Welcome - from Ms. Gigler...

First Day of School - Grades 1 and 2

September, 2011

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Greetings! Welcome to the QLS family and our class! I hope you and your child are ready for a year filled with exciting things to do and many things to learn.

This year beginners will learn to read and returning students will continue the study of Reading in hopes of becoming confident independent readers. The phonics he/she will learn, will help in the study of Spelling, English, Creative Writing and all other school work. Learning to read requires practice and lots of it. I ask that you sit down with your child each evening and read together. Read to your child, then let your child read to you.

For beginners, this is a time to develop basic learning skills that will pave the way for future learning. For returning students, this is a time of transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Our other subjects include, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Religion, Art, Music, Handwriting, Computers, Foreign Language and Physical Education.

Your child will receive Homework each night. Homework is a review or practice of material covered in class. Students will copy assignments in their notebooks daily. I will check to see that assignments are completed and neat. Assist your child by checking and explaining things they are not sure of, but DO NOT do the work for them.

Here is a list of supplies your child will need this year:

• Pencils
• Pencil Case - soft sided with a zipper, not a box, please 
• Eraser 
• 2 Extra Large Bookcovers - the cloth stretch kind
• Bookbag
• Sneakers
• 2 Folders with pockets Marble Notebook 
• Daily Notebook ($1.25 will be purchased at class bookstore) 
• Sneaker Sack - (a mesh lingerie laundry bag just large enough to hold a pair of sneakers works well) 
• Scissors - Fiskers are a good brand (have a pair at home also, for homework)
• Glue - 4 oz. Elmers School Glue
• A box of 24 Crayola Crayons 
• Squirt bottle of liquid soap and Clorox wipes (yellow or orange only please)
• Large box of tissues

ALL SUPPLIES MUST BE CLEARLY LABELED WITH YOUR CHILDS NAME!!!

• FOLDER - A school folder is supplied by Q.L.S.
• BOOK COVERS - The HARDCOVER BOOKS MUST BE COVERED. (Please use the stretchy cloth type cover-they last all year.) If you use paper, be sure the cover forms flaps inside the books so that the cover doesn't come off when the book is opened.
  DO NOT USE TAPE OR CONTACT ON THE BOOK AS THIS CAUSES DAMAGE!!!
• UNIFORMS - School uniforms must be worn each day. Check the Q.L.S. Parent/Student Handbook for the Dress Code.
• ABSENCE - For each absence from school, a note from a parent/guardian must be sent in. For extended absences, a doctors note must accompany the child upon his/her return to school. If your child has a health problem or allergies that I should be aware of, please send me a note.
• LATENESS - Students go to their classroom at 8:15 a.m. Classes begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. Any child arriving in the classroom after 8:30 a.m. must go to the office and get a late slip. If your child arrives before 8:15 a.m., a teacher will be on duty in the blue room. Dismissal is a 2:30 p.m. If your pickup is delayed or there is a change kindly drop me a note and call the school office.
• MONIES - There will be times when you will be sending monies to school with your child. (Book club, trip, tickets, lunch, etc.)
  BE SURE ALL MONIES ARE IN AN ENVELOPE!!!
  Clearly mark the front of the envelope with your child's name, grade and purpose of the monies. Do not combine monies - use separate envelopes for Lunch, Book Club, etc. Loose monies cannot be accepted!
• PARTIES /BIRTHDAYS - We will be having several parties for holidays - more news about that at a later date. If you wish to celebrate your child's birthday in school, please let me know the week before so I can set aside time. Individual servings are best - e.g. cupcakes, donuts. A parent or another adult should come to assist with serving and clean up.
• PTA - The PTA will be recruiting class parents shortly. Our class needs two parents to help at parties, go on trips, help with paperwork, make telephone calls, etc. If you can be of assistance, please contact me.

I think thats enough for one letter! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at the school, 718.721.4313 or send an e-mail, info@queenslutheranschool.com.

Im looking forward to a good year, I trust you are too!

Yours in Christ,
Deanna J. Gigler

P.S. Well be having a Back to School Night soon. At that time you will receive details about our curriculum and classroom procedures. You'll also get to meet other parents. Hope to see you then Check the schools Monthly Calendar, distributed to your child once a month. The calendar can be viewed on our Web Page: www.queenslutheranschool.com

First Day of School...

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Below is information concerning your child's return to school.

The first day of school is Wednesday, September 7, 2011 with opening chapel at 9:00 a.m. Students should wear their uniforms or their Sunday best dress. Dismissal is at 11:00 a.m. Parents and guardians are welcome to join us for a continental breakfast following chapel.

There will be NO BUS SERVICE the first day, Wednesday, September 7th. The Office of Pupil Transportation has informed us that regular bus service will begin on Thursday, September 8th. In the morning, buses will pick up the children at the designated stop and drop them off in front of the school. In the afternoon, the buses will pick up the children at the school and drop them off at the same stop where they were picked up in the morning.

