Springmill STEM Elementary

Dear Springmill STEM Parents and Families,

Good evening! I hope you enjoyed the wonderful weather with your friends and family this weekend. Our first 5 day week went well, although everyone was pretty tired by the end of the week.

Students are settling into new routines and making new friends. Friendly games are being played at recess, but there's always a chance of tempers flaring. We encourage students to seek adult help instead of taking matters into their own hands, however, sometimes students don't get that far. Please remind students that if they push, hit, kick, knock down, throw, or in any way touch another student in anger, there will be consequences.

So far, teachers have been getting student oriented to their new grade level expectations and reviewing material that should have been learned last year. Soon, they will transition to teaching students new material that is required for this year. This may cause students to become frustrated and lash out. Struggling with new learning is common and expected. But completely shutting down and refusing to do anything is not.

If your student is refusing to do work, your teachers will be in contact with you. Students at a STEM school, especially in 3rd grade and up, are expected to complete work more independently. Obviously at the beginning of the year, they will need more help, but kids that completely refuse to do anything at this point is an early warning sign of a bigger problem. Teachers and parents need to work together to come up with a success plan for students now. If work refusal continues to be a problem, students will not be successful when it comes to the work of a STEM school.

Yours,

Principal Cara Will

Parents please help us out! Metal water bottles, especially the large ones without any kind of plastic on the bottom or top, are very heavy for students and are VERY loud when they are dropped. Please do not send students with metal water bottles

Any water bottles that students bring must be able to be turned upside down and no water spills out. (Because all water bottles end up upside down at one point or another)

Thank you for your help with this!

Reminder: Students should not bring large bags of chips or candy for their lunch.

Please note, school at Springmill STEM starts at 8:55am this year (not 9:00 as in the past).

Please remind students that:

1) shorts/skirts must at least reach MID-THIGH

2) shirts must have sleeves and reach the tops of pants

3) if leggings or bike shorts are worn, shirt must be worn that reaches mid-thigh

4) students cannot wear slides, flip slops or open-toed sandals to school (this is especially important at our STEM school)

5) no hats, caps or other head coverings may be worn in the building

Students that come to school in clothes that do not meet the dress code will be asked to change using clothes that we have available in our clothing closet.

No School Labor Day

STEM Only 2 Hour Delay for Teacher Training

*This year, our STEM Only 2 Hour Delays will be on the 2nd WEDNESDAYS of the month.

9/10, 10/8, 11/12, 12/10, 1/14, 2/11, 3/11

No School for Students

1 Hr. Early Release

Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7:30pm

1 Hr. Early Release

Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30-8:00pm

Fall Break - No School

Week of August 21