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Swallow Union News - May 2008 Important Notice To Parents/Students It is strongly recommended that students not be allowed to bring expensive, electronic toys to school. Great News! Swallow Union received a $2,000.00 grant from the Groton Dunstable Education Foundation to bring our science lab back to life! We are looking for volunteers to help clean and organize the lab before we start the transformation. Please send a note to your child's teacher if you are willing to help out. The second grades at Swallow Union have been enjoying the barn dancing and fiddling of Dudley Laughman for several years. The fiddlers teach the students dances from early-America and after the lessons there is an evening for a Family Barn Dance for the kids to showcase their lessons and dance w/their family members. This year we are thrilled that the Groton Dunstable Education Foundation approved funding for half of this educational and fun program. Many thanks to the writer’s of these grants, the parents, staff and, of course, the GDEF. Wish List Items
GDEF News The Groton Dunstable Education Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded 11 grants totaling $24,012 to district schools in its tenth grant cycle. Of this number, two grants totaling $4,750 were funded under an outside grant generously provided by the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation for programs supporting “Integration of the Arts.” Swallow Union students will benefit from the following grants:
Please join us as we honor this year’s grant recipients at the Annual Grants Celebration on May 15th from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Middle School North Library. In addition to meeting current and past grant recipients and other district educators, you’ll have a chance to see the unveiling of the beautiful new Middle School North Mural, a project funded by a GDEF grant which allowed middle school students to work with a professional artist and district art teachers to create a permanent ceramic wall mural for the hallway of the building. Light refreshments will be served.
Donations are still welcome to GDEF’s Annual Giving Campaign, or you can thank a special teacher or staff member by making a donation in their name to GDEF’s “Teaching Stars” program. For more information and a complete listing of grants funded to date, visit www.gdefinc.org. Hat Day Is Coming On Tuesday, May 6, students will finally be able to wear their hats all day in school and get a chance to support our S/U staff members who are participating in the American Cancer Society’s 24 hour “Relay for Life”. Here’s how kids can help:
Swallow Union School is proud to be part of a community where people help their neighbors and friends. Our hope is that Hat Day will be a way that kids can feel that they are a big part of what keeps our relay team "moving" during the Relay for Life. The Gardner Relay is #5 in the country at raising money. Our team, The Cruisin’ Crusaders, was the 7th largest fundraiser at the Relay last year! If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please make the check out to the "American Cancer Society." Luminary candles, lit around the track during the 24 hours of the relay in honor of a cancer survivor or in memory of a cancer victim, can be purchased for a minimum $5.00 donation. Please fill out the form on the back of this notice and return it to the school (on Hat Day, May 6th) if you would like a luminary. Feel free to copy the form (or ask your child to get others) if you would like more than one luminary candle. Any business that would like to donate $100 or more would get a special mention in the program book. You would receive a personal thank you from the American Cancer Society and a program book. If you have any questions about Hat Day or the relay event, please call Gail DesBois at the school. Thank you for your support. Spring Picture Day– Monday, May 5 Spring Picture Day is MONDAY, MAY 5. You should have already received a flyer. If you did not get one, please contact the office and we will be happy to send one home to you. All children will be photographed. There is a form on the back of the flyer for you to sign if you DO NOT want to have your child photographed. Otherwise, please complete the FRONT of the flyer by circling the selected pose, printing the student’s name and indicating any special instructions. No money is due at this time. These pictures are taken on the honor system. If you are happy with the results, send a check directly to Lifetouch, if not simply return the package to Swallow Union before the last day of school. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Patti or Stephanie, 978-649-7281. There will not be a make up day for these pictures. From The Nurses Office BMI CALCULATIONS In accordance with the Department of Public Health Comprehensive Growth Screening Program, students have been weighed and measured, and their BMI (body mass index) has been calculated. The BMI figure tells us if one’s weight is appropriate for one’s height, based on standardized charts. If you would like to know your child’s BMI for this year, please contact the Nurses” Office after May 19. We are always concerned when numbers are involved for fear they will be taken too literally and be misunderstood. For most children, focusing on healthy habits such as proper nutrition and regular exercise will ultimately keep them at an appropriate weight for their height. Please call us if you have any questions or concerns. Third Grade Physicals Thank you to all who have sent in physical exam reports. These are required by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for grades K, 3, 7, and 10. If you have not sent one in for your third grader, please do so as soon as possible. If your child will have their physical over the summer, please remember to send a copy to the Nurses’ Office after the exam. Those parents of 4th graders who have been notified that they have still not sent in a recent physical, please do so immediately so that your child’s health records can be sent with the rest of the class to the