The Home School Connection

Phone: 720.289.9230 - Fax: 720.289.9230 - Email: info@wwahomeschool.org - Website: wwahomeschool.org

August 2018

Welcome back! After a two month break HSC is back in session and we're getting ready for a brand new school year. If you are a new family please take a moment to read through the entirety of this newsletter so you are familiar with our pick-up/drop-off procedure, as well as what your HSC student should bring to class, and our general classroom expectations and behavior.

If you a returning family please scroll through to see information on our upcoming Outdoor Lab meeting, Talent Show Submissions, and a little excerpt on our new director!

Important Dates & Upcoming Events

Aug 8th - Westminster BACK TO SCHOOL Event

Aug 9th - Evergreen BACK TO SCHOOL Event

Aug 10th - Lakewood BACK TO SCHOOL Event

Aug 13th - 17th - First Day of Classes

Aug 27th - Sept 7th - Talent Show Admissions Accepted

Sep 3rd - NO SCHOOL Labor Day

Back to School, 2018

Welcome to The Home School Connection! If you are a returning family, we are so glad to have you and your child(ren) joining us again this year! If you are new to HSC, we want to offer you a very warm welcome and we feel so honored that you are sharing your child with us one day each week. I know they’ll have a wonderful year!

We are excited to offer your child a variety of fun and educational classes. In order to help you gain more information about the classes and teachers, the teacher’s biographies are available on our website, if you have any questions, they have provided you with contact information; I know they would love to hear from you.

This newsletter entry highlights important details about the program. I know it's a lot to digest, but it will live in the Archives section of the newsletter for the remainder of the year. Please let me know if you have any questions after reading over this newsletter. I am looking forward to working with you and your children. Should you need anything, please feel free to call or email!

Happy 2018-2019 :)

-Ms. Chelsea

720.289.9230

cminshull@wwahomeschool.org

Back to School Events

Visit our Calendar page for dates/times!

Classroom Maps

Lakewood Westminster Evergreen

School Schedules

LAKEWOOD - Mondays, 8:40-3:20 or Fridays, 8:40-2:50

WESTMINSTER - Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 8.30-2.50

EVERGREEN - Thursdays, 9.15-3.20

Daily Schedules

Class Schedules

Drop Off Procedure

Doors will open 10 minutes before classes begin so children can get items put away and be ready when class begins.
Students will put their lunch in the buckets located in or near the lunch room
Children are expected to be in class by the start time so teachers can begin on time.
Parents can walk students to their first period class.
Parents can drop off without coming in (please do not let your child cross the parking lot by themselves).
First period teachers will sign them in.

USE EXTREME CAUTION IN THE PARKING LOT - WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP EVERY CHILD AND EVERY FAMILY SAFE!!!

Pick Up Procedure

We offer both a walk-up and a drive-through option for afternoon pickup. We encourage families to do whatever works best for them.
Pickup times vary by day/location. Lakewood Mondays - 3:20, Westminster Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 2:50, Evergreen Thursdays, 3:20, and Lakewood Fridays, 2:50.
Parents should pick up within 10 minutes of dismissal time. Please be prompt as we only rent the churches for a small amount of time after dismissal, and keep in mind too that the teachers and directors have kids and families that they are excited to get home to after a wonderful day with your kiddos!
Children will be dismissed to parents or others the parent has authorized by their enrollment paperwork or an email to the director.
If the teacher does not know the person who is picking up, they may ask for ID (so please warn those on your pick up list).

Pick up procedures by location: Lakewood Westminster Evergreen

Late Pick Up Policy

Children who are left at the program 20 minutes past dismissal (specific times below) will be charged $1.00 per minute, per child. At this time, we will also begin calling all emergency contacts we have on file. If we cannot reach any contacts and the child is still at the program after an additional 20 minutes (40 minutes past dismissal) the authorities/social services may be notified.

