Hello Parents and Guardians,

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day.  I wanted to post a short re-cap of the week.  It has been an unusual week.  Today, I am at the high school filling in for some colleagues who attended the funeral services.  It has been nice to see some old friends and work with some former students, but the circumstances are, unfortunately, quite sad.  I was just outside with the rest of the school watching Pat Gill’s funeral procession go by.  I also attended the wake service last night.  The outpouring of support is truly amazing. It makes me proud to be part of this community.  

The week was also unusual because I was out Monday and Tuesday nursing an injured shoulder.  I took a spill on my bicycle this past Sunday taking a turn on wet pavement; next time I’ll go slower!  Nothing broken, just needed a few days to recover.  So, I’m hoping to get “back to normal” next week.  

I wanted to recommend a before school program that is available for both Ambrose and Lynch students.  The BOKS program is a once a week before school (8-8:30) PE-like program led by parent volunteers.  It begins next week and you are able to sign up on either school’s website.  There has been a great deal of research which shows that early morning physical activity is a great way to engage the brain for learning.  I know that I feel much more clear-headed when I am able to workout before school.  I think that most children would benefit greatly from this program.  Please consider it and check out the days and times available.  Let me know if you have further questions.  

Finally, I wanted to make a suggestion to each of you in regards to our individual meetings.  Prior to IEP meetings, it would be helpful if you could consider the following question, and possibly write down some notes so that we can make sure we cover all of your questions and concerns.  What concerns do you want to see addressed to enhance your child’s education? I know that you all will come to our meetings with questions and concerns, but I think it’s helpful to write them all down.  If you’re anything like me, if you don’t write it down, the chances of forgetting are great.  

Thanks for reading.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Patrick