I hope you had a wonderful and enriching summer.

Now, it's time to get back into the grind of homework assignments, meetings and after-school activities.

We've got some hefty issues ahead of us this year. We'll explore school reassignments, Wake's school-bond referendum and year-round-school conversions, to name just a few topics.

But we can't forget about those student and teacher achievements, cool class projects and upcoming school plays.

So if you've got an item for the News & Notes column, please send it my way. My contact information is below.

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Public-school parents, if you haven't picked up a copy of the 2006-07 Student/Parent Handbook, a copy is available at the Wake County Public School System's Web site at www.wcpss.net.

The handbook includes the school system's policies on bus transportation, academics, discipline, before- and after-school programs, and more.

The handbook also features contact information for school board members.

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