Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Hardy Murphy says it’s time for parents to start resetting their children’s schedule to prepare for the return to school Aug. 31.
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Hardy Murphy says it’s time for parents to start resetting their children’s schedule to prepare for the return to school Aug. 31.
Murphy offers several suggestions in a letter to parents:
Dear District 65 Families,
With the start of the 2009-10 school year just weeks away, the district is buzzing with activity. Our central office administration, principals, teachers, and building and grounds staff have been working hard all summer long with the opening of schools in mind. Fresh classrooms, new textbooks, and advanced technology await your child, and teachers and principals wait eagerly to share in the excitement of the first day of school.
The transition from a leisurely summer can be challenging for some. It is important to begin making the necessary changes well before the start of school on August 31st. Setting limits on bedtimes and setting the alarm a bit earlier each day will make it easier for children to adjust to a more structured school day. Securing all necessary school supplies and appropriate clothing in advance can ease some of the stress associated with the first days of school. Children prosper when they feel that their needs are fulfilled and planning in advance gives them a sense of calmness in an exciting yet anxious time.
If you have not done so, it is very important to register your child for school prior to the first day of classes. This ensures appropriate classroom placement on the first day of school. If you need school supply lists, please contact your child’s school, or visit the District 65 homepage at www.district65.net. For those families that are provided bus service, please look for a letter from the transportation department identifying pick-up and drop off times, locations, and bus numbers. (All preschool and kindergarten students are encouraged to memorize their telephone number and home address.)
Information about our new student information system will be sent home shortly. A key feature of the system is a parent portal for convenient home / school connection through e-mail, and secure online access to student grades.
I am very excited that the new school year is about to begin. My vision and expectation is that each student will grow and perform to the highest of his or her ability intellectually, socially, and emotionally, and that you will help us provide for your child the very best educational experience possible. By working together, all of us in the District 65 community can successfully prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s world.
Sincerely,
Hardy Murphy, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Set the clock earlier — huh?
The Superintendent is encouraging parents to set their children’s alarm clocks a little earlier each day before school starts.
What? This school year, all elementary schools (except for the two magnet schools) will, for the first time, begin their days at 9:05 a.m. This is a significant change. Some schools just two years ago began at 8:20 a.m.
It’s ridiculous to have children under the age of 12 begin school at this leisurely hour. But it’s even more ridiculous for the Superintendent to suggest that children are getting out of bed in the summer well after 8 a.m.
By 8 a.m., my children have already been up for at least an hour. Hello…it’s light outside and they are ready to go early. What young child sleeps past 8 a.m.? I don’t know any.
I guess that the fact that the vast majority of young children are awake at an early hour in the morning escaped the Superintendent when he selected the late start time of 9:05 a.m. This time was selected for the convenience of adults, rather than the best learning environment for young children.
Return the school start time to 8:20 a.m. then, Mr. Superintendent, you can feel free to lecture on how parents can get their children out of bed earlier.
Maybe I’d be more likely to
Maybe I’d be more likely to be as excited as The Super here if I knew who my kid’s teacher was. T-Minus six days and counting, and I still have no idea. Oakton Elementary isn’t spilling the beans, either. We’ve been told to wait for some All-Hailed Letter in the Snail Mail, which was supposed to have been mailed on the 20th but apparently was just getting printed on the 24th.