From the Desk of the Middle School Director - 4
By James Hutchins - FF/S
Happy New Year, parents! I hope you had a wonderful holiday break and enjoyed some special time with family and friends. The school year is quickly flying by. If you had a chance to visit the Middle School prior to break, you would have witnessed the magnificent job the Middle School Tiger Pride did with holiday decorations. Their efforts crafted an environment that truly inspired the holiday spirit.
The holidays have brought with it some extremely cold weather. We are relaxing our P.E. and Fitness uniform policies, for the time being, to include warm-ups. Please make sure students are dressing warmly for these classes, as they, at times, will be required to walk to the Huffman Athletic Center.
We are experiencing some traffic issues during dismissal. Parents of seventh- and eighth-grade students, please don’t enter the traffic line until 3:20 p.m. Fifth- and sixth-grade parents should be first in line and be ready for dismissal at 3:10 p.m. Currently, the pickup line is getting congested because some are lining up early and having to wait until the seventh- and eighth-graders get back from P.E. We appreciate your cooperation with this.
I hope you are planning to attend our 2nd Annual Spaghetti Dinner on Monday, Jan. 31, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Proceeds go directly to the Middle School Tiger Pride. A pickup line will be available for those needing to grab dinner and go. Tickets may be purchased from Pam Sullins. Prices include salad, spaghetti dinner, dessert, drinks and great entertainment. Tickets are on sale now for $5 and $7 at the door.
We have a special treat coming to Darlington! Noted author and world-class athlete Erik Weihenmayer, the only blind man in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest, will speak to Middle and Upper School students and faculty on Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. in the Huffman Athletic Center. Lower School families, other parents and alumni, and members of the Rome-Floyd County community are also invited to hear Weihenmayer during a special presentation on Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the same location. Please make plans to attend this very special event. You won’t want to miss his amazing story!
The Tiger Way handbook, which is now online, is a great way for you to learn more about Darlington. The handbook is located under the Student Life section of Darlington’s website, www.darlingtonschool.org. Please take a look, as it outlines our policies and procedures. Recently, we have experienced that several students are not adhering to our policy on hair. The policy states:
Hair – Boys
1. Hair must be kept cut above the collar, above the eyebrows and no longer than the middle of the ear (including side burns).
*Length violations will be given one week from noted violation, or parents will be called to pick the student up from school.
2. No corn rows or afros for any ethnicity.
3. No extreme styles or colors. (ex. Mohawk)
*Extreme colors should be rectified immediately.
4. No facial hair for students.
Hair – Girls
1. Must be able to see the eyes.
2. Accessories must be school colors, brown or black.
3. No extreme styles or colors.
*Extreme colors should be rectified immediately.
4. Braids are permissible, but no beads.
If you have any questions about this policy or any others, please give me a call. Always feel free to stop by for a visit.
