Arcadia This Week 9/6/2023

Hello, Arcadia families, students, and friends!

Thank you to all Arcadians for making yesterday a wonderful first day of school! Our mission notes that we “envision a supportive learning community” for all Arcadians, and it definitely felt that way. Thank you for your engagement, your humor, your kindness toward one another, and making this a really lovely place to be.  

Today’s newsletter includes:

  1. Opening Expedition

  2. Lunch Update

  3. Drop off/Pick up routines reminder

  4. Upcoming Events

Opening Civics Expedition

We have started our civics expedition, in which we are learning about the concept of civil society! High School students do earn civics credit for the completion of the expedition. 

This was chosen because our Mission Statement guides us to create norms and experiences that, "...prepare our students to... transition to higher education, employment AND engaged citizenship."

Within the expeditionary learning unit, there are also home connection learning assignments. Here are the assignments for this week. The question will be directly connected to the day's topics, so asking the next question may not make sense for your student. 

Here they are so that you can help remind your student what they should be asking you about this week: 

Homework for Tuesday 09/05 (it’s okay if they forgot, but feel free to check in with them about it tonight!):

Homework for Wednesday 09/06:

Homework for Thursday 09/07:

On Friday 09/08, students have the opportunity to sign the school's social contract that they have worked together to build over this week, formalizing their agreement to the contract. They will connect their civics knowledge around the tools of civil society–participation, written rules, and norms–to their role in the Arcadia community, reinforcing the idea that these tools are important for both a democracy and a healthy school community.

Lunch Update

We are continuing to gather information about what we are, and are not, able to do with the facilities that we have. Yesterday, we had a State inspector come and help us determine what we would need to update our facilities, and allow us to offer a simple lunch (sandwiches, and possibly soup) to students. For now, we are able to distribute dry, pre-packaged, shelf stable, room temperature items. We do have cereal donated from Post and granola bars that can help out in a pinch if a child is hungry. Not entirely lunchworthy, but we are trying to put together some options. We will be putting together a menu (of sorts) and sending out a sign-up form for families. 

In the meantime, please continue to send a lunch with your child! 

Transportation Reminder (Drop off/Pick up)

Please drop students off between 7:50am-8:02am! (8:50am-9:00am on Wednesdays!) We often have meetings in the morning, so we do not have supervision available until 7:50am/8:50am. 

At the end of the day, please pick your child up between 2:42pm-2:50pm. We also tend to have meetings right after school.

Remember to use the loading and unloading zone at the end of the sidewalk–NOT the crosswalk in front of the awning–when you are dropping your child off or picking your child up.

Please wait patiently and do not pass other vehicles to exit the drive unless guided by a staff member. This is for the safety of all of our students and families.

If you do need to pick your child up early to avoid the line at the end of the day (for an appointment or something similar), just let us know ahead of time. We can figure it out together! 

 

Upcoming Events

Sept. 5-8: Opening Expedition

Sept. 7: Safety Drills (“Safety Drills” includes instruction in how we do fire drills, severe weather drills, and a discussion of what to do in various scenarios to stay as safe as possible if there is a threat outside or inside the building. Annually, we are required to do five fire drills, at least one severe weather drill, and five discussions about building safety.)

Sept. 11 and 12: Shortened class schedule (morning), MAP testing (afternoon)

Sept. 14: Bus Safety (all MS students)

Sept. 14, 4:00pm-5:00pm: Finance Committee (online meeting: https://meet.google.com/vsb-nrqc-zuj)

Sept. 19, 6:30-8:30pm: Arcadia School Board Meeting, in person at Arcadia, or view online: https://meet.google.com/hyf-amke-zsx

Sept. 22: Safety Drills (morning)

 

Sincerely,