Notes from Mrs. Barrett

School Will be Starting Soon

BarrettM — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:25:06 +0000

Dear Frontier Families,
The summer is flying by and school will be starting on August 31st. There is still time to do your summer reading, so please check the website to see what books are eligible for your grade level. Also, schedules and middle school team placements will be mailed on August 16th. If there is a problem with your schedule please call the guidance office to schedule an appointment. There will be no changes made to the team placements.

Enjoy your remaining weeks of summer and we will see you on the 31st.

Marti Barrett

Dress Code

Administration — Thu, 13 May 2010 02:53:22 +0000

Dear Families,

It is that time of year when the warm weather encourages everyone to wear summer attire. The problem begins when summer attire turns to beach attire at school. The trend this year seems to be very short, shorts. To put it bluntly, body parts should not exposed when a student is walking, bending over, etc. Nor, do I or any other teacher want to see your child’s underwear exposed because their pants are falling off their bodies.

So, please check what your children are wearing before they leave the house. Clothing should be appropriate for the activity and the weather, but over exposure will get them in trouble. Students who are dressed inappropriately will be asked to change and their parents will be called.

Thank you for your support.

Marti Barrett

Cell Phone Usage in School

BarrettM — Fri, 07 May 2010 12:55:49 +0000

Dear Families,

As you have undoubtedly heard in the news, cell phone usage at schools is becoming increasingly problematic. Our current policy allows for students to have cell phones in their possession during the school day, but to have them turned off. We are fairly liberal in extending that policy and we do allow students to use their phones during lunch. However, we are finding that an increasing number of students are using them throughout the day, in many cases talking to their parents. We ask that you do not call your child during the school day on their cell phone. If it is an emergency, please call the main office and we will get the message to them.

If we do not see some improvement in this practice we may be forced to take more drastic steps. We appreciate your support.

Be mindful of speed when picking up children

Administration — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:01:31 +0000

Parents, I know there is a strong desire to pick-up your children at the end of the day so that you “beat” the busses, but please be mindful of your speed. We have had some near misses lately and we would hate for someone to get hurt because of impatience.

NEASC visiting Frontier April 11th – 14th

Administration — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:00:18 +0000

Beginning on Sunday, April 11th and concluding on Wednesday, April 14th, we will have a visiting team of 15 people, fellow educators from New England, to review all aspects of our school for our accreditation. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is our accreditation commission and we are reviewed every ten years. We have devoted all of our professional development time in the last two years to review our Mission and Expectations, Curriculum and Instruction and Assessment. Committees have been formed with faculty, students and parents to critically examine our strengths and areas in which we need to improve.

A panel presentation will take place on Sunday, April 11th from 1:45 until 2:55 in the auditorium. At this time faculty members will present a synopsis of their reports. The public is invited to hear these reports.

Mentors in Violence Prevention

Administration — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:53:33 +0000

On March 3rd, twenty-five students, sophomores and juniors, selected by the faculty, participated in a Mentors in Violence Prevention Program/ Students were selected for their leadership qualities, whether positive or negative. The definition of leadership that faculty were given was: “one who others follow, has charisma, is successfully persuasive, and has a natural ability to influence others in positive or negative ways.” The training took place two years ago and we are hoping to continue it at least on an every other year basis. The four goals of the MVP Program are to raise awareness, challenge thinking, open dialogue, and inspire leadership. In summation, the statement that I feel characterizes the program is: “utilizing a bystander approach to prevention, the MVP Program views students/atheletes and student leaders, not as potential perpetrators or victims, but, as empowered bystanders who can confront and approach abusive peers.”

We also had an assembly presented by “PFLAG,” parents, families and friends, of lesbian and gays. Their belief is that a community should accept diversity and that only with support, respect, dignity, and equality for all, will we reach our full potential as human beings. Both of these programs, the MVP, and the PFLAG, were an attempt to expose and confront some of the difficult issues of bullying.

Homework and Absences

BarrettM — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:40:26 +0000

With the flu season upon us I thought I would remind parents about homework when your kids are sick. Students returning from a short term excused absence(up to 5 consecutive days) are given 1 day for each day absent to make up work. We are not expecting students to be working when they are home sick. If they are recovering at home and are up to doing some work, parents may request from the guidance office to have a work packet put together, but generally this does not happen until a child has been absent for at least two to three consecutive days. Our primary concern is that they rest and get well.

Thoughts about safety

BarrettM — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:17:11 +0000

I have learned that there is a potential safety hazard that is taking place in the back parking lot. Apparently some parents are choosing to drop their children off in the back faculty parking lot in the morning, especially if their children have sports equipment, i.e., golf clubs etc. I understand the desire to do so, however, this can create a dangerous situation. I would recommend that parents use the main driveway to do this. I know this can be a pain because the traffic is often backed up, but if you come before 7:25 or after 7:40 it should not be a problem.