Assumption Life Volume 4/Issue 12

Dear Families and Friends,

'Tis the season of field trips! Many of our teachers are preparing or have attended field trips where our students explore the world beyond the Assumption School walls. We are proud of offer opportunities for students to explore the world including pumpkin patches, area Catholic high schools, museums, zoos, and libraries. We can’t do this without the support of our great PTG! PTG has dedicated almost $20 per student for the year to go toward field trip expenses allowing all teachers the opportunity to plan field trips at a lower cost. We are also grateful to the parent chaperones and drivers who take time out of their busy schedules to supervise students on these field trips.

A few highlights about chaperones and volunteering on field trips: 

• Chaperoning field trips count toward parent hours. 
• Volunteer requirements need to be met to chaperone.
• Anytime you chaperone on a field trip, please follow the teacher's expectations and supervise your assigned students fairly.  Students must be supervised at all times. 
• Teachers try to schedule buses for transportation, but those costs are increasing. Some companies charge upwards of $1,000 for a full-day rental. We are grateful for our partnership with Bishop O’Dowd who have provided buses when available to us at a lower cost. 
• Thank you to those parents who have driven on field trips. Cars need to have TWO adults per vehicle to adhere to Diocesan Safe Environment protocols. Drivers MUST adhere to all safe driving practices and must not take any side trips. Cars must have specific insurance requirements on file with the school office to transport students on school trips. 

If your class hasn’t yet planned a field trip, don’t worry. With locations beginning to open their doors to schools again, those opportunities will be explored much more this year than in the last three years. 

Daily and on-time school attendance is an important part of making sure students feel successful and ready to learn in the classroom. We have a delicate balance of keeping students safe and healthy as well as making sure students have consistent learning expectations. We are encouraging parents and students to create home habits and planning to prevent tardiness and absences. Please plan family trips around our school calendar. Thank you for your partnership. 

Speaking of absences and the health and safety of students, THANK YOU to families who are working with teachers to keep sick students home. We are happy to work with families to support students to feel better by staying home and get back to learning as soon as possible if it means they are not spreading germs when sick. Health officials are sharing that this year’s flu and COVID season should be significant, so we have asked some classrooms with multiple student absences to return to masking inside the classroom. Please be sure to pack your student with a mask to wear inside to keep our community healthy. 

Have a wonderful and safe Halloween weekend. A reminder that we will have Halloween events on Monday but students will have a holiday for a teacher in-service day on November 1. School will be back in session on November 2, the Feast of All Souls, with a Mass led by our 8th graders in the morning. We are closing in on the end of the first trimester and will be preparing for our second STAR Standardized Testing window in November. 

Exciting and wonderful times! 

Sincerely, 

Lana Rocheford

Principal

Halloween Is HERE!

Halloween is coming up and Assumption School plans to celebrate with our students on Monday, October 31. October 31 is a minimum day with a noon dismissal and November 1 is a Teacher In-Service NO SCHOOL. Room parents will contact parents about how to support the class parties. 

• 8:00 a.m. Arrival: Students can wear costumes to school. 
• 8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.: Outdoor parade. Parents are welcome for this in-person event.
• 9 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Student in-class learning, recess, and activities. SLT provides Costume Contest winners with Free Dress passes. 
• 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.: Class parties (lunch and treats coordinated by Room Parent)

IMPORTANT: 11:45 - 12:00 Carline parents and adults will be allowed to park, walk to classrooms, and pick up students.