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 PNG format. Hard copies (25) must be submitted by Wednesdays at 1:00. Call x100 with any questions.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Monday, May 4 - Friday, May 8
National Teacher Appreciation Week!
Monday, May 4 - Friday, May 8
National Nurses Week! Thank you, Nurse Katie!
Friday, May 22
Curriculum Day Cancelled.
Regular Distance Learning Day
Monday, May 25
No Distance Learning. Memorial Day
Tuesday, June 9
6th Grade Portfolio Presentations, 9am-12:15pm
Get invite by emailing Amy: [email protected]
Friday, June 12
Last day of Distance Learning for 2019-20
Wednesday, September 2
First Day of School, 2020-21
May 8, 2020
Dear Moose Community,
It has been 8 weeks since we left school. These 8 weeks seem to have flown by and crawled along at the same time. There are no words to describe how much the staff misses being with our incredible students and families. We are working to make sure every child feels connected and has opportunities for learning daily. Thank you for working with us as we navigate this time.
I am happy to announce that we have hired a new school psychologist! Dr. Amadee Meyer has joined the SES staff. It is a strange time to try to understand and get to know a school community -- but she has jumped right in. Dr. Meyer comes to us from working as a psychologist in the Gill Montague School District. She also has experience as a teacher and a mom! We are thrilled to have her at SES. If you would like to reach out to Dr. Meyer, her email address is [email protected].
We hope you are taking advantage of the teacher websites and lessons. Even our specialists are posting great lessons and activities! We have also gotten great feedback on Moose TV! We will try to continue offering new episodes frequently for the rest of this school year. You can access Moose TV episodes from the front page of our website.
We are dedicated to making sure the 6th graders are recognized in a special way before they head off to ARMS. Whether we postpone our graduation until August, hold it outside or think creatively, we will make sure our 6th graders get the special recognition they deserve. Be on the lookout for some requests to help us make signs of love and congratulations for them!
We will send out another Roadtown in early June. We will include any update information regarding how school may look/feel next fall. Right now we truly don't have official guidance on what it may look like. It seems safe to say that no matter what, it will feel a bit different-- for everyone. One of the largest strengths of our special school is the loving and caring relationships our teachers and staff have with families. We promise to work hard to make sure your children feel loved, seen and safe in whatever way school looks like on September 2.
We love and miss you!
Jackie
***SCHOOL NEWS***
Everyone has been doing an excellent job of engaging with our Distance Learning website - https://sesmoose.wordpress.com/. Check out the classroom sites, the Specials teachers’ sites, the Question of the Day, Moose TV, COVID19 Communications and more!! We miss you!!
Important info from Beth in the Art Room!
Hi! I miss making art with all of you in the art studio!
While we are home, some Shutesbury school artists have been creative at home and working on the weekly art projects.
Here are some examples of the Found Object Portrait project. If you haven't made one yet, give it a try, it is super fun!
For more examples of student artwork, check out the student art gallery on the Art home learning site
.https://sites.google.com/shutesburyschool.org/shutesbury-school-art-studio/home?authuser=0
Check out the site and make some art!
Miss you!
Beth
Important info from Mr. Carra in the Gym!
Hello Moose Families and Students,
Please keep this message as it contains access links and codes for our PE platform. These Google platforms are accessible without a gmail account. However, with a non-gmail account, I will often have to grant the user access. *Please do not share links.
I hope you are all well and playing often! I miss all of you and look forward to connecting more in this upcoming school week. I have a Google site link at the bottom of this email outlining: activities, safety, and optional meetings. Some categories include: a fitness menu, quote of the day, and video links for story time yoga (my current favorite one is based on the movie Frozen). Additionally, I included ways for you to connect with me, or even to join Google Meets sessions with our group. Click this document link to access the Meet schedule, weekly access code, or to simply have your child share about their active life.
Google Doc Groups
Grades PreK,K&1
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E4bbAiAihnF65PFs4g4VQYvqPtyC9FOWRvSbSJmDIwo/edit?usp=sharing
Grades 2,3,&4
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10ow10bu72e_FQZMoYG_csKNhX8Y0_oraV4TVQX4L2rs/edit?usp=sharing
Grades 5&6
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qxe2D4OpUTGpdppAt8uSt4FOtZvmU3g_05-7gRjZN4E/edit?usp=sharing
The main goal is to stay healthy and make moving fun through play and exploration. Take your time to digest the content in the site, and connect with me and our team when you are ready. Please note that there are no due dates, or mandatory meetings. Just know the more you play & move the stronger you will get both inside and out!
