Welcome Back!

And a Note on Communications -- Electronic, Paper, and Person-to-Person

Welcome to the first edition of the digital Hawk Eye News. We hope it finds you well and enjoying stories told by your children about the first few days of school. I know we are enjoying having Harbor Country Day filled with Harbor students once again.

It was a thrill to welcome everyone back on Wednesday. We heard tales of summer camps, trips to the beach, new homes, new puppies, new brothers and sisters and, of course, tales of the inevitable summer reading. We are so proud that so many of our students accomplished the new summer reading goals and enjoyed spending their time curled up with a new book.

Once again our halls are filled with smiles and laughter and our classrooms are complete with the quiet sounds of diligent work. All of our new students are quickly learning the routines and feeling at home. My favorite story from this week is about how one of our new students was describing some negative behavior that happened at their previous school. One of our students replied, "Don't worry. That doesn't happen at Harbor." It is comforting to know that even our smallest ones feel the safety that we provide on a daily basis. In fact, they depend on it.

The Harbor Country Day School community has impressed me in many ways over the last several years. Students and parents alike have shown dedication, passion, respect, and mutual admiration, and have demonstrated a deep commitment to our school and our newly restated mission. We can add to this sense of community by improving our methods of communication.

Hawk Eye News

The Hawk Eye News is invaluable. This weekly publication includes critical and upcoming dates, information on program and curriculum, student success stories, special events, lunch menus, thoughts from Division Coordinators and administrative staff members, community notes and Parents' Association news.

Starting today, in our effort to communicate more efficiently and be mindful of our environment, we are now offering the Hawkeye News in a digital format only. Please be sure to send Ms. Daniele your correct and preferred email address.  Hawk Eye News will be a simple email containing links to bulletins, stories and photos on the website.

The Harbor Country Day website is dynamic and offers a great deal of information. Parents will find calendar items, lunch menus, athletic schedules, course descriptions, and much more. It is my hope that the website will soon become the "go-to" place for parents seeking answers. Additionally, since even in this electronic world there is no substitute for the voice, we are of course always here to help and to speak with you in person,

Email and Voicemail

Each faculty and staff member at Harbor Country Day has a school email address and voice mail, which he or she checks at least daily. Parents should feel comfortable using this form of communication when needed. While I do not recommend that thorough discussions regarding pertinent issues or student progress occur over email, it can be useful to organize a meeting or establish future communications.

Coffee with Chris

Each month will bring an opportunity to gather as a community to share our thoughts. "Coffee with Chris" will be held at school and will alternate between mornings and evenings to accommodate differing schedules. It is our hope that we can assemble over a cup of coffee and a snack and discuss our school and ways in which it can prosper. The first "Coffee with Chris" will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1^st. All future Coffees are planned for the year and are already on the calendar.

Parents' Association Meetings

The Harbor Country Day School Parents' Association is a phenomenal organization that helps our school in many ways.  PA meetings are well-suited to planning events and PA activities, and to getting to know parents you might not meet in other ways.  I urge everyone to participate.

A few more thoughts on communications

With a new school year always come new questions and ideas. Parents will soon learn about various new programs and publications that are being implemented this year. Harbor is always looking toward improvement and we rarely lie idle when it comes to curriculum. Questions will and should arise.

In our new Parent/Student Handbook, to which a link is provided in this week's edition, you will find a list of contacts that is organized by topic for your convenience. If a topic is not listed in our handbook, please call the appropriate division coordinator with any questions.

Further, if you have a student concern, you should first call the teacher directly. The concern will often stop there before it becomes a larger issue. If more information is needed, you may call the appropriate Division Coordinator or your Upper School student's Advisor.

If assistance is still warranted, please do not hesitate to call the Head of School. I welcome phone calls each night at my home between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. My home number is 631.584.3982. Additionally, parents should also feel comfortable emailing me at my school address: cpryor@harborcountrydayschool.org.

We value open communication and will always want to hear from you. Remember, when in doubt about a question's value or level of importance, always ask!

Welcome to the new school year, 2009-2010.  Together we will make it a phenomenal experience for all!