Happy New Year!

Well, it seems that we were just gearing up for the Christmas Holidays and here we are ready to come back.  I hope that the holidays have been restful and rejuvenating for all of our families and staff.  I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that the new year brings as we work together to create a great school community.

Our first change for the new year is a slight adjustment to our lunch hour routines.  We are going to do a test-run of having students play first and then eat their lunches.  Many schools have gone to this option for a number of reasons; first of all it allows students to burn off some of their morning energy and build up their appetites.  Secondly, we see many students anxious to get outside to play and therefore, many lunches go in the garbage, despite our best efforts.  Thirdly, students will already be in class, ready to begin the afternoon session rather than slowly making their way in to the school.  We will be encouraging students to take a snack with them if they are hungry at noon, and similarly if some students require a bit more time to finish their lunch they will be able to do that as the afternoon session begins (usually with silent reading).  We will be seeking feedback from staff, students, and parents towards the end of January to see how things are going.