Week Six

As we wrap up September, I have found myself thinking a lot this week about how quickly John Muir is starting to feel like my Village too.

I want to take a moment to simply say thank you.

Thank you to our students, families, and staff for the incredibly warm welcome you have given me since I walked through the doors of John Muir. Starting somewhere new always comes with a learning curve—new names, new traditions, new routines, and lots of new faces—but each week I feel a little more at home here.

More than anything, I am genuinely excited that I get to be part of creating what our Viking Village becomes together. We have already packed a lot into our first month, and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

And speaking of changes...fall has officially arrived! 🍂

Which in Ohio apparently means we can experience several seasons before dismissal. 😂

This is the time of year when I always tell my own kids: layer, layer, layer! Your Viking may need that sweatshirt or jacket when they leave the house in the morning and be carrying it by afternoon.

Of course, that brings us to one of the great mysteries of elementary school: Where did my sweatshirt go?

If your children are anything like mine, they will be absolutely certain that they have to wear their favorite sweatshirt to school—and then have absolutely no idea where they left it three hours later. 😂

So here's my fall principal plea: PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING! Sweatshirts, jackets, hoodies, hats—if it can come off during the school day, put your child's name somewhere on it. It makes it much easier for us to reunite those wandering clothes with their owners.

As we head into October, I hope we continue building on the great start we've made. Keep showing up. Keep talking with your children about their day. Keep celebrating their successes and encouraging them through the hard parts. And please keep reaching out to us when you need something.

The routines are settling in, the learning is underway, and our Village is starting to feel like a Village.

I'm really happy to be part of it. 💙

One Village. Every Viking. Every Day.

Mrs. Randolph
Principal, John Muir Elementary

We continue to get better and better with our arrival and dismissal routines, and we truly appreciate the many families who help us keep things moving each day!

We know mornings can be hectic. Someone overslept, a shoe disappeared, breakfast took longer than expected, the dog wouldn't cooperate, and suddenly you're looking at the clock thinking, “WE HAVE GOT TO GO!” 😂

Trust me—we get it!

And sometimes dismissal is no different. There are appointments, practices, another child to pick up, dinner to figure out, and places everyone needs to be.

The important thing to remember is that there are lots of other Viking families navigating those same busy mornings and afternoons right alongside you. That's why our procedures need to work for everyone—even on those days when we're running behind and wishing the line would move just a little faster.

🚧 Please remember to follow our traffic pattern, remain behind the cones, and follow the directions of staff members helping with arrival and dismissal.

And about those cones...

I promise we didn't put them there just to make your morning more interesting. 😉 They are there for a reason!

At any given moment, we have students walking, buses moving, cars entering and exiting, and staff helping children safely get where they belong. Going around a cone or another vehicle may save a few seconds, but it can create an unexpected—and potentially unsafe—situation for everyone else.

So let's keep three things in mind:

❤️ Patience — We're moving a lot of Vikings!

💙 Grace — Everyone has somewhere to be.

⚔️ Safety — This will always be our first priority.

We will continue working to make arrival and dismissal as efficient as possible, but we will never choose faster over safer.

Thank you for slowing down, following our procedures, and helping us make sure every Viking arrives and leaves safely.

🚗💙 Patience, grace, and safety—that's how we roll in the Viking Village!

One Village really can move a whole lot of Vikings! 💙⚔️

Sometimes supporting learning at home can feel complicated. It doesn't have to be!

One of the best things families can do to support reading is simply talk about what you're reading together. You don't need worksheets, flashcards, or a lesson plan. Grab a book, read together, and ask a few good questions.

Try these:

📖 Before reading: What do you think this book might be about? What makes you think that?

🔎 During reading: What do you think will happen next? Why?

💭 After reading: What was your favorite part? What would you have done differently?

❤️ Make a connection: Did anything in this story remind you of something that has happened to you?

And remember—reading together counts even when you do the reading. Older siblings can read to younger siblings. Audiobooks count. Graphic novels count. Magazines count. And yes, reading the same favorite book for what feels like the 147th time counts too! 😂

The goal is simple: make reading something your child associates with connection, conversation, and enjoyment.

And don't forget to check out this week's Viking Voyage: Story Sunday for another opportunity to enjoy a story together! ⚔️📚

Little moments at home can make a BIG difference at school. 💙

🏈 Have you taken the Stay in the Game Attendance Pledge yet? Click on the Stay in the Game image and make the commitment together as a family!

September may be the final week of Attendance Awareness Month, but at John Muir, our focus on attendance doesn't end when the calendar turns to October.

In fact, we're just getting started.

One of our goals this year is to continue working together to improve student attendance because showing up really does matter. Every day a Viking is in school is another day to learn, practice important skills, build friendships, connect with caring adults, and be part of our Village.

And those days add up faster than we sometimes realize.

📅 Missing just 2 days of school each month can lead to chronic absence.

📚 Students with strong attendance are significantly more likely to be reading on grade level by the end of third grade and to graduate from high school on time.

But attendance isn't simply about numbers. It's about opportunities.

We know children get sick. We know appointments happen. We know families sometimes face circumstances that make getting to school difficult. This isn't about expecting perfect attendance. It's about all of us paying attention, building strong habits, removing barriers when we can, and remembering that every school day matters.

So while Attendance Awareness Month may be ending, our challenge to our Vikings continues:

🏈 Stay in the Game. Keep Learning. Every Day.

💙 When you're here, you matter. When you're gone, you're missed.

💙 One Village. Every Viking. Every Day.

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Because school is about so much more than being in your seat. Every day you're here, you have a chance to learn something, teach someone something, help a friend, try something new, and make our Village a little better.

Check out this message from Kid President—and remember: you can't be part of what happens today if you're not here! ⚔️

Our Viking Voyage has a very special guest aboard this week! 💙 We are excited to welcome PCSD Superintendent Dr. Hunt as our Mystery Reader! Dr. Hunt is sharing Two Mice with our Vikings—a fun story perfect for settling in and enjoying a few minutes of reading together. Grab your favorite cozy spot, gather the family, and get ready to set sail with Dr. Hunt!

📖 Click below to join this week's Viking Voyage!