AM Announcements - January 22

AM Announcements
January 22, 2009

1. Today is Day 88.

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: January 22
EOQ Testing - Make-ups

Friday: January 23
EOQ Testing - Make-ups

4. At the end of each day, please do the following:
a. CLOSE ALL BLINDS
b. TURN OFF ALL MONITORS and COMPUTERS (CPU's)

5. I have had three volunteers to participate in Dr. Nash's multicultural education walk through. She would like to visit at least 5 classrooms. We will draw additional names out of a hat to give us five unless volunteers are forthcoming by 3:30 today.

6. Upcoming dates for your calendar:
a. January 26 - No School - RS day for report cards
b. January 27 - Technology Staff Development - 2:30-5:00
c. January 27-29 - AR Celebrations - (27/K; 28/1-2; 29/ 3-5)

7. On Monday January 26th from 9 am – 1 pm a Winter Education Symposium will be held at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. it is free and open to WS/FCS employees for 0.3 CEU's.

8. Individuals wishing to donate Annual Leave (AL) days to Rose Rusch may pick up the form from Ms. Higgins. We need to send these in as a group. We will be sending them in today.

9. The "Books Are Fun" order is to be delivered today.

10. Title-1 teachers should remember to assist the grade levels they have been assigned to once their testing responsibilities are completed. This will continue for the remainder of the week.

11. Remember that March 30 is now a student day. This was to be the first day of Spring Break. Should we have another snow day, March 31 will also be made a student day. Since concerns have been expressed regarding the use of Personal Leave I wanted to clarify in advance its application to March 30 (student day) and March 31 (RC day) in advance. The following is excerpted from General Statute § 115C-302.1.

(d). Personal leave may be used only upon the authorization of the teacher's immediate supervisor. A teacher shall not take personal leave on the first day the teacher is required to report for the school year, on a required teacher workday, on days scheduled for State testing, or on the day before or the day after a holiday or scheduled vacation day, unless the request is approved by the principal.

I hope this helps you as you as you try to plan ahead.

12. We have told the staff on numerous occasions that no one is to do anything with the copier in the HIVE other than add paper. It appears that we have an individual or individuals who believe that they know better. As a result, we have had the paper drawer forced back into the copier and broken; the gears damaged from improperly clearing paper jams; and acetate sheets fused to the heating rollers and left with no notification of a problem. Now someone decided to empty the toner without calling for assistance. In so doing, they dumped it in the trash can and improperly placed the used toner receptacle in the copier. The toner then went everywhere because it could not go where it was supposed to. This will only be stated one time: All service on the copier is to be performed by office personnel only. This includes clearing paper jams, changing toner, and service of any kind. There is no reason for staff members to open the copier. That should be left to office personnel. The next incidence of damage to the copier caused by staff members who do not wish to follow a simple rule will result in the copier being removed from the HIVE. The office will deal with the problem as expeditiously as possible, but understand that you may have to wait for service.

13. The question has arisen as to taking children outside when it is cold. We have no guidelines regarding a specific temperature the way we do when it is over 90 degrees. Children can quickly become dehydrated; suffer from heat exhaustion; or heat stroke. We know that severe cold weather can cause hypothermia and frostbite, but that requires temperatures well below zero or exposure to cold for a prolonged period of time. Our outdoor PE periods are really not a matter of concern. Should the forecast include low temperatures that could cause illness, injusry or death, we will notify classes to remain indoors.

14.It is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light, and certainly not desirable, as one's hat keeps blowing off.
Woody Allen (1935 - )

A kleptomaniac is a person who helps himself because he can't help himself.
Henry Morgan

It is bad luck to be superstitious.
Andrew W. Mathis

We are more ready to try the untried when what we do is inconsequential. Hence the fact that many inventions had their birth as toys.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)