As I write this, there are only 3.5 days left before we go on Christmas break.  It is hard to believe we are at this point in the school year.  I am sure the students, teachers and administrators are looking forward to the opportunity to celebrate Christ’s birth so many years ago, and as we wait in anticipate for Christ’s return.  Thank you to many of your who have participated in a variety of ways to support our homeless, Compassion children, Field fundraiser, and children who live in orphanages.  Your gifts have been greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your efforts to adhere to our COVID19 protocols.  Please do ensure that your child has additional masks available here at school, that they keep updating his/her health record, recording his/her temperature as well as answering the questions each day and they should have their own water bottle with their name on it.  We do not want students to share food with each other.

We have been working on the Middle School Student Handbook.  The new version of the student handbook is now available.  It is a student handbook, so the information pertains primarily for students.  Over the next months, I will be highlighting various parts of the handbook.

When you go to the handbook, there are 5 different categories, Academic Expectations, Behavioral Expectations, Child Protection Policy, Co-Curricular Information and Communication.  All three divisions, Elementary, Middle and High School, have the same or similar categories.  Academic Expectations lists information related to attendance, assessments, academic help, awards, standards based reporting, middle school curriculum, and supply lists.  Behavioral Expectations category shares our philosophy of our life together, discipline, School safety, chapel, conflict, dress code, and technology.  The Child Protection Policy contains CAJ’s full child protection policy.  Co-Curricular Information included various athletics available outside of school, as well as other activities in music, robotics, drama, brain bowl, and student council.  The fifth category is about how we communicate with students, parents and teachers, which include events such as Student-Led Conferences and Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences, report cards, standardized testing, and google classroom.

Parents and students should take some time to browse through the handbook to become familiar with the information that is included.  I will be highlighting different parts in blog posts beginning in January.

Here are a few events we have coming up:

• December 16th is MS dress in Christmas colours day.  It is also our 2nd Middle School Community Event during block 2 and 3.  Students will participate in making origami, Pictionary, Kahoot, beach volleyball and drawing Christmas themed art with chalk on the pavement on campus.
• January 6 will be our first day back from Christmas break.
• January 11 – 21 will be MAP testing.  Please make sure your child has good rest in preparation for the testing.  Each grade will have scheduled a test for three of the blocks over the course of those 2 weeks.
• January 21 is the last day of the first semester.
• January 22nd is no school for students.  Teachers will be using that day to prepare report cards which will be ready for your viewing the following week.
• February 11 – Student Led Conference Day – Students will begin pulling together their portfolios and on Feb. 11th will be sharing what they have learned the first semester his/her parents. Parents will receive a link to sign up for an hour slot, later in January.
• February 12 – is a Professional Development Day for our staff.
• February 22 & 23  is Winter Break, no school.

I pray that you all have a very blessed Christmas and an especially Happy New Year!