Dear Families,

I hope you are starting to settle into your school-year routines. The staff and I are all very excited to have your children back at Edna Maguire and to welcome our new students.

This is our last year in our current building! Construction for interim housing begins next spring. We are committed to maintaining effective communication and building a strong community during this time of transition. To help us accomplish this, it's essential that you read ALL communication that comes through our website: ednamaguire.org, our bi-weekly newsletter, the Pony Express, and-- new this year--the Pony Scan and Plan (see the article below for more information). I urge you to bookmark www.ednamaguire.org and visit it frequently for important school news and information! Also, if you use Twitter, you can follow me at LisaZimmer1. I promise to post only Edna news and events!

With the large number of students we serve, we have created several initiatives to ensure a safe and cooperative environment. Please read all the information included in your first-day packet regarding parking, where to drop-off and pick-up students, carline and food guidelines to keep our students with allergies safe. You can also find this information on the website.

Speaking of food allergies, I would like to tell you about our Birthday Food/Treat Policy. If you wish to celebrate your child's birthday with his classmates, please bring FRUIT ONLY. Do not bring cookies, cupcakes or other baked goods! We will continue to celebrate with healthy food and limited sweet treats at our classroom parties for Halloween, Winter Holiday, Valentine's Day and end of the year. Thank you for your cooperation.

Our staff and parent leadership team have been working incredibly hard to prepare for a wonderful year. We look forward to enjoying the rich traditions that make Edna Maguire such a special place--and sharing some exciting new initiatives--with you!

Warm Regards,

Lisa Zimmer

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on September 7