Dear Heard Parents/Guardians:

Welcome Back! We hope that you and your family have had a fun and memorable summer and you are all ready to return to the routine of school activities. We are delighted that your child is now a part of the Heard family. The 2015/2016 school year promises to be an exciting one! Our new cafeteria is complete with the new entrance and media center to be completed within the next few months!!*** For the next month the school office is located at the entrance of wing one and we ask that you enter the doors nearest the car rider parking lot.

The 2015-2016 school year starts on Thursday, August 6th, 2015. Please be aware of the vital information listed below:

·  Our school time is 9:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. Children will not be allowed to be dropped off prior to 8:35 a.m. No staff is available to monitor students dropped off prior to 8:20 a.m. (Doing so may result in an unsafe situation for your child. PLEASE help us with this request.)

o  8:35 - Students arrive and move to hallways and pick up breakfast

o  8:45 - First bell: Students will enter their classrooms at this time

o  9:00– Second bell: Students not in the classroom at this time will be considered tardy. (Late arriving bus riders will not be considered tardy.) The car rider gate is closed at 9:00. Students who are tardy must be signed in by a parent or guardian at the front office. You must walk the student to his/her homeroom.

·  Dismissal Information:

3:00- No early dismissal after this time.

o  3:30 - Afternoon announcements

o  3:32 - Car riders, Pryme Tyme, and Day Care dismissal

o  3:40 – Bus riders called to busses

o  3:45 - Walkers are dismissed

o  4:00 –The car rider gate is locked

PLEASE be considerate of our neighbors during arrival and dismissal times. The speed limit is 25 mph. The safety of our children comes first. We will strictly enforce the arrival and dismissal procedures. We are asking that all parents use the car rider line if they are not bus riders. We are discouraging parents from parking on the streets and walking their children in to class. (We will allow it for the first week only.) As with any beginning of the year, please be patient. Please adhere to the following rules:

·  PLEASE make sure your child arrives on time! Thank you for getting your child to school on time.

·  All car riders must go through the car rider line.

·  NO child will be able to be dropped off or picked up on the Andover side of the building!

·  If your child needs to be released early, a note must be sent for one of the administrators to sign.

Our Open House will be held on Tuesday, August 4th, 2015 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m for K through 5th grade students. Open House is a great time for you to establish the partnership with your child’s teacher. We know you won’t miss this opportunity to set the tone for the 2015/2016 school year. Your child’s class assignment and room number for the 2015-2016 school year is listed on the following page.

2015 – 2016 Homeroom Class Assignment

Kindergarten Teacher: Mrs. Brunson

Room Number: 10

COMMUNICATION FOLDERS We will use a Communication Folder which will come home to you every Wednesday and is a vital tool for parent-teacher communication. Please look for it and take the time to discuss the information with your child, sign the folder, and return!! This week you will have the Code of Conduct/Handbook for Success sent home. We reviewed it with all of the students today. PLEASE sit down and review the information with your child. Please find the signature page, sign it, and return the signed form to your child’s teacher.

ATTENDANCE Per Board Policy, a student may not miss more than seven days (excused or unexcused) per semester. A student who misses more than seven days (excused or unexcused) per semester may be retained. Any child subject to compulsory attendance who during the school calendar year has five (5) days unexcused absences is considered truant. Notification by mail and a social worker referral will be made when the fifth unexcused absence occurs. Any time your child is absent, please send in an excuse. A student is tardy if he/she is not in the building by 9:00 a.m. unless he/she is a bus rider. Repeated or habitual tardiness is an undesirable personal habit and is disruptive to the orderly instructional process. Students who are tardy must be signed in by a parent or guardian at the front office.

DRESS CODE Please make sure that you and your child understands the Dress Code Policy. I expect your support and adherence to the policy. Staff time should not be wasted on correcting Dress Code violations. Please check your child before they leave for school.

CURRENT PROOF OF RESIDENCE You will need to update your proof of residence. A current (date within 30 days) utility bill, lease or mortgage statement must be submitted to your child’s homeroom teacher for ALL students (even if your child attended Heard last year!).

I want to congratulate our staff and students for the academic gains made during the 2014/2015 school year. Heard has exceptional teachers! You will find that we value our parents and are always open to talk to you about your child and any concerns you have. We are looking forward to working with each of you!!!!

High expectations will continue to be set for our students, parents, and staff for the 2015/2016 school year as we continue …

Constructing Academic Success at Heard!!!

WE are STEAM Powered!!!

Sylvia Wallis, Principal Tamika Simmons, Assistant Principal