Principal's Pen

Happy Fall!

2011-11-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the principal!
Well, the first quarter of school is already over, the parents can expect report cards to come home on November 10th. If you haven't already scheduled a conference with your child's teacher on November 7th, please call the school or send in a note to your child's teacher to reserve a conference time!

We just recognized our outstanding students last week at our first quarter awards assembly. Students who had perfect attendance received a red "dog tag" to put on a keychain or a bookbag. Honor roll students and Bulldog Scholars received a red and white window sticker to display proudly in your car window. Students in grades 3-5 with excellent behavior received a "Tracks to Success" magnet for the refrigerator or the car. We are proud of our excellent citizens and scholars! We will be scheduling an awards assembly every quarter to recognize our outstanding students.

The holidays are just around the corner, too. Tickets will be on sale soon for the annual PTO Santa Breakfast on December 3rd. This popular event sells out every year, so be sure to get your tickets early. Also, mark your calendar for the next PTO meeting and holiday concert on December 15th. We are sure to find a way to get you and your family into the holiday spirit.

Back to School Night!

2011-09-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Greetings! We are well into the new school year and things are going very well. We are pleased to welcome many new students and their families to our school this year. Our teachers are busy teaching and our students are busy learning--it's a great place to be. Our Back to School Night is scheduled for next Monday, September 26th. There will be a PTO general meeting in the cafeteria beginning at 6:30PM, where our PTO officers will introduce themselves and present information about some exciting events that are happening this year. The meeting will be followed by a brief presentation from me, and then parents and students will be invited to visit classrooms to see where the learning is happening in our school! We hope that you will be able to join us next Monday evening.

Happy Summer!

2011-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Parents and Students! Well, the hot days of summer are upon us and we are busy preparing for the new school year. Custodians are cleaning the building, and we have had a lot of work done on the grounds with new plantings and mulch. The school office is open Mondays through Thursdays from 7:00-5:00, if you need to come in to register students or to have any questions answered.
Parents of incoming Kindergarten students can expect a placement letter in the mail the week of August 1st with teacher and orientation information. Mark your calendar for meet the teacher day on August 22 from 12:00-7:00 for all students in 1st-5th grades!

Spring is here!

2011-03-08T12:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings! Spring is here, and learning is in the air! Our 2nd grade students are getting ready for their China Day celebration this Friday, complete with a feast of delicious Chinese treats! Our Kindergarten students are getting ready for their Potato Feast in celebration of St. Patrick's Day on March 17th. The very next day, our 4th graders will celebrate Colonial Day with a long-awaited trip to Jamestown. Students and teachers are busy reading and "mathematizing", too, in preparation for our state assessments which will take place in May. Please check our calendar of events to keep up to date on what's happening at school.

Winter welcome!

2011-01-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

We are now in the second semester of the school year and it is a delight to see the growth that our students are making. We are in the midst of mid-year benchmark assessments to see what students have learned since the fall. Teachers will use this information to plan their instruction. We've had some special days to celebrate learning like Greek and Roman Day in third grade last week and Senses Day in Kindergarten this week. Students are having fun while finding out how music, art, PE and technology make the curriculum come alive! Fourth-graders are looking forward to their trip to Jamestown in March, and second graders are excited about their upcoming trip to the National Zoo in April. There are lots of exciting things happening to keep away those winter blues. Come in and see what's happening!

Christmas Greetings

2010-12-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

Hello from the principal's desk! We enjoyed a festive music concert last evening with performances of our AGR Stars (chorus) and combined AGR and Pearl Sample bands! Both groups performed so well, and kudos to Mr. Gibson and Mr. Roach for making music come alive for our students.

We are celebrating the holiday season with many activities, music assemblies, caroling, and making Christmas treats and crafts. It truly is a magical time of the year! I wish all of the AGR staff, students and their families a wonderful Christmas holiday!

Happy Holidays!

