When you email your child's DCPS principle, do you get a response back?

[Anonymous]

Eight (8) days ago, I emailed the principle of the school which my son (Pre-K) goes to about my concern with the amount of mice and mice droppings there are in his classroom and with the repeated reports of my DS coming home with "mouse tales", and just general classroom dirtiness. There have been some janitorial issues at the school and a parent of another student brought in cleaning supplies to help clean surfaces. In the email I told him I realized there were only 5 days left in the school year, but I hoped the pest activity and janitorial issue would be a priority during the summer months and would be resolved for the 2017-2018 school year (and years to come). And I ended the email offering to help, if there was anything I could to help facilitate this.

I did not specially ask him to reply or confirm he received the email. But I have not received a response, of any kind back from him. Is that standard? No acknowledgement of any kind? FWIW- this was the first and only email I have sent to him this year. I am just curious. I am not angry or anything, but everyone and a while I think- "Mr. Principle never emailed me back. ???" Should I just stop thinking about it?

[Anonymous]

We always get a response from our Principal, and sometimes a general communication if she has received multiple inquiries or thinks the issue is of wide concern. But the emails sometimes are sent back during the weekend so it can take a week to hear back if the issue is not urgent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eight (8) days ago, I emailed the principle of the school which my son (Pre-K) goes to about my concern with the amount of mice and mice droppings there are in his classroom and with the repeated reports of my DS coming home with "mouse tales", and just general classroom dirtiness. There have been some janitorial issues at the school and a parent of another student brought in cleaning supplies to help clean surfaces. In the email I told him I realized there were only 5 days left in the school year, but I hoped the pest activity and janitorial issue would be a priority during the summer months and would be resolved for the 2017-2018 school year (and years to come). And I ended the email offering to help, if there was anything I could to help facilitate this.

I did not specially ask him to reply or confirm he received the email. But I have not received a response, of any kind back from him. Is that standard? No acknowledgement of any kind? FWIW- this was the first and only email I have sent to him this year. I am just curious. I am not angry or anything, but everyone and a while I think- "Mr. Principle never emailed me back. ???" Should I just stop thinking about it?

End of school year is a busy and stressful time. There is a lot of work closing out the year, planning, hiring, etc. You could send a gentle nag but also understand you're probably competing with numerous other priorities. You may do better scheduling time to drop in (principals work through summer unlike teachers).

[Anonymous]

Not from my child's high school principal.

[Anonymous]

Maybe he didn't understand. Principle?

[Anonymous]

I'm wondering if your child goes to my child's school!

[Anonymous]

What school?

[Anonymous]

Why is it so difficult for parents of school aged children to spell the word principal correctly?

[Anonymous]

Does your school have an active PTA or PTO? If so, message them as well and specifically request that a message from the PTO to the principal be sent about the problem. You could also resend with a message like "I realize I sent this in the midst of end-of-the-school-year craziness, so I wanted to resend it case you missed it. While school is out, I would really like for us to address the mice problem at the school. I am willing to help."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it so difficult for parents of school aged children to spell the word principal correctly?

Why do you have to be a jerk about it? Why not just give your advice or answer the question and say, "OP, I also just wanted to let you know it's spelled Principal"

[Anonymous]

We may get a response in principle, but not in fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your school have an active PTA or PTO? If so, message them as well and specifically request that a message from the PTO to the principal be sent about the problem. You could also resend with a message like "I realize I sent this in the midst of end-of-the-school-year craziness, so I wanted to resend it case you missed it. While school is out, I would really like for us to address the mice problem at the school. I am willing to help."

I think the second strategy is probably preferred.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it so difficult for parents of school aged children to spell the word principal correctly?

Why do you have to be a jerk about it? Why not just give your advice or answer the question and say, "OP, I also just wanted to let you know it's spelled Principal"

How I remember... "The Principal is your Pal."

[Anonymous]

OP, ignore the spelling shamers. Unless you're a professional copy editor, who gives a [bleep]. The problem is the English language. There's no logic to a language that uses one word sound (prin-si-pl) for two completely unrelated words with two non-phonetic spellings.

Anyway, in general, if you don't ask for a response, don't expect one. You could re-send the email the week of August 14th, when staff are back in school, and ask for an update. "Hi, just checking in. Has the mouse situation been addressed? Please confirm before the ice cream social/welcome back event."

Teachers were probably pushing for an exterminator, too. If the principal doesn't respond during the week before classes start, then you should be concerned. Work with your classroom teacher, PTA, admin, and nurse if the asthma-inducing, hantavirus-causing droppings appear again.

[Anonymous]

Yes, usually on the same day. At Truesdell EC.