The first FULL day of school will be Thursday, September 8th. AFTERSCHOOL EXTENDED CARE also begins on Thursday, September 8th. The children change into play clothes after their regular school day, so please be sure their clothes are labeled.

Please be sure to label your child's belongings: sneakers, sweaters, jackets, hats, gloves, scarves, slacks, shirts, back packs, lunch bags - EVERYTHING.

NEW STUDENTS must have an updated medical form on or before their first day of school.

UNIFORM POLICY:

• All students must wear the official QLS Marlou uniform. More information about uniform regulations may be found in the Parent/Guardian/Student Handbook.
• Girls skirts are not to be above the knee. 
• Make-up is not permitted during the school day. No long fingernails or excessive jewelry.
• Girls must wear flats  no clogs, high heels, or shoes with 2 or 3 inch wide heels. Boots or sneakers (except on P.E. days) are not to be worn in school
• Boys must wear charcoal gray, uniform slacks and navy tie. Ties must be worn every day.
• Boys must wear loafers or laced shoes  boots or sneakers (except on P.E. days) are not to be worn in school.
• Sneakers are to be worn by boys and girls during recess and on physical education days. The QLS gym uniform (sweat pants and sweat shirts) must be worn on assigned P.E. days.

Our Used But Not Abused uniform sale began in late August and continues through the month of September.

Please be advised when you are making uniform purchases for your child that QLS is considering a change to the Lands End school uniform effective September 2012. More information will be available at the first PTA meeting.

TUITION:

• 12 Month Payment Plan: July and August should have already been paid. Your next payment is due September 1, 2011.
• 10 Month Payment Plan: Your first payment is due September 1, 2011

Please make tuition checks payable to Queens Lutheran School.

Tuition payments are considered late after the 1st of the month and subject to a late fee. If your tuition payment is not received by the 10th of the month, your child will not be permitted to attend school.

We look forward to welcoming you back to school!

Mary-Elaine Leake
Principal, Queens Luteran School

Welcome to QLS and Grace, Mrs. Mary-Elaine Leake

August 23, 2011

Dear Parents of Grace Lutheran School and Queens Lutheran School:

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Mary-Elaine Leake as Director of Grace Lutheran School and Principal of Queens Lutheran School. Mrs. Leake comes to us with thirty-two years of experience as a classroom teacher, principal, and early childhood director. Most recently she has been serving as director of the Bethlehem Lutheran Nursery School in Baldwin, Long Island. I have known Mary for twenty-two years. She began her teaching career at Queens Lutheran School, so she is “coming home” to take the leadership of both school programs at Grace. We are fortunate to have found someone with such extensive experience in both early childhood and elementary education.

With the start of the new school year just two weeks away, Mrs. Leake will be busy meeting with teachers and staff to prepare to open our doors for the first day of school. We will announce a time when parents can meet and greet her in the very near future.

I look forward to welcoming you in person!

Cordially,
Pastor James Klockau

QLS Computer Project

Ubuntu Linux running on an old PC.

Computers and software are expensive things. It is possible to get a bit more life out of an old Windows computer by, well, not running Windows. Windows 7 is the latest PC operating system, Windows Vista was a bit troublesome and Windows XP is downright ancient and insecure.

The answer is simple: switch the old computers over to the free Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu is a very easy to learn and use system. It even comes loaded with free software and pretty much every driver you'll ever need. It's ready to go the moment you restart the computer. There also hundreds, if not thousands, of free software titles, including education software. Of course, it's not Windows, so it won't run Windows software. But there are equivalents. It's also very secure and infection proof.

Ubuntu desktop - on the web with Firefox.

Much of what we use a computer for is all on the internet. The internet does not need a specific operating system but it does require a current web browser. Ubuntu comes with the very secure Firefox web browser.

If you decide to try Ubuntu you'll have several options: run it from a CD/DVD so it won't touch anything on your Windows machine, add it along side Windows on the PC so you have a choice, or convert the PC completely. If you can burn a CD/DVD you can safely try Ubuntu. If not, you can request a disk be sent to you by mail - free.

You can also consider donating the computer to the school.

We recently completed a Windows to Ubuntu conversion. A parent generously donated a complete, but old, Windows Vista computer system - but not the Windows disk or the password. It was not usable that way. In under an hour it was perfectly converted to Ubuntu without a single problem. Everything works and now the school has a "new computer" for the students complete with a scanner. The cost to convert a Windows PC to Ubuntu was zero.

If you have an old, unused - but working, PC at home or the office that you would like to donate please contact the school office using this link: info@queenslutheranschool.com. If you have an old, working, PPC/G4 or G5 series Mac we can use that as well (they don't need to be converted to Ubuntu). These must be working computers. All laptops must have a power supply. All desktops must have an LCD monitor, keyboard and mouse. They must have at least 512mb of memory and a working CD/DVD drive. You will need to bring the computer to the school office.

These donated computers will be used to create a new media/resource/library room for the students.

If you would don't have an old PC or Mac to donate but would like to contribute to the QLS Computer Project please contact the school office using this link: info@queenslutheranschool.com