Welcome Back Letter

Dear Marshall Lane Students and Families,

Welcome to Marshall Lane for the 2015-2016 school year! All of us are busy preparing for your arrival. We are looking forward to having you join us for the first day of school for this year on Wednesday, August 19th at 8:17 a.m.  Below are some helpful tips to assist you in preparing for the new school year.

Marshall Lane School Bell Schedule:

Monday through Friday: 

• 8:17 a.m.:  Warning Bell (Classroom Doors Open)
• 8:20 a.m.:  Final Bell and Instruction Begins (K‐5)

Dismissal (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday): 

• 2:35 p.m.: Students Dismissed (K-3)
• 2:40 p.m.: Students Dismissed (4-5)

Dismissal (Every Wednesday):

• 1:35 p.m.: All Students Dismissed (K‐5)

When available, volunteer parent parking attendants will assist parents and students who use the drop-off areas.  Pick–up and drop-off times are the busiest times at school.  We ask that you support our efforts by adhering to safety guidelines.  Your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to us.  Please do not let your child enter or exit your car where there is moving traffic. Students must be dropped off at the fenced-in area in front of the school in the lower parking lot or along the inside blue fence adjacent to the blacktop in the upper parking lot.  For their safety, students must enter and exit their cars on the passenger side to avoid opening doors and stepping out into traffic.  We are seeking volunteers to help in our parking lots during drop off and pick up.  Come by the office and let us know if you can assist during these times.

If you plan to escort your child to class, please park in one of the designated open parking spaces so that traffic flows for parents who are dropping off their children.  We suggest that if you are parking, be sure to make plans to come early to get a parking space in the school lot or park in the surrounding neighborhood in places where street parking is allowed. Do not block driveways or park in areas where it is not allowed. There are designated staff parking spots, so please be kind and do not park in the staff parking out of respect for our dedicated staff. All children and adults need to use the crosswalk at all times when entering or exiting the school grounds for their safety. Walking your child to class is a wonderful opportunity to connect with your child as they prepare for the day and meet other parents and their children.

No supervision is provided prior to the start of school or after school, so please time your child’s arrival accordingly so they are not on campus before 8:10 a.m. or after 2:50 p.m. Students are not allowed to play on the playground before the start of school for safety reasons.  It is expected that students will leave school at dismissal time. Please discuss and arrange with your child the location where they should plan on meeting you at the end of each day.

Safety is always our first concern and we remind all parents and visitors that during our school hours of 8:20 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. anyone entering the campus must enter and exit through the school office and are required to sign in and sign out. This is for the protection of all of our children throughout the school day. If you are unable to drop your child off or pick them up at the appropriate times, please note that Marshall Lane has an excellent before and after school fee-based child care center on our campus.  For more information about this option, call (408) 341-7000 Extension 6378 and ask about the Campbell Care program at Marshall Lane.

Class Assignments:

Our enrollment changes throughout the summer time with families moving in and out of the area. We will continue to make necessary adjustments to our classes before posting the class lists on Tuesday, August 18th at 5:00 p.m.  The class assignment lists will be posted near the main office in the breezeway.  To determine your child’s teacher, you will need your child’s Power School student ID number. This number can be found on the neon label at the top of the front page of this letter.  Bring your child’s ID number in order to locate your child on the class list, as we no longer post students by name for safety reasons.

It is possible that further class changes might need to be made after school begins to balance class enrollment. We will do our best to keep any changes to a minimum, but student enrollment can vary. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

Two-Way Communication:

Two-way communication between home and school is vital to support your child’s education and development.  Parents and guardians are encouraged to talk with the teacher about their child.  Please set up a time with your child’s teacher to hold such discussions.  The transition periods when students are entering the classroom or leaving at the end of the day are not the best times to hold in-depth discussions. All teachers want to give you their undivided attention during these conversations, so making an appointment is encouraged.  If you are unable to meet in person with your child’s teacher, you can also correspond via email or telephone.  Access to teachers’ classroom telephone numbers and staff emails are available at www.mlane.campbellusd.org  If you do use the phone to make contact with your child’s teacher, please call before or after school since they are busy teaching during the day.

You will receive weekly information about Marshall Lane through your child’s Thursday envelope.  We also send information online.  It is strongly suggested that you sign up to receive the Marshall Lane Memo newsletter online.  Directions will be sent home in the first newsletter, which will be printed and will arrive in your child’s envelope.  After that, the Marshall Lane Memo will only be available online unless you let your child’s teacher know if you do not have computer access.  To receive the Marshall Lane Memo online, make sure to sign up right away to be informed about everything that is happening here at school. 

In your child’s first Thursday envelope, you will receive information to sign up for the school newsletter, upcoming dates, our school handbook, and other important information.  Please take time to read the items in the weekly communication folder since they are a great way to learn about activities and information from Marshall Lane.

Lunch:

Lunch is offered in the cafeteria each day.  Students have a school identification card that serves as a debit card for lunch. If students would like to purchase lunch, the children and/or parents need to bring lunch money into the office at the beginning of school in the morning. Place the money in an envelope with your child’s name and amount enclosed. School lunches cost $3.25 per day. Prepayments are welcome on your child’s account for the week or month. Milk is also available for students who bring their own lunch at a cost of $.50. An application for free or reduced lunch will be sent home in the first Thursday envelope.  If you believe that you qualify for this program, please complete this form and return it promptly to us in order to receive approval in a timely manner.  If you have questions about the Marshall Lane lunch program you may contact the district Food Services department at (408) 341-7210.

