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August 2012

Start Now to Prepare for the New School Year

 
By Andy Wolf
Superintendent
 
It is hard to believe but the 2012-13 school year is almost upon us! The start of a new school year is always an exciting time for our students and for those of us in education it is a time of renewal and anticipation. I know I speak for all of our staff when I say how much we look forward to serving the students of Yelm Community Schools in the upcoming year!

If you have not already started, now would be a good time to start preparing your child for their return back to school, which in Yelm is September 4. The transition can be made easier for everyone with a little preparation. Please consider the following suggestions to help your family get the school year off to a great start:

Build good sleep habits. Start getting up and going to bed earlier so your children are sleeping on a school-friendly schedule before the first day of school.

Eat breakfast. A nutritious breakfast is essential for learning. Think now about what kind of breakfast routine will work best for your family and starting building that routine now.

Open a book. One of the most important things you can do is to have your children read daily. Reading together is a great family activity. Read to your children, listen to them read, or simply set aside time each evening when everyone reads to themselves. Books are also a great way to start conversations with your children. If your children haven’t been reading regularly over the summer, starting this process now will set the foundation for when students are back in school. Talking about what they are reading helps to create a practice of sharing about their school day and what they are learning.

Exercise together. Research shows our bodies and our brains need movement. Look for activities everyone in the family can enjoy together.

School offices are opening this week and you can find specific information about your school on the Yelm Community Schools web site (www.ycs.wednet.edu). Information about athletics, registration, supply lists, bus routes, food service and much more will post throughout the month of August. I strongly urge you to check it regularly as a way to stay informed about school events and information. It is not only a great tool prior to the start of school but also throughout the school year.

Summer update. We have had a busy summer so far. We hired many new employees to replace those who retired or just moved on. Our mechanics, maintenance and grounds crews have been diligently working to make sure our facilities and transportation fleet will be in great condition and ready to welcome back our students. Teachers and certificated employees have been involved in book studies and workshops to enhance their skills as educators. These summer reading projects and trainings not only help to enhance our teaching skills but also help us to create a better school experience for your children. We are very excited by the large number of staff who voluntarily gave up their summer time to become better at their craft!

While our students already have experienced high levels of success and achievement, we remain committed to continuous improvement. It is our goal to continue to improve our school system each year so our students will receive the maximum benefit from their time in our system. We believe that by emphasizing student growth and achievement we can help our students to reach their full potential.

In closing I would just like to thank you all for your continued support of our students and schools. We clearly understand our partnership with our local community has greatly enhanced our schools and the programs we offer. With this continued partnership we can all look forward to another outstanding school year.