CPS PARENT BULLETIN

June 22, 2015

SAVE THE DATE!

GRANDPARENTS DAY OPEN HOUSE @ CPS --- 2015-16
KINDERGARTEN & 3RD GRADE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015

Central Primary School will once again recognize Grandparents during the 2015-16 school year. Our celebration of
Grandparents will take place on Friday, October 2nd. Kindergarteners and 3rd graders will be hosting their Grandparents (or
a Grand-friend) on a visit to school. The event will allow students and their special guests an opportunity to visit
classrooms and meet teachers. More information regarding schedules and activities about this years event will be released
as the date approaches.
This very special event has undergone a series of adjustments in each of the last two years. Safety (in regard to space,
time, and number of people indoors & outdoors), security for the event in general, and the impact on student learning
during the fall (i.e. multiple school days full vs. half days advance planning/organization time number of required staff
and volunteers assigned, etc.) have been the primary considerations for continued evaluation of our event plan. There is
no interest (nor will there be) in eliminating this event. In previous communication, Ive mentioned the importance of this
celebration to our students, staff, and the Central community at large. Celebrating Grandparents has become a yearly
tradition at Central Primary that allows our students to connect with their Grandparents (while sharing their school). The
brief visit is an exciting, fun, and positive experience for all involved. Last years recognition of Grandparents took place
before school started (7:30am) and lasted until about 9:00 on two separate days. The format reclaimed instructional time
for our students, but did require our guests to head in earlier than in the past. Earlier times meant that Grandparents were
asked to begin their day sooner and then compete with Centrals already congested start of the school day (student
arrival at CIS & CPS: 7:308:30am). I wont bore everyone with the events logistics, but our plan was very weatherdependent (vulnerable) and maneuvering large numbers of people inside and outside the School to choreograph planned
activities while managing our normal start to the school day was complicated. Striking a responsible, comfortable
balance between preserving meaningful traditions and adhering to promised levels of safety, security, and learning has
once again led to format changes. The PTO has worked tirelessly with the School over the past three years to include all
grades in this event (and I am very grateful for their support). With that said, I believe an attempt to achieve a more
balanced approach for the event necessarily means limiting the annual tradition to particular grade-levels.

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CPS PARENT BULLETIN

June 22, 2015
I want ALL Central Primary students to enjoy the experience of inviting and then hosting their Grandparents on a visit to
the School during their tenure at CPS, but dont feel we can extend the opportunity each year. Building Grandparents Day
Open House into an annual KINDERGARTEN and 3RD GRADE event is worth a try in my opinion. Although students will not
participate during their 1st and 2nd grade years, ALL students will still be given the unique opportunity to celebrate their
Grandparents as they pass through their Kindergarten and/or 3rd Grade years at Primary. The adjustment maintains this
important tradition for students while at CPS. If we dont catch students in Kindergarten, we allow for the traditional
Grandparent visit before they move out of the Primary School while in 3rd Grade. This change would (in theory) ensure the
event is tied to an already distracted, half day of instruction each school year. Washington Community High Schools
Homecoming week has always ended with an exclamation. Fridays Homecoming parade (typically around 2pm) and
evening football game coincide with shortened school days throughout the Township. Like the other elementary districts in
Washington, Central holds a half day of school (11:30am dismissal). Moving forward, our Grandparents Day would provide
Central Primary families and students with a unique opportunity to kick off the weekend at Primary via a fun visit by
Grandparents to school followed by lunch(?), the High School parade, and then Washingtons varsity Homecoming
football game in the evening. On the day of the event, scheduled activities at Central Primary would be moved back (after
school has started) so Grandparents are not asked to arrive early during the District/School-wide beginning of the school
day and the planned event would only affect one instructional day of learning. The amount of lost instructional time for
those students directly involved would increase. The net effect however is pretty tolerable with all grade-levels (students
and staff) being able to count on (and plan for) four full days of instruction Monday through Thursday without distraction.
There would be no change to the instructional time for grade-levels 1st and 2nd. Only Kindergarten and 3rd Grade students
would be affected on an already distracted Friday. I really dont believe these conditions are deal-breakers.
Participation by less than all of our students is undoubtedly the primary drawback. I understand that --- and regret having
to make this adjustment because I know how much the day means to every student. Historically, despite intensive planning
and volunteer commitment, we have yet to arrange an all-school Grandparents Day that doesnt compromise in some way
the safety/security/learning as described above. That is why I believe the event needs to evolve so the tradition is
preserved in a more responsible way. The Central Primary staff and PTO have been consulted and are aware of the planned
changes. All parties including those in disagreement have been more than patient and very reasonable as we make a
collective effort to create the right fit for what is an incredibly fun, meaningful, and permanent tradition at Central
Primary School. This Parent Bulletin is an effort to be informative, transparent, and a bit timelier regarding popular events
youve come to expect during the school year. I genuinely appreciate your interest, trust, and continued support of Central
Primary School!

Respectfully! -bl

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