Main PE Website Link: also found under the Home Learning link on Shutesbury's Main Page
https://sites.google.com/shutesburyschool.org/thepeclub/home
Move Well & Play Often,
Sincerely,
Mr. Steven A. Carra
Physical Educator
***MOOSE ON THE MOVE NEWS***
We hope that you are still able to get in some running and walking even though we are distance learning at SES! If you have been running and walking, please fill out the mileage form (here) and send to Nurse Katie - [email protected]. She will update your miles in our system and we’ll announce Moose Milestones in a future communication. Hopefully we will be able to award milestone prizes as well! If you do not have a way to send the form to Nurse Katie, you can just email her your miles or leave a message on her phone at school 413-259-1212 x112.
Another bit of exciting news is that we will carry Moose Miles through the summer! Normally we only include school year (and school day!) miles but this year we will honor all miles gained through the summer! Keep sending in your miles to Nurse Katie!!
***COMMUNITY NEWS***
COMMUNITY NETWORK FOR CHILDREN:
Happy May!
Katie from CNC Shutesbury Tales & Tunes at the M. N. Spear Memorial Library has another video for all of you! Chippsy-Choppsy participates in an experiment today. Watch and sing-a-long!
https://youtu.be/wAF2PvSt-v4
This month CNC will focus on the theme of Exploring Sand and Water. Sand and water are readily available and provide wonderful sensory experiences. There is something about the cool water and sensation of sand sifting through fingers that almost everyone finds appealing.
Look for more ideas and activities this month as we share about how to enjoy sand and water inside and out with your youngest children at home.
If you haven't completed the Annual CNC Family Program Survey please take 2-3 minutes to help us plan and assess the CNC program. I am in the midst of writing our CFCE grant renewal application from the MA Department of Early Education and Care that helps to fund our program. Your feedback is appreciated.
Survey Link: https://forms.gle/yz526hUjNPKxEP1V7
Gillian
Gillian Budine, Coordinator
Community Network for Children
201 Wendell Road
New Salem, MA 01355
[email protected]
(413) 422-0170
https://sites.google.com/erving.com/cncprogram/home
www.union28.org
Find Community Network for Children on Facebook
MN SPEAR MEMORIAL LIBRARY:
Dear Families,
These last several weeks have been challenging. I hope you are all healthy and finding ways to stay connected to friends and community during this time of social distancing. I miss seeing everyone at the Library.
Our doors may be closed, but we are here for you. Currently, we are able to loan books through curbside pickup.
Inter-library loan continues to be suspended so this service is limited to items held in our local collection.
To browse the collection, visit https://bark.cwmars.org/eg/opac/home?loc=272
To see items newly added to the collection, visit http://wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=9226
Instead of placing holds, call or email Mary Anne, 259-1213 or [email protected] to request items and arrange a pickup time.
Searching an online catalog is quite different than browsing the shelves. Feel free to call or email for help finding something that interests you.
Items can be borrowed during the following hours:
Monday: 11 am – 1 pm and 3-6 pm
Tuesday: 1 – 5 pm
Wednesday: 11 am – 1 pm and 3-6 pm
Thursday: 1 – 5 pm
Friday: 3-6 pm
Reading Streak
Shutesbury Reading Streak – 2020!
When author, Alice Ozma was nine years old, her father made a promise: to read to her every night, without missing a night, for one-hundred nights. But once the pair met their goal, they couldn't stop. They continued their reading streak which ultimately lasted nearly nine years!
In the spring of 2013, The Spear Library, together with the Shutesbury Elementary School Library, challenged families to participate in a reading streak. We asked people to choose a partner and commit to reading aloud together for 10 minutes a day for ten days. Grownups read to kids, kids read to each other, and then we celebrated!
Now, during this time of social distancing, many of us are finding ourselves with unstructured time. Reading is a terrific way to pass some of this time! It improves our skills, our memory, our empathy, and even our mood.
Now seems like a great time to bring back the Reading Streak!
The Shutesbury Reading Streak of Spring 2020 can take on different forms.
-
Read Aloud Version
Perfect for families with children, children and their parent or caregiver pledge to read together for a minimum of 15 minutes a day.
-
Silent Reading Version
Anyone who can read, pledges to spend a minimum of 15 minutes a day reading.
Read alone in your room! Read sitting under a tree! Gather the whole family in the living room for silent reading time!
-
Listen to an audiobook
Listening is reading! Download an eAudiobook onto your device and listen! Mary Anne likes to listen to audiobooks when she is cooking or folding laundry. Ms. L. listens when she’s out on long walks. When do you like to listen?
