Aiken Update
September 16, 2022
Message from the Principal
We are looking forward to seeing you this Thursday, September 22nd for Curriculum Night. This will be the first in person Curriculum Night since 2019 and for veteran Aiken families, the night will have a new format. Instead of the traditional PowerPoint presentation, we will utilize this evening to provide an interactive and engaging, "Day in the Life” look at what learning looks and sounds like in your child's classroom. We hope that you will leave not only with a better understanding of the materials, learning experiences, and grade level expectations for the year ahead. but also with the chance to meet other families and to get to know your child's teacher.
In addition to spending time in your child's classroom, we also encourage you to stop down to the library and cafeteria to see our special area and support staff. They look forward to seeing you and sharing more about their programs and the services they offer our students.
This is an adult only event for parents and caregivers. The schedule for Thursday is as follows:
6:00-6:40 - Grades 3-5
6:50-7:30 - ELC - Grade 2
6:30-7:10 - Special Area Teachers, Support Staff, Pupil Services
Have a great weekend!
Shannon
Curriculum Overviews
It is a pleasure to share a brief overview of all areas of the Kindergarten through Grade 5 West Hartford Curriculum. West Hartford’s comprehensive program is based on the Connecticut Core Standards. Teachers provide instruction on essential literacy and mathematics skills and understandings necessary for success on both district and state assessments establishing the foundation for continued study. The West Hartford curriculum also includes integration of visual and performing arts, science, social studies, physical education, world language (grades 3-5) and library media services.
This curriculum comes alive in the hands of our talented teachers who are committed to ensuring that our students reach their highest potential. We are dedicated to accommodating children’s diverse needs, the way they learn, their experiences and interests, and to facilitating continuous educational growth. If you should have any questions about your child’s curriculum, your classroom teacher is the best source of information.
No single document can fully explain the rich and complex nature of the school curriculum and instructional goals. We know that learning is optimized in a partnership with families, teachers, and schools. Working together, we can use your experiences as a family and our work in the classroom to create a respectful climate of academic success and joy for lifelong learning.
Sincerely,
Paul W. Vicinus, Jr.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
Fall Assessments
Each Fall all students in grades K - 5 participate in benchmark assessments in both reading and math. The reading aimswebPlus assessments focus on early literacy skills in kindergarten and grade one. Grades two through five focus on fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. These short reading assessments provide information on student understanding in these areas. The i-Ready math assessment is adaptive and adjusts the questions to find each student's instructional level. These adaptive tests assist in determining how best to support student learning of math skills and concepts. If you have any additional questions about these assessments you can contact your child's teacher.
Thank you,
Amy Schmelder, Curriculum Specialist
Click on the picture to view our Elementary Handbook
Nutrition Services
Please click on the link below for an important update from Nutrition Services regarding the upcoming school year. ALL students will be eligible for free breakfast and lunch for the start of the 2022-2023 school year.
- Here is a link to the September Lunch Menu
Library News
Welcome Back!! I am so excited to see everyone during their library classes! Just a reminder to please have your child return their summer reading logs to school. They can turn them into their classroom teacher. If you have misplaced your sheet, not a problem, you can send me an email with the list of titles or have your child write them down on a piece of paper. If you turned in your child’s sheet into the public library, that information will be given to me. I can’t wait to see how many books we read as a school this summer!
Thank you so much!
Jessica Tamaccio
Vacant Seat Program
Vacant Seat Program - Application Start date is Monday, October 3, 2022.
The West Hartford Public Schools vacant seat program utilizes available space on school buses. This program allows students to ride buses, where space is available, who under the West Hartford Public Schools Transportation policy are not eligible for transportation. No additional bus stops are added to the routes for this program.
Interested parents should contact the West Hartford Public Schools Transportation Office at (860)561-6647 for additional information on or after October 3rd. Requests are taken in this office by telephone on a first come, first served basis starting at 8:00am.
