Wentworth Family News
Week of November 29 - December 3, 2021
December 2, 2021
Upcoming Dates
- 12/8: Second Dose COVID-19 Clinic
- 12/15: Early Release 1:45 PM
- 12/16: Student Progress Reports Sent home for Trimester 1
- 12/23-1/2: December Break
*Second* Vaccine Clinic Details
Wentworth will be having the second COVID Pfizer vaccination clinic on 12/8/21. We will once again be partnering with Northern Light Home Care & Hospice to provide this clinic to our students.
If preferred, one parent/guardian may accompany their student during the vaccination and 15 minute observation period afterward. There is no sign-up requirement if you plan to accompany your child; we will be prepared for you between 9:00am and 10:00am. We ask that parents who wish to be with their student sign in at the office, wear a mask while in the building, and arrive between 9:00am and 10:00am. Once you have arrived, your student will be called down to have their vaccine. We will try to move the line quickly, but please plan accordingly.
Students who will not have a parent present will be vaccinated from 10:00 to 11:30 with their peers and school staff present. We will be sure they are well supported!
- You will be notified if there is a change in the planned dates of school COVID clinics.
- The Vaccine Safety Sheets will be sent to your email. Please take a minute to read these.
- If you need a translated form or are unable to complete an electronic form, please let the school nurse know and we will send a paper form home.
- Student vaccination cards will be sent home in their Report Card communication folders on Thursday, December 16. If you need your child's card prior to that date, please contact our Health Office at 207-730-4610.
This clinic is only for students aged 5-11. We cannot vaccinate students who are older than 11. For questions about the vaccine clinics at our school, please call the school nurses at 207-730-4610.
The 2021 Great Story Pajama Drive
Wentworth and Scholastic Books are Working together for Better Nights!
Wentworth School (led by the Green Learning Community) is partnering with Scholastic Book Clubs on their annual Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive. Since 2009, families across the country have donated more than 850,000
pajamas! We invite you to participate with other families from our Wentworth Community.
This is how it works: Scholastic Book Clubs match each set of PJ’s with an age-appropriate
book, then they are distributed to families in need. The focus age group is 0-18, in our
community. Each child/family selected is given a cozy pair of pajamas and a heartening storybook to set the stage for a good night’s rest. It’s a win-win-win as we work together, support our community, and reinforce the importance of giving back for students.
Here are the details:
When: Today through December 17th.
What: Send your child to school with a new pair of pajamas.
(while all sizes are accepted, children’s sizes 8 - adult 3XL are needed the most)
○ PJs must have a top and a bottom or be a onesie (no sleep shirts or nightgowns please)
How: Wentworth will work with Scholastic to pick up and deliver the pajamas and
books to the local community partner.
At the end of the drive (Reminder, the last day is December 17th!) we’ll report our tally in the
Family News! Thank you for any and all help as we strive to bring some comfort and joy to our
community’s children!
Like it or Not...Colder Weather Is Coming!
Parents, you're welcome! When your child says they do not need a jacket and it is 30 degrees outside, you can just show them this chart and let them know that it is expected at Wentworth for a safe and fun recess time! We even have our very own Wentworth School Playground Weather Station and we monitor our own micro-climate in real time each day.
If you need any assistance acquiring outerwear, please contact me (confidentially) and we will ensure that your child has the gear s/he needs for the winter season.
Thank you for your support,
Kelli Crosby
Planned Absences
We are so happy to be back in school full time! We know that regular school attendance is an essential component of a student’s academic success. Since returning to full-time school, there has been a significant increase in the number of students who are absent during non-vacation weeks. Many families had to reschedule vacations due to the pandemic, and we understand that is unavoidable. Additionally, many families are choosing to have their student(s) stay home from school in the days/weeks leading up to travel so as to avoid any potential close contact and quarantine requirements that would impact your family travel. The purpose of this letter is to share information about expectations with regard to family vacations impacting school attendance.
When you make a choice to take your child out of school for a family vacation during times when school is in session, it is important to be aware of what you can expect from your child’s teacher and what the teacher may expect from you and your child. There may be a significant impact on your child’s learning as class experiences are not able to be duplicated, and today’s more rigorous curriculum factors into this.
What about assignments and homework?
Teachers are not required to provide student work for absences due to vacation. Parents can support learning by practicing skills for school, for example, regular daily reading, practicing math facts, and/or keeping a journal of the trip. These assignments are home-based and not directly connected to classwork, but will keep student learning moving forward.
What about missed lessons?
It is important for you to know that your child may miss class instruction, group work, support services, field trips, and other experiences that may be integral to the concepts being taught. Vacation “assignments” could not replace these experiences. Teachers can’t make up or duplicate those lessons. In some cases, teachers may be able to provide you with assignments or other work when you return. This would be done under your supervision and help at home.
While we understand that vacations have great value for families, and respect your choice, we want to remind you that state law and local policies identify acceptable reasons for being absent: personal illness, professional appointments, religious holidays, and family emergencies. We hope students will be in school daily to take full advantage of all learning experiences as they build knowledge over time.
Requests from teachers for plans and materials to be used during the time families are gone can be awkward for teachers who want to do all they can for their students. That is why this message comes from your School Leader. I hope you understand; please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or specific needs.
Sincerely,
Kelli Crosby
PrincipalWentworth "Class of..." T-Shirts
Questions? Email the Wentworth PTA at wentworthpta@gmail.com
SCARBOROUGH KIWANIS SOCK DRIVE
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Kiwanis Club sock drive to benefit Preble Street Resource Center. We collected donations of warm socks, hats, gloves, and mittens, and had wonderful participation!
Special shout-out to Finn, Ben, and Callum - three fourth graders - who contributed an incredible donation! They made fliers for their neighbors, and (with some parent help) collected bags and bags of warm socks, hats, mittens, hand warmers, and more. They did not ask for any recognition, and just quietly dropped off the donation, but I wanted to share just how much they demonstrated the spirit of the giving season.
Great job Finn, Ben, and Callum! We are so proud of you!
NWEA MAP Reports Heading Home
The individual student results of the fall NWEA MAP Growth Tests will be going home to families this fall. They will include a Reading, Language Usage and Mathematics report. Middle school and high school reports will be going home between mid-November and mid-December. Families of students in grades 3-5 will receive their reports in mid-December with their report cards. To learn more about these reports, here is a link to a Sample Family Report.
We are sharing the NWEA reports with you now in our efforts to provide you with the current information we have regarding your child’s performance on this assessment. As students will be required to take these assessments again in the spring, we will be sending these reports home again by the end of the school year.
The data is very important to us as it will assist us in making improvements to our curriculum and instruction. We track and study group data to inform shifts in curriculum and we look at classroom and individual data to plan for instruction. The spring data will be used to gauge and celebrate growth.
Our primary purpose for these assessments is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning and their growth. They are not placement tests. They are tools, along with classroom data, to help your child continue their learning at an appropriate level of challenge and celebrate their growth. NWEA is an adaptive assessment that adjusts questions to identify your child’s areas of instructional readiness.