Dear Stott Families,

I know we are all surprised how fast September has flown by!

We have certainly had a fantastic month here at Stott. It’s been incredibly busy, but the progress the students have made in just a few short weeks has been astounding! By now, everyone is settling in well to their new classrooms, their new routines and getting down to the business of learning.

Now that October has arrived, we have noticed the beginning of lower temperatures. Please remember that our students go outside year round, and now is the time to bring sweaters or light jackets for recess time. Don’t forget to check the lost and found, because many jackets are left outside or in classrooms.

October is always a fun month at school, but also a very busy time. Conferences are coming up on October 10th and 11th. Sign-Up emails were sent home last week. If you did not see this message, please call the office or your child’s teacher to get scheduled. We would love to see everyone at conferences.

We will celebrate Halloween on October 31 in the morning. Students should come to school already dressed in their costume, if they choose to dress-up. We will have a brief parade at 8:45 followed by small parties in the classroom from 9-10. Students will be required to change out of costumes and remove any make-up associated with their costume after the party. Please remember that dress code still applies. Costumes may not be too revealing and may not incorporate any weapons (real or fake). Please also try to minimize blood and gore. If you have any questions, check with the office or your child’s teacher.

Our Watch D.O.G.S program starts October 5. This programs allows fathers and father figures an opportunity to spend a day at Stott and help us keep our school safe. Watch D.O.G.S will be wearing a uniform shirt and a name tag, so if you see a Watch D.O.G present encourage your children to tell them “thank you” for spending their time helping us out at Stott. The dads will be helping in classrooms, volunteering on the playground, helping out with parking lot traffic, and doing general safety and perimeter checks around the building. Above all, they will serve as role models for all of our students. We are so grateful to have them here to help.

One more reminder about drop-off and pick-up. The Hug-and-Go lanes are designed to be just that. A quick hug and go. Please do not exit your vehicle to help your children into or out of the car. If your child cannot get into or out of the car without your assistance, please park and walk across the crosswalk to pick up or drop-off your student. Getting out of your vehicle to buckle up a little one, causes a delay for everyone else in the pick-up line. Also, the Hug-and Go lane that is furthest from the sidewalk should never be more than 3 cars deep. Our buses cannot make the turn to get into the parking lot when cars block that intersection. Finally, please do not allow students to exit the vehicle on the driver’s side if you are in the outer Hug-and-Go lane. The third lane is a through lane and traffic doesn’t stop. We don’t want anyone to get hurt by stepping out into traffic. Thank you for your help with this.

We are looking forward to a great October!

Caryn McCormick