New Semester Starts This Friday!!

Post date: Sep 13, 2018 12:10:35 AM

Hello Rising-Uppers! This Friday is the start of our new semester! We are looking forward to seeing you all and being able to have fun and encourage each other during this new school year. We apologize but this announcement will be LONG, but ask that you please read through it all. Note that the cleanup crews will be listed in the announcements now, so you will have to check here to see if you are on the schedule and where you are located for cleaning.

1. Arrival - On the FIRST day of co-op we ask that you arrive to the church by 9:40 at the latest, so that you can attend to payment of fees and also to make sure you and your kids know where to go. When you come into the building, you will enter through the door under the awning area which connects the educational building and the church. This foyer area is where you hang your jackets. The welcome table will be located in the gym by the stage; please grab your name tags from the mailboxes on the tables and then go to your family number. This semester, we will ask the kids to come and sit in the middle of the floor facing us as we do the announcements. We hope this keeps the focus on the announcements and then allows for an easier dismissal to classes.

Dismissal to classes will be a little different as we will not be holding up signs, but we will be announcing the classes and then asking that the teacher or teacher's helper lead the kids to the classroom. The initial classes to dismiss will remain the same; nursery and preschool. Those of you who have babies and preschoolers will need to take your kids to their classrooms.

2. The first hour will be given a five minute cleanup reminder at 10:55. During this time, the kids will help the teachers clean up and prepare for release. Then at 11:00 the kids will be dismissed to their second hour class. We will blow a whistle indicating the release of class.

3. When second hour is released at 12:00, parents of the babies and preschoolers must go to the classroom to pick up your children. These classrooms are all located on the second floor. All other kids will go directly to their respective family numbers in the gym to await their family. Please be advised that there is a funeral this Friday at the church and the parking lot must be cleared as soon as possible, so we must make our exit quickly this meet.

4. We have a leadership team now! The leaders this year are Emily Hoffman, Amy Wharton, Gloria Huston, Ericka Newton and Courtney Perez. These ladies have been vital in the preparing for this coming semester. If you have any questions, they are available to help answer your questions. They will have the class roster and know where classes are located.

5. Cleaning responsibilities - the following persons are signed up for clean up this Friday. Check out the tab above titled "Co-op Information" for the clean up zone and check off list. Also, the duties for each zone will be on laminated sheets on the welcome table, as well as a map of the building showing where the zones are located. If you have any questions regarding your duties, please connect with Courtney, Angela or Amanda.

6. Your attendance is vital to the functioning of the co-op; however, if your family is sick, please contact us as soon as possible via our email address risingupcoop@gmail.com. We are typically at the church preparing for co-op by 9:00 a.m. on meet days, so we ask that you email us well before that time as our phones do not always have reasonable service at the church.

7. Field trips have been arranged for us by the lovely Emily Hoffman. We will be going to the Grand Rapids Museum in September, and the next field trip will be at Lewis Farm Market. If you would like to attend the field trips (registration for the Grand Rapids Museum is now closed), please keep a look out for information on Rising Up's Facebook page or your email.

8. Our Facebook page is great to be a part of. If you want to be a part of this group and are not, you will have to request admission to the group. We administrators will approve the add. Please note that this site is only for current semester Rising Up members ONLY. This is a place where we can connect, request help, and you are welcome to use this platform to invite members to get together! Just remember to NOT post photos on this site.

9. Our website is where our announcements will be posted and much of the current semester's information. Please sign up to receive website updates via email! Also, the calendar on our website will be current throughout the semester with field trips and meet days.

10. Grocery bags and t-shirts. We still have many of these items and they are still for sale! The bags are $3.00 each or 3/$8.00. T-shirts are $7.00 each. If you are interested, these items will be on the welcome table for purchase.

PHEW! Thank you for reading through all of this! If you have any questions at all, please email us. We want your family experience to be the best possible experience. See you FRIDAY!