Volume 24, Issue 8 Thursday, January 8, 2014
NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
Dear Families,
Happy New Year! We have started off 2015 with a few new faces at SRS. I’d like to welcome Ariel Barilla, our new school secretary, and Ciji Cody, paraprofessional, to our community. Please stop in and say hello.
Thank you to all the families that joined us for the Winter Concert. There wasn’t a seat to be had in the gymnasium! Ed Hines does a fantastic job preparing our students for this performance, and they surely shine.
Big thanks to the Wendell Craft Fair for their generous donation to our arts programs. We will begin looking at different options to bring a stringed instrument program to SRS. If you know a strings teacher or if your child is interested in taking strings lessons, please contact me.
We are almost halfway through the year and the 100 Mile Club is going strong. Congratulations to all of our runners and walkers who have reached a milestone. We will continue to have running club outside as long as the weather is not too cold. Please make sure children are dressed for the weather and if you have grippers for boots or shoes, we highly recommend them. We are always in need of parents’ help to supervise children on the track and could use the extra eyes. When picking up your child from the 100 Mile Club, please remember to get out of your car and check in with an adult before taking your children home. For everyone’s safety, we will not allow students to cross the parking lot without a parent.
We are beginning to prepare for state testing in March and May. This year we will be taking the PARCC test in Math and in English Language Arts in grades 3-6. The testing windows are March 23 to April 3, May 11-22, and May 4-8 for 5th grade science and technology. Because of these shortened testing windows we will not have any flexibility for test make-ups. Please make sure your children are present for the testing window. As we get closer to the dates we will know exactly when third grade through sixth grade will take the tests. If you have any questions about the testing please contact me.
Lastly, Christine Heard will be retiring on January 16th. Please join us in the cafeteria on the 16th during Community Sing or between 4:30-6:30 to wish her well in her retirement. Christine has been at SRS for 18 years and will be missed by all. As the new person on the block last year I was made to feel welcome by her and she assured me that I was doing my job correctly. She has been a wealth of knowledge, a good listener, an inspiration, and she gives great advice, but most importantly, she has become a good friend. I’d like to thank Christine for her years of service to the community of SRS, we are all blessed to have her in our lives. Happy Retirement, Christine!
Fondly,
Kelley
IMPORTANT NOTICE: BUS NOTES
Because we have a new secretary it is important to write clear and complete bus notes. Please write legibly, include your child’s last name and the last name of any child he is visiting and be specific (e.g., Wendell or New Salem Library instead of just “Library”). Ariel Barilla will greatly appreciate your help in making sure children get where they are supposed to be at the end of the day! Thank you.
January Dean’s Beans Order
Dean’s Beans is a local, organic and fair trade coffee roasting company. Please use the attached form to order coffee or hot cocoa. All orders are due by Friday, January 16th. Contact Nan Mead at the school if you have any questions. Thank you for supporting our PTCA!
ENCHANTED FOREST NEWS
Dance Classes will be starting in February. A flier will go home in a week or two with information about creative movement dance classes with professional dance teacher Anna Hendricks. These classes are for children in kindergarten through grade 2. The classes are limited in size, but we often find room for a few preschoolers as well. To sign up, complete the registration form on the flier and return to school: Attention: Betsy Bergantino.
Transitioning: this week and next Betsy and Christine Heard are working together as Betsy learns the ropes. Please direct communication about payments, etc. to Betsy. To send your child to EF as a drop in or any other communication about after school plans, please communicate with the new secretary, Ariel Barilla.
Betsy and Christine will also be working together to create childcare expense reports for 2014; you should receive them before February 1st.
MISSING BOOTS
Bog boots, size 1 with camouflage uppers and bright orange soles, have been missing since Monday, December 15th. They were last seen in Enchanted Forest. If they appear at your house, please return them to school. You’ll make a 7 year old boy (whose name is in the boots) very happy!!
Nurse’s Notes
Illness & School Attendance Reminder: With flu season upon us, I want everyone to be aware of school attendance guidelines. All children with a fever over 100’ F must stay home until fever free (without the use of Tylenol or Ibuprofen) for 24 hours. Children with vomiting or diarrhea, must be symptom free and eating normally for at least 12 hours before returning to school. Following these guidelines help prevent the spread of illness to others at the school, and also ensures that your child has a chance to fully recover. If your child is absent from school due to illness, they should also not attend school sponsored events until fully recovered according to the above guidelines. Our goal is to prevent the spread of illness through the school as much as possible! Remember, good hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of illness, both at home & at school. If you have questions, please contact me at the school.
