August 11, 2008

Dear Family and Friends of Point Dume Marine Science School,

Welcome to the 2008-09 school year! Our PDMSS Staff and the PTA Executive Board are hard at work on behalf of our students and families. Here at PDMSS we know that parent and community involvement at school improves student achievement as well as allows our students to emerge as compassionate and responsible human beings and citizens. Every year, our parents outdo themselves. Last year, you logged in an impressive 20,000 volunteer hours! Collectively, we ensure each and every student receives the best possible well-rounded education and becomes a capable, confident, lifelong learner respectful and appreciative of the responsibilities to the community, the environment and society. We are excited to work with you to make this happen in our caring community.

Our parents are committed to creating a caring community. The first action that you can take is to have your family join the PTA. Our goal is to have two adults join for each student. For only $10 per person, you can be an active, voting member of PTA, the largest advocacy group in the nation. Please pay special attention to the PTA Stay Informed and Get Involved handout. We know that you will find many volunteer opportunities, and we look forward to working with you. Your support of our children’s education and community by volunteering in the classroom, the library, the school office, the nurse’s office, the copy room, and as morning and afternoon greeters all make PDMSS a caring community. There is a volunteer opportunity for everyone, whether you work full-time, part-time or at home all the time!

Our teachers are committed to creating a caring community. Teachers have spent their summer attending professional development trainings to incorporate our new math adoption and developing curricula to integrate interactive technology to enhance learning in the classroom. Through your generous contributions during last year’s Marine Science Dinner, every classroom is fully equipped with an interactive SmartBoard, projector and elmo document camera. We are very excited to share these tools with you at Back to School Night, scheduled for Thursday, September 11 at 6:00PM. We have also worked with student, staff and parent representatives to create the Caring Community Pledge. In this year’s packet, you will see student, parent and staff expectations presented in a new way. Please take the time to read our pledges and school rules. Our children can only thrive when each of us bring our very best selves to PDMSS each day.

Our students are committed to creating a caring community. Last year we reduced our waste by 15% and will continue to work towards our goal of 25%. We will continue to be a Roots N Shoots school with three community service projects that exemplify a commitment to people, animals, and the environment. The first community service project will be the Annual Heal the Bay Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 13, from 9:00AM – 12:00PM at Westward Beach. We look forward to exceeding last year’s participation rate of over 300 participants offering service to the community. This year, your child will be receiving a SIGG water bottle and a reusable grocery bag to help preserve our planet and reduce waste. We will also continue our phenomenally successful Pennies for Peace program to help build a school in Afghanistan. Finally our newest project, the “Golden Ticket” will kick off this year. The Golden Ticket affords students and classes the opportunity to earn golden tickets for outstanding behavior, citizenship and caring actions. These tickets are not for individual prizes; they will be redeemed for purchasing farm animals to be donated to remote villages in third world countries via Heifer International. Our hope is that through student centered programs, we instill a sense of community service that will carry on throughout your child’s life.

With the exception of this welcome back packet, forms and letters that must be sent out on paper, we will only send home email / electronic newsletters to all families. Our Friday packet flyers and announcements will be in electronic form, via email or website, so that you may get and stay informed in a timely and environmentally friendly manner. All classroom news will be sent home via email as well. Let’s all work together and continue to make every effort to reduce our consumption of precious resources.

Parent volunteers start in classrooms on Monday, September 29. It is a policy of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District that parent volunteers have a Mantoux TB skin test that is clear (valid for 4 years). Nurse Anne Ernst will be available to provide TB skin tests in the nurse’s office every Tuesday during September and October. You may also obtain a TB skin test and clearance note from a private physician. In addition to the TB skin test, PDMSS requires you to attend a volunteer training and sign a confidentiality agreement prior to working in the classroom (This will be done at Back to School Night). Our caring community protects all of our children. Therefore all parent volunteers and visitors are required to sign-in at the school office and wear photo I.D. or Visitors Badges while on campus during the school day.

Parent volunteers may obtain a photo ID on the first day of school during our Parent Coffee and Volunteer Fair, scheduled on Tuesday, September 2 at 8:30AM. After you say good-bye to your child in the classroom on the first day of school, all new and kindergarten parents please join us in the cafetorium. All returning families please head to the playground. Bring all of your completed forms from this packet and a checkbook to take care of all of your beginning-of-school-year needs as well as sign up for various PTA-sponsored events. (If you cannot join us, please send in the forms with your child to the classroom teacher on the first day of school).

Unfortunately, PDMSS had the worst attendance and tardy rate of any elementary school in the district last year. Please work with us to ensure timely and regular attendance. If your child is absent, you MUST call the office (310) 457-9370 to report it, on the day of the absence. You can also email me (kim@smmusd.org) on the day of the absence if that is more convenient.

PDMSS will be open at 7:55AM and supervision will be provided on our playground. The line up / morning assembly bell rings at 8:05AM. On the first day of school please feel free to walk your child to their classroom. Beginning the second day of school, we will have morning assembly on the playground, every morning, to welcome everyone to school with Student Council leading the school in the Flag Salute and a short presentation. We are looking forward to bringing all of kindergarten – fifth grade students and families together for this daily morning assembly. You are welcome to join us every morning. Once the assembly is over, please say goodbye on the playground so that teachers may begin instruction promptly.

Instruction will begin promptly at 8:10AM (Gates will close at that time). Monday – Thursday, dismissal is at 2:45PM for all students in grades 1–5 and at 1:30 for Kindergarten. On Friday, dismissal for all students is 12:25. Please plan ahead with your child where you will meet (in front of the flagpole, parking lot pick up line or Grayfox pick up line. Teachers will be walking all students, grades 1-5 to the playground for dismissal. We know that you care about your child’s safety; therefore, any student not picked up by 2:55 will be brought to the office until a parent arrives. All LEAP after school program participants will check in directly to the LEAP classroom.

Last year we had five students with perfect attendance: William K., Jacob L., Dashel B., Logan S., and Connor B. We look forward to having this list be much, much longer this year. Remember, it is the responsibility of the student to arrive to various locations throughout the school day, but it is a parent responsibility to insure that a child arrives to school on time. We know that you will be part of the solution and help us come from worst to FIRST!

Warmest regards,

** *Join Us! Friday, September 5, at 11:30AM for our Annual PDMSS PTA Back to School In N Out Burger Family Picnic