North Scituate Elementary School
January 2022 Newsletter
A Note from Mrs.Soccio
Welcome back and Happy New Year to all our North Scituate Families. During this holiday break, I hope everyone was able to refresh, rest, and be ready to start the new year strong.
We are well into the second trimester and approaching the mid-year benchmarking period. During this time, students will complete testing in both math and reading to assess their progress from the beginning of the year. AimsWeb Plus will continue to be used to assess students in grades K-3, while STAR will be used to monitor the progress of our grades 4 and 5 students. As we know, this is only one way teachers assess student progress over the course of the year.
A friendly reminder, conferences will be held from 3:30pm-6:00pm on Tuesday, January 11th and from 5:30--8:00pm on Thursday, January 13th. If you have questions about your conference time or need to schedule an appointment, please contact Mrs. Pagliarini at maria.pagliarini@scituateschoolsri.net or 647-4110.
Please reach out with questions or concerns at any time. Happy New Year!
Kaitlin Soccio
Covid Community Feedback Form
The Reopening Task Force is meeting on January 12th to review our back to school plan. The committee asks that staff and families complete the form linked below by January 11th. Gathering feedback is an important part of meeting RIDE requirements and checking in on our plan. Thank you in advance!
BOOM (Book Open Our Minds) Event
Setting Goals for the New Year
The middle of the school year is a great time for families to check in with students on goals. Setting academic and personal goals helps motivate, energize, and focus students, and it is a valuable skill that will benefit learners throughout their lives. Parents can help students set and achieve these goals.
Goal-setting can be tedious, even intimidating, for some students. Parents can support
students in this process by following these steps: pick it, map it, do it, own it, and celebrate
it.
Pick it. Encourage your child to consider his or her dreams and passions and pick goals
that are important and meaningful. Guide your child to think about, “What motivates me? What would inspire me to give my best effort? What would make me feel good while I’m doing it? What achievement would make me feel proud?”
Map it. After your child picks a goal, help map the path from where he or she is now to
where the child wants to be. Offer the following analogy: If we want to drive across the
country from New York to California, we don’t just get in our car and start driving—we get a map, pick a route, and follow it until we get to California. With your child, analyze
different approaches and define clear steps to reach their goal. For instance, if the goal is
to get a higher test grade in a tough subject, each quiz or project is a step on the path to
the higher goal: earning an A.
Do it. Once you and your child have mapped a path to their goal, encourage him or her to take action, focus on the first step and give it his or her best effort. Remind your child that no goal is ever reached without focused action.
Own it. As your child makes progress toward their goal, help him or her take
responsibility for making it happen. Teach the mantra, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me!” Reflect
with your child. Ask, “How are you doing? What’s working? What’s not working? What can
you or your family change to get to this goal?” From there, analyze the map, and make
changes to the plan if necessary. Help your child keep a positive attitude and own mistakes as well as successes. Remind your child that if something comes along that holds him or her back temporarily, to look at the experience as feedback. Failures, or bumps in the road, can provide us with information we need to succeed. Reinforce the message that we can learn from our mistakes and move on with new, valuable knowledge.
Celebrate it. Acknowledgment and celebration are huge parts of achieving goals.
Acknowledge every effort and celebrate your child’s mini-successes along the way to
achieving a goal. This builds his or her confidence and motivation. Your child will feel good and understand that perseverance will result in another mini-success and finally goal achievement. Try going through the goal-setting process as a family. Pick a family goal (perhaps a charitable activity) and work together to achieve it. After the family experience, have each family member pick a personal goal. Support and acknowledge one another as you move through the above steps. Success is assured when students believe in themselves and in their ability to achieve. Parents are key to helping them believe and succeed.
Report to Parents, written to serve elementary and middle-level principals, may be
reproduced by National Association of Elementary School Principals members without
permission.
Parent-Teacher Conference Tips
*Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on January 11th from 3:30-6:00 and January 13th from 5:30-8:00. Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions or need to schedule a meeting time.
Before the Conference:
- Listen. If you hear your child talking about something he or she is doing well in or is struggling with, make a note of it. When it’s time for the conference, you’ll have a list of topics to discuss.
- Ask. Sit down with your child and ask him or her about school. Ask what’s happening in class, at lunchtime, or in special classes such as art or physical education. Does your child enjoy classroom activities? Does your child feel like he or she is falling behind academically? Is he or she bored? Are there any troubling issues with classmates? Try asking your child what he or she thinks their teacher is going to tell you about them.
- Assemble notes and papers. Write down questions you want to address with the teacher. Bring copies of any assignments you have questions about. Think ahead of time how to bring up concerns.
During the Conference
- Be on time. Schools tightly schedule parent-teacher conferences because there’s only so much time available and dozens of families to see. Show up at least a few minutes early.
- Take notes. Make note of what the teacher tells you about your child. Bring up your concerns, making sure to explore strengths, weaknesses, and social skills.
- Keep emotions out of it. It is always difficult to hear that your child may not be the person you thought he or she was in the classroom. Keep your cool and bear in mind that the teacher is offering constructive criticism.
