To: John Bash and Jay Wood, School Board President
Maintain Tumwater Hill Elementary student time schedule for 2017-2018.
We, the parents/guardians of the Tumwater Hill Elementary, request that the School Board direct the Tumwater School District to maintain the 2016-2017-time schedule for 2017-2018 school year. In addition, before the district makes any variations to the time schedule, it shall include employees, parents/guardians, and community members before making any decisions.
Why is this important?
Recently, the Tumwater School District decided to change the starting and ending time of Tumwater Hill Elementary School, our local school, with no input from parents of students! The newly imposed times will be changed from 9:05 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. currently, to 9:25 a.m. through 3:55 p.m. in the 2017-2018 school year.
Current run-time for the school ensures our children will not be coming home in the dark - with the new start-up time, our children will be “in the dark” for much of the year, creating difficulties for many, safety problems for young students, and justifiable concern for parents. How will this impact students who ride the bus and arrive at the stop at 4:30 when is it completely dark?
So far, the only “reason” District officials have provided concern the “efficiency” of the transportation division’s operation! No mention about how this will impact our local school community - indeed, Tumwater Hill Elementary is the only elementary school facing this imposition from the District administration of a late start of 9:25.
No surveys of parents; no meetings for public input on the matter; no academic improvement or performance issues were raised. So the question is: just how will this help our children?
Parents need to be involved in this kind of decision making! It is important that the families of students have a “hand” on that clock so their needs are being met through reasonable and appropriate hours and that any contemplated changes are related to the well-being of our children - both in their academic performance and their overall health and safety.
Let’s work together on this - I’d like to hear what you think and ask that we, as parents, discuss the change before it goes forward. The next school board meeting is June 15.
Current run-time for the school ensures our children will not be coming home in the dark - with the new start-up time, our children will be “in the dark” for much of the year, creating difficulties for many, safety problems for young students, and justifiable concern for parents. How will this impact students who ride the bus and arrive at the stop at 4:30 when is it completely dark?
So far, the only “reason” District officials have provided concern the “efficiency” of the transportation division’s operation! No mention about how this will impact our local school community - indeed, Tumwater Hill Elementary is the only elementary school facing this imposition from the District administration of a late start of 9:25.
No surveys of parents; no meetings for public input on the matter; no academic improvement or performance issues were raised. So the question is: just how will this help our children?
Parents need to be involved in this kind of decision making! It is important that the families of students have a “hand” on that clock so their needs are being met through reasonable and appropriate hours and that any contemplated changes are related to the well-being of our children - both in their academic performance and their overall health and safety.
Let’s work together on this - I’d like to hear what you think and ask that we, as parents, discuss the change before it goes forward. The next school board meeting is June 15.