Hello everyone,
This message is going to all Catharine Blaine K-8 families. It’s hard to believe we’ve just finished our 6th week of school! The excitement and uncertainty of the early days of school have worn off, and we’re now settled into regular routines. Our enrollment continues to grow as more families choose Catharine Blaine for their children! This message has a few updates and reminders for all families.
Curriculum Nights – thank you to everyone who attended our middle school and elementary curriculum nights, and to our teachers and staff for putting in the long hours to share class information and to showcase what students are learning about. Here are links to the presentations I gave:
Morning Arrival – please do your best to have your child on the playground by 8:50 in the morning so we can start school on time at 8:55. Students should only enter through the office if they arrive after 8:55.
Conferences – We have three full days dedicated to family conferences - November 21, 23, and 24. Elementary families signed up at Curriculum Night last night. If you were not able to attend, your child’s teacher will send information about sign-ups in their regular updates. Middle School families will receive a separate message about our conference schedule later this month.
Halloween and Costumes – Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, but that doesn’t mean we won’t still have some fun at school. The PTA hosts Trunk or Treat on the playground on November 29, starting at 5:15pm. That’s followed by a middle school choir concert at 6:30. On November 30, students may wear costumes to school. We follow the district dress code and include this additional guidance:
Costumes should not marginalize or make fun of another person’s culture or identity – Here’s a link for a series of videos on PBS.org about the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. This is worth talking about with your children.
Costumes shouldn’t have blood or gore.
Costumes can’t include any weapons.
We need to be able to identify students, so no masks please.
I also suggest students not have costumes that are too bulky or impractical to participate in all school activities during the day. Your child’s classroom teacher will provide any information about plans for in-class celebrations.
Our middle school students have a Halloween dance on November 30, starting at 6:30pm. Costumes are encouraged and since it’s just for middle school, costumes can be a little scarier than they would be during the school day. Kids should ask me ahead of time if they’re not sure their costume will be okay.
Rainy Day Mornings – If it’s raining hard in the morning, we open our doors early at 8:40. Middle school students will go to the cafeteria while elementary students go to their classrooms or to the cafeteria rather than line up on the playground.
Earthquake Drill – Like most schools in Washington, Catharine Blaine K-8 will participate in the Great Washington Shake Out on October 15 with a schoolwide earthquake drill at 10:15. This annual emergency preparedness drill is a great time for families to go over their own preparation plans and to talk with children about what to do if they’re at home during an emergency. Do you know where your gas and water shutoffs are located? Resources can be found in the link above.
Thank you for reading all of this and for sending your children to Catharine Blaine K-8.
Go TIGERS!
Patrick Gray, Principal