After the Conference
- Talk to your child. Tell your child what you and the teacher discussed. Emphasize the positive things the teacher said. Remember that it’s important for your child to feel positive about learning, the teacher, and the school.
- Follow up. If there were important issues that need to be dealt with, make sure to follow up in writing with the teacher soon after the conference. Specify what steps will be taken, what your responsibilities and the school’s responsibilities will be, and what the timetable is for action.
- Meet with your principal. If, after conferring with your child’s teacher, you still feel that serious issues weren’t adequately addressed, set up a time to talk to the principal.
- Follow through. Once you know what you can do at home to help your child succeed in school, make sure you follow the necessary steps.
Source: Report to Parents, written to serve elementary and middle-level
principals, may be reproduced by National Association of Elementary School
Principals members without permission.
Coming Soon! Surveyworks
- SurveyWorks is a statewide survey sent out annually to students, families, and teachers to hear from Rhode Islanders directly about their experiences in our state's public schools.
- SurveyWorks will be given to all students in grades 3-12, parents, teachers, support professionals and building administrators.
- The Rhode Island Family Survey is for all parents to complete. Parents of students receiving special education services will receive a single survey that combines the Rhode Island Family Survey and the Special Education Survey.
- More information will be sent home in the coming weeks.
Bwana Iguana Assembly from Mr. Feinstein
Ray Ward and his Bwana Iguana Reptile Adventure program educates and delights people of all ages with his engaging humor and wit, coupled with his unbridled enthusiasm and love of reptiles and children. Though the primary focus is on reptiles, the message of "keeping up your good deeds", teamwork and unity are all interwoven as well.
Stuff a Cruiser Event
A Special Holiday Themed Concert Courtesy of Mrs. Etheir & Our Chorus
Choose Love Movement for Schools- SEL Curriculum
Students in Prek-5 are fully immersed in the Choose Love curriculum! Students participate in a weekly lesson rooted in one of the four units: Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness and Compassion in Action; all part of the Choose Love Formula. This month students will learn about forgiveness.
The Choose Love calendar is below and was sent home with all students. It is our hope that this learning and small steps you can take daily is helpful for our North Scituate families to complete at home.
Positive Office Referrals
GRADE LEVEL CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 3
Grade 4
PTO's Christmas in the Village
A Message from our School Psychologist- Routines
As we celebrate the holidays and look forward to the new year, this is a good time to reflect on the past several months. Think about what systems and routines you already have in place. What seems to be working well? What might need some adjusting? Routines provide children with a sense of safety and predictability each day. Unpredictability can set children up for experiencing worry and anxiety. Keep in mind that we can’t be consistent 100% of the time but here are some general guidelines on ways to maintain consistency and routines throughout the school year.
Try to keep to a similar sleeping and eating schedule
Disrupting daily biological routines can lead to changes in mood, fatigue and irritability. It’s tempting to let kids stay up late and sleep in during the holiday break. But it’s important to stick to consistent bedtime and eating routines.
Homework Routines
Having a routine for homework and studying during the school year is essential for your child to establish helpful habits and cognitive skills, such as organization, priorioritization, and time management. Following these homework routines will help provide clear expectations for your child.
Have a quiet place in the house designed for homework/studying.
Set a time for homework each day.
Help your child with time management by writing down how much time it should take to complete each task.
Provide your child with consistent positive encouragement for completing their work.
Check in with you child
As the first half of the school year winds down, take some time to talk with your child about how they think their school year is going.
What subjects do they enjoy or struggle with?
What are some fun things they do with their friends?
Who are some of their friends and how do they get along?
What are they most proud of so far this year?
What goals do they want to accomplish this year?
Ask them if they are ready for more independence in any area that they are doing well in.
Overall, let your child know that you and the school are there to support them each and everyday.
Happy New Year’s
Mrs. Schiappa
School Psychologist
News from Northwest Special Education Region
The next Special Education Local Advisory Committee (SELAC) meeting will be held on February 8, 2022 at 6:30pm. This date is a change from the original date of February 22 (changed due to winter recess). The final meeting of this school year is set for May 17, 2022.
All meetings are being held at the Ponaganset Middle School building in Room 150. The rear entrance to the building is used for this event. Parking is available behind the building. The address is 7 Rustic Hill Rd, Glocester, RI. Anyone wishing to attend needs to call 401-647-4106.
A Note from the School Nurse
News from the Scituate School Committee
Important Dates
January 4th: School Committee Mtg
January 11th & 13th: Parent Teacher Conferences
January 17th: No School-MLK Day
February 21st-25th: Winter Recess- No School
March 14th: DL Day Students/ PD Day Staff
April 15th: Good Friday- No School
April 18th-22nd: Spring Recess- No School
May 11th: DL Day Students/ PD Day Staff
May 30th: Memorial Day- No School
June 20th: Last Day of School
COVID PCR Testing Information
North Scituate Elementary School
Email: kaitlin.soccio@scituateschoolri.net
Website: https://nses.scituateschoolsri.net/
Location: 46 Institute Lane, Scituate, RI, USA
Phone: 401-647-4110
Twitter: @NScituateSchool