Please Respect the Property of Others

Parents,

Please remind your children that they need to respect the property of other students. Playing “keep away” or catch with other students bags or belongings should not be done. Please remind them that even if a bag is left unattended it should not be touched-just let an adult know that it is there. One student had a camera broken on Thursday because someone decided to toss his bag. Please remind your students that it may seem like a harmless game but they never know what is may be inside the bag.

Thanks.

Parking

If you don’t have a parking permit on your vehicle, you need to come and get one immediately. We have had several vehicles parked in strange places lately and have been unable to identify the drivers. If you park illegally and we can’t identify your vehicle to ask you to move it, we will need to have these towed in the future. Please make sure that you only park in the marked parking spaces. Do not park in the basement area on the pavement or the grass (the few spots down there are reserved for teachers who need to unload). Do not park under the portico. Do not park on the grass.

Update on Middle and High School Rules

1. ONLY leave through the upstairs scanner if you are LEAVING FOR THE DAY

2. Starting this week there will be a sign out sheet and a monitor at the breakroom door that goes out to the picnic tables.

***ONLY HIGH SCHOOL can go out. YOU MUST SIGN OUT!

3. You may be at the picnic tables. **NOT in the parking lot.

4. Middle School can leave after scanning out, and wait for their parents in the courtyard only at the end of their day.

5. If there are extra volunteers, and someone can monitor, a younger group may be taken outside with supervision.

We will be monitoring this closely and will have the same person at the door every week. There will be ONE (1) warning for not complying with these rules. After that, you will not be allowed outside for the rest of the semester.

Please relay this to all teens, and make sure they know the rules. We take the security of our Coop seriously and hope that everyone will do your best to comply with our policies to protect your children.

Update on Volunteer Rules

1. If you are volunteering, your children must abide by coop rules if they are not in a class.

No children should ever be allowed to go to the playground alone. Even if the parent says okay and is working. That is a dangerous situation with the parking lot so close. A couple incidents have been brought to our attention and we will be monitoring the playground closely.

Please remember that if all are not following the rules, that just means that we have to have more volunteers and people to cover more area. It could mean a need for extra shifts by all. You can help by passing along any rules to newcomers or people who may just not know.

Vandalism Issues

Parents, please note that we have had an issue with vandalism in two different boys bathrooms –this occurred sometime during the day during orientation.

Please talk with your students about this.

If the board is able to determine who is responsible for this, there will be immediate action taken.

We have a very good working relationship with this church and do not want to destroy this because our students think it is funny to cause plumbing issues. If any of you have any idea on how we can stop this type of behavior, we are all ears. We had the same issues on the last day of class in the Spring.

It is not funny-please counsel your students on this immediately.

Dress Code Violations

It’s still very warm out, so just wanted to send out a reminder that our dress code is in effect. Girls need to wear shirts that cover a standard bra strap.

Parents, please look closely at your daughter’s short length before they leave the home-you don’t want them to be embarrassed because we ask them to wear something over their shorts. If they are questionable, please have them change.

Thanks for understanding.

Dress modestly and do not wear offensive clothing.  Undergarments should be worn but not seen.  No midriffs or cleavage should show.  You will be asked to wear a T-shirt or pants of our choosing if the dress code is violated. 

Do Not Come to Co-op Sick

Please be considerate of others by not coming to co-op if you are sick. 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.

No Skateboarding Allowed

We have been informed that there is a “NO SKATEBOARDING” policy in effect at FCPC. Please remind your students of this rule.

Former Students

Also, as much as we love our former students, there is to be no loitering on the campus of anyone not associated with Thursday Connection currently. Siblings picking up students should be in/ out. The campus includes the building and the grounds. Thanks for understanding. They are not currently covered under our insurance.

Parking Lot Directions

Remember, the traffic flow in the parking lot goes one way only. It goes straight up the front driveway, all the way to the back. Then turning left, drive across the back of the lot, and make a circle toward the building and back around to the main driveway entrance. Please inform grandparents or others who need to know, but may not receive this e-mail, about this traffic pattern. Thanks.

