We are off to a great start!  I hope all parents and students have had a good beginning to the school year. Our staff is working very hard getting to know your children and giving assessments to help determine how to meet each child’s needs.  
   Students will be placed in a reading group based on their reading level. The teachers will send books home with your child for them to read at night. Please make sure you read with your child nightly and return the books to the school each day. The more you read with your children, the better chance they will have of reaching the required reading level by the end of the school year.  If you have any questions regarding your children’s reading level, please contact their teacher. 
   Students are taking a math pre-test this week to determine their knowledge of math concepts. The students will take a post-test at the end of the school year to show how much each student has learned.

Thanks to parents
   I would like to thank all the parents who came to the parent meetings.  I hope the information you received was helpful in understanding the expectations for each grade level. If you have any questions please e-mail markrash@sheridanschools.org.

Reminders
   There are several things we are trying to do a better job of enforcing this year. The first thing is parents are not allowed on the playground with their child. This is for the safety of all students. 
   The next reminder is using the front doors to enter our building. After the 8 a.m. bell, you need to sign-in at the office and enter through the front doors instead of any back or side door.  Those doors are locked at 8 a.m.  If you want to have breakfast with your child, please sign in at the office. Also, please call to set up a time during your teacher’s planning time if you need to meet. The first thing in the morning is not the best time to go by the room to visit.
   All teachers have a 40-minute time slot each day to plan and get in touch with parents. The best way is through e-mail. You may search for any teacher on the school’s website at http://www.sheridanschools.org and go to Schools, East End Elementary, and then to Staff Directory to search for your child’s teacher.  We also list important dates and information on the school’s website.
   At Open House, we handed out magnetic calendars with information about the school year.  If you did not receive one, please let the office know and we will get you one. The calendars give important dates for school this year.

Attendance, tardiness
   Your child’s attendance is extremely important to the success of their school year.  Please have your child at school each day and on time. Remember not to send them to school if they have had a fever the day before.  They must be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. Also remember to send absentee notes within five days of their absence to be considered an excused absence. You can refer to the handbook for the attendance policy.  

Car line procedures
   Please be patient in the car line in the afternoons. The car line will move faster as we get to know the new students better and the cars they come and go in. Have your card showing in the front window of your car so we can read the student’s name and bring them to you in a timely manner. Stay in your car when picking up your child. When too many parents gather at the back of the school to wait on their child it is hard to tell which student goes with which adult. Again, it is for all students’ safety that you stay in your cars and pull through the line. If you do not like waiting, then come through the line at about 3:10 p.m. Also remember that the school is a smoke-free campus and that includes no smoking in your car.

New media center
   The new media center is going up quickly.  It is scheduled to be open by July 2011. The students in grades K-1 will have the opportunity to use the new facility next school year. The building will house a library and two computer labs. The district is using stimulus money to help fund the project. We are excited about our new facility.

Enrollment up
   Student enrollment is up about 24 students on our campus this year. The kindergarten enrollment is at 145 students; first grade enrollment is 141; and second grade enrollment is 128, for a total enrollment of 414 for grades K-2. The school hired Ms. Lenee Montgomery as a new first grade teacher this year. We are excited about having her join our staff. Ms. Montgomery is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University. Please help us welcome her to our school.

Technology advances
   We started the school year by asking our teachers how do we engage the 21st Century student. The challenge for our staff is to engage students in their classrooms every day with and without technology. Our district has set aside some money to upgrade technology in all buildings in the school district.
   Please do not forget to sign up for the free Ed-Alert service. This is a very important information system that allows a text message to be sent to your phone from the school in case of an emergency or to announce school closings or cancellations of school events. If you signed up last year, you do not have to sign up again this year.