DAVIS HILL COMMUNITY UPDATE
September 10, 2018
It was awesome to see so many families attend the Ice Cream Social on Friday night! Thanks to all of our volunteers who helped out and made it a success!
This week will be our first full, five-day week of the school year. Many of our students are still building their stamina as they transition from summer relaxation to the demands of the fall (including school/ sports/ activities/ etc). I know many of us parents are too! Our focus at Davis Hill will continue to be on building routines and reinforcing expectations. At this point in the year, our teachers have done an amazing job at working with their classes to build these skills and establish effective practices that promote safe and nurturing learning environments. I have also been meeting with grade levels/ classes to review general building-wide expectations with students. The general purpose of these meetings is to promote three main themes:
1. Respect: While we may not be best friends with all of our peers, it is a reasonable expectations that we always treat one another with respect. We should treat other people the way that we would want to be treated.
2. Communication: Our communication (words, our body language, texting/ writing) is expected to be kind/ respectful. We are expected to communicate (even if there is a problem or disagreement) in a way where everyone is respected and maintains their dignity. We understand that problems will arise (this is inevitable); however, we agree to use effective problem solving strategies (including getting help from an adult to support mediation) when needed. Name calling, gossip, bullying etc. are not acceptable.
3. Safety: We are all responsible for keeping each other safe. We keep our hands and feet to ourselves. We walk in the hallways and keep to the right side of the hallway. We use the playground areas as expected (walking in the mulch areas/ one at a time on the equipment). We do not share food. We stay seated on the bus/ etc.
While I was meeting with a kindergarten class on Friday, I made a comment about being part of a community. When I used this word I saw a few confused looks on the students' faces so I asked, "Does anyone know what a community is?". A youngster raised his hand and said, "A community means that we are all connected. We are part of a bigger community of the country and the world". If we can all remember that... we are going to have a great year!
Kindly,
Jay C. Norton, Principal
*Don't forget to read through the entire update... there are always more dates in the Upcoming Events Section. If you have any questions/ concerns- please don't hesitate to contact me/ the office.
Highlighted Events/ Information
Meet 'n Greet
This year we are trying something new at Davis Hill in place of the Curriculum Night. Instead of a formal meeting for parents only- we are asking families to come meet your child’s teacher, classroom friends, and other parents.
Your child can give you a tour of their classroom, chat with other parents and students, and introduce you to their teacher.
Please be aware that there are many students and families that the teachers will need to meet and this is not the time to conduct a conference.
Grades K-2 Meet 'n Greet will be held on Wednesday, September 12th from 6:00-6:30PM.
Grades 3-5 Meet 'n Greet will be held on Wednesday, September 19th from 6:00-6:30PM.
MISC. ITEMS OF NOTE
EMERGENCY CARDS-PLEASE RETURN
A general reminder to all families to please return your Emergency Cards that were sent home the first week of school. If you don’t believe you received one-please contact your child’s teacher. It is important that these are returned as soon as possible.
CORI
A reminder that any non-employee adult that enters school to volunteer/ chaperone (except for assemblies) must have a current CORI (Criminal Offense Records Information) completed. (CORI’s expire every 3 years.) Please ensure that when you are in the building, you are wearing your badge and it is visible. We appreciate your support in keeping our school safe!
HANDBOOK/ POLICIES
Please make sure that you have reviewed Davis Hill’s Handbook and signed off that you have reviewed it on the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
I have attached a link to the Handbook for convenience:
http://www.wrsd.net/handbooks/DHHandbook.pdf
OFFICE DISMISSALS
We respectfully request that all afternoon office dismissals occur prior to 3:10. The reason for this request is that it is difficult to balance end-of-the-day needs and the upcoming school-wide dismissal in the office.
POLICY REVIEW/ LOST ARTICLES*
The school will not assume responsibility for any items (brought to school by students), which are lost or stolen. A Lost and Found area is maintained in the cafeteria. On a monthly basis, unclaimed clothing will be donated. Pupils are encouraged to turn in any article found to the Lost and Found Area. Items coming to school, including lunch boxes, book bags, coats, hats, boots, and mittens should be clearly labeled with the student's first and last name.
*We respectfully request that students do not bring toys/ cards (Pokemon/ etc.)/ stuffed animals or personal possessions from home. These items can easily become lost, damaged or be ‘traded’ with friends.
Health Office Notes
Please see the link attached HERE for reminders from the Health Office.
PARENT INFORMATION
Helping Kids Manage Anxiety
9/12-Kindergarten, First and Second Grade Meet 'n Greet (6:00-6:30PM)
9/19-Bus Evacuation Drill Scheduled for AM entry (May cause delays in parking lot)
9/19-Third, Fourth and Fifth Grade Meet 'n Greet (6:00-6:30PM)
9/19-PTA Meeting (6:30PM/ Community Room)
9/20-Professional Development Half-Day of School (12:20 Dismissal)
9/25, 9/26 and 9/27-Hearing and Vision Screening
9/28-Spaghetti Supper (5:30 and 6:30 Seatings)
10/4-Picture Day
10/8-Columbus Day- No School
10/14-Dragon Dash (12:00)
10/23-10/26-Ecology School Trip for 5th Grade
10/25-Professional Development Half-Day of School (12:20 Dismissal)
10/26-Fall Festival (More info TBA)
11/6-No School for Students (Election Day)
*Information related to community fundraisers/ activities/ events for the Davis Hill Community. Inclusion in the update does not indicate an endorsement or affiliation with Davis Hill Elementary School or Wachusett Regional School District.
Davis Hill Elementary School
Email: jay_norton@wrsd.net
Website: http://www.wrsd.net/davishill/
Location: 80 Jamieson Road, Holden, MA 01520, United States
Phone: 508-829-1754
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisHillDragons/
Twitter: @DHPrincipal