Mondays - Arrival Window: 8.30-8.40, dismissal: 3.20 (late charges begin at 3:40)

Tuesdays - Arrival Window: 8.20-8.30, dismissal: 2.50 (late charges begin at 3:10)

Wednesday - Arrival Window: 8.20-8.30, dismissal: 2.50 (late charges begin at 3:10)

Thursday - Arrival Window: 9.05-9.15, dismissal: 3.20 (late charges begin at 3:40)

Friday - Arrival Window: 8.30-8.40, dismissal: 2.50 (late charges begin at 3:10)

*All non-staff (excluding students) must be out of the building within 15 minutes of dismissal

I recommend using the buddy system and finding a friend or two you can call on days you’re running behind to see if they can hang with your kiddos and play outside for a bit until you get there. There was a link to the directory in this month’s newsletter email. That is a great tool to help you find a buddy!

Thank you for being respectful of the HSC staff & our families!

We love to see the community building that happens after school on the playground so after you pick them up, feel free to let your kids hang out and play for a while after school so you can meet and visit with other homeschooling parents!

USE EXTREME CAUTION IN THE PARKING LOT - WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP EVERY CHILD AND EVERY FAMILY SAFE!!!

Medical

Students requiring medication (including Tylenol, inhalers, Benadryl, & Epi Pens) will need a completed form prior to medication being allowed at school. This form must be completed by your doctor and is available from Ms. Chelsea or Ms. Kelly. The Home School Connection cannot give any medication without a completed medication form. Students are not allowed to carry medication unless such an agreement has been made between the student, parents, doctor, our Nurse, and the director. If you need a medication form, talk to Ms. Kelly prior to the first day of school so we’re all set when school begins!

Asthma Allergies All Medications (including over the counter – read more here)

What should my child bring to HSC each week?

Before you send anything to HSC, please make sure all items are labeled with your child’s (or family) name, Lost & Found is donated every 4 weeks!

Snack (Kindergartners should bring 2 snacks) * **
Lunch * **
Water Bottle - Help protect property & make sure the water bottle does not leak! Water Bottles should be filled with WATER! Please no juice, milk (oh, those get gross!), or any other beverages.
Weather appropriate clothes (we will play outside for recess as often as possible so please help your child dress appropriately!)
Tennis Shoes if required by one of your child’s classes.
Other class-specific required items (instruments, cameras, etc.)

*Microwaves, silverware, plates, napkins, etc. are NOT available for student use so please make sure your child’s lunch and snack are ready to eat!

**Our Evergreen campus is a nut-free facility. Please be respectful of this policy and refrain from sending your child with items that contain nuts.

All other schools supplies will be provided by The Home School Connection.

From time to time, teachers may request materials (usually recycled) for a project - make sure you check out the newsletter each month to find out what they need!

Toys, Mp3 Players, Cell Phones, Etc.

Leave them at home!

Over the years at HSC & in classrooms, I have seen many of these very special items disappear, I don’t want this to happen to your child so they are not allowed at The Home School Connection. If a HSC staff member becomes aware of a student having one of these items, Ms. Chelsea will hold on to (to ensure safe-keeping) it until the end of the day. Students are welcome to use the HSC phone if they need to call a parent during the day. There may be times during the semester when a teacher requests these items for an activity in their classroom. Students who would like to participate in that activity must follow the guidelines given by the teacher.

Absences

If your child will be absent, please call or email the director no later than 9:45 on the day of the absence. While we know that HSC is supplemental to the education you are providing your children at home, many of our classes require steady attendance to be successful. If your child misses 3 (three) or more weeks in a semester without notification of the HSC Director, they will be unregistered from the program. If they would like to return to HSC, they will have to be reregistered at the next semester if there is space available.

The only exception to this is during our October Count window. This is the two week window when we report attendance to the state to receive funding. We love being able to provide your children with quality teachers, classes, and materials and the funding we receive during this window is the ONLY reason we are able to do that.

