Merry Christmas and a Happy 2020!

We have started our Christmas break!  It can feel like a very long time from August to Christmas, but we have made it!  Christmas is a time when Christians celebrate Christ’s birth here on earth so many years ago and we also look forward to Christ’s return. For me, this is the best gift!

Just as a reminder, please use the planned absence link found on the Middle School tab in Knights Portal.  Once a planned absence has been submitted (an email to attendance and Ms. Langelaar), I will create a google document with a table which includes each class your child will miss.  The teachers will fill in the work they anticipate your child should complete.  I will share it with your child and you once that has been created.  We ask that parents give us a week’s notice, as this will allow teachers time to fill in the table, and make arrangements for such things as taking tests or giving presentations prior to leaving.

When students return in January, we have a number of events coming up fairly quickly.  Please take note of these in your calendar.

• Monday, January 6 – First day back after Christmas break
• January 13 – 23 – Winter session Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)  testing – Each grade will be administering the MAP tests at different times.
• Friday, January 24 – Staff Workday – No school for students
• Monday – Friday, January 27 – 31 – Spiritual Life Emphasis Week (also known as SLEW).  Students will have chapel during skinny block each day.
• Wednesday, January 29 – We will have a regular 8:30 am start, NOT 9:30 am.  We will follow a regular A day schedule.
• Friday, January 31 – We have a special Olympics event scheduled for the students in the gym that day.  We will follow an altered schedule:
  • 8:30-9:20 Block 1  [50 mins]9:20-9:30 Passing [10 mins]

    9:30-10:20 Block 2  [50 mins]

    10:20-10:25 Passing to gym for grades 4-12

    10:25-12:00 Presentation in gym

    12:00 -12:45 Lunch for grade 4-12 (cafeteria: bentos only)

    12:45-13:30 Chapel

    13:30-13:35 Passing [10 mins]

    13:35-14:30 Block 3 for MS and HS [55 mins]

    14:30-14:35 Passing back to class

    14:35-15:30 Block 4 for MS and HS [55 mins]

• Friday, February 7 – Report cards should be sent out by this date.
• Monday, February 10 – Staff Professional day – No School for students
• Tuesday, February 11 – Student Led Conference day – For those of you unfamiliar with this day, students have working on their portfolios, reflecting on what they have learned up to this point.  On Student Led Conference day, we ask parents and students to come together and the student will have prepared a presentation to share their portfolio.  We will be sending you a link to access signing up for a slot where your child can share their portfolio.  It is a great opportunity for parents to hear directly from their child what they have learned in their own words in the school environment. 
• Monday and Tuesday, February 17 & 18 – Winter break – No school. 

We are working on revising the Middle School student handbook.  Once it is finalized and posted, I will continue sharing various policies after we have revised the student handbook.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.