Middle School. If your child has an appointment scheduled, please let the Nurses’ Office know. If you need assistance obtaining a doctor’s visit for your child, please call the Nurses’ Office and we will try and help. Spring Health Project As she does every year for those who sign up, our dental hygienist, Mrs. Foreman, from the Nashoba Board of Health, will be providing screenings for Kindergarteners and cleaning and fluoride treatments for Grades 2 and 4. She will also be visiting the classrooms to talk about proper dental hygiene. Our school wide project this year will challenge students to join the BRUSHING BRIGADE by brushing their teeth twice a day during the month of May. Those students who complete and return their brushing chart will receive a prize, and the class who finishes first will win the ever-popular Grand Prize of an extra recess with Mr. Myerson!! From The Computer Lab The computer lab continues to be a busy and exciting learning environment at Swallow Union. All grade 4 students used the interactive whiteboard in the lab to learn about complex machines using www.edheads.com. They have also been using Kidspiration to create a web of natural resources for the various regions of the Unites States they have been studying. All grade three students completed their American Patriot trading cards using http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/deck.php and Kidspiration. Mrs. Murphy used the interactive whiteboard in her classroom to have her students do some interactive spelling exercises. The second graders have been exploring math concepts using the Math Facts in a Flash and Shapes programs. Miss Dinneen also used the interactive whiteboard in the lab to teach students about the Marine ecosystem. Our first graders have also been using Math Facts in a Flash and have completed their own version of ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs’ story using Kidpix. The Kindergarteners have been learning about money using Penny Panda and have been working on letter recognition and early reading skills using www.starfall.com. From Guidance Ways to help children (and adults) become more resilient The dictionary defines “resilient” as the ability to recover quickly, to adjust oneself to meet new conditions or surroundings, the capacity to cope and feel competent. In today’s uncertain world full of frustrations it is sometimes difficult to feel upbeat and confident when things are in a constant state of change. How can we as adults be more resilient ourselves and how do we pass this mindset on to our children? Here are a few suggestions: Be empathetic- Work hard to see things from other people’s point of view. You don’t need to agree with the other person, but putting yourself in his/her shoes will help you to see that there are often many sides to a story. Listen-Communication doesn’t just involve speaking; it also involves active listening. Children (and adults) need to feel heard and that what they say matters. Paraphrase back to your child what he/she says to ensure you understand it correctly. Realize that mistakes are part of the learning process, and opportunities for growth. Set realistic expectations and understand that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and different temperaments. Praise children (and other adults) when they do a good job. Be specific about what they did (i.e. “I loved it when you didn’t get upset that the party was cancelled”) this makes them feel successful when they handled not getting what they wanted in a mature way. Realize that change, disappointments, and dealing with bumps in the road are just part of life. The more you model resilience, the more children will feel empowered to deal with the inevitable frustrations of life. Talk about times when you may have been out of your “comfort zone” (i.e. starting a new job, moving to a new city) and how you not only survived, but thrived as a result. Don’t allow little things to become bigger than they are. Things such as burnt toast, a flat tire, or a long line at the store happen all the time, and are not cause for major alarm. Resist the urge to jump in too quickly. Resilient children know they can seek out adults and other peers when they need support, but also feel confident in their ability to overcome obstacles on their own as well.
Here are a few children’s books that address resilience:
From the Reading Room Reading aloud to children exposes them to books that they can't read for themselves. A child's listening comprehension is almost always higher than his reading ability, so reading aloud exposes the child to higher vocabulary and more difficult sentence and story structure than the student can read for themselves. The Commission on Reading found that, "The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children." Yes, it is a challenge to find the time in the day to read aloud to our children with our busy lifestyles, but we must. We cannot afford not to find that time. Our children's future depends upon it. Many families depend upon Books on Tape to help develop listening comprehension. Allow your child to listen to a tape before he/she falls off to sleep. This is one way to solve the time problem and yet give our children the exposure they need to various genres in literature. Carolyn Scafidi, Reading Specialist From the Math Coordinator Spring has finally sprung as the air turns warm and the sun shines brighter and longer each day. While the school year comes to a close and teachers focus on the days ahead, like many of you, plans for next year are well under way. Looking ahead, this update is to inform families where each grade level stands relative to the implementation of the newly revised 2009 edition of Investigations in Number, Data, and Space. Kindergarten through second grade will continue with the 1997 edition of the program, which is in its 9th year of implementation. Third and fourth grades will experience the biggest shift as they move towards a complete implementation of the revised program. See the table below, which outlines the proposed implementation plan spanning 2007 – 2011, pending annual budget approval.