We have been graciously allowed to use this building. We have to share it with several other groups. One of those is Jazzercise. Please do not park in their parking space that is closest to the back door. There is a sign in front of it. They have daytime classes while we are there and should be able to park in that spot as needed.

No Heelies Allowed

Please refrain from wearing “heelies” to Thursday Connection. We’ve had a lot of problems with scuff marks on the buffed floors. First Cumberland sent out a notice in one of their weekly bulletins asking their folks not to wear these shoes, and we want to respect this policy. Thanks for your cooperation.

General Information

If you are new to Thursday Connection, there are some things you should know. Please park in the back of the church and come in the courtyard entrance. There will be a badge scanner on the sign in table--everyone must scan their badges in and out each week; this is for safety and insurance reasons. You will have a family folder on the sign-in table; please check your folder each week.

If your child is a K-3rd grader, there are stickers to put on the back of their nametag. Please write their schedule on the sticker and place it on the back of their nametag. These nametags are to be worn at all times--this is how we know where they need to be. Please remind them of this. Please double check our schedule against yours--we try very hard, but there could be a mistake or two in the batch--PLEASE CHECK IT BEFORE YOU LEAVE. If there is a mistake, feel free to fix it yourself if you are sure we are wrong, then write a note to Mary and leave it in the tuition box, so that we can make sure it's right in our computer. Don't feel that you have to stand in line to see Mary--she will call you if there is a problem.

Speeding in the Parking Lot

There has been a report that there are several teens speeding in the parking lot. This is a VERY dangerous situation. Please remind your teen drivers that there are lots of children in the parking lot, and a small child can run out from between a row of cars in an instance.

They need to slow down when they enter the property and use great caution. We do have folks that are writing down descriptions of vehicles and license plate numbers—if necessary we will begin to send these out on email to help us identify the offenders. Hopefully, it won’t come to that and a simple reminder will work.

On the flip side, please make sure that your children understand the rules of safety in a parking lot. Please don’t allow your little ones to be roaming around without you once you are out of the building.

Thanks for your cooperation with these matters.

Are You A Member Of HSLDA?

If you are a registered and current member of the Home School Legal Defense Association, please send an email to mwegman@knology.net. Thank you!

Fire Drills

We have actually been giving much thought to fire safety as we prepare for the new semester. We had a fire marshal walk through the new building with us. The building passed inspection with no problem. He recommended a fire drill to practice the kids and we were planning one for this semester. 

Please remind your children that if there is a fire drill and they are for some reason not in a class (maybe they are in the bathroom), they should walk straight towards the nearest exit. An adult will always be at the doors to direct them (this will be written into job descriptions). An adult will always check the rest of the building, room by room and bathrooms before we are all clear. If they are in the break room, they need to line up with the kids and walk orderly out of the building with the group. Teachers will walk their students away from the building and stay in a group.

Knives

Please remind your children that knives of all types are banned from Thursday Connection. This includes hunting, fishing, pocket, etc. Any knives seen will be confiscated and only returned to the parent. Thanks for you help with this issue.

Outside Limits

Please remind your high schoolers that with adult permission, they may go outside to the picnic area in the back of the church. No other students will be allowed outside without parental supervision. 

No Tackle Football

If your child is one of those who love to play football, please remind them that they are not allowed to tackle, and the ball should not go into the road. This is becoming an increasing issue and is non-negotiable. If either of these things are witnessed this week, the game will be finished-please notify your children that this is now a “first offense” rule. Safety is very important and both of these things are dangerous. Assure them that there will be a better playing area at the new facility.

Thanks for your cooperation with these items.

Dispose of Gum Properly

Please remind your children that gum needs to be disposed of properly. We picked up several pieces of chewed gum off of the carpet and sidewalks last Thursday. Thank you.

No Loitering In the Halls

Please remind your children, teens, (and yourselves mom) that loitering is not allowed in the hallways. It is a distraction to classes in progress if there is a gathering outside the door. Please visit in the break room or outside.

