September 5, 2024
Dear Alcott Families,
What an amazing first few days of school we have had! Our halls, which were silent just a few days ago, are now filled with the sounds of laughter and learning. It is wonderful to see everyone settling in, reconnecting with former teachers and old friends, and developing new ones.
Last Thursday, we had our first fire drill. Everyone did a wonderful job – we evacuated the entire building in two minutes and twenty seconds.
We have also started the year with a focus on our school values. As many of you know, at Alcott, we are a caring, cooperative, respectful community of learners. Over the course of the first few weeks, teachers will be taking the time to explore what this means with their students.
To help ensure that we all have a common understanding of what these values look like in action, we have created a chart that outlines what each value looks like in different school environments.
Our main focus this first week has been on how we can be positive community members in the cafeteria. And, speaking of the cafeteria, this is just a reminder to make sure you order your child’s lunch on the Nutrislice website before 8am each morning. You can order up to five days in advance – some parents find that ordering five days at a time helps to minimize the chances of forgetting the morning of.
The beginning of the school year is also a good time to remind families about the importance of attendance. Quoted from the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: ”Students who attend school regularly are more likely to have success in school and careers. Research supports the connection between regular attendance and a student’s personal, social, and emotional wellness and academic success. When students are not present in school, they miss out on opportunities for social development and are often not able to make adequate academic progress.” Over the course of a year, missing a few days for illness is not much. But absences can add up over time and often parents/guardians are not aware just how much time on learning is lost. See the chart below to see just how quickly it adds up. Students who are absent for 18 days or more (10% of the school year) are considered chronically absent.
Throughout the year, we will be sending attendance updates in the form of a letter to families of students who have missed 10% of the school year at any given point in time. Our mental health and student support teams will partner with teachers and families on supporting students who are frequently absent.
- September 18th – Back to School Night – 5:30-7:30 (a more detailed schedule is coming early next week)
- September 23rd – School Picture Day
Thank you for your continued support as we start this new year!
Warmly,
Naomi Krakow
Alcott Principal