Morris Elementary School
Week of January 22nd
Hello Parents and Guardians,
This Wednesday we reach the halfway mark of the school year, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible achievements and growth of our students. It's been a journey filled with learning, discovery and fun. I would like to thank families and my staff. You all play a crucial role in navigating challenges and embracing successes. Together we can ensure that the remainder of the year is just as rewarding as the first half.
As Valentine's Day grows closer. I wanted to remind families when purchasing Valentines Cards for your child's classroom, we do not allow Valentines with food or candy to be passed out. Several children have food allergies. Paper Valentines are best. Please reach out to me with any questions.
This week our students take their mid-year reading and math benchmarks assessments. These benchmarks provide valuable insights into their understanding of key concepts and help our educators tailor instruction to meet individual needs. By assessing proficiency in reading and math at this point, we can identify areas of strengths and areas that may require additional support. The data gathered from these benchmarks assessments not only guide our instruction but also serve as a tool for tracking overall academic growth. It allows us to celebrate achievements and address any challenges proactively. If you have any questions regarding the benchmark assessments, please reach out to me at bkelley@lenoxps.org.
Lastly, last week classroom teachers had the privilege of collaborating with LeAnn Nickelsen, an expert in brain research strategies, literacy best practices, and high impact tools. Together, they engaged in a thoughtful process to enhance our students' learning experience.
Classroom teachers identified a piece of complex text and worked collaboratively to plan a lesson using Close reading strategies. Close reading is a focused approach to reading, where students delve deeply into a text, analyzing its structure, language, and meaning.
The importance of close reading lies in its ability to develop critical thinking skills and promote a deeper understanding of complex text. It empowers students to extract meaning beyond the surface and encourages them to question, discuss, and draw connections.
I believe that incorporating close reading into our teaching practices, with insights from experts like Ms. Nickelsen, enriches the learning experience for our students. It equips them with the skills necessary not only for academic success but also for a lifetime of thoughtful and engaged reading.
Substitute Nurse Needed
I am reaching out to our school community, hoping you know someone interested in becoming a substitute nurse. We have been unable to secure a substitute nurse when Nurse Shove is absent. We have tried using a temp agency, but that has been unsuccessful. The health and well-being of our students are of the utmost importance, and having a pool of qualified substitute nurses ensures we can continue providing excellent care when our regular nurse is unavailable. If you know someone in the medical field who can help us, please give them my contact information: bkelley@lenoxps.org. Thank you for your support.
Safe Routes to School Contest
Your student(s) are invited to design a yard sign promoting safe roads to school for our Morris student walkers and bus riders.
The contest is now open and the deadline for entries to be turned into the Morris main office is February 12th.
This year's theme is "BUS STOP SAFETY".
Please remember that all signs need to be hand drawn or digitally created in landscape format. The four winning designs from all participating schools in MA will be made into yard signs and distributed to all the schools entered in the contest. This contest is for students in Grades 2-8. Your design can be submitted on 8 1/2 x 11 paper/or digitally in a landscape format.
All submissions must be received to the main office by the end of the school day on February 12th. At that time I will collect them and prepare to send them to them to the Safe Routes to Schools Office in Boston.If you could please download and fill out the form below as a parent/guardian's signature is required for your student to participate. Please hand that in along with the artwork. To learn more about how to enter the contest or to see past winning designs please see the link below.
Thank you and good luck!
Amy Freeman
Administrative Assistant to the Principal
Calendar items
- Budget Presentations- January 22nd 6:30 p.m.
- Elementary, Student Services, Technology, Administration
- Half-Way Day - Dress in 90s clothing or two colors - January 24th
- Wellness Committee Meeting - February 1st - 4:00 p.m. Morris Cafeteria
- No school February 2nd- Professional Development Day for staff
- Safe Routes to Skill -Winter Walk to School - February 7th - 8:00 a.m. Lilac Park
- PTO Meeting - February 13th - 6:30 p.m.- Morris Library
Farm to School Committee is set for Thursday, Feb 15th at 4pm in the LMMHS Library.
Winter break, School not in session - February 19th -23rd