Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Communication is Important

It’s hard to believe that we are over halfway through the month of September.  By now on ParentsWeb you should see some grades appearing in each of your child’s classes.  Under lesson plans you should be able to see what activities your child is doing in class as well as when they have homework, quizzes, tests, and projects due.  I encourage you and your child to check ParentsWeb daily.  If you do not yet have access or are having trouble accessing ParentsWeb, please contact our Director of Technology, Ginnie Lodge, at virginia.lodge@conestogachristian.net  and she will assist you.


One of the keys to your child’s success is communication. With ParentsWeb we are trying to provide you with information that will enable you to work and communicate with your child for his/her success. However, if you have any questions or concerns about a class, please contact your child’s teacher before contacting me or Mr. Parris about a classroom concern or issue. If after talking with the teacher you still have a concern, then contact me.


One bit of advice someone gave me in the past is if I have a major concern about something, I should not email but instead should call or set up an appointment. Often, emotions or assumptions can be read into emails that were not intended by the one writing the email.  With conversation, there is opportunity to hear tone of voice, see body language (if conferencing in person), ask questions, give feedback, and more quickly and easily resolve an issue.


Over the next month we have several things happening here at CCS. If you haven’t done so already, mark your calendars for the following events:


September 23   NHS Induction
September 24 See You at the Pole
September 25 Picture Day
September 26 HS Leadership Retreat
October 15 PSAT/Stanford Achievement Test - Grades 9-11
October 17 CCS Chicken Barbecue
October 18 CCS Country Auction


On September 23 our NHS induction will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the multipurpose room. Join us and celebrate with our new inductees.


On September 24 at 7:30 a.m. students and teachers from all grades will gather in the gym to participate in the annual See You at the Pole event to pray for our world, nation, community, and school.  Parents, grandparents, pastors, and youth leaders are invited to join us.  While we do not have a flagpole outside of CCS, we do display it in our HS building as a recognition of the blessings God has given us as citizens of the United States. However, we also recognize that for Christians, our ultimate and eternal citizenship is not of this world but is in His kingdom.


For the high school Leadership Retreat on September 26, student leaders (chaplains, NHS members, and Student Council members) will travel off campus to study leadership and develop a project that benefits and serves the high school student body at CCS.


On October 20, West-Mont Christian Academy in Pottstown, PA, is sponsoring a college fair for juniors and seniors. More than twenty colleges will be represented. Students who wish to attend should see Mr. Greenly to sign up.  There will be limited space for this event so sign up today!

Cell Phone Policy

Periodically, I will send out policy reminders in my blog. Here is a policy reminder now that we are well into the school year. Please note that:


Students in grades 9-12 may have their cell phones on during lunch and after school only. High school students may receive and send text messages during lunch and after school; however, during classroom instructional time all high school students must have their cell phones turned off - not just silenced. With teacher permission, students may use their cell phones.


After school starts we should only see and/or hear phones during lunch unless a student asks his/her teacher or a staff member for permission and it is granted.  Students do not have permission to use cell phones during breaks unless they have permission from their teacher or a staff member. After 2:39 p.m., they may then again use their phone.
Also, for safety's sake, students are expected not to use their phones when they are walking in the parking lot during dismissal.


If students are found using their phones at an inappropriate time or their phones are heard at an inappropriate time, they will be asked to turn over their cell phones and they will be given to me.  When a teacher or staff member ask students for their phones, students are expected to honor the request without argument or complaint.  If students have an issue in regards to the phones, they should discuss the issue with me when they see me later that day.
Failure to follow these expectations will result in restricted phone use and/or availability while on campus. It may also result in a parent conference being required in order for a student to receive his/her phone back.


As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the school, please feel to contact me.

Randy Hepler

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