5th Grade Art Quest
Art QUEST provides 5th grade students with an opportunity to explore, create, and extend their artistic interests, knowledge, and skills. The following link pertains to the Art Quest Nomination process and how to go about preparing a student portfolio. Fifth-grade students who demonstrate an inventiveness in their artistic skills and a flexibility to organize the elements of their artwork are invited to be considered for Art QUEST 2022-2023.
YMCA Youth Fall Programs
Girls on the Run
Girls On The Run inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum! The 2022 Fall season at will begin on Monday, September 19th and will be held Mondays & Wednesdays from 3:30-5pm at Norfeldt Elementary.
For more information, and to register your girl, go to https://www.gotrgreaterhartford.org/programs and select Norfeldt as your site.
Want to make an impact? We are looking for coaches! At the heart of Girls on the Run are amazing volunteers whose commitment and passion change the lives of thousands of girls each year. Please go to https://www.gotrgreaterhartford.org/Volunteer to learn more and apply.
Questions? Please contact Gunjan Sharma (gunjan.sharma@gmail.com)
Here is a brief overview of the program. Please see the attached flyer for more information about the program.
- Girls on the Run is for Gr. 3-5 girls,
- Over a 20 week period, the program trains them to run a 5K (The Mitten Run, Dec 4, Blue Back Square).
- A team of 16-20 girls needs THREE coaches.
- New coaches will be required to attend a 5-hour in-person Girls on the Run/Heart & Sole training session and complete an online training course. Returning coaches are required to attend a 2 hour in-person training and complete online training each season.
- At least one coach must be CPR/First Aid certified. Girls on the Run Greater Hartford will provide the necessary training to the head coaches who need it free of charge.
- The Head Coach must identify as female and be at least 21 years old. All other coaches must be at least 18 years old and can be either female or male. Junior Coaches should be between the ages of 16-18.
- All coaching candidates are subject to screening and approval by Girls on the Run Greater Hartford prior to final selection.
Bookstore Celebration
Chess Club
Award winning all Clubs Chess instructor and coach, Alexander Lumelsky, presents his
instruction-based chess program for students grades K through 5, beginners welcome. The
program offers class instruction on chess play and strategy and is intended for players of all and no prior skill or experience. The program also features supervised practice play, over-the-board instruction, possible in-club competition play, and opportunity for play in off-campus
competition.
Program meetings for this session will be from 5:30 to 6:30 PM on Thursdays: September 29, 6,13, 20, 27 and November 3. The program is for students grades K through 5, no prior
experience necessary. All applicable school COVID rules will be observed.
The program fee is $120 per player.
Click on the link for additional information and registration info. If needed, full and partial scholarships are available.
Aiken Night at the Hartford Athletics
A Letter From The Children's Place
My name is Jennifer Vauter and I am the Early Childhood Teacher here at CHS. We are looking forward to meeting you and your children and having an amazing school year. Below are a few key dates to keep in mind as well as some other important information.
The Child’s Place Program runs Tuesdays/Thursdays and some scheduled Fridays which will be announced from 9:20 - 10:50 am.
Our Open House will be held at Conard High School on Thursday, October 6, 2022, from 9:30-10:00 am. This will be a great time to see the room and meet all the teachers that will be working with your child. Please plan to stay the whole time so that you can meet all the wonderful High School students.
The official start date for The Child’s Place is Tuesday, October 11
from 9:20 am-10:50 am.
If you wish to plan ahead, please feel free to obtain the following program supplies:
Program supplies: (labeled with child’s name)
A book bag to take home school work.
A change of clothing, placed in a large zip lock bag
Pictures labeled: 2 pictures of the child, 2 family pictures
Extra diapers and wipes, placed in a large zip lock bag
Clorox Wipes
Water bottle
Washable Markers, Crayons, Glue, Pencils
I am looking forward to working with your family as part of the 2022-2023 The Child’s Place program.
Also feel free to check out our website!