Marshall Lane School Website:

For up-to-date information about our school, please check out our new Marshall Lane website at http://mlane.campbellusd.org On the website, you will find important information about upcoming school events. Supply lists for the school year are also posted. These are not required.  If you would like to donate supplies to your child’s classroom, please check out the listed items by grade level. 

Volunteer Opportunities:

There are numerous opportunities to get involved at Marshall Lane. We have many ways for you to volunteer to support the students here.  At our Back to School Nights on Wednesday, August 26th for Kindergarten and on Wednesday, September 2nd for 1st to 5th grades, you will find out how to get involved.  Also, if you are unable to volunteer during the school day, there are ways you can participate without being physically on campus. Your child’s teacher will be asking for classroom volunteers to help with a variety of tasks including stuffing the weekly Thursday envelope, assisting in the library and computer lab, serving on committees, and preparing instructional materials at home. If you are interested in volunteering for yard duty, please come to Marshall Lane during the lunch time hours of 11:35 and 1:00 and let the office know you are on campus to help out. We are always looking for adults to help supervise the students during lunchtime. Even if you have only one day a week available, it would have a huge impact on many students.  Some paid noon aide opportunities may also be available.  If you are interested in finding out more information about this, please ask in the office.

Marshall Lane Parent Teacher Association (PTA):

You are invited and encouraged to join our Marshall Lane Parent Teacher Association. Involvement in your child’s school life provides him/her with a solid sense of the value of education. The PTA contributes greatly to our program and is vital to every child at Marshall Lane.  I urge you to take an active role in the PTA as it provides an important partnership between your home and our school. See the enclosed PTA newsletter for more information about how you can volunteer as well as join and contribute to the Marshall Lane Education Fund (MLEF). You can also check out the Marshall Lane PTA website and find out about all of the exciting upcoming activities and events that are sponsored by our PTA at http://www.marshalllanepta.org/marshall/index.jsp

After School Activities

We are excited to announce that the after school activities for the entire school year will be organized by CUSD’s Extensions Department.  Offerings will be available that align with the district “STREAM Initiative” which stands for Science, Technology, Recreation, Engineering, Art, and Math.  Classes in each of these categories will be offered at some point during the year and we will maintain some of the most popular classes from the past such as Chess, Lego Robotics, and the Mustang Chorale choir. Look for the After School Activities flyer included in this mailer.

Upcoming Marshall Lane Events (Mark Your Calendar):

• First Day of School Social from 8:30-10 a.m.:Drop off your child at their classroom and come join us for refreshments.  This event is sponsored by our fantastic Marshall Lane PTA. It is a wonderful social event to allow parents time to make new acquaintances and to reconnect with Marshall Lane community members.  We hope to see you there!
• Marshall Lane School Picnic:It is important at Marshall Lane to come together as a community to socialize, meet new friends, and become reacquainted with old friends. Our school picnic will take place on Friday, August 21st   from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. It is an event where you bring your dinner, a picnic blanket, and/or lawn chairs, and meet on the grass in the upper playground to socialize with community members. This is our first family social of the year.
• Principal Chat:On the first Friday of every month from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m., a parent get-together with the principal is held in the staff lounge. During these social events, information about all of the wonderful activities and events that are happening at Marshall Lane is shared. It also provides parents and guardians with an opportunity to ask questions, to learn information, and to socialize with each other. Our first Principal Chat for this year will be held on Friday, September 4th at 8:30 a.m.
• Back to School Night:There will be both a Kindergarten Back to School Night and a 1st to 5th grade Back to School Night.
• Kindergarten Parent Orientation:  Monday, August 17th at 4:30 p.m.

TK/Kindergarten Back to School Night:  Wednesday, August 26th at 6:00 p.m. 

1st to 5th Grade Back to School Night:  Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:00 p.m.     Grade levels will be split to help families with multiple children be able to attend more than one session.   Here is the schedule:                                             

General Meeting on the lawn outside of rooms 10 to 12—6:00 to 6:20 p.m.                     

4th and 5th grade classes meet in their child’s classroom—6:25 to 6:55 p.m.                                      1st to 3rd grades meet in their child’s classroom—7:00 to 7:30 p.m. 

Back to School Night is a wonderful opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher, learn about the grade level curriculum, hear about Marshall Lane events, and find out what to expect for the upcoming year (see the Marshall Lane Memo for more details in the future).

How to Prepare for the First Day of School:

Help prepare your child for the school year by ensuring they are mentally and physically ready for school ahead of time since it is very important for students to be at school every day on time. Setting up a routine from the beginning will help your child and the family out in the long run. Some ideas may include having your child prepare their clothes, shoes, and backpack on nights before school days to simplify your morning routine. Choose whether they will have hot lunch or cold lunch the evening before. Developing a family process will help instill individual responsibility and time management skills early on for your child.

Marshall Lane is a highly committed community that works collaboratively to support all of our children on the road of inquiry and learning.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and our staff looks forward to seeing you on Wednesday, August 19th  at 8:17 a.m. for the first day of school.

Regards,

Priscilla Spencer, Principal