Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

Just a few things to keep in mind as we gear up for school next week!

You should get a welcome email from your child's teacher around 3:00 PM on August 8th. We will post class lists as well, but since you will have the teacher email you are not expected to come down to the building. We may be moving away from physically posting class lists next year, as there are some concerns around privacy. On that note, please do not post any class list to social media or share images of the lists online.
 
If you do come down to check out the lists, please consider donating a pair of athletic shoes to the PFA shoe drive! They are collecting athletic shoes and cleats, so if you young athletes have grown out of last year's athletic shoes, drop them off for a good cause! The bins are in front of our main doors.

On Monday, August 11th, we would love to see you at our Sneak Peek between 8:30 and 9:30 AM. This is a drop-in event, just a chance to see the room, meet the teacher, and drop off supplies if you choose.

And then the big day is Tuesday! School begins at 8:45 AM and will have early release on the first day- 1:15. After that, our standard release time is 3:15.

Our school district has a website for returning to school. It has calendars, school supply lists, bus information, and a whole lot more. Check it out if you are interested.
Free breakfast will be an option for all students this year at all schools, so take advantage of that if it helps with the morning routine. 

As class lists get posted, I want to remind everyone that the Hidden Springs placement team put a lot of time and effort into placements last spring. We have one combination class this year, a 5th/6th grade class, and I would like to speak to that ahead of the class list postings in order to reduce any anxiety or stigma around combo classes. My own kids have been in several combo classes, and there are numerous benefits to that experience. Those benefits include a smaller cap size, exposure to a variety of peers, and nimble instructional abilities within a dynamic team. The mixed-grade structure mirrors real-world environments where people work with others of various ages and abilities. While the common grades will work together frequently, the combo class will have more opportunities for older students to take on leadership roles and serve as role models. Younger students benefit from peer modelling and increased confidence. My son Thomas was a 5th grader in a 5/6 combo, and his awe/admiration of one of the 6th grade students later turned into a wonderful connection and friendship that seemed beneficial for both boys.

No matter what placement you get and who is in your class, I want everyone to come into the year with an open mind and a fresh start. One thing I can speak to is the competence of this incredible staff. No matter where you land, you will be in good hands. 

I want to speak briefly to phones and smartwatches. As I put in the last newsletter, the new policy is pretty clear on phones- they need to be off and put away for the entire day. The smartwatch policy is a little less restrictive. As I have spoken with staff about the new policy, one ongoing concern seems to have been the level of distraction that the smartwatches created last year. So I would ask you this as the year starts- please consider leaving the smartwatch at home and take all communication through the school. And if you do choose to send your kids to school with a smartwatch, please continue to go through our school office for messaging. This helps us streamline mid-day pick-ups and coordinate with you as parents. Watches that do come to school are supposed to be in do-not-disturb mode, but that can be a tricky thing to enforce for our staff. You can help us with that by either leaving the watch at home, or encouraging kids to keep them on do-not-disturb mode during the school day. Once the bell rings, phones and watches can be turned on for communication, which is, of course, a very helpful option for parents. 

I want to share a huge thank you to the PFA, our parent group, for welcoming our staff back with an amazing luncheon! The staff loved it and we feel so grateful to have these awesome parents supporting the school in numerous ways. If you have interest in being a part of PFA, they will be reaching out soon via parentsquare. In the meantime, they are also available at [email protected] I am very interested in working to grow our partnership with PFA and the wider community. Hidden Springs is an amazing place, and our school sits right in the middle of it! I am excited to be a hub for community activity, learning, play, and community connection. I'm looking forward to a great year! 
 
See you soon!

With Gratitude,
Jason Adams
Principal
Hidden Springs