Break Room Usage

If your child is spending more than one hour in the break room, you are responsible for paying the extra use fee. We will begin notifying you this week if your child is more than one hour. It seems that as the year progresses, everyone is getting more lax about the rules.

Honor Code When Doing Work At Home

There is another, more serious issue that seems to be popping up more frequently. Please remind your children of the rules/ honor code when doing work at home. Tests must be completed using the teachers’ rules. Most tests are not open book. Most tests are not to be done as groups. Most tests are to be signed by a parent. Over the past 2 weeks, we have had 4 high school teachers notify us that identical tests/ homework are being turned in by their students. Our goal is for your child to learn—our teachers are willing to help them in any way possible. Please encourage them to take the high road and not to do anything questionable. Also, if you have answer keys within your child’s reach, you may want to consider the temptation this may be to your child. If they turn in flawless work due to copying the answer key, but can’t do the work in class, they haven’t learned anything. Do you really want your child moving to the next level of math in this type of a situation? Of course, these things don’t involve the majority of our students, but it is popping up enough that we are becoming very concerned. Thanks for your attention to these matters.

Late Pick up Reminder

We are noticing that many kids are being picked up later and later. Remember, if your children aren’t picked up on time, no later than 4:45, you risk a late pick-up fee. Please be courteous to us and pick your child up on time. We are all very tired by the end of the day and want to go home. Extra children in the building make it very hard on our cleaning crew as well. If you have a delay in traffic, you must call Mary at 363-6815. This should be a very rare thing. Thank you for your careful attention to this matter.

Library Information

Please remind your children that the library is a “no talking” and "no eating” zone. This is very important with our relationship with the church.  I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but we really need to provide at least one quiet place where kids can study if they need to study. Also, if you are an adult who uses the library or monitors the library, please help us keep this room quiet. Thanks.

Headphones and Ear Buds

Please remind your children that these are not to be used during class time. If we see the ear buds in their ears during class, we will confiscate the player and a parent will need to claim it. The ear buds need to be off—we have no way of knowing if the player is on or not.

Please Ask Children To Clean Up After Themselves

Our cleanup crew is having a huge problem. At the end of the day, the food/ drink mess that they are cleaning up is causing them to spend lots of extra hours. We have addressed this with the teachers, but still are having issues. Please talk to your children about cleaning up after themselves. At our board meeting last night, we decided to give this 2 more weeks. If we continue to have issues, there will be a ban placed on food/ drink in the classroom except for teacher supported events (class parties, activities). Our clean up crew is spending too much time cleaning up after everyone else. Thanks for addressing this with your children.

Students Must Stay In Lunch Room Until 5 Minutes Before Class

Another issue...some of the children are eating quickly and then going to their next class…sometimes up to 20 minutes early. For many of our teachers, that is the only ½ hour they have for regrouping and sanity. Please instruct your children that they are to stay in the lunch area until 5 minutes before the class. Our volunteers will tell them when to leave.

Hall Monitor Positions

On the same line, our hall monitors are not doing their jobs because these kids shouldn’t be getting past them. Hall monitors need to stop children going up/ down the stairwell at times other than class times. Please, please read your job descriptions and follow them closely. Thank you.

Please Do Not Bring Visitors To Class Without Permission

Students are not allowed to bring friends with them to class, unless they have first asked permission from Mary or Wendy. Some of our classrooms are small here and are full with the students paying to take the class. Teachers should not be expected to teach to and discipline the extra students. If someone wants to try a class, and the class has openings, the parents should let Mary or Wendy know before class time. Thanks.

High School Break Room and Outside Privileges

Please remind your teens that if they go outside they must stay in designated area—to the side of the building in the playground and picnic areas. They need to enter and exit the break room area and must have permission from a break room personnel to do so. We have had lots of problems with them going out the break room area then coming in other doors. Please remind them that privilege carries responsibilities.

Because of liability, please do not climb trees on the church property.  Thanks for your cooperation.

Please do not play electric guitars or any other loud musical instruments anywhere near the building where it might disturb classes. Thank you.

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