Roadtown Feb. 13, 2015 

PUBLICATION INFORMATION  Please submit any submissions for the Community section to:  [email protected] by Wednesdays at 1:00.  Online attachments must be compressed (less than 500KB) and in PDF format.  Hard copies (65) must be submitted by Thursdays at 1:00.  Call x100 with any questions.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Friday, February 13

Report cards sent home with students

 

February 16 – February 20

Winter Recess, No School

 

Tuesday, February 24

PARCC Testing Info Night with Principal Mendonsa, Recommended for 3rd-6th grade parents/guardians

6:30pm

Wednesday, February 25

Preschool Open House for 2015-16

12:00-1:00pm

Friday, February 27

“Wizard of Oz”, an Arin Andrews Production

2:00pm and 6:00pm

Friday, March 6

All School Assembly

2:30-3:00pm

Friday, March 6

Books In Action Party, Leverett Elementary School, for 4th-6th Graders who have read at least 5 MCBA books

5:45 – 8:30pm

February 13, 2015

Dear SES Moose,

It was certainly nice to finish out the week (after a late start!) before vacation with some consistency in our school schedule. It is quite enjoyable to watch our students frolic through waist deep snow at recess! We encourage all students to bring boots, snow pants, hats and gloves to school to utilize during recess. We do have some extras for students to borrow in the nurse’s office. If you would like to donate gently used snow pants, boots and gloves, we would be more than happy to find homes for them!

As we finish our 102nd day of school, students will be coming home with report cards in backpacks. SES teachers have taken a lot of time to give a clear and detailed picture of students’ progress.  If you have any questions or concerns around the report card, please reach out and contact your student’s teacher.

I would like to remind families in grades 3-6 of the PARCC informational night that I will be holding in the SES Library on February 24th at 6:30 pm. At this meeting I will discuss and explain some of the differences between PARCC and MCAS. I will also review the testing schedule I have planned, and share some of the ways the SES staff will provide a positive, calm and stress free (as much as possible) environment during the testing period.

Arin Andrews, an SES 3rd grader has been facilitating, writing, directing and musical directing a version of Wizard of Oz. He has led an after school drama club on Thursday afternoons since the fall (with the help of his wonderful mom, Corinne)! Arin and his team of student actors will be ready to perform their production on February 27th! SES students and faculty will watch the show at 2:00 pm! There will also be an evening performance at 6:00 pm in the SES cafetorium! Please consider coming to support Arin and our student actors in our first student-led drama club production!

I wanted to give a shout out to all the chefs and volunteers who helped cook and produce a delicious Pancake Breakfast to support the Shutesbury Fire Department. The breakfast was delicious and it was great to see so many community members gather together to enjoy tasty food for a good cause!

I wish you all a fantastic break filled with fun, laughter and relaxation. We will see the students back on Monday, February 23rd!

Jackie Mendonsa, Principal

***SCHOOL NEWS*** 

MCBA BOOKS IN ACTION PARTY!

            The school librarians from Shutesbury, Leverett,  and Swift River have planned a terrific evening event, Books in Action, to celebrate 4th- 6th graders’ participation in the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award. Each year a new list of 25 books is chosen by librarians and teachers from Salem State College.  Children in grades 4-6 throughout the state are encouraged to read at least five of the books.  Children who read five of the selected books may vote in March for their favorite. The Massachusetts Children’s Book Award winner is announced in April. Many of our readers have enjoyed the books, and some have even read ALL 25!  

          The celebration for those students who have read five or more MCBA books is on Friday, March 6th at Leverett Elementary School from 5:45-8:30 p.m. The children will be divided into groups and will go through a series of events based on this year’s MCBA books. Please be sure to sign and return your child’s permission slip by 3/1!

            We are looking forward to this celebration of reading and know it will be a lot of fun for all the children….and the adults! Please contact Heather Lobenstine, SES librarian, if you have questions, need another permission slip, or would like to volunteer:  [email protected].

