[Mjhsteam] Bi-Weekly Principal's Letter

[Kleinert, Dale]

11/26/06
 
Dear Parents, 
    Now that winter is here and the snow is falling, our students always
begin to think about "Snow Days".   In reality,  snow days are few and
far between, but adverse conditions may cause our schools to be closed.
Closure announcements are usually made shortly after 6:30 a.m.  Past
closures have been caused by heavy snowfall, high winds, and extreme
cold.  It would be wise to tune your radio or TV to one of the stations
listed on Page 2 of the Student Handbook  in your child's Agenda, before
coming to school on days when the weather is extreme, or extraordinary
events are occurring.
 
    This week, our 7th and 9th grade students will be taking the Direct
Writing Assessment, and our 8th grade students will take the Direct Math
Assessments.  These tests will be administered on Tuesday and Wednesday.
As always, it is very beneficial to help your child get enough rest and
have a good breakfast to do as well as possible on these tests.
 
    Our MJHS Parent Support Team has just finished producing the "first
ever" Moscow Junior High School Student/Parent Directory.  The directory
is the direct result of a whole bunch of parents working together to
keep communication channels open.  The Directory is available to all
MJHS students and their families, and I hope you are able to use the
directory on a regular basis.  I would like to thank the MJHS Parent
Support Team for their effort.  
 
   As you know, MJHS does not give out personal information without
permission.  Parents and guardians of the students listed in this
directory chose to have the information included by filling out a
directory information form at the beginning of the school year.  If a
form was not filled out and returned to the school, that student was not
included in the directory.  The directory is now on sale in the MJHS
office for $1.00. 
 

   Along with the directory, I would like to share some advice from my
29 years of experiences as an educator and administrator.  Some of this
advice is just plain old common sense, and some of the advice comes from
years of sometimes very painful experiences with thousands of students
and parents. 

*	Know where your son/daughter is at all times.
*	Know the first and last name of the friends that your
son/daughter is with.
*	If your son/daughter is visiting another home, talk to the
parent about their house rules and curfews before your child visits, and
make sure that the parent is going to be home while your child is there.

*	Don't let your son/daughter visit homes that just "don't feel
right."
*	Entertain your son/daughter's friends at your home after
communicating with the friends' parents.
*	If you have a sleepover at your home, keep a close eye and ear
to activities that occur during the night.  I know you trust your
children, but parents have contacted us to inform us that the student
guests in their home decided to sneak out when the adults were asleep.
The results were never positive.
*	Never have a sleep-over at your home without talking to and
obtaining multiple contacts for the parents of the friends that you are
responsible for.
*	If other children are visiting your home, put the alcohol and
prescription drugs away. The temptation for some individuals is just not
worth the mistakes that can be made.
*	When it comes to riding in other people's cars, you can't be too
strict.  Your son/daughter's life is way too important to place in an
automobile with inexperienced or unsafe drivers.
*	Have a curfew.  I am concerned when I see junior high kids
wandering around town at 10:00 or later on a school night. 
*	If your son/daughter asks to spend time with friends but doesn't
give you the information that you need, continue to press for more
information, or deny the request.
*	Pay attention to smells, actions, and activities that look out
of place.  
*	Know email addresses and "My Space" addresses of friends, and
have access to any electronic accounts that your son/daughter may have.
*	If your son/daughter begins receiving gifts that seem overly
extravagant, ask questions.  Most kids don't have any more money than
your kids have, and when unusually expensive items begin showing up,
something may be fishy. 

   This list has taken years to compile and it is by no means complete.
There are also many parenting sites on the web, and I hope that you
spend time researching and reviewing as much additional information as
you need.  

 

   The holiday season is upon us.  Many junior high school students will
be receiving small electronic gifts such as Ipods and cell phones this
year.  Please mark any small expensive gadgets in a way that they can be
identified.  We recommend that students not bring small electronic
devices to school, and if they do, they must keep them secure.  Last
year, Mr. Hill spent way too much time trying to find items that turned
up missing during the school day,  and students should be focusing on
academic issues while at school instead of looking for a lost electronic
item.  Cell phones may not be in the "on" position during the school
day, and they will be confiscated if seen by an adult.  We also
recommend that students not have cell phones with cameras and text
messaging services.  If you have a question about any of this, please
give me a call.

 

I've listed our major calendar of events until the holiday break, and
encourage you to contact us soon if your holiday plans involve absence
from school.  As always, please contact any of us if need further
information, or have any questions.

 

Sincerely, 

 

Dale Kleinert, Principal

Moscow Junior High School

 

N        NOV. 28           8TH  GRADE DIRECT MATH ASSESSMENT

           NOV. 29           7TH AND 9TH GRADE DIRECT WRITING ASSESSMENT

           DEC.   8            CHOIR HOLIDAY CONCERT  -  8:00PM @UI
KIBBIE DOME.

              DEC.  11-15           STUDENT COUNCIL TOYS FOR TOTS
ALL-SCHOOL COLLECTION

          DEC. 13            WINTER ORCHESTRA CONCERT - 7:00PM @ M.P.R.

              DEC. 25-JAN.5       NO SCHOOL - HOLIDAY BREAK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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