Pleasant Street School News
building a community of learners that strive for excellence
May 1, 2016
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2 to May 6.
As we celebrate teacher appreciation week I wanted to share with you some wonderful quotes on teaching. It was hard to choose just these quotes as there are so many more I could add. As Principal, I want to take a moment to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for all of the hard work our teachers and staff put into each day and each student. You are not only teaching children, you are building future leaders. Thank you!
Principal Ellis
While our PTO has some activities planned to show their appreciation of our teachers and staff, it is my hope that families will see to joining them by expressing their own appreciation as well.
Welcome Families... District Screening of Aces First Kindergarten Class!
Many thanks are due to our fabulous early education team of teachers, specialists, our school nurse, paraprofessional staff, and our administrative team for their collective efforts in conducting our kindergarten screening program. Youngsters participating met with a teacher, speech & language specialist, and school nurse as part of health and Dial4 developmental screenings. In addition, Mrs. Triozzi, a district school psychologist, was on hand to facilitate and to provide consultative support.
Pictured: Mrs. Vitello and Mrs. Rix greeting families, helping with paperwork, and offering complimentary books.
District Preschool and Early Childhood Screening on May 6th :-)
Early Childhood Screening is a program developed to check the health and development of children ages two years six months to four. Children will attend screening one to two years before they enter kindergarten. Screenings are conducted by trained, licensed
Athol Royalston Regional School District Staff
What are the goals of Early Childhood Screening?
- To find out how your child is growing and developing.
- To connect parent and child with early childhood programs and other community services that may be needed.
- To answer any parenting questions/concerns you may have.
- Identify any possible health or learning concerns so that they may be addressed before a child enters school.
Please share the word with families you know who have preschool aged children to call the office at (978) 249-2405 to schedule an appointment. We also want to remind present families we will not have preschool on May 6th due to the screening program.
Our PTO Wants You at Their May 2 Meeting
ACES, "Fill the Bookshelves Committee"
Spring 2016
Dear Future ACES Family and Friends:
To help commemorate the opening of the brand new Athol Community Elementary School (ACES), the ACES “Fill the Bookshelves Committee” goal is to help raise funds for brand new books for the wonderful new school library and media center.
You might not be aware that while computers and other technological equipment are included in the building budget...books are not! 100% of the money you donate will go to purchasing these new books! Our dedicated teachers will help select the books to enhance your child’s education and reading experience.
To add to the excitement, our wish is that each and every child attending ACES this fall will have our custom bookplate (design above) with his/her name on it inside a new book in the school library.
To help us in this endeavor, please participate in anyway you can by filling out and returning the attached form by May 15.
http://www.arrsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ACESBookplateParentLetter.pdf
Thank you,
ACES “Fill the Bookshelves” Committee
Your gift is tax deductible! “ACES Fill the Bookshelves Committee” is sponsored by “Friends of the Library”. Checks payable to Friends of the Library.
Common Sense Media: Helpful guidance on media content for children, families, and educators
We are offering this information excerpted directly from the Common Sense Media website as a resource for families trying to make informed decisions about technology and media for their children.
"Common Sense is dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives.
Media and technology are at the very center of all our lives today -- especially our children’s. Kids today spend over 50 hours of screen time every week. The media content they consume and create has a profound impact on their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Learning how to use media and technology wisely is an essential skill for life and learning in the 21st century."
But parents, teachers, and policymakers struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing digital world in which our children live and learn. Now more than ever, they need a trusted guide to help them navigate a world where change is the only constant.
Common Sense Media helps families make smart media choices. We offer the largest, most trusted library of independent age-based and educational ratings and reviews for movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books, and music. Our Parent Concerns and Parent Blog help families understand and navigate the problems and possibilities of raising children in the digital age."
We encourage you to explore their website and the use of this resource.
River Rat Reading Challenge
Our students have been gaining traction on this reading challenge so we have decided to extend it for the month of May. Happy reading to all of our Pleasant Street friends!
Catch of the Day
Coming to School is Cool- Attendance Award
Pictured: Meg Williams, counseling dept. intern, Rachel Schwab, guidance counselor, and Leah Jones, second grade teacher.
Everyday Hero Awards
Congratulations! On behalf of Pleasant Street and your families we want to thank you for doing such a nice job as Everyday Heroes!
CAUGHT BEING GOOD
Our faculty and staff use Caught Being Goods as just another way of letting children know that we notice and appreciate simple acts of being helpful and kind throughout our school. When a student receives a Caught Being Good he or she also receives a small prize from Principal Ellis. PIctured are second graders Gentry and Jacob.
MCAS MATH is coming soon! PLease mark your calendars
Dear Families,
We want families to know that MCAS math is scheduled for the following days:
- Grade 3 students will be tested on May 11 & May 16
- Grade 4 students will be tested on May 13 & May 17
For more information about MCAS and to look at practice test questions and student writing samples you can visit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website at
Free Breakfast & Lunch
As part of the 2010 Healthy and Hunger-Free Kids Act, Athol-Royalston Regional School District, along with other districts, now offers free meals to all students this school year.
Menus
- Breakfast menu for May
- Lunch menu for May
Check Out the Official ARRSD District Facebook Page
We encourage you to like this page so you can follow news from around the district.
Upcoming Events...Mark your Calendars!
- May 2- PTO meeting- 6:00-7:00 pm
- May 2- May 6- teacher appreciation week
- May 6- preschool screening, no school for preschool
- May 11 & May 16- grade 3 MCAS –sessions 1 & 2
- May 13 & May 17- grade 4 MCAS –sessions 1 & 2
- May 18- fourth grade field trip-
- May 18- school committee meeting, 6:30 pm, ARMS library
- May 20- second grade field trip
- May 25- third grade field trip
- May 24- Animal Adventures Program for grades prek, k, and grade 1
- May 26- Literacy leadership committee
- May 26- all school walk-athon
- May 26 & May 27- dental program
- May 27- Memorial day program- scheduled for 1:30 pm (tentative)
- May 27, May 31, June 1, & June 2- Spring MAPS testing
- May 30- Memorial day holiday
- May 31- spring concert at Athol High School, 6:00 pm (students to arrive at 5:45)
For your convenience our district calendar is linked below.
http://www.arrsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/CALENDARFOR2015-2016a.pdf
Community Events & Postings
Do you have news to share or want to inform members of our school community about family friendly events in our area? if so, please email or forward a flyer or link.
Thank you :)
Motor Monkeys Playgroup- 10:15-11:30, Friday mornings, beginning on March 4- May 13, 34 North Main St., Orange. For more information call Jennifer at (978) 249-8467.
Mother Goose on the Loose Playgroup-Thursdays 10am—11:30am Valuing Our Children 217 Walnut St. Athol. For more information contact: Jen: 978-249-8467 x 22
http://www.arrsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/PG-and-MGOL.pdf
Petersham Playgroup- Beginning on Thursday, Sept. 17th from 10-11:30 at the Petersham Center School. For more information please call Jennifer at Valuing Our Children 978-249-8467 x22
http://www.arrsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Petersham-playgroup.pdf
For other local events, happenings, and resources in this area... you can also check the North Quabbin Community Coalition website below:
These are not school sponsored events but are posted here as a public service for families in the greater North Quabbin community.
Check back soon for more news!
News from Principal Ellis
Email: dellis@arrsd.org
Website: arrsd.org
Location: 1060 Pleasant Street., Athol, MA 01331
Phone: (978) 249-2405