Mr. Geoffrey Casey Principal s Message

Transcription

1 Shady Side Elementary September 2015 Newsletter Issue #1 September Atwell Road Phone: / Shady Side, Maryland Health Room: Mr. Geoffrey Casey Principal s Message Welcome back to another school year at Shady Side Elementary and a special welcome to our first year families. Many of you have brought us first year scholars in Pre K and Kindergarten. Several of you have moved into the area and are entrusting us with your children 6 ½ hours each day. Our population has grown to 500 students and I hope our new families realize just what a marvelous place this is. I can t take the credit for this we have a dedicated and talented staff, supportive parents and families and engaged young scholars. The theme for this school year is, Growing Dreams at Shady Side Elementary. We are hoping your children set goals that our school can assist them in reaching. The school work should be meaningful and applicable to the real-world. Our School Improvement Plan has three focus areas; writing, math problem-solving and fluency, and reading (learning to read until grade 2, reading to learn in grades 3-5). Through Professional Development and Collaborative Planning opportunities we are very sure that great instruction will become even more effective. I m excited to introduce the new staff members that are joining the Shady Side team this year. Mrs. Shirlette Boysaw is coming over, part-time from Lothian Elementary to be the assistant principal. She will be here on Monday (a.m.), Wednesday, and Thursday. Ms. Rachel Frank has returned to Anne Arundel County to teach 3 rd grade. Mrs. Jennifer Kochanski is joining, former 4 th grade teacher, Kathy Wolfstone-Smith as EEE teachers. We will talk about this more on September 8 th. Ms. Sue Danielson is now our school nurse. We share her with Deale. Other new names you may hear, Mrs. Ann Turpin: ESOL Teacher, Ms. Nicole Better: PPW, Mrs. Mary Stuart-Kempton: Psychologist, Ms. Diane Coelho: Tech Support, Ms. Carpenter: Cafeteria Manager, Ms. Gina Vaonakis, Health Assistant. Shady Side Elementary is an inviting school unfortunately due to space constraints younger siblings are not permitted to attend special events during the school day. Again, welcome to a new year at Shady Side.

2 Greetings Shady side Parents! AssistAnt principal s corner Mrs. Shirlette Boysaw I am delighted to be at Shady Side Elementary School this year in an official capacity! I look forward to working with our wonderful principal, Mr. Casey, the dedicated and committed faculty and staff and of course your children this year. *Tips for Student Success Parents, sharing with your child how to manage their study time can be challenging. Consider using the PLAE model. The four components are: Preplan. List. Activate. Evaluate. What do I have to do tonight? Do I have everything I will need to do it? Write down what I have to do. Number the items in the order I will do them. Follow my plan and do my assignments. Recheck my work to make sure it is accurate and complete Preschoolers: Read early and read often. The early years are critical to developing a lifelong love of reading. It s never too early to begin reading to your child! Read together every day. Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close. Build your child s vocabulary by talking about interesting words and objects. For example, Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called wings? Kindergartners: Play with letters, words, and sounds! Having fun with language helps your child learn to crack the code of reading. Ask your child to talk about his day at school. Encourage him/her to explain something your child did, or a game he/she played during recess. First Graders: Give your child lots of opportunities to read aloud. Inspire your young reader to practice every day! Bring along a book or magazine any time your child has to wait such as at a doctor s office. Always try to fit in reading. Encourage your child to re-read favorite books and poems. Re-reading helps kids read more quickly and accurately. Second Graders: Find ways to read, write, and tell stories together with your child. Always applaud your young reader and beginning story writer! Children love to hear stories about their family. Talk about a funny thing that happened when you were young. Fill a box with drawing and writing materials. Find opportunities for your child to write, such as the shopping list, thank you notes, or birthday cards. Third-Fifth Graders: Read about it, talk about it, and think about it! Find ways for your child to build understanding. The ultimate goal is to learn how to read. Turn reading into something special for your child. Take your child to the library, help them to get their own library card and buy books as gifts. Have a favorite place for books in your home or, even better, put books everywhere! Parents, let us work together to prepare our children to reach their dreams!

3 SSES Mission/Vision/Values We are a dynamic and diverse community who develop the whole child in order to create caring leaders in a progressive and technological society. Through differentiation and collaboration we foster academic excellence, support personal growth and ethics by nurturing creativity and problem solving. To ensure success, we offer all children a safe and caring environment that provides building blocks for life. Shady Side Elementary School is a warm, nurturing environment where we envision: Students and staff feeling safe and confident to challenge themselves and take educational risks to accelerate achievement Differentiated instruction enabling students to develop higher level thinking skills as they actively engage in rigorous, student-centered learning experiences with real life applications Technology and the Arts integrated into the learning process acknowledges each child s unique contribution to the world A continuous, collaborative partnership among the school, parents, and community to ensure students become responsible, successful citizens and lifelong learners. We will fulfill our mission by using these core values to guide our daily decisions: We will seek to foster communication and cooperation between and among all members of the Shady Side community. We will promote a warm, safe, accepting environment that respects people, ideas, perspectives and cultures within our school community. We will reflect an attitude and belief that every student can learn. We will integrate new technology to motivate students and to expand teaching techniques and opportunities. We will incorporate the arts into the core subject areas to develop the whole child. Attendance Reminders When your child is absent, please send a note stating the reason for the absence upon your child s return to school. Absences in excess of five days require a physician s note. When these procedures are not followed, the absence code must be assumed to be unlawful and will be coded as unexcused. Just a few reminders about attendance: If your child arrives after 9:15 a.m. they are late. If your child leaves before 11:15 a.m., they are absent for the day. If your child leaves after 11:15 a.m., but before 1:15 p.m., they will receive an Early Dismissal with ½ day absence. After 1:15 p.m., Early Dismissals will be given for any student who leaves before 3:35 p.m. This is AACPS and MSDE policy.

