Quick Updates to you - things are really at high gear for Kathy and I in the office! -
1. Please come to Maplewood this Sunday, Aug. 29th, at 11:30 - our annual Community Care Day is coordinated by the West Hills Friends Meeting Church, and we'll work on pulling weeds, trimming, some painting, and getting school looking its best for the start of school. If you have a wheelbarrow, please bring it, along with gloves. There is a pot luck immediately following the work!
2. The budget cuts made for the District over the summer meant that Maplewood had to make some cuts as well. We will not have music instruction as part of our program this year; Kathie McNett misses us, but will remain on medical leave. The staffing cuts mean that we won't be able to replace her. I will be working with the PTA on ideas for raising money to help subsidize some classes in music that could be offered here after school.
3. Our P.E. program will go from full-time to half-time this year, because the state grant we had for two years was ended.
4. Our Annual Campaign was a great success; it enabled us to keep at least half-time P.E., and enabled us to keep our computer classes. We would have had incredible cuts to our enrichment without the Campaign. Our enrichment offerings will then include half-time offerings in P.E., Library, and Technology.
5. Our enrollment continued to climb to record levels this summer; Kathy has enrolled about 21 new students in the last two weeks. Our 2nd through 5th grades average 29 in a class.
6. Our biggest grade is second grade, with 67 students currently; we are glad that we made plans last year to have a 1st/2nd grade blend, to keep the class sizes smaller there. I am also interested in hearing from any second grade parents who may wish to move into the blend to get a smaller class size (currently we have 27 in each of the second grades, but 22 in the blend; I'll want to keep the blend at a slightly smaller size). Call me if you want to know more about the possibility of moving your child.
7. Watch for PTA information on ways to volunteer here next year. We are planning to enlist parent volunteers who can supervise on the playground, for example, so if you like the outdoors and like playing with kids, let the PTA know that on the forms that will be coming home.
8. We will be hosting a New Parent Meeting for anyone new to Maplewood, on Friday morning, September 10th at 8:15 a.m.
9. Keep up the exercise for your students! Stay tuned for plans to offer an Run pledge drive this fall, to help us raise money to offer after-school music classes!
10. I am very excited about seeing you and your children again soon! This is an amazing community!
