Principal’s Update - October 2006 I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the parents and family members who helped out with COSI on Friday, October 13th. This always a fabulous assembly and the students are engaged in learning at all times but it is difficult if we are not able to find enough parent volunteers. Thank You!

I want to remind all families that Friday, November 3rd is a teacher professional development day. Therefore, school will be closed for the students. This date is on the district calendar.

Roxboro students and staff will be celebrating Halloween on Friday, October 27th. The annual Halloween Parade starts at 1:45 out on the back playground. The students will walk around the block of Colchester and West St. James. Classroom parties will begin at 2:15. I have attached a flyer to this update explaining the guidelines for appropriate Halloween apparel!

Our all school photo was a HUGE success. If you would like to see this photo it is hanging on the wall in the main office along with the school photo from last year!

As many of you are aware we had a power outage on Wednesday, October 11th which was the original date for the grade 3, 4 and 5 Potluck/Achievement Information night. We rescheduled the potluck for Monday the 16th and thankfully many were able to attend and mingle with friends and new faces. We will be rescheduling the Achievement Information Night and will let you know as soon as the date is confirmed.

I want to remind our parents that school starts at 8:45 am every morning. A child is marked tardy if they arrive to school after 8:50 am. Dismissal is 3:05 every day except Tuesday when dismissal is at 2:05.

In light of recent events surrounding schools and security, know that we are also reviewing our current security policy and safety procedures. The door from the playground will be kept closed and locked after school. If you need to re-enter the building we ask that you go to the door by the parking lot. We have asked teachers and students not to open the door for anyone and they are to redirect them to the door by the parking lot where the security buzzer is located. If a staff member asks to see your visitors pass and you are not wearing one, you will be asked to report to the office. If you come to school to drop off a forgotten item for your child, please do not buzz the office and then proceed to your child’s classroom. Please report to the main office at all times. I am asking for your help in this very serious matter.

Homework! The dreaded word. As a staff we have spent about 3 months on the homework debate. We started at the end of last year at a staff meeting talking about our homework policy. At the end of the discussion, it was readily apparent that everyone was treating homework differently. Some teachers only handed out homework twice a week; some teachers handed out homework 4 times a week; a few gave homework assignments over the long breaks and some graded all homework while some teachers graded some or none of the homework. It was apparent that we needed to change our philosophy.

The change process began with me copying articles from Alfie Kohn and other writers who were looking at homework and the benefit of homework. The studies have shown that having homework every night does not make you smarter, more disciplined or more organized. In fact, it does completely the opposite; it frustrates students and parents and sometimes consumes the whole evening of a student. We are not mandating a NO HOMEWORK policy; we just want to make sure that the homework we are assigning is not just drill and practice. We are working to create assignments that allow for students to be creative.

Our goal at Roxboro Elementary is to craft a philosophy statement in regards to homework. I promise to share this statement when we have created it. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to share them with your child’s teacher or myself.

The Village Volunteer Program is up and running. If you or someone you know would like to volunteer during the day to tutor students please contact the main office at 371-7115.

Please remember to be careful when dropping students off on Colchester and West St. James. The Cleveland Heights Police Department is still searching for a crossing guard. They will send an officer until a replacement is found.

If you drive your student to school, please remember not to PARK on Colchester. This is a drop off-pick up area only. If you need to park, use Roxboro or West St. James.

There will be no school on Friday, November 3rd!

Upcoming Dates:

Thursday, November 2nd Multi-Cultural Fair from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Friday, November 3rd No School for students. Professional day for teachers.
Friday, November 10th Open Council Meeting at Boulevard at 9:30 am
Tuesday, November 14th Kindergarten Open House for prospective families from 2:30 to 4:30
Friday, November 17th Last day for grades for first trimester.
Tuesday, November 21st Conference Night

“Every Student, Every Day, Some Success, Some Way!"