Dear Bates Families,
It was great to see many of you at Back to School Night. If you weren’t able to join us, I hope you will soon have the chance to meet your child’s teacher and visit your child’s classroom. Our goal in meeting with families at this time of year is to lay the foundation for a successful home school partnership. Back to School Night is just the first opportunity for families to get to know teachers and learn about the curriculum, classroom practices and procedures that will be integral to their child’s school year. Families will also have the opportunity to attend a conference with their child’s teacher in early November. I will send families an electronic signs up in early October.
For families new to the Bates School, you may have questions about Bates procedures and practices, particularly at this time of year. The answers to many of your questions can be found in the Bates Insider’s Guide. Each family received a copy of the guide in backpacks this week. In addition, I welcome new and veteran families to join me for the New Family Principal Coffee on Thursday, October 6 at 8:30 a.m. in the Bates library. This is an informal opportunity to meet with many of the Bates staff, other Bates families and me to learn more about the Bates School. I hope you will join us.
Thank you to all dog owners who have complied with the new dog policy approved by School Committee. Please note that while the sidewalks on Elmwood Road are shared school and public property, I ask that families also refrain from walking dogs on these sidewalks during arrival and dismissal times. This will enable us to best provide for the safety of all students during school. Thank you.
A few of our favorite Bates traditions include Walk to School Day and Bates Spirit Day. Walk to School Day will be scheduled on the first Thursday of the month, starting October 6. We hope you will put these dates on your calendar and on these days enjoy a walk, bike or scooter ride to school! We also embrace our Bates Spirit by wearing Bates apparel or anything red (our school’s color) on the first Friday of each month. Our first Bates Spirit Day will be Friday, October 7.
Please note that a revised school calendar has been posted to the WPS and Bates websites. This calendar includes a two-hour delayed opening at all school on Tuesday, Nov. 8, Election Day. Voters are encouraged to vote early when parking will be plentiful. The calendar can be accessed here.
Finally, the 2016-2017 WPS Elementary Parent Handbook did not include essential information about access to Student Records as outlined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We have resolved this and updated the handbook on the website. The Parent Handbook can be found here.
Warm regards,
Toni Jolley
Upcoming dates:
Friday, September 23 Picture Day
Monday, September 26 Spanish FLES instruction starts K-2
Monday, October 3 Rosh Hashanah – No School
Thursday, October 6 Walk to School Day | 8:30 New Family Principal Coffee
Friday, October 7 Bates Spirit Day
Monday, October 10 Columbus Day – No School
Wednesday, October 12 Yom Kippur – No School