Charlestown School Updates
For members of our learning community - January 27th, 2017
Spaghetti Supper
Our 4th graders were excellent servers and took their roles very seriously.
This is a wonderful family event and cherished tradition at Charlestown School.
Congratulations to Dr. Moffitt
Friendships during Recess and Lunch
We encourage you to ask your child about their day, including lunch and recess, and serve as a sounding board for what might have been challenging. Some of our students get stuck on who's their best friend and become tearful when they feel that this relationship has changed. We try to encourage our students to have many friends and to play with many children as they have so much to offer each other. School should be a place where all children make new friends. Other helpful advice is to encourage your child to think back to what they learned in 1st grade Health Zones of Regulation lessons regarding the "Size of the Problem". Certainly if there are concerning behaviors happening, such as physical aggression, name calling or purposeful exclusion of others, these incidents should be brought to the immediate attention of myself or your child's classroom teacher. Our staff provides skilled supervision of students during these activities while recognizing that they should encourage students to work through some minor issues with peers.
As adults, we've learned how to socialize with others and our students need to practice these skills as well. Sometimes the best lessons are learned when students work out their problems with each other rather than relying on adults intervening. During a recent meeting with some students who were unkind towards each other, one student asked if the two students could meet alone. The school staff stepped out of the room and the students engaged in positive discussion together and seemed to make amends. This was a striking reminder of how we sometimes provide our students with too much coaching and not enough ownership to work things out.
Please continue to encourage your child to talk about all of their experiences at school and notify us if any behaviors are concerning or are negatively affecting your child.
Budget Update
Parents are always invited to attend public School Committee Meetings to learn more about the budget. These meetings are held bi-monthly on Tuesday evenings at Chariho High School.
Below are the dates for the upcoming budget meetings, hearings and vote.
Feb. 2nd - Final Budget Workshop - 6:00 pm - Chariho High School Library
February 7: FY18 Budget approval during School Committee meeting
March 7: Public hearing on FY18 Budget during Annual Regional School District Meeting
March 14: FY18 Budget adoption during School Committee meeting
April 11: All-day referendum on adopted FY18 Budget
You can also review public budget documents by clicking think:
https://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/budget
Mr. Ricci will be joining our March PTO meeting to discuss the budget.
This will take place on Tuesday, March 7th at 6:00 pm.
Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about the budget.
Survey Works Surveys
Dear Parents:
I am pleased to announce that you and your children in grades 3 and 4 will have the opportunity to give feedback about our through SurveyWorks, a statewide survey that asks you questions about the learning environment of schools. In a time where testing is all around us, this is your chance to let the school know what you think – so that schools in turn can learn how to improve the learning environment for your children. This year, we have decided to focus on learning in the schools – and have taken out sensitive questions about drug and alcohol abuse and sexual activity. We hope that this will encourage more students to take the survey. Topics on the survey include:
School Safety, School Climate, Learning Strategies ,Learning Behaviors, Valuing of School, Rigorous Expectations, Family Support, Family Engagement, School Engagement and Teacher-Student Relationships
To see the actual surveys, visit SurveyWorks at Surveyworks.ride.ri.gov. As in previous years, all surveys are anonymous and taking the survey is voluntary.
3rd and 4th grade students will take the survey at school.
Parents will be able to take the survey from home.
As soon as the survey is open for parents, I will send you the website and access codes. I encourage all parents to participate as we look closely at the anonymous responses. We always aim to provide our students, parents and families with the best experiences possible, so your feedback is very important.
Thank you for your continued support to further improve our learning community.
Charlestown School is Ranked the #1 Elementary School in Rhode Island
Elementary schools are ranked by their StartClass Rating, which includes the following components:
- Exam Passing Rates: This includes math proficiency rates and reading and language arts proficiency rates over the last three years.
- School Environment: The school environment score consists of factors such as the student-teacher ratio, teacher experience and teacher absence rate.
