Rumor Control 5/31/12

Parents and Community Members,

Again, there are a couple of rumors in the community that need to be controlled.

1)     A number of Directors on our Board of Education have overheard or been directly approached about why we are ending our MS Outdoor Education program. We are all puzzled about this since it has not been discussed at the board table. Several board members are strong proponents of our 7th grade outdoor education experience. Administrators are also very supportive of the valuable educational, social, and emotional benefits to our students from this unique and affirming experience. There are no plans to eliminate the program.

2)     I have been questioned about why the district will be imposing such extreme dress code guidelines next year that the students will need to purchase whole new wardrobes. The rumors in the community, I have been told, include forbidding students to wear turtlenecks and V-neck tops. I can assure you that these are not part of our new dress code. Principals are currently sharing the guidelines with teachers who will share them with students. Next week I will send an AlertNow e-mail, which includes the guidelines, and also post them here in my blog.

Please, if you hear things that seem to be more rumor than fact, be sure to contact a board member or an administrator to check out the facts.

Dr. Van Noord