Saratoga Springs, New York 12866

Dear Parents/Guardians:

I hope this letter finds you enjoying the holiday season and safely awaiting the New Year.

Your child’s interim progress report is enclosed in this mailing.  I hope you will take the opportunity to review this report with your child, and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact one of your child’s team teachers and/or guidance counselor.

All Maple Avenue students will be taking the State Assessments this year.  English Language Arts will be given on the mornings of January 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th.  We encourage students to get a good night’s sleep as well as eat breakfast on these days.  If they wish, students can purchase breakfast these mornings for $1.25.

Dr. Randy Cale will be presenting “Making 2008 the Best Ever” on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 7:00 pm in the library at Maple Avenue Middle School, immediately following the PTSO meeting.  You may have seen Dr. Cale’s parenting segments on channels 8, 9 and 13 or read his articles in The Saratogian and The Gazette.  He is known as “The Parent’s Psychologist” and is the author of the website www.TerrificParenting.com.

Enclosed is information regarding after school foreign language opportunities for sixth graders.  French and Spanish classes will be offered to sixth grade students on Wednesdays from 2:25 p.m. to 3:25 p.m.  A registration form for these classes is enclosed. 

Students who achieved Honor Roll and High Honor Roll averages for the first marking period were recently given their certificates in school.  We hope that they have shared them with you at home.

Maple Avenue students are encouraged to join the Saratoga Community in participating in Saratoga Reads.  This year’s community wide reading selection is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.  The following companion selections have been chosen: for students in sixth grade, When The Circus Comes To Town by Polly Horvath, and for students in grades seven and eight, Ghost Boy by Iain Lawrence.  

I have included some excerpts from The Parent Institute’s publication “Firm, Fair & Consistent,” and “Middle Years.”  I hope they are of interest to you and your family. 

Below is a list of events scheduled to occur at Maple Avenue from now until the February break:

            January 2                      Classes Resume

            January 9                      PTSO Meeting, 7pm

January 15-17                Grade 6-8 ELA Testing

January 21                    Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – School Recess

January 23                    Grade 6 Chorus, High School Choraliers Concert, 7:30 pm

January 25                    Second Quarter ends

February 4                     Report Cards Issued

February 13                   PTSO Meeting, 7pm

Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Stuart F. Byrne

Principal

SFB/jec

Enclosures