I hope this letter finds you and your families enjoying the final week of the summer holiday. Included in this letter are some items of interest pertaining to the upcoming school year.
Please find links below covering information regarding grade-specific letters and class lists:
Class Lists
(not included in this web version)
Throughout the spring and summer, the faculty and administration have worked very diligently to build successful class groupings at every level. The distribution of these lists can bring some anxiety, excitement and disappointment on the part of parents and children. It has been my experience, however, that children quickly develop a sense of "group identity" with their classes, and late-summer nervousness quickly fades as the year gets underway. I encourage everyone to come to the Meet-Your-Teachers Ice Cream Social on August 19 to meet your children's new teachers and classmates.
Meet-Your-Teachers Ice Cream Social on Monday, August 19 (4:00-6:00 p.m.)
This event will enable children to meet each other and their teachers before school starts. Teachers will be in their classrooms from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. to allow students a sneak peek of their new spaces. From 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., ice cream and fun will be served. Our parent-run Viking Corner store will have a pop-up shop in the bus circle so you can check out the latest Academy spiritwear, which all students are encouraged to wear to class on certain school spirit days throughout the year.
First Day of School
Classes begin on Tuesday, August 20, at 8:05 a.m. and end at 3:20 p.m. Many of our students will arrive by bus and some by carpool in the morning. If you are new to Columbus Academy this year, you may want to bring your children to school on the first day and walk them to their classrooms, but it is not necessary. Faculty members will be available to help you find your classrooms the first week of school.
Carpool
Students in our Lower School who go home by car are picked up on the west side of the building via Viking Way (campus map) through an organized carpool procedure. For logical safety reasons, children may not be picked up in front of the Middle School (next to Academy Hall) where buses wait. Teachers will help children to the proper waiting area for buses or carpool. Carpool tags will be available at the Meet-Your-Teachers Ice Cream Social on August 19. Any carpool tags not picked up on the 19th will be sent home with students on the first day of school.
School Photos
Our individual school photos will be taken on September 9. We have switched to a new photography company for this service, and please click here for ordering instructions.
Guidelines to Help Ensure a Smooth School Year
- Children must be signed in/out by an adult if they arrive late/leave early or return from/leave for an appointment.
- Please let your children's teachers know in written form of changes from the standard transportation plan. If you choose to email the classroom teachers regarding a transportation change, please also copy Michelle Saling (salingm@columbusacademy.org), who can ensure that the message is received. Without written indication from a parent, faculty will have children follow their routine plans for getting home.
- If there is a change of transportation plans that occurs during the school day, the lower school office needs to know by 2:30 p.m. Please call Michelle Saling at 614-509-2258 if such an issue arises.
- Please let us know in writing about any special arrangements for athletic play, swimming, diet or medication. No medication will be given without written instruction. Beckie Hoagland and Janet Fireman, the school nurses, will take care of these needs and may be contacted directly by dialing 614-509-2234 or by emailing nurse@columbusacademy.org.
- As a general rule, students do not need and should not have money at school.
- Please mark clothing and personal property with first and last names.
- No toys or electronic games are allowed in the Lower School. If children have mobile phones, they must be turned off and stored in their lockers while inside the building during school hours.
- While most school communication is sent electronically, it is important to check your children's backpacks each day for additional messages and information from teachers or the school.
If you have any questions about the information provided, please do not hesitate to call Michelle Saling at 614-509-2258. We are looking forward to an exciting 2019-20 school year, and I am eager to welcome you back during the Ice Cream Social on August 19!