There are several exciting features of the 2009 Investigations program which include the following revisions:
Log on to investigations.terc.edu to learn more about the program’s components, content through the grades or to find parent resources. I especially like the list of math related children’s literature found under “components”. In the next Math News, look for creative ideas on how to support your child over the summer to prepare them for a successful transition to their next grade level. In the meanwhile, if you have any questions you may contact me directly by phone or email. Elaine C. HerzogK-4 Math Curriculum Coordinator From the ELA Coordinator SITTON SPELLING, Kathy McCarthy The objective of the Sitton Spelling program is to help students become confident, strategic spellers in their everyday writing. The program consists of:
If you have additional questions, please contact me Kathy McCarthy, K-8 English language arts curriculum coordinator Word Study In The English Language Arts Curriculum This newsletter submission is to inform you about word study as part of the English language arts curriculum in the Groton-Dunstable schools. The conventions of the English language, including punctuation, handwriting, grammar, and conventional spelling, all contribute to a reader's understanding of written text and a writer's ability to use the conventions of English. In Groton- Dunstable students learn these skills in context during reading and writing workshops. Teachers in kindergarten and first grade use Phonics and Word Study Lessons (Fountas & Pinnell, Heinemann, http://www.phonicsminilessons.com/) to teach children how words work and how to apply knowledge about phonics in writing and reading. Teachers of children in grades two through eight use The Rebecca Sitton Spelling program (www.sittonspelling.com), as a guide to spelling skills and high frequency words. Phonics Lessons and Word Study Lessons reflect the most current research on child and language development. Fountas and Pinnell understand that to some extent children follow their own idiosyncratic paths, but they also recognize that developmental patterns provide a foundation upon which to build the smartest instruction possible. Fountas and Pinnell's Word Study Continuum plots a course along the developmental pathway children traverse as they become expert word solvers and effective readers. To address young readers' developmental needs, Phonics Lessons, Kindergarten includes four essential areas of language knowledge: phonemic awareness, letters and sounds, reading words, and early reading concepts. Phonics Lessons, Grade 1 expands into more sophisticated concepts and includes six areas of knowledge: phonemic awareness, letters and sounds, reading words, writing words, processing strategies in reading, and processing strategies in writing. Art Room News Wow, I can't believe how quickly the weeks are going by and I still have so many more things I want to teach the students.... The 4th graders are busy finishing tessellation designs. Some friends have moved onto a paper rough draft of their landscape clay tile demonstrating knowledge of background, middle ground, and foreground. The 3rd graders have finally completed all the printing to go with their leaf project. We are currently doing gesture drawings using manikins as models... my room is silent as the students warm up with timed gesture sketches... they love doing this part of the project. The 2nd graders are busy finishing water color paintings. We are making our paintings in the style of artist Wassily Kandinsky, who felt that you could "see sound" and "hear color". We have been doing our painting to classical music. We will be making clay pinch pots with small animal creatures over the next few weeks. The 1st graders are busy completing their "Starry Night" pictures and paper snow globes. We will be working with clay soon, making our clay suns. The full day kindergarten has been working with geometric shapes. We have been stamping pictures and design with pattern block shapes. When we finish stamping, we use the pattern blocks or pattern block magnet to create more wonderful designs. Library Technology has brought many wonderful improvements to the library world. We can easily locate books using our online catalog by author, subject, title or key word. We can access quickly a list of all the books in a series that a student is reading in numerical order. We can read books reviews and annotations linked to our library catalog and thus make better choices. A feature that students (and staff) really enjoy is the inclusion of an image of the book cover for most of the books in the library catalog. We introduce the use of the catalog to Grade 2 students and model its use with even younger students. However the fact remains that students must be familiar with alphabetical order to actually find the books on the shelf. That was the focus of a short lesson for all Grade 1 students last month. They learned that books in all of the fiction areas are arranged by the last name of the author and are in alphabetical order. In library last month Grade 2 students created Earth Day bookmarks, which were displayed in the local town library as part of the Every Day is Earth Day celebration. I hope you had a chance to visit the town library over vacation. They have so much to offer our students in the way of programs, reading and information. Regular visits to our wonderful local libraries are a gift that you can give to your children over and over. Gym The great weather is finally here! For much of the remainder of the year we will be outside for our gym classes. If we get any really hot days, we stay in the gym where it’s cool. In the spring we are looking at units in tennis, lacrosse, baseball/softball, and a number of fun activities.
