Last Minute Communications to the Office

On many days at Meredith Hill, the last hour before dismissal can be the busiest. The office always appreciates advance notice of any special communications that need to go to the students, and the teachers are happiest when their final instructional minutes are not interrupted.

We are asking for your help. Although some last minute arrangements are unavoidable, we would appreciate it if you could please try to make plans with your student before they leave for school in the morning. This helps the student, teacher and office. Thank you for your assistance.

Thank You Volunteers

For the 355 hours of volunteer service given in November!

From the Counselor

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has developed “A Family Guide To Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy & Drug Free” at http://family.samhsa.gov.

This website will help support adults-parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, and other youth mentors in their efforts to help children aged 7 to 18 make good decisions, feel safe and protected, and have successful lives. The ultimate goal is to promote youth mental health and discourage youth drug use.

To join the Family Guide Site's E-Mail Update online, visit: http://family.samhsa.gov/main/listserve.aspx.

Attendance Issues

Regular school attendance is directly related to success in academic work, benefits students socially, provides opportunities for important communications between teachers and students and establishes regular habits of dependability important to the future of the student.

Meredith Hill Elementary School policy dictates that every student absence be documented with written communication from a parent or guardian. Likewise, a parent or guardian must sign in every tardy student, or some written communication must be sent to the office regarding his or her tardiness.

When a parent forgets or delays this communication, they will be sent a form, usually blue, asking for a signature and reason. The same form may be sent repeatedly until the signature is on file in the office.

To eliminate confusion and unnecessary paperwork, please send a written excuse with your tardy or returning student. Otherwise, please sign and return the blue forms as soon as possible after receiving them. Any absences without written parent communication will eventually be recorded as unexcused. If you have any questions, please call the attendance secretary at 253-945-3200.

Art Room Supplies Needed

The Art Docent program is again in need of your help in stocking their room with new supplies. If you are able to assist, please send the items to school with your child, labeled Art Room

This month we need the following items:

*Stapler(s)

*Staple Remover

*Scissors

*Five-gallon plastic ice cream buckets with handles and lids

*Old hand towels

*Old washcloths.

DECEMBER Calendar

5– NO SCHOOL

Staff Development Day

11– Cookie Day

12– Winterfest

15– Report Cards Go Home

16– 3^rd/4^thGrades at

Seattle Opera House

Dec 22 – January 2

Winter Vacation

From the Nurse:

The, Oh So Common, Cold

Winter is here, and with it comes cold season. Each cold may last from one to two weeks, and may progress through various combinations of stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, sore or scratchy throat, cough, watery eyes, fever, and feeling tired.

First a note about prevention. Cold viruses spread easily. The best prevention is GOOD HANDWASHING. You should wash your hands after blowing your nose, after using the restroom, and before preparing or eating food. Other preventive measures include turning your face away from people and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, using tissues and disposing of them promptly, getting plenty of rest, eating nutritious foods, and dressing appropriately for the weather. Finally, help reduce the spread of illness by staying home when really sick.

How to treat a cold? There's no quick cure. Rest and drink plenty of fluids. A cool mist vaporizer may help. Take the least medication possible. In general, whether you take drugs or not for a cold, you'll be getting better in about a week or two. Only treat symptoms that are actually interfering with sleeping, eating, working or playing. Avoid multi-ingredient products designed to treat all possible symptoms. Chances are that only one or two are really bothersome and the "extra" ingredients are just increasing the chance of unwanted side effects. Remember, the common cold is a viral infection; antibiotics will not help unless complications develop.

Every child with cold symptoms can't stay out of school or be sent home. But if a child is not well enough to participate in class, because of an uncontrollable cough or fatigue for example, he doesn't belong in school. A child with a temperature of 100F or greater needs to stay home.

School district policy guidelines state that children with any of the following symptoms must be sent home:

* Oral temperature of 100 degrees or higher.

* Any vomiting or diarrhea at school.

* The presence of any of the following untreated communicable diseases – head lice, scabies, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, fifth’s disease, strep throat and/or scarlet fever, pink eye, ringworm, and impetigo.

Complete and accurate information on your child’s emergency card is critical. If you have changed your address, telephone number, or work place and phone number, please let us know immediately. Be sure to have the name and telephone number of a person whom we can contact if we cannot reach you to pick-up an ill or injured child.

All health room visits are logged. Parents will be notified if their child is making frequent health room visits so that the situation can be evaluated.

Any school staff, including the school nurse, is prohibited from giving any medication to students unless there is a parent/physician medication form which has been signed by both the doctor and the parent, and brought to school with the medication. These forms are available in the school office.

Please feel free to call 253-945-3200 with any health concerns that may impact your child at school.

February 3^rd Election Will Impact School Funding

Two levies will appear on the ballot on February 3, 2004, that will have a direct impact on Meredith Hill Elementary School. Approval of these levies support current levels of educational services and will NOT increase the current tax rate.

1. A four-year replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy (EP&O), to continue the funding of basic school operations.

2. A six-year Technology levy to support the current computer-to-student ratio of one to eight in the schools, and to upgrade the infrastructure.

The EP&O levy is identical to a maintenance and operations levy, except in name. These funds bridge the gap between what the state provides and what the community expects in education. This is not a new levy. It is a request for the continuation of funding provided by the Maintenance and Operations Levy that passed in February 2002.

The district is running a four-year EP&O levy in order to provide the district greater stability for financial and program planning and minimize the cost of levy elections. Every time the district runs a levy election, King County charges about $125,000. By asking for a four-year levy instead of a two-year levy, we are reducing the number of times we have to expend money on an election.

Technology is not funded by the State. The district has been able to fund technology for the past eight years through creative use of general and capital funds, and has sought out grants and business partnerships to obtain computers. We have reached the point, when all of these one-time sources of funds are spent. The Technology Capital Levy will cost approximately 17 cents per thousand assessment, or around $25.50 a year for a $150,000 home. This works out to $2 a month, substantially less than a home internet service provider.

The tax rate will not increase with the passage of two levies; the primary reason is that we’ve been able to take advantage of lower interest rates to refinance long-term debt the district has in the form of bonds that have financed construction. Since 1996, the tax rate collected for Federal Way schools has dropped from $5.26 per $1,000 assessment to $4.28 this year. That’s a 19% reduction. Under the current proposal, with both levies in effect, the tax rate in 2008 will still be $4.28.

If you are registered to vote, please remember to do so on February 3. If you are NOT registered vote, you can do so this month and in December in time to vote in this important election. Come to the school and we’ll provide a voter registration form for you. Or go to www.metrokc.gov/elections/register-htm. That’s the county’s elections bureau web page, where you can download a registration form or even register via the Internet.

For more information on these two levies, go to www.fwps.org or e-mail or call the Community Relations Department at 253-945-2262 or 945-2266.

JANUARY Calendar

16– Martin Luther King Assembly

10:30 am

19– NO School

Martin Luther King Holiday

22– Steel Drum/Honor Choir

Concert 7:00 pm

23–29 Book Fair

29– Open House 6:30-8:00 pm