_______________ MAPLE AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL _______________________
515 Maple Avenue
518-587-4551
Robert Loggins |
Gerald Leger |
Susan Kichton |
Roseann Jackling |
|
Assistant Principal |
Assistant Principal |
Assistant Principal |
Assistant Principal |
|
Columbian Springs |
Hathorn Springs |
Excelsior Springs |
Red Springs |
March 11, 2008
Dear Parents/Guardians:
This is a key time of the school year. Once the weather improves, it is sometimes difficult for students to stay focused on their schoolwork. It is always a good idea to monitor your child’s homework, and certainly revisiting this practice for the remainder of the school year would be very helpful. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your student’s progress, please contact your child’s teachers or guidance counselor as soon as possible.
The 6th grade is gearing up for Greek and Roman Days on April 10th, and we appreciate all of the help and support you are showing for this activity.
Mark your calendars - April 11th is the date for the Maple Avenue Read-A-Thon. Watch for more information to come!
Maple Avenue participates in an exciting activity with Saratoga Performing Arts Center. An introduction to the ballet will be presented to the seventh grade P.E. classes on March 26th and 27th. A member of the Philadelphia Orchestra will provide an overview of classical music in our sixth grade music classes on May 20th, periods 1-4. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend these performances at school. This then opens an invitation to all sixth graders to attend, as a guest of SPAC, a performance of the Philadelphia Orchestra on Thursday, August 22, 2008. All seventh graders are invited to a performance of the New York City Ballet on Thursday, July 24, 2008. If a student attends the summer orchestra performance in sixth grade and/or the summer ballet performance in seventh grade, they will then be eligible for a season pass beginning the following year. This pass is good for all the summer SPAC ballet and orchestra performances until they have completed high school. We will be sending more information home on this later in the Spring. I hope your child will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.
You and your child are invited to participate in a fun and rewarding fundraiser during the month of April. The Student Council at Maple Avenue is sponsoring a “Pennies for Prevention” Fundraiser in conjunction with the Saratoga County Prevention Council. Each homeroom has a money jar waiting for your pennies. (All change is acceptable.) The entire month of April is dedicated to collecting spare change. We challenge you to “adopt a classroom” and match the sum in the money jar on April 30th. 50% of the money will go to the Prevention Council and 50% stays in the school for continued services in the schools and community. Checks should be made out to “Prevention Council.” If you would like to adopt a classroom, please call Marci at 581-1230, ext. 12. The Prevention Council is a 501 (3) corporation. Your entire contribution is tax deductible.
We continue to need everyone’s help in the mornings and afternoons with student drop-offs and pick-ups by parents and guardians. Please follow the traffic flow around the parking lot to the student drop-off area. Another alternative is to enter the school grounds, follow the bus route, turn left into the front parking lot and drop your child off in that area. By following these procedures and exhibiting driver courtesy, we can continue to have safe student drop-offs and pick-ups at school. Thank you for your help and understanding.
The Attendance Office would like to remind you of the following procedures: When your child is absent, please call the Attendance Office as early as possible, and please be sure to send a note stating the reason for the absence when your child returns to school. If your child needs to be dismissed early during the school day, please send in a note stating the reason and time of dismissal. At the time requested, you need to come into the Attendance Office and sign your child out of school. Students cannot be released without a parent/guardian signature.
I would like to ask for your help in monitoring your child’s school attire. Students come to school to learn to use their minds well. The clothes that students wear to school are to be comfortable and appropriate. Student clothing should not distract or interfere with the focus of school, which is learning. As the warm weather approaches, more students will be wearing shorts and t-shirts to school. Even though we realize that the current styles are abbreviated, we ask that short shorts and skirts not be worn to school. Pants and shorts should ride no lower than the top of the hips and t-shirts will reach the student’s waist. Slogans or designs that are drug-related or contain sexual innuendo are distracting and inappropriate. Tops that are off the shoulder or have spaghetti straps will not be allowed. We also ask that students not wear the plastic or rubber flip-flop type sandals to school for safety reasons. Thank you for your help.
Listed below are activities that will be taking place at the school over the next few weeks.
March 12 PTSO, 7 PM
March 18 Grade 6 Spring Pictures
March 19 Grade 6 Math Field Test
March 19 Grade 7 Spring Pictures
March 20 Grade 8 Spring Pictures
March 21 Good Friday
March 24 Easter Recess
April 2-8 Grade 8 Science Performance Assessment
April 7 Third Quarter Ends
April 9 PTSO, 7 PM
April 10 Greek & Roman Days (Grade 6)
April 11 Maple Avenue Read-A-Thon
April 14-18 Spring Recess
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact either me or your child’s house principal.
Sincerely,
Stuart F. Byrne
Principal
SFB/jec
Enclosures