October 2 Headmaster Email

Dear Parents, As we wrap up this week of school, there are just a few more things I would like to communicate: Policy Training: Due to a scheduling conflict, the required policy training for all those working with children in our school has been moved from this coming Monday, to Monday, October 19th at Noon.

Holiday Traditions As we enter into the holiday season of both Halloween and Christmas, we would like to ask you to discuss with your children how to be respectful of other family's traditions. For example, some families view Halloween as a time to connect with their neighbors while others choose to not participate in the holiday at all. Similarly, some families have chosen not to include Santa Claus as a part of their Christmas celebrations, while others enjoy this childhood tradition. In these matters, there is Christian liberty and we need to cultivate a spirit of graciousness towards those who celebrate differently. At school next week, we will be discussing in very broad terms with the children how to let family traditions be between children and their parents, and not to present an air of superiority about one's own traditions. We would ask you to have these conversations at home with your children this weekend as well to aid in the development of a school culture of love and kindness. Specifically, if your family does not include Santa in your Christmas celebrations, please explain to your children that it is not their place to tell their peers that "Santa is not real."

Items Brought to School

Please remember that unnecessary items are not to be brought from home to school. If a student wants to bring a book or sketchpad from home for before and after school, that is fine. However, toys, games (trading cards), stuffed animals, and the like are not to be brought from home. If a student has any of these items, they will be asked to return them to their backpack. Thank you for your cooperation. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend of rest, family time, and worship! In Christ, Kyla