Welcome Back Newsletter
July 29, 2024
Dear Parents/Guardians,
It is with pleasure that we welcome the students and families of the McCollam Elementary School community to the 2024-2025 school year. Our staff is committed to ensuring an outstanding learning experience for all our students as we support their development as scholars and citizens. We are dedicated to the success of each student.
We look forward to continuing our goal of providing a 21st Century learning environment for our students. As we continue to ensure academic proficiency in our students, we will be developing the following key skills in our students: effective communication both orally and in written form; being innovative and creative; the ability to critically-think; apply knowledge and skills to real-world settings; and, work collaboratively with others. Your support and cooperation, along with our best professional efforts, will support this goal.
As we work together during the year, I encourage you to let me know how you and your child/children are experiencing school. Through open communication, teamwork and a dedication to continuous improvement, we promise this to be a rewarding and enjoyable school year for the children.
Upcoming Events:
Please take note of the following upcoming events:
Friday, August 9: Class lists will be posted on Parent Square after 4:00p.m.
Tuesday, August 13: First Day of School.
Friday, August 16: We have Spirit Day every Friday. Students and staff are encouraged to wear their McCollam School T- shirt. T- shirts will be available for sale (a flyer will be coming home shortly with more information).
Monday, September 2: Labor Day (No School)
Instructional Hours:
TK Daily Schedule:
8:00am – 11:20am
Kindergarten Daily Schedule:
9:20am – 12:40pm
Grades 1-3 8:00a.m. - 2:05p.m. (Mon. Tues. Wed. & Fri.)
8:00a.m. - 12:50p.m. (Thursdays Only)
Grades 4-5 8:00a.m. - 2:25p.m. (Mon. Tues. Wed. & Fri.)
8:00a.m. - 1:10p.m. (Thursdays Only)
Early Dismissal Days:
Please remember that every Thursday is a minimum day for First – Fifth grade. For the safety of your child, you must pick them up on time. Teachers and administration personnel will be attending meetings and adult supervision will cease after 15 minutes from the early dismissal time.
Parent Involvement:
If you are interested in participating on our School Site Council (SSC) or English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC), please stop by the Office and let us know. These committees are instrumental in developing our school improvement plan and advising the school on various ways to better meet the needs of our English language learners. The only commitment is your attendance at our monthly meetings and your valuable input.
Kindergarten Morning Care:
Kindergarten parents, please let the Office know as soon as possible if you are interested in morning child care for your child, prior to the beginning of the school day. This is for students who will be starting at 9:20am.
Photo Exclusion Procedure:
The Alum Rock Union Elementary School District routinely utilizes visual images of student activities to record the school’s history and to promote understanding of the district’s educational programs. Such information is considered “directory information” which can be used in campus and community publications, websites and other appropriate venues. In rare instances, parents or guardians may need to have their students excluded from such photographs and/or video images, when students are readily identifiable as individuals. A student’s parent or guardian may request that his/her student be excluded from such publication by completing the “Request for Exclusion” form which is available in the school office and filing the signed form with the school Principal. It is expected that “excluded” students will also accept responsibility to avoid obvious photo situations. The school will maintain records of requested exclusions and will make an effort to avoid involving the students in situations where the students will be individually identifiable in photographic or video images.
Emergency Information:
During the first few days of school a student emergency card will be sent home for your child. These cards have been pre-printed for your convenience. Please make sure to review the information and make any necessary changes on the card as needed. The student emergency card provides critical information; consequently, it is important that information is complete, up to date, and the card is returned to your child’s teacher promptly.
School Uniforms:
Students must wear their school uniform. Our school uniform colors are navy blue bottoms and white or maroon collard tops. They can be purchased from any retail store.
Student Drop off and Pick-up:
Please use the designated areas (painted white) on Lucian and Gridley to drop off and pick up your child. The staff parking lot should not be used for this purpose. We have cars coming in and out of the staff parking lot which can make it unsafe for students walking in this area. Avoid picking up or dropping off in the red zones. The painted yellow curb on Gridley is for bus parking only. Also, if you will be using the roundabout on Lucian Avenue, please keep in mind that this area is used only for dropping off or picking up your child and should not be used for parking.
Attendance/Absences:
When your child is absent make sure that you inform the front office. We need you help to ensure that we are providing your child with the best possible education. So please bring them to school every day and on time.
Please make sure that you are planning your family vacations around the school calendar. It is imperative that your child attends school every day. The only way our students will continue to excel academically is by being active participants in the classroom and they can only do so if they are here at school.
On behalf of the staff, I look forward to working with you to provide each student an outstanding learning experience. It is an honor to serve the McCollam community.
Sincerely,
Mr. Pablo Fiene
Principal, McCollam Elementary