March/April Falcon Facts

Attached is the latest copy of the Falcon Facts.

Falcon_Facts

News for the week

Muir Community,

We hope everyone is enjoying the unseasonably warm temperatures.  Below are a few important Muir reminders:

• The Pizza Kit fundraiser ends tomorrow!  If you are interested in participating, please make sure your form is turned in tomorrow morning.  Extra forms are available in the main office.  Pickup is February 9 from 12-5 p.m.  Thanks to Rosa and Cathy for overseeing this program to benefit our school.
• Wednesday, February 8 is a half day.  School ends at 11:40 a.m.
• Our next celebration for improved respectful behavior is scheduled for February 8.  It should be a great time!
• Yearbook order forms are going home this week.  They are due by March 23 but can be turned in immediately.

Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Paul Goldberg, Ed.D.

Principal

John Muir Literacy Academy

Parking Lot Safety

Now that the cold weather is finally here, we are noticing an increased level of activity in the parking lot during morning arrival times which is creating potentially dangerous situations for students.  Please remember that the safety of all children is of the utmost importance.  Once the barricades are out, cars should not be moving in the lot.  If you have entered the lot prior to the barricades being posted, you must remain parked in a parking space in the lot until the barricades are brought in.  This rule is in place to protect all of our students, and we appreciate your cooperation in keeping our lot safe.  Movement in the lot is typically restricted from about 8:15-8:40 a.m. and from 3:00-3:10 p.m.  Thanks for your support in ensuring the safety of our students.

Donut Breakfast and Bully Prevention Presentation

Donut Breakfast and Bully Prevention Presentation: I would
like to invite everyone to an exciting breakfast event!  On Friday, November
18 at 7:30 a.m. in conjunction with the terrific Muir PTA, we will be
hosting a donut breakfast for our parents/guardians and students in the gym at
Muir.  Donuts, drinks and coffee will be served from 7:30-7:50 a.m.  After the
food is served, we would like you to join us to learn about District 54’s bully
prevention curriculum that is being taught to children throughout District 54
and here at Muir.  Muir students have been learning these skills and strategies
over the last week.  This curriculum focuses on using preventative school-wide
practices to teach students respectful and safe behaviors.  In addition, it
provides students with a specific strategy to use when they encounter
disrespectful or unsafe behavior.  It also provides students with consistent
responses from adults when students receive or engage in disrespectful
behaviors.  During the presentation, we will have staff supervise the students
so the presentation can be delivered to our parents/guardians.  Donuts/breakfast
will be available from 7:30-7:50 a.m. and the students will leave the gym with
Muir staff at about 7:50 a.m.  Our presentation will begin shortly after the
students go to classrooms.  We expect the presentation to be about 20-30 minutes
followed by Q and A pertaining to our bully prevention curriculum.  Please join
us for donuts and to learn how we will all work together to prevent
disrespectful behavior.

Principal’s Message

Muir Community,

I hope you have enjoyed the summer.  I am Paul Goldberg, the new principal at John Muir Literacy Academy.  I feel privileged to follow in the large shoes of Mr. Carter and I am honored to serve the terrific Muir community.  This will be my fifth year as a principal in District 54 as I was previously the principal at Robert Frost Junior High.  Prior to serving as principal at Frost, I was an assistant principal and a fourth grade teacher.  Returning to work with elementary students has been a goal of mine and I am thrilled to work with our students and staff as we focus on achieving all three District 54 goals during the 2011-12 school year.

• All Muir students who have attended District 54 schools for at least one year will read at grade level upon entering third grade.
• We will close the achievement gap for all students in reading and math as measured by both district and state assessments.
• At least 90% of all students will meet or exceed standards in reading and math as measured by both district and state assessments.  “90/90”

We have many excellent new staff joining our amazing teaching team at Muir.  Please join me in welcoming Ms. Carolyn Smolinski as our new assistant principal.  She was formerly a mentor to new teachers in District 54 and a teacher at Anne Fox School.  I am confident she will be a terrific support to our students as we focus on “Ensuring Student Success.”  All of our staff will be available for you and our students at Back to School Night. 

You should soon be receiving much of the information below in the mail, but please be aware of the following important information. 

Important Information:

Rosters – Class lists will be available just outside the main office by entering Muir through the main entrance on Friday, August 19 beginning at 10:00 a.m.  They will only be available on Friday until regular office hours conclude and will be available again on Monday, August 22 when office hours begin and throughout Back to School Night.

Curriculum Night – Please join us with your student/s at Curriculum Night at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 8.  Please begin in the gym with Dr. Goldberg and Mrs. Smolinski to learn about Muir, how to help your child be highly successful at school, and our 2011-12 goals. 

Student-led Conferences – Please save the date for our first set of student-led conferences on October 6-7.  More information is forthcoming. 

Busses/Parking Lot – In order to best ensure the safety of our students, the parking lot will be closed to all vehicles other than student busses from 8:25-8:40 a.m. each morning and from 2:55-3:10 p.m. each afternoon.  On Wednesdays, our parking lot will be closed from 2:25-2:40 p.m.  In order to allow our students the safest path to and from school, it is important to minimize vehicle movement at these times.  Parents/guardians are able to pickup/drop-off their students by walking to our entry and exit doors each day.  We appreciate your support as we make student safety our top priority.  Please note that the each grade is assigned to the door listed below:

• K/1- Door 11
• 2/3-Door 10
• 4-Door 1
• 5-Door 2
• EC/6-Door 3

Bus Pickup/Drop-off – As you begin to prepare for this school year please read the important message below from District 54 regarding transportation for this school year. When planning childcare for this school year, please plan accordingly. “It is the District’s long standing practice that a student must have consistent pick up and drop off points to ensure student safety. In the past some student’s pick up/drop off location have changed weekly and sometimes daily which the District will not agree to. As you can certainly appreciate, the bus driver and other District personnel attend to multiple children in the bus pick up and drop off environment. A rotating pick up/drop off location is unsafe because it creates a situation where a mistake can easily be involved involving the route that your student is placed on. Please know that as a District we are totally committed to your student’s safety.”

We are expecting to have a terrific year and plan to achieve unprecedented student learning results.  Please let us know how we can support your student.  I look forward to meeting everyone at Back to School Night.

Sincerely,