Wednesday, 9/19
Progress Reports go home

Upcoming School Events:
9/27     Writes Upon Request Testing
10/16   Picture Re-take Day
10/18   End of First Nine Weeks
10/19   District/Statewide Inservice Day (Students out)
10/31   Report Cards go home
10/31   Happy Halloween
11/5     SAC Meeting @ 5:30 p.m.
11/12   Veterans Day Holiday (schools closed)

Principal’s Message
We have had a great beginning of another school year!  It is hard to believe that we have been in
school for a month.
Thank you for your participation in the PTO fall fundraiser.  The PTO at Canopy Oaks is a vital and
involved group of parents.  Our PTO supports many school activities and projects.  We had a great
group of parents at our meeting on Monday evening.  Please join this group as it meets each
month.  Mr. Acey Stinson is serving as our PTO president this year.
We still need your help!  Supervision officially begins at 7:20 a.m.  At this time, you will see school
employees on duty.  If you arrive before 7:20, it is not okay to drop your child off.  At Canopy
Oaks, we strive to provide the safest environment for your child.  We are able to do so only with
your help.  Please be sure to let your child remain in your vehicle with you and wait patiently in the
line until an adult comes on duty at 7:20.  When you see the adult you will know that we are on
duty and prepared to properly supervise your child!  Please help us out by modeling for your child
the importance of following all school rules, especially those related to safety.

Transportation Changes for Students
**Parents Please Read**
Please let your child(ren) know how they are to get home and other after school plans before they
come to school.  If you change the way your child goes home, please send a written note to the
teacher.  This helps avoid confusion for the students and teachers in the afternoon.  If you have an
emergency occur and find that you must make transportation changes, please call the office
before noon.  (Please note:  Between 1:30 p.m. and 2:10 p.m. is one of the busiest times in the
front office.)  Emergency changes should only happen once or twice a semester, not every week.
Please, only call if it is a true emergency.

School Advisory Council
If you are interested in serving on our School Advisory Council (SAC), please call the school office.
Our SAC usually meets on the first Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m.  This council monitors the
implementation of the School Improvement Plan and often provides feedback to the district on
district wide issues.

Are You a Visitor?
If you are a visitor on campus, please come to the front office to sign in.  Be prepared to provide
us with your driver’s license for identification purposes.  Your driver’s license will be scanned by
the computer.  Then when leaving, remember to come back by the office and check out.  This
helps provide a safe school environment for the students and staff.

Religious Holidays
Remember that if you are planning to be out of school due to a religious holiday, please submit a
religious holiday exemption request form.  The form must be completed for the absence to be
excused.  You may print the form from the Leon County Schools website or pick one up from the
front office.  Forms must be submitted before the holiday occurs.

DRESS CODE
Students should be comfortably, appropriately and safely dressed for school.  It is necessary for
children to wear shoes at all times for protection.  Cleats are not acceptable.  Sandals are not
appropriate for the playground or physical education.  Please bring tennis shoes for the
playground and physical education.  Shorts, skirts, and dresses that are too short, halter tops,
tank tops, spaghetti strap tops, bare midriffs or other clothing that leaves the body bare are not
deemed appropriate for school.   Shirts with drug related messages, obscene or suggestive
gestures or slogans or profanity are not allowed.  No type of headgear (caps, hats, or bandanas) is
to be worn inside the buildings.  Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the
weather.  Please remember the dress code applies to all grade levels.

Vehicle Safety Tips
*  When transporting your child(ren) in your vehicle, they need to wear their seatbelts at all times.
*  Children should not have their backpacks on their backs when riding in a vehicle.
*  If your vehicle has airbags, please make sure your child(ren) is in the back seat of a car or the
airbag is turned off in a truck.
*  When transporting your child(ren), talking on a cell phone is often distracting and takes your
attention away from your surroundings.  This could become a safety issue for parents and
students.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF CHILDREN
Car Drop Off/Pick Up Area:  Point View Drive is for dropping off/picking up children who ride in
private vehicles.  Car speed is 5 MPH in the drive.  The right lane nearest the building is the pause
lane for loading and unloading children.  The left lane is only for moving traffic.  No pausing,
loading, or unloading is allowed in this lane.  Do not double park.  Also, crosswalks must be kept
clear for pedestrians.

Please do not pull into the parking lot to drop off your child or wait in your car for your child to
come to you.  Always use the drive through for picking up or dropping off your child.  Each driver
should advance as far as possible so several cars can load/unload at the same time.  Be sure your
child is on the right side of the car.  Please be courteous to others.  If there is a line of cars, wait
your turn.  Do not pull into the second lane and then try to squeeze in. Others have already been
waiting patiently for their turn and “cutting” in line is not right.  Also, if you would like to talk to
another parent, please park in the parking lot.  If you hold your conversation in the drop off/pick
up lane, it causes traffic to back up and no one can move forward.

Parking:  Parents choosing not to wait in the car line for pick up, must park their car in the parking
lot at the Point View Drive entrance and use the crosswalk to meet the children who are waiting.
No child may cross to the parking lot without an adult.

Note: Children may not be dropped off or picked up in the parking lot.  For the safety of all
children, parents MUST pick up and drop off in the drive through area.

TRAFFIC
Please remember:  The Exit Is Not An Entrance.  If you are in the line on Point View Drive, do not
turn in to the exit to get into the parking lot.  We have had several near accidents when people get
impatient and pull in to the exit.  Please wait your turn.  Everyone is trying to get to the same
place.  When you don’t follow the rules, you are putting your child, yourself, and others in a non-
safe environment.

Parent Reminders
Label-Label-Label!  Please make sure your child’s name is on everything.
When writing notes to your child’s teacher, please indicate on the note the child’s teacher, the
child’s first and last name and the current date.
When sending in an envelope with money for your child, please put your child’s first and last
name, the teacher’s name and indicate the purpose for the money.

Green Registration and Clinic Forms
A new green form and clinic form was sent home the first week of school.  A big thank you to all
parents who have already sent them back in.  If you have not filled out these forms, please do so
and return them with your child(ren) to school as soon as possible.  We update our records in the
computer from these forms.  If you do not complete them, we will not have accurate information
for your child(ren).  We must have accurate numbers for our clinic in case your child is sick.  Also,
if you have moved we will need proof of your new address.

Medication Policy
If your child needs to take any medication during school hours, a parent/guardian is required to
complete a medication form and bring the medication to the office.  Students are not permitted to
have medication in their possession at any time.  The permission form is available in the clinic and
must be completed for all prescription and over the counter medications.  All medication MUST be
brought to the clinic in the original bottle or box.  Most pharmacies will prepare two bottles if
asked.  Over the counter medications may only be kept in the clinic for five days.  If your child
must take an over the counter medication for more than five days, or if the medication is not age
specific, a note from the child’s doctor must be provided.

Canopy Oaks activity calendar is available on our website at:
<http://www.canopyoaks.leon.k12.fl.us/calendar.html>

Please forward this on to other Canopy Oaks parents who might be interested in joining our
listserv.

You may join or leave the listserv or change your email address at:
<http://listserv.leon.k12.fl.us/archives/coesparents.html>