2010-11-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the Principal's desk! The holidays are just around the corner and our school is busy with activities to celebrate these special events. Our Kindergarten students, dressed as Native Americans and Pilgrims, will share Thanksgiving songs and a feast on November 23rd. Parents are welcome to join us for this celebration!

Tickets are now on sale for the PTO annual Santa Breakfast on December 4th from 8-11AM, but they are going fast. Children can have their photo taken with Santa Clause, enjoy a delicious breakfast as a family, and shop for Christmas gifts on sale by various vendors.

Our next PTO meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 9th at 6:30PM, followed by our Christmas concert at 7:00PM. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than listening to children singing? We are excited (well, we really are all kids inside!) about these events and sharing them with our students.

Hope to see you "decking the halls" of our school this season!

It's October already?

2010-10-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

Here we are in the middle of October. What a great beginning to the school year! We are administering quarterly assessments now to see how our students are performing. Our small reading groups are working well, and most importantly, students are having fun while they learn!

Please note that the end of the nine weeks is getting close, which means that parent-teacher conferences are right around the corner. They are scheduled for Tuesday, November 2nd from 12:00-7:00PM. Be sure to schedule a time with your child's teacher to see what you can do together to help your child learn. If you have not yet picked up your parent portal information (for students in grades 2-5), please stop by the office to pick up your letter. You can log in at your convenience to check on your child's grades.

Fall is already here

2010-09-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Where has September gone? The school year has gotten off to a great start, and students and teachers are all about the business of learning. We are using our assessment data to finalize reading groups, and teachers are working together to plan exciting learning activities for our students. When I was asked recently by a community member how the school year started, I responded that it went very smoothly, but it felt like going from zero to eighty miles an hour! There's a lot of great stuff going on and it's very exciting. The PTO Book Fair opens on October 1st and runs through October 14th with a Family Night scheduled on the 7th. School pictures are scheduled for October 6th. The PTO is planning its first PTO Fall Festival on October 16th, too. Check back often to the website to stay current on all school happenings! Want to get involved? Come on in and complete a volunteer application. We would love to work with you!

Back to School Night

2010-09-09T10:31:00.001-07:00

We are looking forward to seeing our parents and students at Back to School night tonight! The events begin with a PTO meeting at 6PM in the cafeteria. At 6:30PM, I will make a few remarks, and then the classrooms will be open from 6:35 until 8:00PM. Please come and see what your children have been doing the first 11 days of school!

We're in full swing!

2010-08-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it through our opening days of school and things went so well! It is great to see our students and everyone is getting settled quickly into their new classrooms.

We have implemented a new afternoon dismissal procedure with teachers walking all students to their buses and to car riders. As a result, our dismissal time is a bit later and car riders are being called at 2:50PM. This is a later time than last year; parents who are picking up their children are requested to arrive at 2:45PM and not before, so we can keep Simms Drive clear for bus traffic.

Thanks to everyone for a great opening!

Meet the Teachers!

2010-08-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

We hope you have next Monday, August 23rd on your calendar to come to school from 12:00-7:00PM to meet the teachers! Student placements will be posted in the lobby by grade level. You can find your child's name and go straight to the classroom to meet the teacher. Please bring your child's school supplies, too! The PTO will have spirit items for sale and the cafeteria manager, Mrs. Edwards, will be on site to help you put money on your child's lunch account. Also, student agendas, which are mandatory for students in grades 2-5, will be on sale for $5.00. We are excited to see our new students!

Kindergarten Orientation

2010-08-03T05:07:00.000-07:00

Parents of incoming Kindergartners can expect a letter in the mail this week with information about a date to meet with your child's teacher for orientation. Orientation appointments will start the week of August 9th and will last about 45 minutes. If you have a conflict with your appointment, please call the school to reschedule. If you have not received a letter by August 9th, please contact the school for more information. We look forward to seeing you!

Welcome!

2010-07-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Principal's Pen, a new site for information about happenings at A.G. Richardson Elementary School! We hope that you will check this blog often for updates and news. We are looking forward to seeing our parents and students on Visitation Day, August 23rd, from 12:00-7:00PM.