The 3 "C's" to a Successful School!

Where has the first month of school gone? As we continue on the path towards another successful, enriching and rewarding school year I believe we need to maintain our focus on the 3 ‘C’s’: Communication, Curriculum, and Community.

Open and honest communication is a vital ingredient in nurturing the environment which encourages all students to strive to be the best they can be. Throughout the school year on the first Wednesday of each month, the Kerby Cougar Newsletter is sent home (electronically or with the ‘youngest only’). Kerby staff send home classroom newsletters and also have Web pages that help maintain the link between home and school. Our school Web page continues to be updated; two new additions are the district’s revised Code of Conduct and our Annual Report (PA 25). Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the information.

There is quite a buzz around the newly adopted math program, Everday Mathematics and the new Social Studies curriculum. We will continue to focus on writing as a school and the integration of concepts that allow students the opportunity to take ownership of the material and apply lessons learned as they develop a solid academic foundation.

The Kerby community of students, staff and parents is second to none with their commitment to academic excellence. We are fortunate to have a dedicated and talented professional staff working with our students. Each day students are encouraged and challenged as they gain new insights and skills that will be used throughout their academic careers. In order to provide these engaging academic experiences we are also fortunate to have the unconditional support of our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). All families at Kerby who volunteer their time and talents, donate materials, attend PTO and/or school events or participate in fundraisers are key players in this organization.

As we’ve all heard before: “It takes a village to raise a child,” so allow me to say THANK YOU for being part of the Kerby Village as we partner in the education and development of 344 children!!

Smiles All Around!!

Wow! What a great start to the school year! It was so exciting to see all of our students with a gleam in their eye and a skip in their step as they came back to school today. As I visited classrooms and talked with students and staff, I realized once again that they are the ones who truly make Kerby come alive! I am looking forward to a year filled with exciting new challenges and am eager to partner with students, staff, and each of you as we strive for the excellence in education we all value.

I’d like to thank Mrs. Marino and Mrs. Lightbody who worked extremely hard to assemble and distribute the beginning of the year materials. They were instrumental in this process and it couldn’t have been done without them. They have also been working extremely hard updating and inputting all of the new student information on file. Please remember to update phone numbers and/or emergency contact information as needed throughout the year. Mr. Dillon, Mr. Bartoszewicz, and Mr. Meier also worked hard to make sure that the building was ready for “opening day,” and in my opinion they did a fantastic job!

As we are settling into the routines of the school year, I’d like to remind everyone of the drop off/pick up procedures:

• Do NOT double park at any time when dropping off or picking up your child.
  · Please do not enter the parking lot to drop off or pick up your child.
  · Parking on Beaupre is for Kindergarten parents with a blue parking pass only when dropping off or picking up a kindergartner.
  · There is no parking in the Kerby cut area. Please do not leave your car, and continue to pull forward to help the traffic flow smoothly as you are dropping off or picking up your child.
  · In an effort to decrease congestion in the halls, we are also asking that parents and older siblings do not drop off or pick up the children at the classroom doors. Please wait outside or in the entrance ways during inclement weather.
  
  I’d like to thank everyone for their cooperation in making safety-first decisions. I am confident that as we all work together we can ensure the safety and well being of everyone in the Kerby community.
  
  Since we are still gathering email addresses from parents who would like to receive the link for the newsletter electronically, the youngest child in the family will be receiving our first edition in hard copy format. If you haven’t done so, please return the form indicating how you’d like to receive the newsletter each month. In an effort to help cut copy costs, we would like to send newsletters out to as many families as possible via email. It would also be helpful if you notify us if your email changes during the year.