Welcome to the first of the “BER” months! September is here, and I couldn’t be happier. Fall is one of my favorite times of year—the cooler mornings, changing leaves, football, pumpkin everything, and the feeling of a fresh start. Most of all, I have loved having our Cottonwood students back in the building these past few weeks.
have been so impressed with them! They have jumped into new routines, worked hard, and brought so much energy and excitement to our school. We have hit the ground running, and I am forecasting great things ahead!
A quick reminder as we settle into our routines: school begins at 8:35—not 8:40. Our new master schedule is designed to maximize learning, which means instruction begins the moment the bell rings.
Please plan for your child to arrive to school no later than 8:30 so they can start the day off on the right foot without a rush. Those extra few minutes in the morning can make a big difference in starting the day calmly and successfully.
Regular attendance matters too! Every day and every minute of learning counts. Please avoid coming late and checking out early.
As we head into a new school year, here are a few reminders I love:
“Children don’t need perfect parents. They need present parents.”
Ask your child about their day, but instead of only asking “How was school?”, try:
- What was the best part of your day?
- What made you laugh today?
- What was something that was tricky?
- Who did you help today?
- What is something new you learned?
And remember, connection before correction. Kids will have hard days, make mistakes, and sometimes come home with a very dramatic version of what happened at school. Sometimes the best first response is simply to listen, hug them, and remind them that tomorrow is a new day.
So let’s make September the month we recommit to the basics: be here, be on time, be ready to learn, and make every day count.
Because at Cottonwood, we don’t just hope for great things for our kids—we show up and help make them happen.