4 Upcoming Events September 1 - First day for all Half-day Pre-Kindergarten 2 - PTO Fall Fundraiser sales begins (Claire s Gourmet) 7 - Labor Day All Schools & Central Offices closed. 8 - Back to School 6:30 p.m Rosh Hashanah All Schools & Central Offices closed. No extracurricular activities to be held after sundown the preceding evening Volunteer 9:30 a.m Yom Kippur All Schools & Central Offices closed. No extracurricular activities to be held after sundown the preceding evening Fall Fundraiser orders due 28 - PTO Restaurant Night Chick-fil-a 30 - Human Relations 8:15 a.m. - Interims to be sent home. - Federal Impact Aid Survey forms will be sent home with your child. October 2 - Lee National Denim Day Breast Cancer Awareness (Wear a pink shirt & blue jeans) 8 - Fall Picture Day (Look for order forms on Oct. 7 th ) Please send picture envelope and payment with your child on Picture Day Oct. 7 th ) 15 - Professional Development. Two-hour early dismissal for all students. Schools closed for p.m. Pre-K. AM Pre-K will 11:15 a.m Schools closed for students. MSEA Convention. Professional Development Day 27 - PTO Restaurant Night Green Turtle, 5-9 p.m Fall Festival, Reading Incentive - Halloween Parade/Parties - End of first marking period (46 days). Two-hour early dismissal for all students. Schools closed for p.m. Pre-K

5 Important Reminders Early/Late Arrival Students are not allowed to enter the building until 8:55 a.m. due to lack of supervision. Please remember that all students arriving after 9:15 a.m. are considered tardy and must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult into the office to be signed it. If coming from the dentist or doctor please ask for a doctor s note and present it to one of the secretaries as you are signing your child in Breakfast/Lunch Prices Breakfast - $1.50 Reduced Breakfast - Free Lunch - $2.75 Reduced Lunch - $.40 Milk -1/2 pint, (A LaCarte) $.55 Emergency Notification Cards All students received an emergency notification card the first day of school. It is extremely important to update the card and return it to school with child ASAP. Please list other contacts on the card in the event you cannot be reached in case of an emergency. It is very important that you keep the school updated with your correct phone numbers and addresses so you are able to receive Connect-Ed messages. Also please let the office know of all address changes. Please Note: All visitors must have a photo ID to pick up a child. Cafeteria News Free/Reduced Lunch: If your child was receiving free or reduced lunch last year, this will carry over until October 7, Applications were sent home in the First Day Packet with your child. You are not required to complete this form, but feel free to complete the form if you need assistance with your child s lunch. Students who were eligible for free/reduced lunch last year must submit a new application for approval for the school year. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office. Additionally, please remember that the school has a policy of not allowing energy drinks or sodas in the cafeteria. We will not sell them or allow them to be consumed at lunchtime. Car Riders Please remember that students will ride the bus home unless a note is brought to school or a parent calls to inform the school there is a change in plans. Car riders are dismissed at 3:35 p.m. We have regular car riders every day, but for students that usually ride the bus the school must be notified. A student just informing a teacher is not adequate information. Thank you in advance for your help with this important safety matter. If you have not paid for your child s: Agenda Book Grades $5.00 Time for Kids Grades $ 4.50 Scholastic News Kind. & Gr. 1 - $4.50 Project Fee Pre-K, 1st, 2 nd & 5 th - $5.00 Kind. - $10.00 Please do so ASAP. Thank you!

6 Schedules Lunch/Recess Schedule Kindergarten: Lunch: 11:20-11:45 Recess: 11:45-12:10 Grade 1: Lunch: 11:35-12:00 Recess: 12:00-12:20 Grade 2: Lunch: M-Th 11:50-12:15 Recess: M-Th 12:15-12:35 Lunch: Fri. 12:35-1:00 Recess: Fri. 1:00-1:20 Grade 3: Lunch: M-Th 12:20-12:45 Recess: M-Th 12:45:1:05 Lunch: Fri. 11:50-12:15 Recess: Fri. 12:15-12:35 Grade 4: Lunch: 12:05-12:30 Recess: 12:30-12:50 Grade 5: Lunch: M-Th 12:35-1:00 Recess: M-Th 1:00-1:20 Lunch: Fri. 12:20-12:45 Recess: Fri. 12:45-1:05

