Various Announcements

• I will be in Montgomery Sept. 8 and 9 working on the State Course of Study for Fine Arts and in Montevallo on Sept. 14 for a professional development planning.

• National Anthem Project—On Wednesday at 9:00, we will join in the singing of our National Anthem. This will take place wherever you are—no special assembly, so that you will be able to go back to your lesson.

• Constitution Day—On Friday at 1:00, we will recite the Preamble to the Constitution together. This is part of a nationwide activity happening at that time. The words won’t mean much to our lower grades, and some age-appropriate introduction will be on order.

• Lesson plans are due every Monday. If there is a good reason for not turning them in Monday (and there often is), then turn them in as is practical. Six teachers have not turned in anything so far this year.

• How does a virus spread? Here is a good article

• Alfa Teacher of the Month—If you would like to nominate a deserving candidate for this honor, you can go here for information. Scroll down to the section that talks about this award.

• Cub Scouts—We will have a short assembly for boys in grades 1-5 on Monday just before the start of school. The assembly will be in the lunchroom beginning at 7:50, and the idea is that students should be in your classes by the 8:00 bell. The assembly is designed to promote interest in Scouting and invite students and parents to a meeting Tuesday night here at school (at 6:00).

• Update on nutrition restrictions—I am placing in your boxes a two-page update that addresses some of the questions that have come up (such as cupcakes for birthday parties). Here are the things that are out: soft drinks, any item that lists sugar or high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient, hard candies, sour balls, fruit balls, candy sticks, starlight mints, after-dinner mints, sugar wafers, rock candy, cinnamon candy, breath mints, cough drops, gum drops, jelly beans, jellied and flavored fruit slices, marshmallow candies, candy corn, soft mints, licorice, spun candy, cotton candy, candy coated popcorn, frozen sicles and slushies (except those containing fruit juice), and chewing gum. Also, keep in mind that there is no eating on our school busses. Therefore, there is no reason for a student to have gum at school.

• Lightspan Parent Orientation—You will be received an updated list of the students who may check out Lightspan CD-ROMs.

• School Pictures--The deadline for students to return school pictures will be Sept. 20. The complimentary package for faculty & staff is #6. (You may circle any style.)

• Out of Town Purchases—Mrs. Sorrell needs to close out her books for the fiscal year (which ends Sept. 30). She needs to have all invoices received and paid by Sept. 30. If you are making out of town purchases, please be sure that they will be able to get the items here and invoice us in time for Mrs. Sorrell to pay the invoice before Sept. 30.

• Title I Compacts—You will be receiving enough for everyone in your class. I hope we will get these from the central office in time to go home in Tuesday folders. This one will look different that what we have had before. You will not need to sign this one.

• School Store--Thanks to Teresa Kearley for organizing the School Store. She helped us secure the display case from R.L. Young, cleaned it up, and organized the supplies you see inside it. When we crank up the School Store after Student Council is in place, I think it will be more enjoyable for our students.

• The Communication Committee had a idea that I think simple and effective. Each committee does not necessarily know what other committees have done in their meetings. So, why not use this blog as a vehicle to give a short synopsis of our School Renewal Committees. We could do this a couple of ways: 1) each committee could e-mail me their notes, and I could copy and paste them in a post; 2) the chair of each committee could create a comment and put the information there. Any thoughts?