The October Count window begins on September 24th and ends on October 8th. Student attendance is very important during this window, students may not miss more than one day during these 2 weeks.

Expectations at The Home School Connection

Each year, students & teachers work together to design expectations for each class. All students will be included in & expected to follow these guidelines. Each teacher will let you know what their student’s created in their first newsletter. When students struggle to follow the expectations we will utilize the Recovery Process:

1. A kind reminder of the expectations

2. Recovery break (student is removed from the activity - in or outside of the classroom)

3. A visit to the director who will decide what actions need to be taken in order to ensure the individual’s success for the remainder of the day.

The Home School Connection follows the “PONIES” to ensure a safe and fun school day!

PONIES:

P is for Permission for leaving your classroom to see Ms. Danielle or go to the bathroom
O is for Others so never forgot to treat one another with tons of respect
N is for Neatness at lunch and in class always remember to clean up your trash
I is for in In Line as in line-up straight after recess, before class please stand and wait
E is for Eating but never while learning, food is for lunch time and snack in the morning
S is for Stuff as in toys of all kinds leave them at home, school is for you and your mind

Talent Show

Our annual HSC Talent show is quickly approaching! If your child is interested in participating in this year's talent show please take a minute to read through the talent show rules and how to submit an act for performances:

Submissions for the talent show will be accepted starting August 27th (the google doc form will be turned on around 8 am) through Sept. 7th.

Link to the google doc: https://goo.gl/forms/DJDTjQramIiYWvQh1

No late submissions will be taken
Acts should be no more than 3 minutes (time your act at home if possible!)
All acts MUST fill out the google doc form - it is the easiest way for Miss Hayley to stay organized
Not all technology is available for the talent show (i.e. no microphones or projectors due to the difficulty of set-up/take-down, travel, and successful usage in the variety of spaces)
If any props or costumes are necessary, students should be able to provide those from home
Students may be asked to share their act with Miss Hayley prior to the performance to receive approval
Be Creative! This is the best time for students to try out new things or share things they love to do with the whole school!
Any questions or concerns can be directed to Miss Hayley: hcotton@wwahomeschool.org

Performances will be September 17th through the 21st. Students will have a shortened class schedule during this week. Talent Show start times will be posted closer to the week of the show. Good luck, we can't wait to see what our talented kiddos have planned for this year!

Meet Our New Director

Hello HSC Families,

My name is Chelsea Minshull and I am really excited to come join the HSC family as the new Director! I’ve had the chance to visit all three sites and there is such a warm, happy atmosphere at each one. I feel fortunate to come be a part of it. A little bit about me…

I am originally from upstate NY, Rochester to be exact. I moved to Colorado in 1998 after visiting a few times and realizing how beautiful and sunny it is! Before working as a Director at The Sunshine House and an Assistant Director at Primrose, I was a teacher of Prek students for many years. Currently, I am the Enrollment Secretary at Woodrow Wilson Academy. I also teach Food Experience (an elective for 8^th graders), and I tutor 1^st-5^th graders each afternoon. I am also the staff appointed make-up artist and “glitter girl” when needed. J

I live in Westminster with my two daughters, Ella (10 years old) and Audrey (8 years old) and our dog Chloie. My parents moved here in 2009 after realizing I wouldn’t be leaving beautiful Colorado! It’s nice having extended family close by.

I look forward to meeting everyone next week, have a great weekend!

Kind regards,

Chelsea Minshull

Outdoor Lab

HSC is coming to Outdoor Lab! Eligible six graders will be able to participate in our first ever Outdoor Lab field trip. An information meeting for parents is soon to follow, please watch your emails and follow us on social media so you don't miss out on any important dates!

Summer Photo Contest

Over the summer we had our second ever photo contest. The turn out with great with over a 100 entries between Facebook and Instagram! Our winners will be announced during our Back to School week and are set to win an HSC Water bottle. Make sure you're following us on our social media pages so you don't miss out on fun contests like this!