Dear Parents,
I am delighted to be writing this letter to welcome your family back to New Orleans, to Sacred Heart, and to our Mater Campus. Our November 7 opening day is sure to be a joyous one. The events of the past few weeks have forever changed our lives, but our mission remains constant: to use Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart education to help your daughter become a confident, educated woman of faith, courage, and compassion. We cannot wait to get started again!
We know you must have a number of questions about our re-opening. Mrs. Friedrichs, Mrs. Viller and I have attempted to answer some of them here; however, if you have additional ones, please email them to me at higginbk@cox.net.
Important Note: We will have a flex arrival on Monday, November 7 only.
We ask students in grades PK-4th to arrive from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Parents are welcome to park and walk in with their daughter or use the carpool line.
We ask Little Hearts Toddlers and Nursery to arrive from 9:00-9:30 a.m.
We ask you to park and walk them in on Monday.
The School Day
Time:
The school day remains the same, but until further notice you may drop off your daughter beginning at 7:30 a.m. (not 7:15, a small change). Dismissal times and procedures remain the same.
Carpool:
Carpool will run as usual. The Fathers Club will be helping the teachers who are on duty.
Lunch:
All students (Little Hearts, Preschool, Lower School) must bring a daily lunch until further notice. We also ask that each student bring a bottle of water labeled with her name on it each day. Lunches need to be in easy to open containers and ready to eat. We do not have access to microwaves or heating elements.
Extended Day -from Noon - 3:00 - for Toddlers, Nursery, Prek
Extended Day will begin on November 7.
Little Hearts and Preschool students must have already been registered prior to Katrina; however, we will do our best to accommodate additional students. Please email Kay Higginbotham to register if you are in need of your daughter to stay for extended day. I can be reached at higginbk@cox.net until school opens.
After School Activities
ASH Plus:
PLUS will also begin on Monday, Novemeber 7 and the hours are from dismissal until 6:00 p.m.
After-School Classes - Art, Music, Things from the Heart, etc.
We will not have any after school classes until January. The teachers involved will be contacting those registered for the fall once school begins. Information for the spring will be delivered at a later date.
Uniforms
Clothing:
If your daughter has her uniform, she should wear it. If you do not have a uniform for her to wear on the first day, please send her to school in play clothes and tennis shoes. We ask those families who have extra uniforms, or ones they no longer need, to bring them to school and leave them at the receptionist desk at Mater Campus from November 1-4. If you cannot bring them prior to our opening day, just send them on November 7.
Shoes:
If your daughter no longer has uniform shoes, tennis shoes are acceptable.
Nap Mats:
We will advise you as to the condition of your daughter's nap mat. Because of the damages in the PK and K classroom, many of them had to be thrown out. A Kindermat, beach towel or small blanket is acceptable.
The School Year
School Calendar:
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education - BESE - will make a ruling on the waiving of school days. We will notify you as soon as an announcement is made.
School Holidays:
Thanksgiving holidays will remain as scheduled. Students will have off the week of Thanksgiving. Dr. Burns and the Division Heads will meet in early November to address calendar changes for the remainder of the year.
Calendar Conflicts:
If the school calendar changes and you had a family trip planned, feel free to go on the trip and enjoy it. Days missed because of changes to the original school calendar will be considered excused absences.
Curriculum
Dr. Burns stated in an earlier message: "our faculty will take them wherever they are academically and creatively manage the educational program and the curriculum for the rest of the year." We are committed to our students and look forward to working as teams to creatively provide for each student.
Periods:
The Pre/Lower School 1st trimester grading period will end on November 11. We know that we will need to modify our progress reports for this year as well as conferences.
For those returning November 7, we request that you ask for some form of report from the school in which your daughter was enrolled. Please include the name, address, and phone number of the school, the name of her teacher, and the name of the school principal. The documentation should include an attendance record, as well as any grades given or a narrative summary of her progress. Please send this to school with your daughter upon her return to Sacred Heart.
For those returning in January: We request that you provide verification in the form of a transcript of your daughter's attendance and grades for one semester at another school. This verification, coupled with the second semester at Sacred Heart, will complete the 2005-2006 school year.
Special Classes:
For a time, we may have to do some restructuring of our special classes. Please be patient as we rework the schedules.
Health and Safety
Professional disaster remediation crews have been working where needed. We have received all health and safety permits.
Classrooms:
Most classrooms are up and running. The PK and K classrooms suffered some damage from Hurricane Rita and crews are working on them. We may have to relocate these classrooms for a couple of weeks.
Common Areas:
The dining hall, library and chapel will be closed until further notice. We are anticipating use of the Nims Fine Arts Center for some activities.
Playgrounds:
None of the playgrounds had flood waters. All yards are green and growing.
Security:
David Andersen, our Facilities Manager, has contacted Sgt. Quinn of the NOPD. Both are confident that we will be able to find the assistance we need. For a time, the Fathers Club will be helping us in the mornings and afternoons.
Adjusting to our Return:
The administrators, teachers, and counselors are acutely aware that some children may have difficulty when they return. They will be available to assist any students with anxiety they may be experiencing. The counseling staff will be meeting with the teachers during the week of Nov. 1-4, and will be working closely with the students, as well. We will also send information home to assist you in helping your daughters with this transition. Please contact Janice Foulks at 269-1227, if you have any questions.
General Information
Number of Students Returning:
We have a strong number of students in each homeroom returning either November 7 or January 3. We continue to receive confirmation of return via the survey posted on the www.ashrosary.org and www.sofie.org websites, and we ask all families to complete it as soon as possible. Additionally, we will welcome and accommodate families as they move home after November 7 and before January 3.
New Preschool/Lower School Students:
Once we have confirmation from all of our families, the administration will discuss the possibility of admissions. Anyone interested in ASH should contact our Admissions Director, Christy Sevante, at ashadmissions@yahoo.com.
Teachers not returning on November 7:
Marie Dautrieve, 1st; Lindsey Davis, K; Hollis Gabriel, 3rd; Elaine Hardie, K; Kate Kenny, 1st; Kris Krueger, foreign language; Lynette Moody, computer; Susan Nichols, art; Alice Atkinson PS PE and Alison See PK will not be able to return on November 7.
Teachers not returning to ASH:
Emily Conrad, PS music; Carm Dickhaus, LH/N; Mary Katharine Gill, PK; and Caroline Parrish, PK have relocated out-of-state. We wish them well as they continue their life journey.
How many times have we heard Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, say "There's no place like home" Those words have taken on a whole new meaning for all of us. We are thrilled to be returning to our "home" at Sacred Heart and to having your daughter with us.
Sincerely,
Kay Higginbotham
Division Head
Little Hearts/Preschool/Lower School
