The One Week Countdown Begins!

It’s hard to believe that the 2014-2015 school year begins just one week from today! I hope you and your families had a wonderful summer and are eager to begin the new year. My high school daughter is anxious to get back to seeing her friends on a daily basis while my middle school son wouldn’t mind having another month, or two, of summer vacation.

Kindergarten Orientation was held at East Hill yesterday. It was nice welcoming the class of 2027. Thank you to our PTA for organizing this yearly event for our youngest learners. Parents received a lot of information from the transportation director, the nurse, the PTA president, their child’s teacher, and the principal (me.) Students were able to meet their teacher and then participate in some organized games in the gym with the help of a few parents and some student volunteers. While there were several tears at the beginning (by both students and parents I think!) everyone was all smiles at the end.

Mrs. Augello reads a book to her new students.

Mrs. Devereaux and Mrs. Catalino teach the students a morning greeting song.

Please mark your calendar! Tomorrow is New Student Orientation. This informal orientation is held at East Hill at 9:00 for all students in grades 1 – 5 that are new to East Hill. Next Tuesday is our first day of school. It will be a half day with an 11:30 dismissal. Full days begin next Wednesday (9:00 – 3:20). Please remember to use the student drop-off parking lot if you are dropping your children off in the morning. The building opens again at 3:10 for parents wishing to pick their children up at the end of the day. Please note that the pick-up and drop-off times listed on your child’s transportation sheet may fluctuate a bit, especially the first two weeks of school, so it will be important to have your child at the bus stop five minutes in advance of the posted time. Don’t be alarmed if the bus is up to 20 minutes late at the end of the day for the first two weeks as the drivers become accustomed to their routes.

The PTA’s annual ice cream social will be held next Thursday, September 4^th, from 6:00 – 7:30. Curriculum night will be held on Tuesday, September 9^th from 6:15 – 7:00 for grades K-2, and 7:15 – 8:00 for grades 3-5. This evening is for parents and guardians only due to space constraints. The first PTA meeting of the year will be held on Monday, September 15^th at 6:30 in the East Hill Library.

Lastly, some advice I just read on a back-to-school blog that I felt was worth noting: review all of the important information sent to you from school, mark important dates on the calendar, make sure you have all of the necessary school supplies, designate a clear place to do homework, select a spot to keep backpacks and lunch boxes, and, most important in my opinion, re-establish the bedtime routines, backing it up if necessary. I guess I should heed this advice as well!

I look forward to seeing you at the Ice Cream Social! I know we’re going to have a great 2014-2015 school year!

-          Lisa