Good Afternoon Guilford Families,
I’m sure by now you have heard the great news that the HCPSS Board of Education has hired Dr. Michael Martirano as our permanent superintendent.  He is true advocate for children, challenging all staff to know our students, as both people and learners.  When he visited recently, he was able to see first hand how our staff works to know each of their students by using not just classroom performance but data as a way to showcase strengths and areas to improve.  He challenged us to continue this process moving forward.  I know our Guilford staff will rise to the challenge.
Also last night, the Board of Education, decided to keep all school start times the same as this year.  I know many families were concerned about the impact of the proposed changes would have.  Guilford will continue to start each morning at 9:25 am and dismiss each afternoon at 3:50.
Last Friday, with the early closing, we learned that quite a few families had emergency contact phone numbers that were not updated.  In addition, my parents had voicemail systems that were not set up or were full.  This caused a problem as we were unable to communicate with parents to verify dismissal procedures during the emergency closing.  I am asking each family to take some time to review their family file, to review the way they want their child to go home in the case of an emergency.  We had many families who identified in their family file that they would pick up their children from school, only to be waiting at home.   Please check your voicemail systems to ensure that this is fully functioning and that  a message can be left. Finally, we are asking that each family have an emergency contact that is close to the school.  A few families who work quite a distance from Guilford were very late in picking up their children and if they had an emergency contact closer, these children would have been home sooner and our school staff could have left at dismissal, allowing them to get home when the driving conditions were safer.
Quarter 2 interim progress reports were sent home today in your child’s Wednesday folder.  Please take a few minutes to review this information with your child.  If you have any questions, feel free to email your child’s teacher.
Just a reminder that we have school for a full day on Friday, it’s pajama day and schools will reopen on Tuesday, January 2nd.   We hope you have a safer and relaxing winter break.