June Newsletter
Principal Dangleis
We are ALL Stony Hill Bridge Builders
The year began with a simple goal; to bridge ideas and relationships between students, colleagues, families, our district, and the community. In reflecting on the last ten months as your educational partner, I do believe we have accomplished this goal. Our focus on Responsive Classroom, CARES traits, and our mindfulness and anti-bullying programs helped children form friendships. Staff pulled together this year to support one another through a year filled with changes in leadership and curriculum. Families connected with staff through many new apps, newsletters, communication logs, agendas, and made sure their children used their Travel Folders daily. Our district is more aligned than ever before as we have developed common units of study, language and pedagogy. We opened our doors to invite you and community members into our wonderful world of learning ~ and you came in grand numbers to every event we hosted. Thank you for your friendship, communication, honesty, patience, participation, and commitment to building bridges with me during my first year as principal. I believe that our combined efforts have made all the difference for our children.
Important Dates
June 11 Reading Celebration
June 12 Wilbraham Public Library-Paris and Young
June 13 Wilbraham Public Library-Pszeniczny/Goff
June 14 Wilbraham Public Library-Kibbe/Bartolomei
June 14 Math Matters in Every Career Day
June 19 Strings & Friends Assembly
June 20 First graders visit Stony HIll
June 22 Last day of school - half day
Math Matters in Every Career
Math Matters in Every Career Day is this Thursday, June 14th from 1:55 to 2:30. Guest Presenters will tell our students a little about what they do for work and most importantly, how math matters in their career. Each presenter will speak for 15 minutes in one class, then swap to the buddy classroom to repeat the presentation to the next class. Thanks to YOU, our students will be more excited about math and learn how important it will be in any job they may have in the future. Connecting learning to real life is what really engages children and motivates them to do their best. Thank you!
Field Day Fun!
Field Day
Field Day was perfect! The weather held out for us and the intermittent drizzle was actually refreshing. We even had a guest appearance by Junior the Falcon (Mrs. Caruana dressed up in our new mascot costume and surprised everyone!). So many thank you's are in order. Mrs. Mooney is simply the superstar of this whole show. She starts the preparations months in advance and manages to give us a few surprises with new games each year. Field Day Committee members had everything planned and organized so that it ran like a well-oiled machine. Parent volunteers - you did it all! From running games and serving treats, to painting faces and nails, spraying hair, and placing tattoos. Of course, they'd have had nothing to do if so many families hadn't donated all the items we needed. Our food service providers carted all their equipment to the other end of the school so that students can have as much time as possible playing, and not traveling to the cafeteria. Our custodians did so much to set up, clean up, and help us with every task both small and large. Kathy and our nurse handled everything at the front office from last minute pick up calls to countless visitor sign-ins. And of course, families came to cheer on their children and help out where needed. Let's not forget our teachers and staff. They helped our kids cheer one another on, shake off little defeats, and keep them safe. It's an exhausting day for everyone. Why do we do it? So that we can witness the smiles, laughter, and exuberance of our precious children. They had a blast - and that makes all of the hard work worth every minute! Thank you, one and all.
Spring Into Art Show
The Spring Into Art Show was extraordinary! Julia Max and two parents in particular, Dacia Hoskinson and Jen Kellogg, worked incredibly hard to pull this off. They don't want any special recognition but I just have to share. Julia designed the beautiful flyer and took time to meet with Dacia and Jen several times to help figure out how to facilitate their ideas. Over the course of many months, she guided students in selecting their perfect pieces of art, and her art club created the portraits displayed in the glass foyer as a promotion to the event. Dacia and Jen hung the adorable paint can displays in the lobby and down the hall. Over the past month or so, they took home over 300 pieces of student artwork and mounted each one on nice black paper. They also labeled each with the student's and teacher’s name. They hung twine across every section of lockers down both hallways, then used clips to hang artwork. We had decanters of lemonade, snacks, and classical music playing both inside and out. Every little touch was designed to make it feel like you were at a fancy art-viewing show. And it worked! Jen even created 2 big frames for children to use in a photo area. One was her own gorgeous rendition of 'The Scream'. Then - just to make it even more fun, we had a scavenger hunt with amazing prizes. We estimate at least 400 people came! To add to the joy of the night, families congregated on our playscape area and on the chairs in front of the school to mingle with one another, let their children play together, and just enjoy the music and the beautiful weather. It was a heartwarming sight. When everyone was gone, one little boy and his mom stayed to help the four of us remove almost everything from the lockers and walls, clean up the lobby, take down the photo booth, etc. By 8:30 p.m., it looked like nothing out of the ordinary had happened at Stony Hill. But it had. Thank you for coming and making this a truly memorable evening.
Thank you, PTO
I have to express, on behalf of all of Stony Hill, a sincere thank you to our amazing PTO who, throughout the year, has contributed to our children’s education and the success of our events in so many ways. Part of that thanks extends to the entire community because all of you donate in one way or another - by giving your time, sending items we need, supporting our fund raisers, giving business donations, helping in the classrooms, and much more. Our PTO is strong because of all of you. But special thanks go to our president and her entire team. We are so grateful!
Contact Information
Email: mdangleis@hwrsd.org
Website: hwrsd.org
Location: 675 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA, USA
Phone: 413-599-1950