Durban Avenue Elementary School
News Flash
AlertNOW Notification System
To change the phone numbers you are called on for AlertNOW, please contact your child's school. AlertNOW is used to notify parents for all emergencies including Snow Closings and Early Dismissals as well as notify parents of important upcoming events at our schools.
Upcoming School Calendar
- DA 2/10 : Books & Beyond Ends
- HBS 2/14 : Valentine's Day
- HBS 2/17 : School Open - Snowday Make-up
- HBS 2/20 : Winter Recess, Schools Closed
- HBS 2/27 : Board Work Session/Regular Meeting, 7:30 pm
- DA 2/27 - 3/2 : DA Book Fair
- DA 3/2 : HMX,TT,DA 3rd Marking Period Progress Reports
- HBS 3/11 : Daylight Savings Begins
Principal's Message
Tips for a New Year
When asked what would bring them more happiness, many people say they want more time for themselves, and more time with their families. Obviously this wish cannot be answered by adding more hours to a day. The solution can be found by using the time you have more efficiently. Many parents work long hours and find that free time with their families is extremely limited.
Little time-savers and efficiencies can make a difference, but the important thing is to see the larger picture and make some fundamental changes. Here are 10 tips that will simplify your life and give you more family time:
- Keep a family calendar. Tape a large monthly calendar on the refrigerator or mount an erasable bulletin board on the wall, listing everyone’s activities. Also, include deadlines for long-term school projects. Try using a different colored marker for each member of the family. This makes individual schedules easy to identify and encourages children to keep track of their own activities.
- Plan each day. Spend 10 minutes—early in the morning, or your lunch hour, or before you go to bed—quietly reviewing what you must do in the next 24 hours. This helps you feel in control, cuts down on unfocused activity, and helps you concentrate on the things that really matter.
- Write family time into your schedule. If time together is a priority, don’t just hope it will magically appear after everything else on your long list has been checked off. Block off several hours on a Saturday afternoon, for example, even if you don’t yet have specific plans.
- Maintain order. Who hasn’t known the frustration of searching frantically for something that is temporarily misplaced or buried amid clutter? It wastes time, energy, and peace of mind. Before you go to bed, load the dishwasher, straighten the living room, gather newspapers and trash, and sweep the kitchen floor quickly. Then, in the morning, everything will go more smoothly.
- Ration television time. Is your family watching too much TV? Even one less sitcom produces 30 minutes of “found time” a day. Choose programs carefully, then use the extra time for more interactive activities—working a puzzle, playing a game, completing homework or reading a story together.
- Don’t over-schedule your school-age kids. Too many commitments after school can be counterproductive, straining children as well as parents, who must arrange for transportation. Children need some downtime when they come home. If they’re all worn out, they won’t be able to enjoy time together with the family. Help them to choose each activity carefully.
- Establish a sensible bedtime for children. Teachers report that more and more children are arriving at school tired because they stay up too late. When children are well rested, the whole family functions more efficiently. Tucking children in at a reasonable hour also gives parents a much-needed chance to relax, spend time alone together, and prepare for the next day.
- Involve children in everyday activities. These might include preparing dinner, setting the table, folding the laundry, sorting recyclables, and washing the car. Working together offers a good chance for conversation and connection. Even very young children can get in the spirit of helping.
- Establish “touch-base times” when family members connect with one another. Working parents feel more in control of limited family time and work more efficiently when they can count on regular connecting points during the day, such as breakfast, an after-school phone call, and dinner. Even 10 minutes at breakfast allows a chance to plan the day—“who’s going to pick up whom”—and to send children off on a positive note.
- Set priorities. Some days, of course, even the best efforts to use time efficiently still don’t seem to be enough. In such cases, the best solution is to focus on the most urgent priorities and let go of lesser details, such as housework. Your children will only be small once, but the house and the chores will always be there.
We all need to realize that there are some things we simply cannot do. Ask yourself how important some task or commitment really is. Feel comfortable saying, at the end of the day, “I’ve done my best. That’s all I can do today. I’m done.” You can end the day knowing you have done all you could to make sure you will use time productively tomorrow—and have fun with your family!
Sincerely,
Brian J. Byrne
Please visit the "NCLB Letter" by clicking here to view the Parent Right To Know letter for No Child Left Behind from the building principal.
HIB District Coordinator: William Roca
HIB School Specialist: Dr. Donna Jean Lynott
P.O. Box 1029, Hopatcong, NJ 07843