Last year for the American Heart Association’s “Jump Rope for Heart” we raised just under $5000. We hope to surpass that amount this year when we get the final total. We had nearly 100 students collect money and they all did an outstanding job. Along with the students earning prizes for themselves, the money raised also earns the school a $200 gift certificate for P.E. supplies and equipment.
Right now it looks like our dates for field days will be Tuesday, June 17th and Wednesday, June 18th. We have not yet determined which grades will go on which day. When we know, we will send a notice out. Please remember to keep an eye out for volunteer forms to help with field day. Parent volunteers are the ones who make these days a success. Get outside, move around, and enjoy the weather. APT News Spring Cleanup at Swallow Union is in full swing. Thank you to the families that helped clean up the grounds. We can always use extra hands during spring and summer to keep the grounds looking great. A box will be in the entrance foyer of the main building if you are interested in donating bulbs that can be planted in the fall (tulips or daffodils). We will be collecting donations through the month of May! It is our hope to have enough bulbs, so that each child at Swallow Union can plant a bulb when they return to school in the fall! Spiritwear items have arrived and the kids are wearing them proudly! Thank you to Lisa Barnes for coordinating this sale for us. We still have a limited supply of spiritwear items available to purchase by contacting one of the board members. The next sale will take place in the fall of 2008. Have you ordered your baseball tickets yet? This year we have a doubleheader of baseball fun! Join your friends and bring your family to a Nashua Pride game at Holman Stadium on Saturday, June 21st at 7:00 p.m., followed by fireworks! Then, on Saturday, August 3rd, take a trip to see the Lowell Spinners for an afternoon game at 1:35. Be sure to get your order forms in early, as we only have a fixed amount of tickets available and they are selling fast! Tickets will be distributed via the students. Thanks to Beth Dahlberg-Falkner for coordinating this event for us. Fun Friday was enjoyed by the staff last month with special thanks to our hosts: Susan Gist-Miller, Linda Cook and Jen Bernard. We would like to thank Diane Cao for her efforts in preparing and submitting a grant to the Groton-Dunstable Education Foundation (GDEF), which was recently approved. The grant approved is to fund $750.00 towards the Two Fiddles Program that the second graders will participate in during the 2008/2009 school year. The APT would like to extend their gratitude to the GDEF for supporting this grant. Planning has begun for the Back to School Picnic and Back to School Raffle in September 2008. The first volunteer flyer has gone home and is due back May 2nd. We need lots of volunteers to make this event successful! If you haven’t had a chance to send back your form, please do so! We want most of the planning/work done before the end of this school year. There is something for everyone. Please contact Leslie Blodgett with any questions. One final reminder to send in your Box Tops that you have collected this year and keep clipping them over the summer! We’ll kick the program off again in September. Don’t forget our Target credit card program as well. Our school continues to earn free cash as a result of your purchasing power! As a reminder, we no longer participate in the Campbell’s program, so please refrain from sending in those labels. I’m pleased to announce that the current APT Board will return next year for the 2008/2009 school year. We are looking forward to another successful and fun year. We would like to welcome all of the new students and families that will be joining us next year! We are looking forward to you becoming part of the Swallow Union Community! We hope you’ll join us for our next meeting, Mon., May 5th 7-8 p.m. in the Teachers Conference Room.