 

Please keep bus lane clear:  Families dropping off children between 8:15 and 8:45am or picking up between 3:00 and 3:20pm should not be using the lane closest to the school.  This lane is reserved for buses only and driving through the buses or vans poses a serious risk of physical harm to students exiting or boarding the buses.  Please drop children off in the back lot or park and walk your children in to or out of school, exiting the parking lot on the side where cars are parked.  Thank you!

 

Amherst Regional High School Master Schedule Change Meeting:  At 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, ARHS will hold a meeting to discuss with the community its plans to change the high school's master schedule for SY 2016-17. Since the high school is at the beginning of its process, the meeting will NOT involve an actual recommendation for the new schedule. Instead, the agenda will focus on the following topics:

  • The educational implications of a new master schedule;
  • The current economic realities that bear on the decision;
  • The feedback-gathering and decision-making processes;
  • The different master schedule options that are under consideration; and
  • How the community can provide feedback.

Current 9th and 10th graders, as well as all students in the middle and elementary schools, will attend ARHS with the new master schedule in place so all district families are invited to attend. The meeting will be held in the high school library. 

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***NURSE’S CORNER***

With the current resurgence of measles in the US, I wanted to make parents aware of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health exclusion policy for children who have not been fully vaccinated with 2 doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella). To meet state immunization requirements, 1 dose of MMR is required for pre-school and 2 doses of MMR are required by Kindergarten. If an SES child is either exposed to a confirmed case of measles or is diagnosed with a case of measles, any child considered “susceptible,” including children who have not been fully vaccinated for religious or medical reasons, will be excluded from school from the 5th day of exposure to the 21st day of exposure. (Please see MA law 105 CMR 300,000).

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus, which can lead to pneumonia and neurological complications. I encourage any parent who is considering vaccinating their child for measles, to please do so. For parents whose child is eligible to receive their second dose of MMR, I advise you to complete the series as soon as possible. We respect parental decisions regarding vaccinations, and will continue to work with parents to ensure the well-being of all members of the school community.

Signs and symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose conjunctivitis (pink eye), and itchy rash. If you suspect that your child has either been exposed to measles or has a diagnosed case of measles, please inform the school nurse as soon as possible. Should such a case arise, I will contact parents of children who are not fully immunized and the exclusion policy will be applied.

Thanks for your cooperation and careful consideration of this public health issue. I hope everyone has a healthy and happy winter vacation.

Dennise Forsman, RN

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SES Student Interview of the Week! 

Lilli!


JM: What do you love about SES?

LC: I like the teachers and the learning environment. There’s not that many kids here, so everyone knows each other. The teachers are really nice and helpful.

JM: What do you like to do in your spare time?

LC: I like to swim. I am on the Amherst Tritons swim team. I also like to read and hang out with my sister and family.

JM: What do you want to be when you grow up?

LC: I don’t really know. I’m thinking about being a marine biologist or a chef!

JM: What are you doing for February vacation?

LC: My family and I are going to Baltimore to a friend’s wedding. Then we are going to the Smithsonian museums!


***COMMUNITY NEWS***

 

Cancer Connection Camp Out – Shutesbury Elementary School Secretary, Jessica Carlson-Belanger, and Swift River School Teacher, Teri Nelson, are teaming up again to support the Cancer Connection and Monte (from 93.9 The River) on Wed., March 4th! They’ll be camping out in downtown Northampton to raise money for this great organization. Community members are encouraged to stop by the courthouse lawn and donations can be sent (or brought) to both Shutesbury and Swift River Schools or directly to the courthouse lawn on March 4th. Checks payable to the “Cancer Connection.” Thank you for your support!

ATTACHMENTS:
Weekly Lunch Menu
Preschool Open House at SES
Mitten Making for Kids - Library Program
Cabin Fever - Library Programs

Posted by carlson-belangerj On 13 February, 2015 at 3:46 PM