7 Guidance News Ms. Blandford The school year has started on a wonderful note. I have had the pleasure of meeting almost all of our new students. What a wonderful group. I am thoroughly enjoying my time on lunch duty as I get to know our new Kindergarten students. A survey was given to all fifth grade students during the first week of school. This will help me to determine who would like to be part of what committee. Within the next few weeks all leadership groups will begin their duties. I am so fortunate to have so many leaders to work with this year. It actually makes my job a very difficult one as I think long and hard about whom will best meet the needs of each position. Congratulate your children as they come home to share the exciting job they will have at Shady Side this year. Our Human Relations Committee will meet on September 30 th. This committee is in charge of planning wonderful events such as Grandparent s Day, Super Dads Day, Lunch with Ladies and Career Days. We also recognize and appreciate staff members in our school. The committee plans spirit days, and organizes collections for the Harvest for the Hungry, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Toys for Tots, and the SPCA. Every year we try to support different organizations and their needs. Please look in your child s Wednesday folder for upcoming events and dates for this school year. During the month of September I will be visiting each classroom to review my role as School Counselor here at Shady Side. I will also be having lunch with new students in grades one through five along with our School Ambassadors. Please don t hesitate to contact me at any time if you have a question or concern. I can be reached by phone or by at lblandford@aacps.org. Field Trip Information Please be advised that ALL field trips are subject to cancellation At Any time by the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools or the Superintendent s designee when, in their sole discretion, cancellation is in the best interests of students and staff. In such cases, parents and students bear the risk of loss for financial or other commitments they have made. The Board of Education, its employees and agents will not be responsible for any losses arising from cancellations.

8 Reading News Miss Ann Marie Kelly & Mrs. Whalen We want to thank our PTO for purchasing non-fiction leveled readers for our Kindergarten, First and Second Graders. We are excited to have these high quality books for our students who are learning to read. We are looking forward to showing off our new book room at Back to School Night. Does your child love these stories? Because of Winn Dixie, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, or Dork Diaries? These famous authors and many more will be at the National Book Festival on Saturday, September 5th at the National Convention Center. The Festival is free and families can meet authors and participate in a full day of literacy fun. The theme this year is I Cannot Live Without Books. Here s the link to get more information about the Book Festival. This year we will continue the Home Reader Program. Students at all grade levels are expected to read daily as part of their homework assignments. Students in the primary grades, K-2, should be reading or be read to for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes. Students in the intermediate grades are required to read at least 20 minutes a night. Research shows that reading is the single most important thing you can do to help your child develop key literacy skills. Click on the link to print a poster to remind families about reading every day. Writing continues to be an important school initiative for Shady Side this year. We are in our second year of implementing our new writing program that links to the Common Core Standards. All students will be participating in a Writer s Workshop daily as part of our instructional program. Teachers will be sharing information and expectations for writing at Back to School Night. Please be on the lookout for more information about the Fall reading incentive. Students who complete the October Reading Log can participate in the Fall Festival. Thank you! Miss Kelly & Mrs. Whalen

9 Dear Shady Side Friends and Families, We are very excited to be launching the Arts and Humanities program at Shady Side. Students will begin our program on Monday, September 28 th. Each class at Shady Side, Kindergarten through grade 5, has been scheduled for a one hour Triple E class each week. During that time, students will explore how people process and record the human need to respond to life through the arts and literature. We will use all four art forms dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts in our explorations. The approach we will be taking in our explorations is the Project-Based Learning model of inquiry. This type of learning has as its hallmarks real world problem solving, opportunities for collaboration, product creation and display/presentation to an audience, sustainability over time, flexibility, open-endedness, and student voice and choice. We know that our friends at Shady Side will blossom in this student-centered inquiry model as we explore life through the arts! At this time, we would be very appreciative of the following donations: paper tubes of all sizes (toilet paper, paper towel, wrapping paper), plastic lids of all sizes, newspapers, empty coffee cans (with or without lids), and egg cartons. Thank you for your support! We will be happy to collect these items throughout the school year! If you have any questions, please don t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to your support in this exciting learning opportunity for our scholars at Shady Side! Sincerely, Kathy Wolfstone-Smith Jennifer Kochanski kwolfstone-smith@aacps.org jkochanski@aacps.org Extension 5528 Extension 5529

10 Communicating with your School Nurse Parents/Guardians - Keep Your School Nurse Up to Date: 1. Be sure to inform your school nurse about your child s health conditions or other special health needs in order to plan for safe management at school. Chronic health conditions including but not limited to: asthma, seizures, diabetes or life threatening allergies. 2. Remember to provide your school nurse with current emergency contact information. 3. Tell your school nurse if your child s health condition interferes with school attendance. 4. Make sure to tell your school nurse about medications and medical treatments your child requires during the school day. 5. Tell your school nurse about any changes in your child s health or mobility status, or about any infectious disease. 6. Speak to the school nurse if you need to obtain information about health insurance for your child. Any questions or health related concerns? Please contact your school nurse, Sue Danielson at Working Together for a Safe and Healthy School Year! Anne Arundel County Department of Health School Health Services