Volunteer Opportunities and Safety

I want to thank all the parents who have offered to volunteer in various capacities, including helping with the supervision of our students on the playground. As you know, the safety and security of our students and staff come first. In light of recent events, it’s necessary that we remain vigilant concerning safety issues. I’m requesting that parents not open doors for others and that all parents check in at the security desk or the main office when coming in to volunteer. It’s important for everyone to wear name tags while in the building. We do keep all doors locked during the day, and I have instructed staff to not prop doors open while their classes are outside using the play equipment. I would ask parents to follow these same guidelines. All staff members have been reminded to view monitors before opening doors.  In addition, custodians have been reminded to check all rooms upon entering the building in the morning. These are normal procedures that help to keep all children and staff members safe. In the mornings, I have assigned staff members to all of the doors that are open for students to enter the school. All other doors are locked. 

I’m also asking for your understanding that we may need to ask you to leave the playground while our students are outside playing. While classes are in session the playgrounds are for Nettelhorst students, and our preschool program is still in session and often using the equipment at 4:00 in the afternoon. It is difficult for staff to supervise our children if the play area is crowded. If you are asked to leave the play area, please understand that we are asking you to leave so that our assistants can safely supervise children. 

When can I learn more about volunteering at Nettelhorst?

Parents and community members interested in volunteering in the classroom, on the playground during recess, or for any of the other opportunities that involve supervision of children are invited to attend an informational meeting on September 29, 2008. We will meet in the community kitchen, around 9:05 a.m., after parents drop off children for the school day. We hope to clarify the roles of our volunteers and how volunteers interact with students. It’s important that everyone who wishes to volunteer attend this important meeting. All parents who wish to volunteer must fill out a CPS volunteer form, and all volunteers who work with children for five or more hours must have proof of a T.B. test. We’ll discuss all of these procedures during the meeting. 

Other Questions

What will the new Dominick’s store mean for Nettelhorst?

Now that Dominick’s is rebuilding at 3030 North Broadway, the supermarket has labeled Nettelhorst its school of choice. This means that we may receive donations because of our association with the store. On Wednesday morning,  at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new store, we received a promise for our first donation of $1,500.00 from Dominick’s. Thank you, Dominick’s, for supporting education at Nettelhorst! We look forward to the new store on north Broadway.

How do children know where to line up?

Mr. Combs has painted various sports-related logos on the back playground. Students will line up behind their assigned logo. This should help reduce confusion during our morning line-up procedures. 

Are you going to be visiting classrooms this year?

I have begun the process of visiting all classrooms. I enjoy talking with the children and observing the activities taking place in classes. Classroom visits are a very enjoyable part of my job as they allow me to get acquainted with students and to discuss instructional strategies with teachers. I really look forward to talking with all the students and teachers during these visits.

When will we be receiving last year’s ISAT results?

The school has received the ISAT results, and these will be sent home next week. If you would like an explanation of the results, please call the office to make an appointment with Ms. Gardner or Ms. Wulbert.  The ISAT results were delayed this year due to a state-wide rescoring process.