- Disciplinary Actions: This takes into account the school’s retention rate, in-school suspension rate and out-of-school suspension rate
To see the article and learn about the top school in each state, click this link:
http://public-schools.startclass.com/stories/19061/top-elementary-schools#40-Rhode-Island
Winter Recess Procedures...when we have snow...
We have the students without waterproof boots either borrow boots from the clinic or remain on the paved areas near the playground.
Students who wear full snow gear (boots, snow pants, jacket, gloves) can play actively in the snow. They are very exited when they can play, roll and build with friends in the snow!!! It is so fun for them to play in the snow with their classmates!
Below is a list of what your child needs to actively play in the snow. Please email us if you need assistance with getting some gently used items. We always appreciate donations of these items as well and will pass them along to student in need.
Snow Play Items:
Waterproof Snow Boots
Snow Pants
Warm Jacket
Snow Gloves
Hat
Reusable bag to keep all items in the classroom. Cloth shopping bags with handles work great!
PTO Updates
F.L.A.S.H. Is being planned for March 7- April 11.
Look for class information that will be sent home with students soon.
A Parents Night Out with wine tasting is being planned for March 10th at Wood River Golf. The PTO is also coordinating a karate event for children to attend on the same evening.
Chariho Seeking Substitute Teachers
If you have a bachelor's degree (in any area) and are interested in serving as a substitute teacher, please see this information below.
Job Description
The Chariho Regional School District is accepting applications for day to day substitute teachers for grades Pre K through 12.
No paper applications will be accepted. Only complete applications will be considered.
Job Requirements
Original transcripts with conferral date or a RI Dept. of Education teaching certificate & three original letters of reference are required. Prior to setting up an appointment, please fill out the additional paperwork (W-4, I9, BCI, etc.) from the Chariho website (http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us), under Human Resources, under Application packages.
Application Instructions
Chariho Regional School District actively seeks applications from the most capable, professional candidates.
If hired, the following items must be submitted in person:
- Copy of Rhode Island Teaching Certificate
- If applicable, a copy of test scores for the NTE or Praxis
- W-4
- Federal BCI (Done through your local police department or State Attorney General's Office)
- I-9 (Must be filled out in person) Please bring proof of citizenship with:
- a passport or permanent resident card or BOTH
OR - a driver's license and social security card
OR - a driver's license and birth certificate
Please visit SchoolSpring.com to apply.
Contact Information
Kristen Merritt, Interim Human Resources Administrator
455A Switch Road
Wood River Junction, Rhode Island 02894
Phone: 401-364-3260
Email: kristen.merritt@chariho.k12.ri.us
Thank you to the PTO and Book Fair Attendees ... we love our new library furniture and can't wait for the new stools and cushions!
Gr. 4 NAEP Testing
Each 4th grader completes either a math or reading assessment and some students take the assessment using a tablet provided by NAEP. The assessment takes about 90 to 120 minutes for most students. The results are completely confidential (in accordance with the Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title V, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347). The assessment also asks students questions about their daily routine and their educational experiences. Student responses are anonymous, and they provide context and meaning to the assessment results.
Parents can visit http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/booklets.asp to review sample questions.
The information collected is used for statistical purposes only.
- Your child’s grades will not be affected.
- Students may be excused for any reason, are not required to complete the assessment, and may skip any question.
- While the assessment is voluntary, NAEP depends on student participation to help policymakers improve education. However, if you do not want your child to participate, please notify me in writing by February 10, 2016
Upcoming Events:
Thurs. Feb. 2nd - Chariho Budget Meeting - CHS Library - 6:00 pm
Fri. Feb. 3rd - PTO Sponsored Kaleidoscope Theatre Assemblies
Tues. Feb. 7th - PTO Meeting - 6:00 pm in the Art Room - Childcare provided
Feb. 20-24 - Vacation Week
You can follow me on Twitter - @jenpooreri
School Calendars for 16-17 and 17-18
http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/sites/default/files/2016-17_chariho_school_calendar.pdf
The School Committee recently approved the school calendar for 2017-2018: