Dear Parents,
Summer is a distant
memory and life at the Middle School is in full swing! The sixth
graders and new seventh and eighth graders joined the faculty and
administration for a super BBQ and made some preliminary steps in
getting to know one another and find their way around campus. As the
weeks have passed they are now pros and are settling in to life “in the
middle”.
I am delighted to
welcome everyone back to school and to take this opportunity to bring
you up to speed on some information you may find helpful and/or
interesting.
NEWSLETTER CHANGES
The newsletter has a
new format which will closely mirror some of our new designs that you
will soon see on our web site and in our promotional materials that will
make it easy to recognize Chaminade. Additionally, we will be
publishing our newsletter once each quarter and have redesigned the
format to make it easier for you to get directly to the information you
are looking for. We hope you will take the time to carefully read the
articles that are included so that you are aware of what is happening in
your child’s school. As always feedback is welcome.
CHALLENGES
The challenges of
being a middle school student today are many. Students are unsure of
who they are, and while they are struggling to establish their identity,
they are still expected to come to school, do homework, participate in
extra curricular activities and interact both socially with their peers
and in their family settings, many of which are complicated. They are
expected to do all of these things well. Our focus this year is on the
many demands placed on our students and we are looking at homework,
school expectations and family expectations to make sure we – you and us
– are on the same page. I would urge you to read Mrs. Lovejoy’s
Counseling article in this issue of the newsletter. She makes some
excellent suggestions about homework that will be helpful to you and
your student. Mrs. Krahl is working with the teachers and a group of
parents on this issue and is developing a checklist to effectively
handle the data so we are able to pinpoint and identify the issues and
be able to institute some effective solutions. Be sure to read her
article as well in this newsletter.
BULLYING
Bullying in many
forms is present today on all school campuses. It happens at lockers,
between classes and on the fields. Rarely do you or do teachers see
this happening. Our author, Ben Michaelsen, dealt with this topic
recently and I believe he made a huge impact on the student body with
his stories of his own childhood. We are taking very proactive steps to
ensure our campus is free from these intimidating behaviors. Quite a
challenge in the climate of the world today! Parents can help by
discussing this topic with their child so they understand that their
parents also consider this to be unacceptable behavior. Helping
children problem solve situations such as locker etiquette, what to say
when others make fun of such things as purses, hair styles, belts,
grades, physical limits and many other issues, gives a child some
security and allows them to verbalize their fears.
GIFT WRAP RESULTS
Our gift wrap sale
was a huge success and we exceeded our goal thanks to the wonderful
leadership of Mrs. Josephine Rowley and Mrs. Debbie Petrocelli and the
outstanding sales ability of our students. We are now able to purchase
some beautiful science tables that we have wanted for years; much needed
band equipment and a few technology pieces for the classroom. We can
hardly wait for these things to arrive. It is interesting to note that
it is now possible to order gift wrap paper online whenever you wish and
we will continue to benefit financially!!! Please see further details
in the Parents Association article.
THE NEW DROP ZONE
A new area for us
this year is the Drop Zone. Students are able to drop off
rolling backpacks, large projects, and large athletic equipment. We are
so grateful to our parents who are helping in this area and also helping
with lost and found. The reason we created this area is to eliminate
the front office being involved in delivering messages, projects and
lunches and allow the secretaries to focus on getting their work done
and answer the heavy phone volume that is normal in schools today.
Parents you too now can go directly to the Drop Zone and leave
whatever you have for your child. However the burden of the
communication needs to be within your family. We encourage you to
develop a procedure to have your children check there if they think you
might be dropping something for them. We hope you enjoy this new
service and that it will make life easier for you.
ROBOTICS
Robotics has arrived
at the Middle School! Since this is a new extracurricular program, we
are in need of supplies and equipment. To that end we are collecting
General Mills box tops and Campbell’s Soup Labels. Your student can
drop these items off at our new Drop Zone. They should print
their name clearly on the back of each label to be eligible for small
incentive prizes. Thanks in advance for your help in getting this
program up and running. If your child is interested in participating,
they should contact Ms. Alicia Gonzales.
COFFEE WITH
CHRISTINE
From time to time
you have questions, concerns and would just love the ear of someone in
charge that would listen to your ideas. Maybe you would like the
reasoning behind a rule or to understand why something is the way it
is. Maybe you would just like to have a cup of coffee! I will be
available to have coffee with you once a month for an hour or so,
beginning Tuesday, November 30th at 8:00 in the morning in
the Oak Room in Chaminade Hall. The additional dates during the year
will be on Tuesdays, January 25th, February 22nd,
March 22nd, and April 26th. Please come. I look
forward to meeting you.
As this new year
progresses, my hopes are that we are able to work together in a spirit
of love and collaboration on behalf of your children so that their
experiences here at the middle school are enriching and growth
producing.
Sincerely,
Christine Hunter
Principal