Do you need help finding affordable health insurance for your family? Call the Health Helpline at 800-272-4232. They can tell you what programs are available and help you sign up right over the phone.
On the same note: Do you need assistance with the cost of medicine for your family? Check out www.NeedyMeds.org. NeedyMeds is a non-profit founded in 1997 as a resource for people who need assistance with the costs of medicine.
Call or email me at the school if you have any health related questions.
Nan Mead, R.N.
[email protected] or (978) 5446926, ext. 220
PTCA News
The PTCA is sponsoring a Hillside Pizza Fundraiser. Heat up fresh, organic pizza or make delicious cookies during these cold months ahead! Orders are due back at school on Tuesday, January 20th. Order forms went home on Monday, please contact the office if you need a copy. Pick up is set for Friday, January 30rd at school.
The next PTCA meeting is Thursday, January 15th @ 6:30pm in the library. All are welcome and encouraged to join us! Free childcare is provided by the Mahar Key Club.
Please "Like" us on Facebook @ Swift River School PTCA
Science Fair 2015 News
Kick-Off Event Success
Professor Presto, from the Mad Scientist Lab, did an excellent job of getting everyone excited about air with his Up-Up-and-Away presentation. He demonstrated air pressure by floating a ping-pong ball on a column of air from a hair dryer; the internal and external effects of air pressure by evacuating a soda bottle with a suction pump; and how air can be moved by a vortex using a little smoke and creating smoke rings that made it possible to see that vortex-generated movement. Many volunteers from the audience did a great job helping to make this an exciting event, particularly Madelynn who did a super job of showing Mrs. Newman the best method to blow up a large, sock balloon! Professor Presto was captivating and engaging. Everyone learned some “air” science and had a wonderful time. We can’t wait to see what imaginative ideas for science project experiments drift back from our Swift River School Scientists! The Fun has Begun!
Reminders: Watch for Science Fair 2015 sign-up sheets coming soon. Don’t forget Friday morning help sessions start January 30th.
Library Lines
Six Flags Read to Succeed Program information will be sent home next week. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade can earn a free ticket to Six Flags Amusement Park in Agawam, MA. Each child must read for a total of six hours and have their parent or guardian sign the reading form. Reading for homework or as a class assignment does not count toward the six hours. Children may read books, magazines, comic books or newspapers. All forms must be returned to me by February 24. Extra reading logs will be available on my desk.
The 4th, 5th and 6th grades will be focusing on the MCBA (Massachusetts Children's Book Awards) books for the next few weeks. Each child who has read at least 5 of the 25 books will be eligible to attend the Books in Action party on Friday, March 6. This year's party will be held at Leverett Elementary School and promises to be an amazing evening as we bring many of these books to life! Save the date!
On Monday January 26 MCBA author David A. Kelly (The Ballpark Mysteries #1: The Fenway Foul-Up) will visit our school! This author visit is made possible by a grant from the New Salem Academy.
Swift River’s 5th annual Community Reading Day will be held on Wednesday, January 21. The Friends of New Salem Library organizes this event which brings community members from New Salem and Wendell into the school to read with the children. We are looking forward to their visit.
Thank you to everyone for supporting the Scholastic Book Fair last month. Our sales increased by more than 5% over the previous year, which earned the library an extra $150 worth of books!
The Library is still collecting cardboard tubes from paper towels and gift wrap; please continue to send them in! Thank you!
Make time to read,
Betsy
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
These announcements and events are not school sponsored.
The Pangeans Perform!
Instrumental Music Teacher Brian Bender's world music band, THE PANGEANS, will perform at the Wendell Full Moon Coffee House on January 10th at 7:30 pm. This show is open to all ages.
New Salem Public Library Teen News
We have so much going on! Come to the Library on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 5:30 pm
- January 14th, Sharpie Mug Design
- January 21st, Smoothies and herbal teas
- January 28th, Henna tattoos and a movie
- February 4th, Tom McCabe comes to enlighten and entertain us!
Call 978-544-6334 for more info!
The New Salem/Wendell School District assures that all programs, activities and employment opportunities are offered without regard to race, color, gender, age, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, economic status, homelessness, sexual orientation and physical or mental disability.