Information for Spring 2010

Spring Student Registration Form
Spring Parent Registration Form
Spring Parent Student Agreement
Spring Parking Permit Application
Spring Tuition 
Spring Course Descriptions
Spring Class Schedule
Teacher Bios

Break Room Overcrowding

We have noticed that we are having a real overcrowding problem in the breakroom during the lunch hours from 11 to 1:30. In fact, we are concerned that we are exceeding the numbers allowed by the fire code.

We’re trying to figure out why that is, so we want to get your help with this. We planned the classes, so that the K-5 student would eat at 11am, 6-8 at 12, and high school at 1. There are a few exceptions to this plan, but generally, this is what we intended. Our biggest problem is the 12 lunch period. We’re not sure how to remedy this this semester, but really need any help with this that we can get.

We have found high school kids in the breakroom from 12-1:30. I’m sure they have a break during the 12-1pm hour, so just go in there for the break. If there is any way that students who are not scheduled for “lunch” during any of the lunch hours could not be in there it would help the overcrowding.

At the 12-12:30 lunch hour, we have opened up an open gym time in the gym for anyone 6th grade and up. We had some students take advantage of that last week and it helped some with the overload.

We know that kids love the breakroom, and think that some students who don’t have classes until after lunch are coming for the lunch hour before going to their class. We’d like to discourage this for now so we can try to get a handle on this problem.

Any ideas anyone has about this would be welcome. Next year we may have to require anyone who is at co-op for the lunch hour to have a class on either side of it so we wouldn’t have so many kids in there.

Thanks for your co-operation with this.

Break Room Fees

Did you know that each student is allowed one break room period per week?

Anyone whose child must be in break room for more than one hour must pay an “extra breakroom fee” of $25 per semester. I know there are some of you who have children in more than one breakroom period, but may not be aware of this requirement. The reason for the fee is to limit the number of students in the break room. Only 4 families have paid for those extra hours this semester. We will be reviewing our lists to see who has not paid. If you are one of the ones who has not paid, please stop by and see Wendy to pay for the semester. Or better yet, make sure your students are only at co-op for one break room period.

Thanks for helping with our overcrowding problem.

A Great Place To Be

Dear Parents of Thursday Connection Students,

It is always our priority to make T.C. a safe place to be for our students. With that in mind, we are asking you to please remind your children of some of our existing rules and inform them of a few changes to their lunch dismissals.

1. No running in the Halls (or walking really fast)
2. When waiting for a class to begin, please do not block the hallway. Have them hug the wall.
3. Be careful on the stairs
4. Be especially careful not to bump into your smaller neighbor.
5. During classes, you may only leave the library or break room with a pass.

During the lunch hours of 11:00-11:30, 12:00-12:30 and 1:00-1:30 the break room is busy.

Beginning this week, we are changing the way we dismiss the children from the break room. These changes apply only to the lunch hours.

When we ring the bell signaling that it is time to go to class, we will first release our youngest students (Kindergarten- 5th grade).

After the younger students are dismissed, the middle and high schoolers will be dismissed.

Please encourage your middle and high schooler to stay seated until the younger children are dismissed.

Please encourage your elementary age children to stay seated until they hear the bell.

We will be sure everyone has time to get to their class. It may be a bit confusing this week, but if we all work together, very quickly, the children will settle into this change.

Also, we now offer our Middle and High Schoolers an OPEN GYM TIME from 12:00 to 12:30. They can shoot some hoops or chat with friends - burn off some of that energy. No food is allowed in the gym and we will have an adult chaperone watching over everyone. Please remind your student, as always, to obey the chaperone on the first request.

We have such a great group of students and we are excited for this new semester.

Thank you parents for your commitment and support.

Your Thursday Connection Board

Procedure for Hiring Teachers

We’ve had a lot of you approach us about teaching in the future. This is our procedure for hiring teachers:

Submission of a resume/ potential classes to administrator by January.

Interview by several board members in January/ early February-we determine if an interview is appropriate once we start putting together a “skeleton schedule” of what our returning teachers will be offering.

Check references and background check if teacher seems like a good fit and if it appears that there might be room in the schedule for the class.

We look for teachers who are passionate about their subjects. We do not look for teachers who want to teach a class, just to be teaching a class. We do sometimes hire good “all around” teachers who are simply passionate about teaching.

We receive many resumes each year, so please don’t be offended if we find we can’t use you the following year.

Tuition Information

Please remember that tuition is due on the first Thursday of each month. If you’ll bring your checks already made out, you’ll save yourself some time on Thursday. You don't need to place them in an envelope. Just drop them in either tuition box; there is one near the scanner and one on Wendy's table. Thank You Very Much!!

 If you forget to drop your check in the box and want to avoid late fees, you may mail your checks to me at:

Wendy Barnett
8405 Northshore Dr.
Knoxville, TN 37919

Checks must be received by the following Tuesday to avoid late fees

Did you know that you can write your tuition/ materials fees for the whole semester at any time? If late fees or multiple checks are an issue for you, paying all at one time may help you.

Class Schedules

Please make sure that your child has his/ her schedule on his person. We have stickers available on the sign in table that can be placed on the back of the ID badges-this is the preferred method for us to be able to help the children find their way around. This is especially important if you are a new family or if your child will have a different schedule than first semester.

Classes Using Engrade

If your students are in classes that use Engrade.com for grading / assignments, please make sure they have signed themselves up on the website. Many students have not yet done so and therefore cannot access homework assignments, nor receive messages sent out by the teachers.

Students need to select a username and password, and then use the access code provided by their teacher to link them to their classes. If they experience difficulties, they need to contact the relevant teacher.

Ms. Bowman's Classes

Here is the website for Ms. Bowman's Forensic Science, Adobe Photoshop and Thinking Outside The Box Classes: www.usaschool.us

Family Liaison

Thursday Connection has a contact person for those interested in joining our group. Ellen Kimball is our liaison for new families. She will be happy to answer questions for any new families interested in our group. Ellen may be reached at  ellen@thursdayconnection.org. 

Weather and Illness Reminder

If Knox County Schools close due to winter weather, we will do likewise. We do not delay if they delay-we run on a regular schedule. If they close for Flu or sickness, we do not close.

Please keep you children home if they have any symptoms of illness-this is very important in the light of the flu invasion we’ve had in east Tennessee. We will be instructing our teachers to send any children that they are concerned about out of the classroom. We will be calling parents for pick up of sick children, but at that point other children will have already been exposed, so please take a good look at them in the morning and if it seems possible that they might be coming down with something, please keep them home.

The Thursday Connection guidelines about sickness are copied below, but mostly if you (as a volunteer) or your child have a fever or a bad cough or vomiting or diarrhea, please make arrangements to switch shifts with another volunteer or if it’s your child who is sick, do not bring your child to co-op. We don’t want you to share your sickness with others. Thanks!

1. Illness:

a. Excessive cough or runny nose—clear, yellow, or green from nose, throat or eyes. The only exception to this is allergic symptoms that have been diagnosed as allergic by a doctor. If your child has a bad cold and you can alleviate their symptoms with antihistamines and/ or cough suppressants, so that they are not “shedding” the virus constantly throughout the day, they are welcome to attend.

b. Bacterial infections that are treated by antibiotics—please make sure that your child has been on the antibiotic regimen at least 24 hours before returning to class—this would include such things as pink eye and strep throat.

c. Vomiting, diarrhea, or fever—your child should be symptom free for at least 24 hours before coming to class.

d. Rash—do not bring your child to class with any rash UNLESS it has been diagnosed by a doctor as non-contagious.

Thanks for cooperating.

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