Pawsome News
November 15, 2019
Dear Pawsome Loring Families,
I want to take a moment to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving in case I don't see you before then! I am so grateful to be the principal of such an amazing and PAWSOME school and I couldn't do it without all of you. Thank you for everything you do to make our school wonderful.
As always, thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to read over the information in this newsletter. If you have any questions, please reach out. Our next newsletter will be going out on December 6th.
Sara Harvey, Principal
Artist in Residence - Bren Bataclan
We are very excited that Bren Bataclan will be coming to Loring during the week of November 18th to work with students to develop two core value murals. One mural will be in the hallway outside the dining room next to the staff room. The other mural will be in the stairwell near the fifth grade classrooms.
We will kick off this exciting experience on Monday, November 18th with two assemblies, one for K-2 and the other for 3-5. The fifth grade will also have additional workshop time Monday where they will be working with the artist to create characters that represent our Core Values.
During the week Bren will be painting the murals and on Friday the fifth grade will watch Bren sign the artwork and take pictures. He is donating two paintings to be auctioned off at a PTO event as well.
Here are some videos you can check out!
VIDEO OF SCHOOL MURAL PROJECT ( 5min 56 sec)
VIDEO OF ANOTHER SCHOOL PROJECT (3min 42 sec)
TEDX TALK FOR TEACHERS ABOUT KINDNESS AND SMILE PROJECT( 10 min 39sec)
Thanks so much to our generous PTO for helping to make this project possible!
Cultivating Gratitude in Your Children
Gratitude can increase our children’s happiness, teach them to be more empathetic and help them to be more thankful for everything they have. Below are a few examples of ways to show gratitude. Some we practice in the classrooms and many we encourage you to continue at home.
Say please and thank you.
Our manners show that we do not believe we are entitled to anything, and that in fact, we appreciate whatever comes our way.
Volunteer.
Help out at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen or non-profit.
Send out thank you cards.
Express your gratitude for those who have added value to your life.
Look for awe-inspiring moments in your day.
If the sunset is particularly beautiful, comment on it. If the sound of the baby’s laughter warms your heart, tell your children. Encourage them to look for their awe-inspiring moments and share them with you.
Share your gratitude at bedtime.
Take five minutes at the end of the day to ask your child what he is thankful for that day.
Share your gratitude at the dinner table.
Take a moment at dinner time to share what you are thankful for. Go around the table, allowing each family member a chance to vocalize their gratitude.
Compliment others.
Encourage your children to do the same. Share the things you appreciate about another person.
Write a letter.
Encourage your child to write a letter to someone who has touched his life in some way. If he is comfortable, make a visit to that person to read the letter out loud. If not, mail it.
Create a family gratitude list.
Post it on the fridge. Add to it when necessary.
Always look for the positive.
Find something positive in frustrating situations and discuss it.
Practice turning complaints in to praises.
Coach your children to reword their complaint in to something that they appreciate instead.
Take gratitude walks.
While you walk, look for the simple pleasures in the day, such as the warm sun or the birds singing and express appreciation for them. Use this time to ask your kids what they are grateful for.
Ask why.
As your child gets better at expressing gratitude, dig deeper. Ask why he is grateful for something and how it affects his day.
Work through envy.
Help your child work through any feelings of jealousy she may have. Envy can come when we are not feeling thankful for what we have, and are focusing instead on what others have.
Here is a game that you can play together as a family, maybe over Thanksgiving Break. Download below to play with your children before or after dinner and make it a wonderful tradition in your home.
Are You Ready for Outdoor Recess?
Children should be exposed to fresh air and exercise regularly. Time spent outdoors allows students an opportunity to engage in activities that allow them to relax from the structure of the classroom for a bit.
At Loring we will get outside for recess as much as possible, so please send your child to school with appropriate clothing for outdoor recess (coats, gloves, hats, snowpants/boots). When deciding if we will go outside, we take into account the real feel temperature and conditions. We reference the Child Care Weather Watch chart (see below) and our judgement when making a daily decision. If it is safe for students, we will go outside for recess.
School Council
Our School Council met on Wednesday, November 13, 2019. We continued to look at the 2019-20 School Improvement Plan and also shared and discussed our ideas for the council to work on this year and have decided to focus our work in two areas.
First, we will be discussing Social Emotional Learning with a focus on lunch and recess times. We will also be looking into the different ways we can bring parents and community members into our classrooms as curriculum experts to share knowledge, support the curriculum standards, and inspire our students.
More to come on how our whole parent community can be part of this great work!
Members:
Sara Harvey - principal
David Gaita - assistant principal
Chris Grigsby - math coach
Lynn Lombardo - special educator
Karen Blumberg - guidance counselor
Tanvi Devimane - parent
Marc Gallagher - parent
Rachel Heckler - parent
Pat Drobinski - community member
Our next School Council Meeting will be December 11, 2019.
Loring Core Values
At Loring School, we are PAWSOME because we show our Core Values!
Respect ~ Responsibility ~ Caring ~ Best Effort
Week of November 18, 2019
Word of the Week: DEPENDABLE
Trustworthy and reliable. Knowing that you will always do what is expected and give your best effort.
Core Value Action of the Week:
Think about all of the chores and tasks you must complete at home and school. Do you complete them without reminders? Be dependable by accomplishing your tasks independently each week without several reminders.
Week of November 25, 2019 and December 2, 2019
Word of the Week: THANKFUL
An expression or act of gratitude.
Core Value Action of the Week:
What are you thankful for? Think about all the wonderful things you are thankful for at home and school.
During this week think of all the things you are thankful for. For example, I am thankful for my cuddly puppy that greets me each afternoon when I get home from school.
Also, be sure to thank your teachers and other Loring staff members for doing a great job each day supporting your learning!
I Am Thankful For... Bulletin Board
Greeting of the Week
Hola - Spanish
Ciao - Italian
Oi - Brazilan Portuguese
Privet - Russian
Nǐ hǎo - Mandiran ChineseShalom - Hebrew
Tere - Estonian
Namastē - Nepali and Hindi
Please practice our greetings with your child(ren) at home. If your child is interested in participating in our morning greeting, please let Mr. Gaita or Mrs. Harvey know.
Contact Us
Email: sara_harvey@sudbury.k12.ma.us
Website: http://www.sudbury.k12.ma.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=52&Itemid=222
Location: 80 Woodside Road, Sudbury, MA, USA
Phone: 978-579-0870
Mark Your Calendars:
November 20 - Parent Conferences, Early Release, Dismissal at 12:45 p.m.
November 22 - Bingo Night
November 27 - All School Pajama Day!!
November 27 - Early Release, Dismissal at 12:45 p.m.
November 28 - December 2 - Thanksgiving Break (We will see our students back on December 3)
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