Getting Ready For October!

It's hard to believe that September is almost over, but we're ready for October and all of the excitement that fall brings.  Some of our classes will be visiting area pumpkins patches; Southside Fire Department will come to visit for Fire Safety month; we'll all have a chance to come to school in our costumes for our class Halloween parties; and some of us will be visiting Summer Breeze to trick-or-treat.  We'll all be having lots of fun!

Individual fall pictures will be taken next week.  In case you missed the flyer we sent home, there's a copy below.  Some other fall dates to note:

• October 9: No school for students (This is designated as a parent conference day. Your child's teacher should be contacting you shortly about offering conferences. )
• October 30/31: Class Halloween parties
• Friday, November 17: Thanksgiving Program @9:15
• Monday, November 20 through Friday, November 24:  No school for students (Thanksgiving Break) 

We're Happy To Be Back!

After our time off for Hurricane Irma, we are happy to be back in school and hanging around with our friends!

Update: School Closing!

Update 9/12:  We will remain closed this week and reopen Monday, September 18th.

Update: We will remain closed through Wednesday, September 13th.

We will be closed Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. Please keep all of our families in your prayers as we prepare for Hurricane Irma.

Labor Day 2017

Labor Day Weekend Email Hi Families! Happy Labor Day weekend!  We hope that you're enjoying this long holiday weekend.  As we start back to school on Tuesday, carpool will be in full swing for all of our students.  Since we haven't yet learned all of the cars for the kids in our classes, it would be a big help if you would hold up the class name tag as you get near the front of the carpool line.  Once we get better at recognizing cars laying it flat on the dashboard should be fine, but it would help us out a lot if you hold up the tag for the first couple of weeks.  Also, we ask that you hold off talking on your phone during drop-off and pick-up.  There are kids and teachers walking through the parking lots to reach cars and we want distractions at a minimum to make sure everyone stays safe. Remember that we always have our older siblings go to their younger siblings' carpool lot. If you have more than one child at WIPP, we'll make sure that both of your children are together at dismissal in the lot that your younger child uses.  All of our 2s classes will be using the back parking lot along with Miss Heebner's class.  All of the other classes are in the front parking lot. In order for us to put your child in the car during carpool, you must have an appropriate car/booster seat for him/her.  Please make sure if someone else is picking up your child, they are also in compliance.  Georgia Child Passenger Safety Law (code 40-8-76) states that children under age 8 must be properly secured in an approved car seat or booster seat while riding in passenger automobiles, vans, and pickup trucks. The car seat and/or booster seat must:  Be in the rear seat Be appropriate for the child’s weight & height Meet all U.S. Federal standards Be installed and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions   If you have any questions, please check  http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/fullpanel/uploads/files/childpassengerc3.pdf . I know we throw a lot of information your way at the beginning of the school year, but one thing I wanted to point our from our handbook is our health guidelines. Please make sure we have a phone number where we can always reach you or an emergency contact in case your child gets sick.  It's so upsetting when we have a little one who doesn't feel well and is tearful and asking for mommy or daddy, and we can't get a hold of anyone. If your contact information changes, please let the office and your child's teacher know so we can update everything.  Thank you also for keeping us up-to-date on any contagious illness your child contracts.  It really helps us stay on top of things to know exactly what sicknesses we're dealing with.  Below is the excerpt from our handbook on health guidelines.  For the health and well-being of your child and of others at school, please keep your child home for the following reasons: 1. Fatigue (for any reason), lethargic behavior 2. A fever (a child should remain at home for 24 hours AFTER the fever is gone and/or until prescribed antibiotics have been administered for 24 hours) 3. Sore throat 4. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (child should remain home for 24 hours after the last episode) 5. Red, crusty, or itchy eyes (conjunctivitis or pink eye is very contagious). The child must be kept at home for 48 hours while being treated with antibiotics and should only return to school if there is no discharge from the eyes. 6. A runny nose if there is colored nasal mucus** A parent or person on the emergency contact list must always be available by phone during school hours. It is the parent’s responsibility to have someone available who can come to the school for emergencies or for a sick child.  **Yellow or green mucus is often a sign of an infection.  If we notice this in your child, especially if it's accompanied by other symptoms, we will call and ask you to pick him/her up in an attempt to keep illnesses at a minimum in the classroom.  At this age, many of our students are still learning to cough into their elbows, use a tissue to blow their noses, and keep things out of their mouths. We need all of the help we can get to keep everyone well! If you have a child in our 3s and 4s who is interested in playing soccer with Sweet Feet Soccer on Monday afternoons (12:00-12:45) on the back field at WIPP, make sure you check out the registration information at http://www.sweetfeetsoccer.org/ .  Class will start on Monday, September 11. With the possibility of an approaching storm, just a reminder that our closure schedule follows that of Chatham County Public Schools.   If SCCPSS closes, we are closed. If SCCPSS will be opening an hour late, we will open an hour late. If SCCPSS will be opening two hours late, WIPP will be closed. Thanks for helping us get the school year off to a great start! Kathleen