NOT the SSIMS parking lot. Our cars should NOT be using the upper lot to pick up students.
As these tight budget times continue, we appreciate the funding and support the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has received from the County Council. We recognize that it is imperative to use our resources in the most efficient and effective manner. MCPS staffing allocations are based on projected enrollment. We certainly hope that at the beginning of the school year our actual enrollment matches the projected enrollment. Unfortunately, as a result of this current fiscal situation, it may become necessary for staffing changes to occur in some schools if enrollment comes in below projection and doesn't justify the staffing that was allocated. If there is a need to make an adjustment in staffing based on actual enrollment, I will do my best to minimize the impact of these necessary adjustments. I will keep you informed and alert you of any changes that may occur at our school.
MCPS has done a great job of recruiting new hires for this year and we are blessed to have the best of the best joining our staff. Our new staff members are as follows:
Kimberly Duckworth Kindergarten Willi Instr. Music
Sarah Greene Fifth Chrystelle Panatier First (FI)
Sara Wagner ESOL Petronilo Cervantes First
Lori Dodson Science Kristen Creticos Second
Susan Levy ESOL PT Joseph Barranca HFA Primary
Adjava Williams Lunch Recess Aid Jessica Peggins Second
Francoise-Dupeux-Murray Third (FI)
Some current staff members have made some position changes. Cassandra Scott, our former academic intervention teacher will be in kindergarten and Elaine Guihan, our former English to French teacher will be the focus intervention teacher. We are glad that they are still with us.
Just a reminder, it is important that children arrive on time every day. We are asking that children are in their classroom and in their seat by 9:15 a.m. Students should arrive at school by 9:00 a.m. This will give students time to get to their class, unpack, select lunch, check attendance and be prepared for class to begin. We are extremely concerned with tardiness, even if only 5 minutes, and the impact that it has on our instructional program. Please help us by ensuring that your child is here on time, every day, ready to learn.
This is an especially exciting year for us as we celebrate our ten year anniversary. We are working with the PTA to celebrate 10 years of academic excellence throughout the year. We know that you will want to be a part of our ten year celebration.
We look forward to August 31st with the return of our children. We are returning to you with the anticipation and the excitement that every new school year brings.
Sincerely,
Diantha R. Swift
Principal
June 2009 Letter
May 2009 Letter
March 2009 Letter
January 2009 Letter