APT Board Members 2007-2008 Leslie Blodgett, President Leslie Willson, Treasurer Marie Sebastyn, Vice President Sue Whitney, Secretary APT Coordinator Contact Info for 2007-2008 Phone & email addresses can be located in the School Directory or by contacting one of the board members. Beautification: Leslie Blodgett Book Fair: Marie Sebastyn Box Tops for Education: Carol Towle and Lynne DeNyse Frightful Feast: Marie Sebastyn Fun Friday: Carmelina Johnson Holiday Sale: Diane Cao Hospitality: Jackie Estes Spiritwear Sales: Lisa Barnes S/U Raffle & Picnic: Kim Terwilliger and Kristen Irby Target Program: Sandy Freiter SPED PAC News GD SPEDPAC ANNUAL PRESENTATION The GD SpedPAC will be making its annual presentation before the School Committee on: DATE: Wednesday, May 21 TIME: 7:00 P.M. PLACE: GD Regional High School – Library UPCOMING SPEDPAC LECTURES Speaker: Dr. Stephen Shore “Life on and Slightly to the Right of the Autism Spectrum: An Inside View Towards Success” DATE: Thursday, May 8 TIME: 7:00-9:00 P.M. PLACE: GD Regional High School – Black Box Theatre Diagnosed with "atypical development with strong autistic tendencies," Dr. Stephen Shore was viewed as "too sick" to be treated on an outpatient basis and was recommended for institutionalization. Fortunately, his parents disagreed. He was nonverbal until age four and with much help from his parents, teachers, and other professionals, Dr. Shore became a success story. He completed his doctoral dissertation in special education at Boston University focused on matching best practice to the needs of people on the autism spectrum. Join Stephen in his autobiographical journey from the nonverbal days as he relates his life to the many challenges facing people on the autism spectrum. Some of the areas discussed include classroom accommodations, teaching of musical instruments, as well as issues faced by adolescents and adults such as relationships, self-advocacy, higher education, and employment. The session ends with a short audience activity demonstrating what it feels like to have autism and to struggle through some of the challenges surrounding communication and socialization. In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Dr. Shore presents and consults internationally on adult issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, advocacy, and disclosure as discussed in his books: Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperser’s Syndrome, Ask and Tell: Self-advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum, and the critically acclaimed Understanding Autism for Dummies. President Emeritus of the Asperger’s Association of New England, Dr. Shore serves on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, for the Board of Directors for Autism Society of America, Unlocking Autism, MAAP, the College Internship Program, and USAAA. Please join us for what will be an enlightening and thought-provoking evening. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BASIC RIGHTS WORKSHOP DATE: Tuesday, May 20 TIME: 7:00-9:00 P.M. PLACE: GD Regional High School – Library This workshop provides families with an introduction to their rights and responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Massachusetts Special Education Law and No Child Left Behind (NCLB). It is designed to help parents learn how to be effective partners with the school, to decide the child’s eligibility for special education, to plan, make decisions and to monitor the educational progress of their child. A very informative lecture for those who have already been through the eligibility process as well as the development of an IEP, AND, for those parents who are new to the process. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Groton-Dunstable SpedPAC Lecture Series is funded through the generosity of a grant from the Groton Trust Fund. All meetings and events are free and open to the public.
For additional information and parent resources visit the SpedPAC website: www.gdspedpac.org For more information or to volunteer please contact: Nancy Bugbee, SpedPAC President Sarah Campbell, SpedPAC Vice President Maryanne Squeglia, SpedPAC Treasurer Melissa Sweeny, SpedPAC Secretary
REMINDERS FROM THE OFFICE MESSAGE LINE 978-649-5078 (please add this number to your cell phone) to report your child’s absence or to make a change in after school plans. This is a message line only, we will not be answering this phone. Please call by 9:00 am to report an absence. Please call before 2:00 t make changes for the afternoon. WHENEVER POSSIBLE SEND A NOTE TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR CHILD IN THE MORNING.THE MESSAGE LINE SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR ABSENCES OR WHEN UNEXPECTED CHANGES OCCUR. Cori Alert If you were NOT CORI’d by the Groton Dunstable Regional School District in the 05-06 or 06-07 school year, it is important that you get CORI’d for the upcoming school year. Remember you will not be able to come into the classroom or go on any field trips unless you have been CORI’d. Once you have completed the CORI form and we have submitted it from S/U it can take up to 3 -4 weeks to be processed. Some field trips are planned as early as September. Please stop by the office with your driver’s license to complete this form. Forms must be submitted to the School Office IN PERSON with your driver’s license. LUNCH TICKET REMINDER If you prepay for your child’s lunch, please check your payment carefully now that we are getting closer to the end of the year. Consider field trips and half days as well. Lunch tickets become invalid at the end of the year and do not roll over into the following school year. Beginning on Monday May 12, we will accept pre-payment for two weeks at a time (ten lunches maximum). As of Monday June 9, we will not accept any further pre-payments. If you have a lunch ticket that is already pre-paid past June 9, it will continue to be valid. Parents are responsible for balancing payments made to lunches purchased. We would like to avoid reimbursing for unused lunch tickets. Note that lunches are $2.25 each. LUNCH TICKETS AVAILABLE AT SWALLOW UNION SCHOOL For your convenience Lunch Tickets are available in the SU Cafeteria. Tickets may be purchased for any amount divisible by $2.25 and do not expire (ex., 10 lunches for $22.50, 23 lunches for 51.75). If you wish to pay in advance, please send your money in to Miss Cheryl in the kitchen. You must include your child’s name and his/her teacher’s name on the check.
