August, 2008
To our SBA High School Families –
Summer greetings from school! I can’t believe it’s almost over, but if it also means the end of 100-degree weather, count me in.
This might prove to be one of the lengthier letters we send this year as we talk about getting started and a few new changes that always happen at this time of year. Here goes.
ORDERING TEXTBOOKS -- Previously this summer your family should have received a listing of student subjects to be studied this year. That listing was provided in order to help with the book purchasing effort. Please check our website (www.sbaeagles.org) for a direct link to our virtual bookstore with whom we are partnering.
PAYING YOUR TUITION – August 1 is the date that our second quarterly tuition payment is due (unless your family has signed up with our FACTS monthly payment plan.) Our Business Office will be open from 8:30 – 1:30 pm on Monday thru Thursday of this week. We will resume normal school office hours beginning on Monday, August 11.
REDUCING YOUR TUITION - You can purchase Scrip cards as well as Kroger and Schnucks cards throughout the summer, they earn you tuition reductions at no extra cost to you.
STUDENT SCHEDULES – A complete student schedule (which will include teacher names / period assignments / locker assignments) will be e-mailed on August 11 to all families whose tuition accounts are up-to-date at that time. Please check with the Business Office to (a) check your account status; (b) submit tuition or (c) to acquire a student schedule after that date.
CHANGING STUDENT SCHEDULES – Since students have known their subjects for some time, most scheduling errors have all been changed by now. Because of our “snug fit,” making any additional changes will be unlikely. However, the way to make that request is to submit a schedule change request via e-mail to any of our three guidance counselors: (coxm@sbaeagles.org …. vincentm@sbaeagles.org …… brannonj@sbaeagles.org )These counselors will be involved in teacher inservice during the week of August 11 and will be unable to have any personal meetings, so please utilize the e-mail process. Feel free to send a copy to our Dir. of Academic Affairs, Dr. Wanda Winnette winnettew@sbaeagles.org
REGISTRATION DAY – Please check your e-mail this week to find all the information you’ll need about our upcoming Registration Day (Wednesday, August 13). When you review the packet, you’ll be able to pick and choose from among the few items that are required and those that are entirely optional.
Here are a few changes of note:
TIME OF AFTERNOON DISMISSAL - we will now dismiss at the end of the day at 3:00 p.m. This enables us to even out all of our academic classes to be 50 minutes in length (some were five minutes short.) We understand that Chimneyrock Elementary is changing its schedule to be 8:00-3:00 this year. I’m sure that will add to the traffic issues and the need for patience.
ELECTRONIC GADGETS – In the past we have allowed student use of ipods and cameras and such during some portions of the day (such as lunch periods), however, beginning this year, we are dis-allowing the use of all such ‘toys’ during any part of the school day. We’ll make this known to the students as we’d hate to have to take them up for a time.
ABSENCES WITHOUT MAKE-UP WORK – Everyone in our school family believes in the need for students to be present as much as possible. It’s why many parents have chosen SBA. Beginning this year, in the event that a student is absent due to family trips and/or matters of convenience, these are the sorts of absences that will not merit the opportunity to make-up any missed work during the time of that absence. Please consult the Handbook for additional details.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS – Beginning this year, SBA and several schools in the Diocese will utilize a communication system known as CONNECT-ED. In the event of emergency, weather cancellations, etc., the system will send a recorded message, leave a voice mail, text message, and send an e-mail of the news event for up to five entries per family. We will be testing the system in the near future.
As always, we recommend students and parents taking the time to read the entire handbook which you can locate on our website.
UPCOMING PARENT MEETINGS – Each year, we begin with several parent meetings, one for each grade and one when all are invited to meet our teachers. Here is the schedule – More info will follow about each.
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Well, there’s one good thing. I know she can’t live without me – at least not as long as the planet has bugs and frogs and stuff.
Recently, I had the opportunity to go to a week-long out-of-town conference. Nancy knew I wanted and needed to go, but honestly, since we’ve been married, we haven’t spent that many days or nights away from each other. Our careers have never caused us to live that sort of life.
While I was there, we still spoke daily – pre-paid free minutes are great for that. I told her about the 81-degree days and the even-cooler nights while she would keep me in the loop about school happenings, our girls and the latest antics of our two dogs.
And then one night, about 10:30, I answered my cellphone to hear her screaming. Literally. That will make your heart stop.
“There’s a fro-o-o-o-o-o-o-g.” It was hard for me to make out just what she was saying at 500 decibels, but it translates to ‘frog.’
“Did it come in the house, honey?” …. “No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o! It’s on the patio-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!”
“Is it trying to come in the house, honey?” …. “No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o! It’s dead-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d!”
“Then what’s the problem, honey?” ….. “The dog-g-g-g-g-g-g-g’s are trying to bring it in-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n! To ea-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t it-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t!”
If you’re having trouble staying with this conversation, that’s sorta where I was.
I think I made my biggest mistake when I said, “Honey, you’re just going to have to buck up.” To which she replied, “I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I hate-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e you-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u!” (And I understood all of that just perfectly.)
I offered what I thought were a few very practical suggestions and handy tips. She followed with, “You’ve left me in this jungle (I’m pretty sure the jungle to which she was referring was Cordova.) Go-o-o-o-o-o-o-d Bye-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!!!”
Thankfully, she called back just a few minutes later with the problem resolved. The frog was still intact but over our fence into someone else’s world.
She does a lot of great things, but she doesn’t do spiders, lizards, little bugs, big bugs, or apparently frogs. Never has. And that’s OK. It gives me hope for a long life together.
It’s how we make it through. Through life, stuff, things, bumps, bruises, and hard times. We all make it through with others. With people to pick us up (or the frogs) when we’re struggling. Or to be there with the encouraging word and prayer when there won’t be anyone there but us.
We wish all our teachers, students and families the very best for the upcoming school year. But we know we will not and cannot make it very far – or very well - without each other. Perhaps that’s what SBA does best. We’re there for each other. In good times and bad.
Good luck with the frogs and dogs of your life.
George Valadie
SBA
