Welcome Back Mayo!
Looking forward to a great school year!
Are you ready for the 1st day of school?!
Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! I am very excited to have you and your children as part of the Mayo community. I hope that families have had a chance to relax and have fun together this summer. While I work through the summer, I did make sure to take some vacation time to relax and have fun with my family. We spent time in New Hampshire, on the Cape, in Washington, DC, and in Virginia Beach. It was amazing to watch my daughter learn to swim this summer!
Thank you to all of the students who write me letters, sent me postcards, and emailed me about what they have been reading this summer. I have been busy responding to everyone and sharing book recommendations. I love reading and talking about books! I've been building up a special book collection on a bookcase in my office. This year, I am looking forward to giving every single Mayo student a new book on their birthday!
We have some new faces that are joining the Mayo team this year. Let me tell you a little bit about some of our new hires...
Kimberly Graumnitz - Kimberly is our new 5th grade teacher. Back in May, we interviewed several candidates and asked two finalists to come in and teach a demo lesson. Kimberly impressed the whole team, including the 5th graders who were involved in her reading lesson! Ms. Graumnitz was previously a 5th grade teacher at Paxton Center School. She has been setting up her classroom this summer and is excited to get to know all of her students!
Julie Rondinelli - Julie is our new special education teacher who will be covering Rebecca Berenson's medical leave. Julie has experience teaching 4th and 5th graders who need specialized instruction, and she will be able to provide multi-sensory instruction to the students she works with. And fun fact...Julie's dad was the first principal of Mayo! She is excited to come work in a place that she already feels so connected to.
Dawn Magoon - Dawn will be our new recess monitor for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade recess. Dawn has a 1st grader and a 3rd grader at Mayo. When she saw that we needed another recess monitor, she eagerly stepped up to come help out on the playground.
I can't wait to see everyone next week! Enjoy these last few days of summer!
Sincerely,
Liz Garden
P.S. Be on the lookout...I might be visiting some bus stops around town and riding into school with the kids. Which bus stop will Mrs. Garden show up at next week?!
News Flash! Special Read Aloud!
Beginning of School...
To help everyone get used to where their classrooms will be, there will be a different routine for the first day of school. As students arrive by bus and by drop off, all students will be brought into the gym. Classroom teachers will all be there with signs. There will also be many staff members helping students find their teacher. Once we have the students sorted into their classrooms, teachers will lead the classes to their classrooms.
Our newest and youngest members of the Mayo community will not be starting on Tuesday; their first day of school will be on Wednesday, August 29th. Kindergarteners and their parents will be coming in on Tuesday in the middle of the day for an information session and a bus ride around town to get used to riding on the big yellow school bus! If you have a kindergartener, you should have already received information that explains the schedule for the day. If you have not received that schedule, please call the school office for more information.
On Wednesday, 1st through 5th graders will arrive at school and go straight to their classrooms. There will still be adults on hand to help guide anyone that still needs help. For our new kindergartners, we will be getting them off of the buses and gathering them from the drop off area to bring them to the library. Their classroom teachers will be there, ready to lead them to their classrooms.
I have been receiving letters and emails from students telling me about a book they have read as well as what they did this summer. I have been doing my best to write a note back to each student who writes to me. I still have some to drop in the mail this week! Summer is not over yet, so if you have not written to me, there is still time to drop a letter in the mail or send me an email. I am saving all my emails and letters, and in September there will be a drawing for a few lucky students to go shopping with me at the book fair!
Some important dates to mark on your calendars now:
Monday, September 3 - Labor Day, No School
Friday, September 7 - Paws Pantry Spirit Day - Wear green!
Friday, September 14 – PTA Ice Cream Social @ 5:30
Thursday, September 20 - Half day of school, dismissal @ 12:20, lunch will be served before dismissal
Thank you for sending us your children and working with us to help them learn, grow and climb new mountains! I feel so lucky that I have two of the best jobs in the world, mom and principal. And I feel especially lucky to now be a member of the Mayo community. I am looking forward to providing the best possible education for your children and learning and growing with all of you.
See you on the first day of school! Are you ready?...