The Southlawn Scoop
MARCH NEWSLETTER
FROM THE PRINCIPAL, MS. GAYLE PAVONE
Dear Southlawn Families,
I hope that everyone had an incredible February Break! It was wonderful to have some rest and relaxation.
During this time of the school year, I meet regularly with classroom and intervention teachers to review mathematics and reading data to assess student progress. These assessments provide our teachers with information on the skills students know and the skills they do not yet know. This data also informs us about which students may need additional support and opportunities for extension through our Response to Intervention (RTI) system.
Through established RTI blocks for reading, which occur for 30 minutes a day for five out of the six-day letter calendar, students are grouped according to what they know and what they need to work on next.
This structure allows teachers to provide targeted and specific instruction to meet students where they are in terms of reading and math development. For example, students identified as needing additional support in either reading or math qualify to receive intervention services during these RTI blocks. The benchmark data also shows us which students need to be challenged with exceeding grade level standards, and these students are grouped across both classrooms to receive the appropriate instruction. For the current school year, we are officially beginning RTI Reading Blocks in March, which means that your child may be receiving instruction from a different teacher during this time.
Your partnership is always valued, and I appreciate everything you do at home to strengthen your child’s ability to read fluently and ability to perform mathematical operations. For more information on what you can do at home to support your child in these areas, please review the PTSA website for practical guides on what students learn during each grade level and how you can support these learning outcomes. Click on the following link for more information: A Parent’s Guide to Student Success.
Thank you for your continued collaboration and commitment with your child. Our team effort creates a wonderful environment for success. We are fortunate to be in a learning community that focuses on the whole child.
In partnership,
Gayle Pavone
CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal: Gayle Pavone| gayle_pavone@westiron.monroe.edu
Secretary: Melissa Vella | melissa_vella@westiron.monroe.edu
Main office: 585-266-5070
Fax: 585-336-3097
Website: https://www.westirondequoit.org/southlawn_school
Health Office: 585-336-4714
Nurse: Sue Johnston
Transportation: 585-336-2992
District Office: 585-342-5500 | District website: westirondequoit.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
MARCH
- 3/7 - Kindergarten Orientation for Fall of 2023 - 7:00 p.m. Parents Only
- 3/17 - PTSA Family Event - Celebration of Creativity 6:30 p.m.
- 3/21 - Open House 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
APRIL
- 4/3-7 Spring Recess - No School
- 4/14 - Half Day K-4 Release at noon - Parent/Teacher Conferences
- 4/19 - 4/21 NYS ELA Assessments
- 4/21 - Report Cards posted on Parent Portal
- 4/29 - PTSA Playground Family Event 1:00 p.m.
Calling in an Absence/Late to School/Change in Pick-Up
Please remember to call the Southlawn Main Office at 585-266-5070, before 9:30 a.m. each day that your child will be absent from school or if they are coming in late to school. If there is a change in dismissal on any given day, please send in a note with your child that morning and be sure the person picking up is someone you authorized on the blue dismissal form. To add an authorized pickup person, please stop into school or send a written note with the name and phone number of the person you would like to add, along with your signature.
STUDENT SERVICES UPDATE
During the 2021-2022 school year, a group of outside consultants conducted an analysis of Special Education in West Irondequoit. The concluding report highlighted many strengths including our inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education environments and graduation rates for students with disabilities that are above county averages. The analysis also offered feedback on ways to further strengthen our special education programs and practices.
Following that, the Student Services Department convened a taskforce which consists of a multi-disciplinary group of professionals. The taskforce has been hard at work over the course of this school year examining the outcomes of the analysis and beginning to make changes for the benefit of students with disabilities in our district. Outcomes of this work will include improved transitions between grade levels and programs; enhancement of our current Continuum of Programs with the goal of maintaining students in their least restrictive environment; development of eligibility and exit guidelines for service providers to ensure students are receiving needed supports while increasing independence when they demonstrate readiness; improved alignment across the district of RtI and CSE processes; and an improved system for identifying and implementing high quality professional learning for our staff. The taskforce is passionate about building on the district’s culture of excellence to meet the needs of all learners, as reflected in our newly developed Student Services Mission Statement.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Throughout Black History Month in February students learned about noteworthy people of color from our past and present. It is one of the Heritage Months that we celebrate. March is Women’s History Month.
For February, students learned about historical figures such as Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson. Others may have included more recent newsmakers such as Barack Obama and Serena Williams. One classroom at Colebrook showed an interest in black musicians, so their teachers helped them learn more. To hear more about that, including the voices of our own students in videos, click here: bit.ly/BHM_WI_2023.
MAPLE SUGAR TOURS AND PANCAKES!
Come celebrate the Maple Sugaring Season at Helmer Nature Center the weekend of March 18-19! There will be Maple Sugaring Tours from 11 AM to 3 PM. Cost is $5 per person but HNC members and children 3 and under are FREE! There is no need to pre-register. A pancake breakfast runs from 10 AM to 1 PM both days! Enjoy some maple syrup made right at Helmer, 154 Pinegrove Ave. It’s our school district’s outdoor classroom and much, much more! For more details, click here.
DRESS WARMLY FOR RECESS!
Parents/guardians: Please note that all students will go outdoors for recess as long as the temperature and wind-chill are 20 degrees or warmer. Students will need to wear hats, mittens or gloves, boots and snow pants to play in the snow. Students lacking proper clothing will still go outdoors but will remain on the sidewalk with limited play. Please remember to send appropriate outside play clothing in everyday.