Clinton Primary Weekly Update

Dear Clinton Primary Families,

It was so wonderful seeing so many of our families here for our Fall event! We hope you all have a restful and enjoyable long weekend together. As we head into this autumn break, we encourage families to spend some quiet time enjoying new books—and don't forget to keep reading nightly, especially to your special reading pets or favorite stuffed animals at home!

Reading together for just 20 minutes a day exposes your child to 1.8 million words per year and dramatically increases their reading proficiency and vocabulary growth! Children who read regularly at home develop stronger comprehension skills, higher academic confidence, and a lifelong love for learning.

🐾 Show Us Your Reading Pets! We can't wait to see pictures of your students reading to their pets or favorite stuffed animals at home! Please feel free to send in your photos so we can share their cozy reading moments with our school community.

Arriving on time ensures our primary students enjoy a calm start to their day and don't miss crucial morning instruction:

• Doors Open: 8:45 AM

• Late: 9:05 AM (Arriving prior to 9:05 AM allows students time to unpack, complete morning tasks, and greet their peers without feeling rushed.)

• Parent Pick-Up Line Opens: 3:00 PM

• Official End of School Day: 3:15 PM (start of bus dismissal)

If your child needs to leave prior to official dismissal, please send a written note in with them that morning. Unannounced arrivals—particularly during our peak 3:00 PM car-tag pick-up or 3:15 PM bus dismissal times—will require waiting patiently, as our staff's primary focus during those active windows is safely managing the departure of all students in the building.

We greatly appreciate everyone's patience in the car lane! It is imperative to follow the directives of the staff and use the designated load and unload areas. Students are just as excited to see you at the end of the day as you are to see them. Your patience waiting inside your vehicle until you are in the designated loading area is extremely important for everyone's safety, particularly that of your student(s).

Essential Safety Reminders:

• Remain Inside Your Vehicle: Please stay in your car during drop-off and pick-up; our duty staff will gladly assist your student in and out of the vehicle.

• Use Designated Loading Zones: Only allow your child to enter or exit when your vehicle is fully stopped in the designated loading area—never drop off in passing lanes.

• Drive Cautiously & Stay Alert: Maintain low speeds on school grounds, yield at all crosswalks, and avoid mobile device distractions while in the school zone.

• Follow Staff Directives: Please follow the guidance of our traffic monitors and duty staff at all times.

Crucial Driving Expectations:

• NO LEFT TURNS INTO THE ENTRANCE: Left turns into our parking lot are strictly prohibited during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal hours. Please route your travel so you arrive making a right-hand turn into the school drive. Making a left turn cuts off the single-file line along the shoulder and creates severe traffic hazards on Clinton Street.

• PULL ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER: When waiting on Clinton Street prior to entering the driveway, pull completely onto the right shoulder so active through-traffic can pass safely.

This week, we are celebrating Character Counts Week! The Six Pillars of Character provide a shared, common vocabulary for teaching good behavior and helping build a safe, positive school community.

The Six Pillars:

Trustworthiness (Blue): Being honest, keeping promises, maintaining reliability, and showing integrity.

Respect (Yellow): Practicing the Golden Rule, treating others with courtesy, and accepting differences.

Responsibility (Green): Doing your best, exercising self-discipline, and being accountable for your actions.

Fairness (Orange): Playing by the rules, sharing, listening openly, and remaining open-minded.

Caring (Red): Showing kindness, compassion, gratitude, and empathy toward others.

Citizenship (Purple): Cooperating, contributing to the community, and protecting the environment.

Ways Parents Can Practice at Home with Their Child:

Practice Trustworthiness: Catch your child being truthful—especially when admitting a mistake—and praise their honesty directly ("Thank you for telling me the truth right away, that shows great integrity!").

Model Respect: Role-play politely disagreeing during a family discussion, and talk about how to treat family members and friends with courtesy even when frustrated.

Assign Age-Appropriate Responsibilities: Give your child ownership of a daily task (like packing their backpack or cleaning up their shoes) and celebrate their self-discipline when completed without reminders.

Demonstrate Fairness: Use family board games or snack sharing as opportunities to practice playing by the rules, taking turns, and listening to everyone's ideas.

Show Caring: Help your child write a thank-you note to a neighbor, or create a "kindness jar" where family members drop in notes noticing nice things done for one another.

Live Out Citizenship: Involve your child in a household or community helper activity, such as picking up litter at a local park, recycling at home, or putting away shared toys.

Thank you for your warm partnership and continued support in making Clinton Primary such a special place to grow!

Kimberly M. McCartan

Principal

October 12 - Indigenous People's Day - No School

October 13-16 - Character Counts Week

October 19 - Tully's Spirit Night

November 3 - Superintendent's Conference Day - No School

November 5 - Picture Re-Takes

November 11 - Veteran's Day - No School

November 25-27 - Thanksgiving Recess