1109 Copley Ave.          WaldorfMaryland  20602
Phone: 301-645-3338 or 301-753-1749   Fax: 301-645-0931

 

 

September, 2006

Welcome Back!!!

I hope this first edition of the “Middleton Messenger” for the 2006-2007 school year finds your family in good health and ready to begin what is going to be a fantastic year. This newsletter will contain general school information from the school office and will be sent to you once a month. Each teacher and/or grade level will also be sending you information specific to that grade level. All information will be available on our website, www.ccboe.com/middleton.

There are many opportunities for you to make that difference in your child’s education. In addition to the daily responsibilities of assisting with homework and checking your child’s work, there are numerous other ways that you can be involved. Our Open House is this Wednesday, September 6 at 6:30 PM. Parent Conference Day is November 7. Please communicate with your child’s teacher through the Agenda Book (Grades 2-5), using email (if that is the teacher’s choice) or by calling the school. Volunteer your time, either during the day if you can, or by helping out with special events. Volunteers do make a tremendous difference, and your child will appreciate that you are helping out in the school.

                        Greg Miller

Principal

 


New Staff Members Join Our Family

 

One of the more exciting parts of my summer was to interview and hire people to become part of the Arthur Middleton Elementary School family. We have added some outstanding talent to our staff.  First of all, I hope that you are meeting and getting to know our new vice-principal, Mrs. Tara Moore. Mrs. Moore comes to our school with knowledge and experience as a reading specialist and in administration. Sarah Elliott is our new kindergartner teacher. Nina Capuano and Lisa McCormick join our first grade team. Kelly Tojek is our new third grade teacher. Cheryl Henderson joins us as a special education teacher. These are great additions to our already stellar group of teachers. I hope that when you will have a chance to meet these new people that you will share my enthusiasm in their potential positive impact on our school program.


Volunteer Breakfast

            We will be hosting a breakfast on Friday, September 22, at 8:30 AM for those parents, grandparents, and guardians who would like to volunteer in the school this year. You will learn about different opportunities to help our school. Your children will be invited to eat breakfast with you before they go to class. We made the breakfast early enough in the morning so that many of you might be able to attend before heading off to work. Hope to see you there!!!!


Grandparents/VIP Day

In addition to Open House on September 6, we are also having a Grandparents/VIP Day on Monday, September 11, from 9:30-11:00 (AM Pre-K, Grades 3, 4,  and 5 only), and from 1:30-3:00 (PM Pre-K, Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2 only). Grandparents or other Very Important People (VIP) in your child’s life can visit the school and sit in on your child’s classroom. There will also be an opportunity for the grandparents/VIP’s to have their picture taken with your child. Pictures will be in by Thanksgiving, making this a wonderful gift to give. We hope to see you there.

 


School System Assists with Beginning of Year Supplies

            Again this year, Mr. Richmond, Superintendent, and the Charles County Board of Education again provided supplies such as tissues, wipes, sealed baggies, crayons, colored pencils, and paper towels. The system funding of these basic supplies is another way in which the superintendent and the Board of Education is responding to needs in the schools. We would like to thank both Mr. Richmond and the Board of Education on this initiative.

 


A Word or two on Safety!

Safety continues to be a priority for the staff and students at Arthur Middleton.  I would like to thank everyone who is following our guidelines for arrival and dismissal procedures. 

Please continue to be mindful of the students while driving around the school.  Please obey the speed limit and yield to the pedestrians in the crosswalks.

 

Additional safety guidelines include:

v     Always sign in when visiting us.  Wear your visitor's badge where it is visible to everyone. There is a computer sign out system in the front office this year that prints out a badge for you.

v     Remember to sign out when you leave.

v     Students must be signed out when they leave before dismissal.  Only persons designated on the emergency card can sign students out.  A note from the parent will suffice if we can verify signatures.

v     Please update the information on your child's emergency card as needed. (ex.-new phone numbers, new address, change of persons designated to pick up students)

 


Middleton a “PBIS School

 

With this new school year, we are implementing a new policy.  It is called PBIS.  This stands for Positive Behavior Incentive and Services.  With this new policy comes a lot of positive reinforcements.  This policy will give the students at all times a chance for redemption to correct negative behavior.

Instead we will be using clips.  There will be four colors that the children can be on during the day.  The colors are blue, green, yellow, and red.  Throughout the day the children will be moving their clips according to their behavior.  This movement could be the result of chronic mild behavior such as calling out, getting up out of his/her seat, talking back to an adult, leaning back on chairs, not doing his/her homework, not completing class work, and not paying attention.  Depending on the severity of the behavior will depend on the color he/she moves to.  During the course of the day, your child will have the opportunity to redeem him/herself by correcting his/her behavior.  He/she could have moved the clip to yellow, but he/she might have changed the behavior and was able to go back to green.  They can only move up the chart one time, but can move down as many times as necessary.  In your child’s agenda each day will be the color they were on that day.


Fundraising Opportunities

 

                                                 We hope that you can contribute to our fundraising efforts this year. We will have a one-time major fundraising starting September 14. Students have the catalog from Cherrydale Farms, a leader in school fundraising in the country. 40 percent of the total amount goes back to help with assemblies, student incentives, supplies for volunteer work, parent night activities, etc. There is also a way to purchase items through Cherrydale Farms via the Internet, while helping Middleton Elementary at the same time.


New and Improved Website

 

Please take the time to check out our website, www.ccboe.com/middleton. Thanks to Karen Ferruzza, our outstanding media specialist, for maintaining our website. There are links to computer based activities that are age appropriate that your child can do at home. In addition, you will find the monthly newsletter, important school and county-wide school events, and links to staff email. We hope that you will find the website useful. Please let us know if there are other ways in which we can improve the website.         



 

 

 

 

Previous Newsletters

May 2006

April 2006

February 2006

January 2006

December 2005

November 2005

October 2005


September 2005

Archived Newsletters 

 

 

 

 

 

Site created and maintained by a Proud Parent of a former Middleton Student
Site Updated July 27, 2005