Update from Mrs. Dalmut, March 4: Snow Days and student assignments, Changes to calendar, tardiness
Posted on March 4, 2015
Dear Parents,
In your Wednesday folders today, students in grades 3-8 will have an Interim Report. Please note that we have had considerable interruptions this quarter, so the grades are based on fewer assessments. Every assignment that is missing will hurt their grades. IF we have a snow day tomorrow and/or Friday, students have a final chance to catch up on all those assignments. Projects and homework that are missing may be turned in on MONDAY, MARCH 9 for full credit. This is a one-time offer! We have all felt the break in momentum — and we are hoping to start fresh on Monday. Your children will be notified today that they need to take home whatever books or notebooks that they need to do these assignments. Please support them in their efforts to catch up.
Every child will have an assignment for Thursday and Friday. Some teachers will provide an assignment in the Wednesday folder, and the middle school teachers will post assignments on their homework websites. These are due on the next day that we have school.
I know you are all concerned about the calendar. I have been spending many hours in consultation with the teachers and other principals. I am happy to tell you that our school day is so long that even with our 8 snow days, we still are going to meet the Virginia requirement of 990 hours, and the Diocesan requirement of 1038 hours of instruction. We are, however, concerned about the impact that the interruptions are having on instruction. Teachers will be spending time tightening up assignments to get the most benefit from them. We are working hard, arranging and rearranging lesson plans!
We are also adding one half-day to our calendar. The teachers have a mandatory Professional Development Day on Monday, March 16. We are going to change that to a half-day of school (Extended Day will be open!) and then the teachers will have their Professional Development in the afternoon. We will also extend our half-day on May 8 to a full day. This is Grandparents Day, and we will welcome our guests to school that day. The PTO has arranged for a cultural arts program — Women in History — on that afternoon. (Thanks to Sue Bogan, who has rescheduled this program 3 times due to snow!)
We will NOT be changing Easter Break, Graduation, or Summer Vacation start dates.
We need your support for two things — homework is critical to support instruction during the day. Please monitor your child’s homework to make sure they are keeping up! If they are having a problem, please contact the teacher(s) immediately. We can’t afford to have children getting behind and feeling lost.
Second, please be at school on time. We have had an increasing number of students coming in late. Students should be in the building by 8:05. Prayer begins at 8:07. Anyone arriving after that is tardy, and the child starts the day feeling like he/she has to “catch up.” Thank you!
Watch Fairfax County Public Schools for their announcements about the weather. Let’s hope and pray this storm is much ado about nothing! If not tomorrow, see you at the Gala!!!
God bless,
Barbara Dalmut
