AM Announcements

AM Announcements
September 18, 2008

1. Today is Day 18.

2. It is the mission of Speas Elementary School to provide its students with the tools necessary to successfully meet the challenges they will face in a diverse world.

3. Calendar items for this week:

Thursday: September 18
Spirit Week - Patriotic Day
McDonalds Night - 5:00-8:00 PM

Friday: September 19
Spirit Week - College Gear Day
PTA Membership Drive ends

4. I have received paperwork from the last test results regarding Indoor Air Quality testing done Monday. They show that the levels of mold spores throughout the media center have returned to "normal" and are the same or lower than outdoor air.

5. Tonight is our first McDonalds Night at the North Point McDonalds. Here is an opportunity to support our school and get a night off from cooking in the bargain. Please stop by and you can eat in or go through the drive-thru. We get a portion of all sales during that time. Kids love to see their teachers and other staff members there. Please drop by if at all possible.

6. The PTA Membership Drive will end tomorrow. The goal is to have 100% staff participation. Dues are $3.50 per person. Every staff member should be a member of PTA.

7. Effective Monday, October 6, 2008 the current year data for the 08/09 Free/Reduced Meal program becomes effective. No longer will students be allowed to use last school year’s meal status for 07/08. A “Voucher Meal’ Policy Number [AR 3542.1] is available for
K-12 students without money. If a regular meal has been given to a child, it cannot be taken away from them by the cafeteria staff or the teacher/assistant. This is policy.

8. Don't forget to strut your favorite college teams colors tomorrow for College Gear Day.

9. Should you cover A's and Bees Tutoring on Tuesday nights, all the volunteer tutors may sign-in using the computer in the tutoring room. That way their service time can be logged.

10. Are you interested in earning a Masters Degree in Reading. ASU is holding two meetings to discuss program information. They are at the Yadkin Center - Room 202, 4649 Hwy 601 in Yadkinville, NC at 4:30 PM or UNC School of the Arts, Work[place West V (5) - Room 113 at 1922 S. Main St., Winston-Salem at 7:00 PM. Both sessions are next Thursday, September 25th.

11. Ms. Powell will call for new Safety Patrol members immediately following Morning Broadcast today.

12. Any time you need a sub, please call Ms. Marleen Logan to fill it. Her number is 997-1518 and her sub ID number is 4054. She has worked here as a staff member for a number of years, mostly as a long-term sub. We need to fill her dance card if possible.

13. This item should not have to be listed here but evidently some teachers still insist on not showing up to pick up their children from specials until the entire 40 minute allocation on the schedule has elapsed. We have said repeatedly that every 40 minute special is 35 minutes of class and 5 minutes between classes. This enables the class to get to its next special and the specialist to prepare for their next group. Teachers should be at the special in time to pick their class up after 35 minutes have elapsed. There are no exceptions. I have asked specialists to let me know if any teacher is late. Several individuals will be contacted today as a reminder of this. The entire school operates on the video clock. Every room has the exact same time. There is no excuse for arriving late. Please make sure that the first page in your sub folder identifies when your students have specials and when the children are to be picked up. Thank you for your cooperation. Perhaps we can put this issue to rest.

14. When new students are assigned to a K-1 class the teacher should prepare a Yellow Bus Name Tag immediately and then attach it to the book bag. Twice in the last two weeks, we have had K-1 students dropped off by bus drivers when their was no parent there to get them. In at least one of these cases, no yellow tag was on the child's book bag, so the driver would not recognize that this was a K-1 child. The office will provide the driver the transportation sheet on all new students and will emphasize with the driver whenever the child is K-1. Working together we can hopefully avert any future situations.

15. While the media center doors are now open, no books may be checked out. The media center will open for business on Monday. Please do not come in and try to check anything out until that time.

16. One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine.
Sir William Osler (1849 - 1919), Aphorisms from his Bedside Teachings (1961) p. 105

I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places.
Henny Youngman (1906 - 1998)

I have long been of the opinion that if work were such a splendid thing the rich would have kept more of it for themselves.
Bruce Grocott (1940 - )

If there were no God, there would be no Atheists.
G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)