Weekly News Letter from The Principal’s Corner
November 1, 2013
Community/School Thanksgiving Feast
Once again, WS is planning a community/school Thanksgiving Feast on Wednesday, November 20, 2013. There will be limited seating, so please make your reservations in advance, (first come, first serve!). The cost of the dinner for adults is $3.25. Please plan to sign in and pay at the door. The children will be eating at these times and in this order, in case you want to sign up to eat with your child or grandchild:
10:45 to 11:15 - Grades 6, 7 and 8 - with a 15 min recess to follow
11:15 to 11:45 - Grades 3, 4 and 5 - with a 15 min recess to follow
12:00 to 12:30 - Grades K, 1 and 2 - with a 30 minute recess before lunch
Directory and Public Information
As you know, we are not allowing children to pass invitations out in school to avoid hurt feelings. Parents have started to ask for classroom information for party invitations and other things. This kind of data is called directory or public information and the school can release it if it is the kind of information we share with PTA, class advisors, etc. and if the request is reasonable and purposeful. However, if a parent puts in writing that we are not to share mailing addresses and phone numbers, we do not. Therefore, if you do NOT want us to share this directory information with others, please let us know in writing asap.
SBAC
The SBAC test, (replacing NECAPs), for grades 3-8, will be given to WS students during a three week testing window, April 28, 2014 to May 16, 2014. Please mark these dates on your home calendars as we would like all students to have perfect attendance during testing. The tests are computerized, so we have to share the computer lab. More information about the SBAC will be forthcoming in January!
First Quarter Marking Period Ends
November 1, 2013 is the close of the first quarter. Report cards will go home on Wednesday, November 6th so parents will have time to get their questions ready for the conferences to be held on November 7th and 8th.
Standards Based Report Cards
After much deliberation, WS will not be doing the standards based report cards until next fall. We will use the same report cards we have been using in past years in grades K-4 and in specials classes. We feel that we need to make this important transition carefully and thoroughly by spending more time learning about the common core standards first and then creating a report card which reflects the scaffolding of skill development appropriate at each and every grade level. K-4 Teachers and Specialists will tell you more about this at Parent-Teacher Conferences in November. They will even have a mock report card to share with you. We want to do this carefully and do it right! Time affords us the opportunity to learn more about the system and to work with parents, answering any questions or concerns they may have. We hope to roll out the new standards based report cards at School Report Night in the late spring. We are hopeful that you will support our decision in this matter. Feel free to call the school at 674-5400 if you have questions or concerns.
A Message from Mr. Ramsey
Ashlyn Rice, Grade 4, won a set of very nice drumsticks over the weekend and she was kind enough to donate them to the band room in case any students don't have their own. Thank you to Ashlyn and her kindness - what a great example you are!
Early Release Day/Parent Teacher Conferences
The students will be dismissed at 11:30 am, after lunch, on Thursday, November 7th, so teachers and parents can have conferences in the afternoon and evening. No school on Friday, November 8th, as parent-teacher conferences will be held in the morning on that day, too. If you do not have a conference scheduled yet, please call the school as soon as possible.
Picture Retake Day
November 26th is Picture Retake Day!
Budget Advisory Committee
Thank you to the folks who volunteered to serve on this year’s BAC for the FY 15 budget:
Kelly O’Brien
Nat Whitney
Gloria Ballantine
Incoming Kindergarten Class – Fall 2014
As we prepare the FY 15 Budget, we need to know how many incoming kindergartners will be joining us next fall. If you know a child who lives in Weathersfield and who will turn five on or before September 1, 2014, please call the school at 674-5400.
Regional Spelling Team Competition
The 2013 Regional Spelling Team Competition will be held on November 2, 2013 at 12:30 p.m. at the Manchester Elementary Middle School in Manchester Center, VT. The address is 80 Memorial Avenue, Manchester Center, VT 05255. The phone number is 802-362-1597. Our school team needs to be at Manchester School by 11:30, so there is time for restroom breaks and lunch. The WS Team will be meeting at Skylar Swan’s house at 10:20 am on November 2, 2013. We will caravan over to Manchester Center. If you need a ride, PLEASE let Spelling Bee Advisor, Deb Gurney, know as there are no buses available. Good luck to our 7/8 Spelling Champs:
Timothy Farren
Ben Millard
Skylar Swan
Rand Frazer
Brooke McKeen
Weathersfield School Walking Program
Weathersfield School Walking Program started Monday, October 28th! Students will come into the school and meet Mrs. Stevens by the Kindergarten classroom. Mrs. Sprague will be walking around the back field with the students and Mrs. Stevens will have them join us as they arrive to school. Once all students have been dismissed from the AP room, students will head back into the school to class. Students who eat breakfast at school MUST eat before joining walkers. Students must be dressed appropriately for the weather. If the weather does not permit us to be outside, we will be walking either in the gym or the area around the locker rooms. If anyone would like to walk with us that would be great! Please let us know if you have any questions!
Beth Sprague, Guidance, and Emily Stevens, Nurse
K-4 Lunch Celebration
As you know, we have some nice additions this year to our K-4 Lunch Program, including restaurant voices and classical music. Now, we have decided to add a new dimension: Cafe 118!
We have a small room off the cafeteria, room 118, now called Cafe 118, which will be "set" every day, starting next week. This room will have a table inside, reserved for children who demonstrate model lunch room behavior the previous day. There will be 10 or so special invitations available each day for children who deserve to eat in a quiet room, complete with a tablecloth and centerpiece!
The lunch room duty personnel will have the Cafe 118 invitations and hand them out during a meal when they see children being good role models for others. There will be a guest book available for children to sign the day they are welcomed into Cafe 118.
Doesn't this sound like fun?! If all goes well, we are hoping to create a way to invite K-4 parents in to enjoy lunch with children later in the spring. We'll keep you posted on how this works.
Two Sets of Twins
Who are they?
Happy November,
JeanMarie K. Oakman, WS Principal
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