Milk is included in the lunch price. You may buy milk only for 50¢. Orange juice is not included with lunch but is available for an additional 50¢. Snacks are no longer available. If you wish to pay in advance, please send your money in on MONDAY or the 1st of the Month if paying by month. You must include your child’s name and his/her teacher’s name on the check. IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM THE CAFETERIA FOR THOSE STUDENTS PAYING DAILY If your child forgets their lunch money, they will be served a hot lunch. They will receive a reminder slip to bring home and are expected to bring in the money the next day ABSENCES If your child is sick, please call the message line -649-5078. The office opens at 7:45 AM, but the answering machine is always on, so you’re welcome to leave a message. Thanks. BUS NOTES We are offering S/U Bus Notes (50 sheets/pad) for sale at $1.00. The profit we’ve made in the past has supported office needs. IS IT LABELED? Remember to label your child’s lunch box, wallet, hats, coats, mittens (I know, it’s early!) etc. This way lost items can be delivered as soon as they are turned in to the office. SECURITY SIGNING IN TO VOLUNTEER We will continue to use the "Sign In" Book for all visitors to the building & appreciate your stopping by the office to sign in and say hello. You don’t need to "sign in" if you are only coming in to pick up your child. The purpose of the book is to let us know who’s in the building for an extended time. Locking the doors As part of our safety concerns, after the buses arrive in the morning we will be locking all doors except the front door so that all visitors will need to enter through the doors. Any time you pick up your child, you will need to enter through the front doors. This includes afternoon pickups. Classroom deliveries Items such as forgotten lunch money, shoes needed for gym, or glasses that are dropped off for your child will be delivered to the classroom by the office. However, items such as forgotten homework or library books will be put in the teacher’s mailbox. Sneakers Please keep in mind when buying your child’s sneakers to buy those with NON-MARKING BLACK soles. It takes our custodians hours to clean up the scuffmarks left with regular soled shoes. Our continuing goal is for all of us at S/U to take pride in our building and with this in mind we’d appreciate your talking to your children about keeping the floors looking good. ARE YOU DROPPING YOUR CHILD OFF IN THE MORNING? We have been noticing extremely unsafe practices happening in the parking lot in the morning during drop offs. Please pay attention to the following guidelines to avoid congestion and possible accidents Drop your child off curbside and exit as quickly and safely as possible being aware of other traffic Do not park your car Do not walk your child into the building Form a single line for drop off Do not pull out of line to drop your child off – no child should walk between cars or buses to get into school Do not drive by a school bus which has its “Stop” sign extended PARKING/DROPPING OFF & PICKING UP CHILDREN Please drop children off in the morning at the sidewalk and make an immediate turn to the left. You can circle through the parking space and around the church and out. Please be aware of other vehicles around you. ALL CHILDREN SHOULD BE DROPPED OFF AT THE FRONT DOOR. NO CHILD SHOULD BE DROPPED OFF AT THE SIDE DOOR. When picking up children after school please park on the side of the building and pick up children in the cafeteria. You will need to enter through the front doors to get to the cafeteria. The side door will remain locked. Please EXIT through the side door to alleviate congestion at the front doors during dismissal. Children being picked up will be dismissed at 3:00. PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE, PARK OR LEAVE YOUR CAR IN THE BUS LANE AT ANYTIME!! When picking up your child at the end of the day, PLEASE, either stop by the office (if it’s before 2:55) or go directly to the cafeteria. This is a very busy time of the day and it’s disruptive when parents go to a child’s classroom. Teachers will be very happy to talk with you at another time if you have concerns. Please feel free to call for an appointment. We’re always happy to hear from you. ARE YOU HAVING A BIRTHDAY PARTY? It is the policy of Swallow/Union not to give out addresses or phone numbers. A student directory is in the making and you received information about it in the opening packet. Until then, you may request a class list from your child’s teacher. It is also our policy not to give out birthday card invitations within the classroom. We ask parents to please mail them. Our experience has been that it is hurtful to those children who are not invited. You should be able to find most addresses in either the Dunstable or Groton phone books. If you still have a problem, please contact the office. BUS NOTES We are offering S/U Bus Notes (50 sheets/pad) for sale at $1.00. The profit we’ve made in the past has supported office needs.
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