Weekly Meetings on Zoom
Join Mary Anne and Heather Lobenstine and special guests for a weekly lunch-time meet-up on Zoom.
Wednesday mornings at noon, gather your lunch and join a Zoom call to connect with friends and neighbors and share about the books we are reading.
StoryWalks
The Spear Library has installed two StoryWalks, one on the Town Common and another in the field behind Town Hall. We will change the stories weekly.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. A StoryWalk is an outdoor reading experience of a children's book which has been deconstructed with the pages placed on signboards along walking trail or in this case, around a field.
During this tumultuous time, with families home with small children, we wanted to create a safe, outdoor activity to be enjoyed by individual families.
Please enjoy the StoryWalks safely. Do not plan to meet other families there. Please hold on to small children to prevent them from touching the pages.
Once again, the StoryWalks are not a place to gather and should be enjoyed one family at a time.
Thank you for your cooperation as you enjoy this outdoor family activity.
Boston Public Library eCard
All Massachusetts residents are entitled to a Boston Public Library eCard which can be used to access a rich collection of online resources. To apply for a BPL eCard, click here https://www.bpl.org/ecard/
A BPL eCard offers access to online streaming platforms like Kanopy and Hoopla, allowing more uses per person per month.
The BPL eCard also provides access to Language Learning resources like Little Pim for ages 3-6 and Mango Languages which provides courses in 70 languages.
Another excellent resource available with a BPL eCard is Lynda.com, a collection of Video courses in business, software, technology, and creative skills, taught by recognized industry experts.
To find these and other online resources available through the Boston Public Library, visit their online resources page, https://www.bpl.org/online-resources/
MULTI ARTS:
Art, in all its manifestations, has the power to connect us with what matters the most: it connects us with ourselves, with life, love and beauty.
In these times of change and isolation, to be able to create and give life to something that comes from within ourselves is healing and fills us with joy.
That is why, like running water, we at Multi-Arts, keep finding ways to bring ARTS to children's life and that’s why we created
SATURDAY ARTS with VIRTUAL MULTI-ARTS
We invite children to check us on Saturdays and browse around through the several activities we offer: from theater to arts, to mime; even quiet time, a time to settle down with a blanket and listen to the enchanting reading of Josh Gold. Believe me, children LOVE this quiet time!
The program is free (with donations accepted for the teachers). Please, see our attached schedule.
If your child would like to join us, register here: https://forms.gle/SFWFtAegNeyCyVY3A
or visit: www.multi-arts.org
Best,
Catalina Arrubla
WIC Info:
The Department of Public Health is sharing the following information on access to WIC services and food for our families with young children.
The MA Department of Public Health's Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program is informing our health and community partners that WIC services are available by phone. ALL WIC Programs are able to provide all services by phone to align with social distancing efforts. Our website will be kept up-to-date as well. Contact local WIC programs with any questions about breastfeeding, nutrition or shopping. Even if local program offices are not open, they are responding to phone calls and providing services from remote locations. WIC is committed to providing families with continued support now and in the days ahead.
WIC welcomes families at any time. Check out WIC's eligibility page to see how to families can apply online for WIC services. Parents, grandparents and foster parents may apply for children under the age of five years who are in their care.
Call WIC at 1-800-942-1007 or 617-721-6601weekdays Monday through Friday 9am – 5pm. If you hear a recording, please leave a message with your name and telephone number, and staff will respond the same business day or email a Local WIC Program directly with any questions. Download the list: WIC Local Program Email Addresses.
YOGA CENTER AMHERST:
Dear SES Families,
You may know 5th grader Irina Andrews and SES Alum (now in 8th grade at PVPA) Arin Andrews.
Their parents, Corinne and Matthew Andrews own the Yoga Center Amherst and in March they moved all of the classes online. Every class, workshop and training is LIVE and ONLINE so check out their schedule and drop in for a class sometime - they have something for everyone - prenatal, childbirth education, kids, breath practices, meditation, gentle, deep relaxation, moderate, vigorous, more vigorous, chanting, philosophy, in-depth studies, teacher training and more!
They follow a PAY FROM THE HEART model so there are suggested rates but YOU CHOOSE what you can/feel to pay and 15% of monthly net profit goes directly to the local Amherst Survival Center.
Check out how the online classes work HERE and their full schedule HERE
You can send any inquiries directly to [email protected] or find yoga center amherst on instagram and facebook
Thanks and hope you all take good care of your bodies and minds!