It is the time of year when we begin to think about student placement for the 2010-2011 school year.  I would like to give you an overview and the philosophy for the process that will soon begin.  A great deal of time will be spent weighing all the important factors to determine the best placement of each child, as well as the best grouping of children within each class and grade.  I will be seeking input from classroom teachers, the specialist teachers, the guidance department, all appropriate school personnel and yourselves, as parents.  Though perspectives may be different, the intent will be to do the best we can for each and every child here at Proctor. 
 
Our faculty is committed to the concept of balanced and equivalent classes, with each class representing a microcosm of our total school community.  During the placement process we will look to build classes which contain as equal a number of girls and boys as possible, a range of academic achievement levels and intellectual interests, and a range of social maturity.  We will consider which children should be placed together because they positively reinforce each other, and which children should be separated because they may impede one another's learning.  Ultimately, we will be striving to build classes in which all children can flourish both academically and socially.  In order to make the placement process run smoothly, parental input is welcomed.  If you have information about any specific need or your child's learning style that you would like to share, please write a letter to me with the single most important factor you would like us to consider.  If there are two or more factors, please prioritize them.  If you are a parent of multiples, please indicate in a letter if you would prefer your children to be in the same classroom or separated.  The letter should be received in the office no later than Friday, April 17th.  Your cooperation with this deadline is essential.  Any letters received subsequent to this date cannot be considered for a number of important reasons.  Our process for placement  begins right after our deadline.  When letters arrive in May, or even June, they compromise the hours of work already invested and can  compromise other documented priorities.  Please realize that writing a letter to the office is voluntary and you can be assured that the same consideration and care will be given to every child during the placement process regardless of whether or not a letter is sent.
 
Please note that your commentaries will be shared with teachers after I have read them.  Also note that requests for an individual teacher cannot be honored.  The process of placing students is multi-faceted, rendering it impossible to honor parental requests for specific teachers. 
 
In conclusion, I would urge any parent to use the letter writing process as a way to convey pertinent information about their child.  Please understand, however, that I cannot take calls or schedule conferences regarding specific placement requests.  To do so would compromise the hard work of all involved.  As always, I can assure you that we are taking these matters seriously and that our work will be deliberate.
  
 

 The 4th graders recently had a third visit from Patsy Eldridge from CPO Science.  As Proctor School's "Scientist In Residence", she spent time teaching and following up on motors and electricity, which is what the students are currently working on in their classrooms.  The 5 classes spent hands-on time working with motors and magnetism.  This session was a follow up to her visit in the fall that focused on simple machines.  Hats off to Ms. Eldridge, the kids loved their time spent with her!
 

    

en Lin-Liu is a local Chinese