Elementary Principal Report
Where School is for Kids
by Jim Bathen
September 24, 2008
David City Elementary
Jim Bathen, Principal
October 2008
I apologize for not getting a newsletter out to the public in September, but it was beyond my control. The computers had a hiccup and SOCS wasn’t working. We had technical difficulties. There’s always something that goes wrong with a computer when you depend on it the most!
Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up on Thursday, October 9th from 12:00 until 9:00p.m. There will be NO SCHOOL ON on Thursday or Friday. You will receive your scheduled conference time very soon. If you are unable to make it at this time it would help the teacher out greatly if you would call the school and inform them so the teacher is not waiting for you to show up. The teacher may be able to use your time slot for someone else. Don’t forget that we will have a Bake Sale. Please bring your goodies in sometime on Thursday after school or before 12:00 o’clock on October 9th.
After reading your school handbook you might have noticed some changes in the absentee policy. This year many parents will be hearing from me by telephone when your student has been absent from school a total of five days. The phone call will be to inform you about the five days absent and discuss anything that we might have to discuss about the absences. At seven days you will receive a letter from the school and another letter at ten days absent. Many of you do a phenomenal job of calling the school before classes begin at 8:20a.m. The school doesn’t want to worry about any child when he/she doesn’t show up for classes. If my secretary or I are unable to contact any of the telephone numbers that you gave us for our records, then in some cases I will make an effort to visit the home to make sure everything is alright. On other occasions I may have to call law enforcement to check on a child’s whereabouts. Please call the school. Thanks.
Student Council elections will be held on Friday, October 3rd and officers will be elected at our first meeting the week of October 6th. The four officers that are elected will participate in the annual Region I Leadership Conference on Monday, October 13th in Crete. The Leadership Conference has always been an enjoyable learning experience for the officers and the officers can take information and ideas back to the group. This will be the third year that the Region I principals have had this conference.
Many of the grades levels are registered to vote in the 2008 Nebraska Student Vote. I registered most of the classes in the elementary last week. The grades involved will be able to access a teachers’ guide and a student guide for activities, plus an Omaha World Herald newspaper will be delivered to the older students to keep up to date on the candidates. Students will cast their informed vote in a mock election October 27th through October 29th. Results will be posted on the site. Everyone will get to see how the Nebraska vote turned out. It should be a good political experience for all the kids who are involved.
