Dear Parents and Guardians:

On behalf of the entire faculty and staff, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Ivy Drive School! The following handbook has been updated to assist you during the 2010-2011 school year. Please read the handbook carefully and review the contents with your child. You will want to save this handbook to use throughout the year. It can serve as a reference whenever you have questions regarding school policies, procedures, and activities.

Ivy Drive Elementary School is recognized as one of Bristol’s finest elementary schools. It is our intent to maintain our high expectations and standards of excellence! The development of a positive, safe learning environment in which all students can achieve to their fullest potential and become The Best They Can Be is our primary mission.

This academic year we will proceed on our “Journey to Excellence” by Discovering Connecticut. We will continue to strengthen our school community through our new peaceful playground program and existing character education program. We will also reach outside our school community through service projects as we continue to explore ways for each of us to “Be The Best That We Can Be.” Our School Rule, “Respect Yourself, Respect Others, Respect Your School” will guide all of our learning, choices, and actions. Throughout the year, we will continue to integrate character education traits into everything we do. We will also continue to integrate our Second Step Violence and Bully Prevention program to help students become effective problem-solvers. You can learn more about this program at www.cfchildren.org and on the Ivy Drive School Website. Specifically, your children will learn the steps to deal with anger and solve conflicts by learning:

Students will be acknowledged throughout the year for excellence in academics and for demonstrating qualities of good citizenship and character. Students will be inducted into the Ivy Drive Wall of Fame.

We will also continue our Ivy Drive Reader’s Club program. As students finish reading a book they will add a link to our school-wide book club chain. Each time our chain goes around the school, we will have a special activity to celebrate our reading success. We will also continue with our Just The Facts mad minute math program, including surprise Mystery Guests. This year there is a district focus as well as our school’s focus on making sure all of our students know their math facts. When students know their math facts, they have a much easier time solving mathematical equations, computations, and open-ended word problems.

As a faculty and staff, we strive to achieve high standards of excellence, and to insure that all students achieve a strong academic foundation in basic skills as well as becoming caring, responsible citizens. To achieve this goal, we are committed to open, honest communication and a strong partnership between you and all of us. Research has demonstrated time and again that students who are the most successful in school have parents or guardians who are actively engaged in their children’s learning. Therefore, we encourage you to get involved in your child’s education here at Ivy Drive School. You can do this in many different ways, such as: volunteering and visiting your child’s classroom; talking with your child and taking an active interest in what he or she is learning on a daily basis; communicating regularly with your child’s teacher(s) about issues and changes in your child’s life if they might impact learning and asking questions when you are unsure about something; making sure your child is “dressed for success” and appropriate for learning; insuring your child arrives to school on time, has his/her homework completed, and is ready to learn; supporting your child’s teacher(s); and most importantly, by encouraging your child to be the best that he or she can be every day!

All of us at Ivy Drive are very excited that you will be joining us as part of our school community this year. We want nothing more than to make this school year a positive learning experience for you and your child. Let’s join together and work hard to insure a safe and successful learning experience for your child and every student at Ivy Drive Elementary School.

If we can be of any assistance to you during the year, or if you have questions, concerns, or comments, please don’t hesitate to talk with your child’s teacher or contact me. You can reach me by phone at 584-7844, by email at rosievojtek@ci.bristol.ct.us, or by stopping by my office. You can also find a copy of this handbook along with other current information about our school on our website. The Bristol Public School website is www.bristol.k12.ct.us . Click on Our Schools and then Ivy Drive School to get current information.

Again, welcome to Ivy Drive and best wishes to you and your child for a wonderful and successful school year!

                                                                       Sincerely,
                                                                       RoseAnne O’Brien Vojtek, Ph.D.
                                                                       Principal