February 1, 2010,

Dear Parents,

Ms. Debbie Garrison

We are finishing up the second trimester (2/3 of the year gone already??) this month and conferences are scheduled for March 4th and 5th. Please start thinking now about questions you might have during conferences. Also, please remember there will be NO school on those days, so please make childcare arrangements.

Families who are seeking to have their child attend an Albuquerque Public School outside of their designated attendance area can apply for a transfer beginning February 1, 2010. The first window of opportunity will run from February 1, 2010 through March 15, 2010. Individuals can apply for a transfer by contacting the APS Student, School and Community Service Center at 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE Suite 100 West. Applications and transfer information are also available on-line (www.aps.edu) and in the main office here at Mitchell. Transfer applications will be accepted under the Open Enrollment and No Child Left Behind provisions.

Transfers will be granted on a space-available basis and in compliance with State and Federal requirements. As per legislation, we will be using a random lottery system in granting transfer approvals, following the prescribed priority system. Students who currently have an approved transfer do not need to re-apply unless they are changing schools. They will be considered a “rollover” transfer if they remain at that school site. “Rollover” transfers do not apply from one school to its feeder school. Feel free to contact the Student Service Center at 855-9050 or 855- 9040 for more information on the student transfer process.

Since we don’t know at this writing what the ground hog will decide on February 1st, I thought I should update you on how APS handles inclement weather.

Weather Related Abbreviated Day or Cancellation of School

The decision to change the schedule due to inclement weather requires coordinated efforts in several areas. State, county, and city street departments, as well as Snow Watch Volunteers may be contacted for reports on road conditions. Information from school bus contractors will be obtained before a decision is made to implement a change in schedule due to inclement weather.

APS Police and Student Transportation Services will provide Dr. Brad Winter, Chief Operating Officer with reports on road conditions and the ability of school buses to transport students safely to and from school. He will make the final decision to implement an inclement weather day schedule for the Albuquerque Public Schools-abbreviated schedule, early dismissal, or cancellation of school. Parent Link will be used to contact all parents about any change of schedule. Please make sure the school has your current contact information at all times.

Abbreviated Day

The announcement for a delayed day will be made by 6:00 a.m. The abbreviated day schedule is a shortened school day that begins later than the regular schedule but ends at the regular time. For Mitchell, this means that the school day will begin at 11:10 AM and end at our usual time of 3:40 PM. This time schedule will also apply to “short days,” so if the abbreviated day falls on a Wednesday, school will end at 3:40 PM, rather than 1:00PM. Breakfast is not served on delayed days, but lunch is served as usual.

Cancellation of School

The announcement to cancel school will be made no later than 8:00 a.m. Following the decision to implement an abbreviated schedule, weather conditions occasionally worsen or do not improve to the point that makes it necessary to close the schools.

Early Dismissal

If severe weather conditions materialize during the school day that would necessitate an early dismissal of students, School Police will be contacted and will make a recommendation and feasible plan. After 11:30 a.m., it will be very difficult to arrange for school buses to arrive at school sites, other than at their regular time. If a decision is made on a district wide basis to dismiss early: KANW (89.1 FM), commercial radio stations, and Parent Link will be utilized to provide instruction and direction.

In the case of an early dismissal, the directions you provided when you filled out the “Emergency Dismissal” form at Registration will guide staff. Please make sure that your contact information, list of people who are allowed to pick up your child, day care provider, and early dismissal plan are all up-to-date. Also, please discuss your plan with your student!

I look forward to seeing each of you at the PTO Valentine’s Day Thank You Dinner on Friday, February 12, 2010.

Sincerely,

Debbie Garrison
Principal