The Clayville Chronicle
March 2021 Edition
From the Desk of Mrs. Francis
We are nearing the end of the second trimester and recently finished our mid-year benchmarking period. During this time, students completed testing in math, reading and writing to assess their progress from the beginning of the year. AimsWeb Plus is used to assess students in grades K-3, while STAR is used to monitor the progress of our grades 4 and 5 students. As we know, this is one way teachers assess student progress over the course of the year. Students in grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 also have ongoing assessment in reading using the Independent Reading Level Assessment, as part of our American Reading Company curriculum. Further, students in K/1 use curriculum measures from Bridges Math and grades 2-5 from Eureka Math. All data points are used to inform instructional groups and target student's needs as well as expand on strengths. As always, please reach out to your child's classroom teacher with any questions regarding these assessments.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank our Clayville families for your generosity during the holiday season. Thanks to many of you, our annual Food Drive and Give-a-Gift Drive was a success and helped support local families in need. I am truly thankful for a school community that enthusiastically contributes so much to our school. We are all filled with Wildcat Pride!
On a personal level, I appreciate all of the well wishes I received during my maternity leave and recent return! I am grateful to work alongside a thoughtful and supportive school community. Special shout out to Mr. Breault for his commitment to our staff and students over the past three months. He will be missed!
Warm Regards,
Mrs. Francis
Announcements & Reminders
- Trimester 2 ends on March 23rd. Report Cards will be sent home on April 6th.
- When possible, students will have outdoor recess during the winter months. Students should come dressed and prepared for outside recess for as long as 30 minutes.
- Students will be marked tardy if they arrive after 8:45am and must be signed in by a parent/guardian.
- *Please note, Free and Reduced Forms were sent home with students and can also be accessed by clicking the link below. If you are in need of another paper copy, please call our main office 401-647-4115. All other questions should be directed to the Superintendent's Office, 647-4100.
- Please date notes that are sent to school with students. If you are writing a note about dismissal, please write the full name of the person picking up your child.
- Please call to notify the office if/when your child is absent.
Covid-19 Updates from Mrs. Theroux
Version 2.1 RI Playbook Feb 15, 2021
Please note Scituate School Department Policies follow CDC”s Gold Standard recommendations on the following:
Any person who tests positive for COVID-19 or is deemed a close contact by the RIDOH, must quarantine for 10 days before returning to school. There is NO option to test out and return to school earlier.
Any person who travels to a state on this list States >5% or out of the country must quarantine once home for 14 days before returning to school.
Read Across America Day!
READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY and DR. SEUSS DAY is MARCH 2!
The National Education Association annually sponsors Read Across America. The focus is on how important it is to motivate children to read, in addition to helping them master basic skills. The nationwide reading celebration takes place each year on or near March 2, the birthday of children's author Dr. Seuss. Thousands of schools, libraries and community centers participate by bringing together kids and books. You can too!
Your reading event can be as simple or elaborate as time and inclination allow. Whether you choose to scale up or down, keep in mind the basic premise and it's almost sure to be a success: On March 2, the National Education Association is calling for every child to be reading in the company of a caring adult.
TIPS FOR READING TO YOUNG SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN:
Your child has started school, but he still needs you to read to him at home. Your child will do better in school, and you'll enjoy the time spent together. Here are helpful tips for reading to and with young children in school, kindergarten through third grade:
• Keep reading to your child even when he can read. Read books that are too difficult or long for him to read alone.
• Try reading books with chapters and talk about what is happening in the story. Encourage your child to make predictions about what will happen next, and connect characters or events to those in other books and stories.
• Talk with your child about reading preferences that are beginning to develop. Ask whether she likes adventure stories, mysteries, science fiction, animal stories, or stories about other children. Encourage her to explain the reasons for preferences.
• Talk with your child about favorite authors and help him find additional books by those authors.
• Take turns reading a story with your child. Don't interrupt to correct mistakes that do not change the meaning.
• Talk about the meaning of new words and ideas introduced in books. Help your child think of examples of new concepts.
• Talk with your child about stories using the notions of the beginning, middle, and end of the story to organize thinking and discussion.
• Ask your child to tell why a character might have taken a specific action. Ask for information from the story to support her answer.
• Enjoy yourself and have fun. The most important thing you can do to help your child become a successful reader is communicate that reading is valuable and enjoyable.
TIPS IN READING TO CHILDREN IN GRADES FOUR TO SIX:
It is critical that your child keeps reading and being read to at this age. Young readers need to become practiced at reading, and the only way to get good at it -- is to practice!
Helpful tips for reading to and with children in grades four through six:
• Take turns reading a book with your child.
• Ask your child to compare a book to another familiar book. How are the characters alike or different? Do the stories take place in similar settings? How are the illustrations the same or different?
ASK:
Ask what part of the story or book your child liked best and why.
Ask if your child liked the ending of the story. Why or why not?
Ask your child what type of mood the story or chapter in a book creates.
Ask how the author creates the mood. For example, does she use certain words, events, or settings that create a particular feeling? If your child has read more than one book by the same author, ask how the books are similar or different.
Source: www.nea.org
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. This year, many questions are tailored towards students' experience during Distance Learning.
- The Rhode Island Family Survey is for all parents to complete. For the fourth year in a row, parents of students receiving special education services will receive a single survey that combines the Rhode Island Family Survey and the Special Education Survey.
- You can take the short survey online between January 14th and March 31st. To take the survey, visit: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/ride/login. Please reach out if you'd like a paper copy. Your feedback is so important to us!
District Wide Spelling Bee
Kudos to our Clayville representatives:
- 5th grade winner: Alexander C.
- 5th grade alternate: Talia L.
- 4th grade winner: Venezio S.
- 4th grade alternate: Brendan P.
Special shout out to Alexander and Veno who made us proud during the district Spelling Bee!
Scituate Kindergarten Registration for the 2021-2022 School Year
SCITUATE KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION DATE SET FOR 2020-2021
●Children who will be five years old by September 1, 2021 are eligible to attend kindergarten in September 2021. The Scituate School Department requires registration for Kindergarten in Scituate.
●The registration for all three Scituate elementary schools is now digital and is live starting March 1, 2021.
●Parents of children scheduled to attend kindergarten this fall should contact the school of attendance so that a registration packet can be sent to you prior to the registration date.
Clayville School:
3 George Washington Highway, Clayville
Phone: 647-4115
Hope School:
391 North Road, Hope
Phone: 821-3651
North Scituate School:
46 Institute Lane, North Scituate
Phone: 647-4110
If you have a question regarding which school your child will attend based on your address, please contact the Scituate School Department at 401-647-4100. Be advised that the Scituate School Department reserves the right to selectively redistrict your child to another Scituate elementary school based on class size issues. In most years this involves a relatively small number of students.
WANTED: School Improvement Team Parent & Community Members
Please email me (Courtney.Francis@ScituateSchoolsRI.net) directly if you are interested in serving on this important committee. Meetings will take place no less than quarterly. Thank you for your consideration.
Pennies for Patients
Clayville School is proud to take part in the Pennies for Patients fundraiser and will be collecting donations from March 8-26! All donations benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Two years ago, our school donated over $1,910! Simply amazing! The top fundraising class will enjoy a pizza lunch!
Special thanks to Ms. Colvin for organizing this important fundraiser and to our school community for your generosity.
Pawsitive Office Referrals
Core Value of the Month: Effort
Save the Date! Kids Heart Challenge
Hello Clayville Families…
SAVE THE DATE! Mr. Ceprano’s - Kids Heart Challenge program will take place during PE classes for grades 3-5 the week of March 15-19. Now more than ever, we want every student and every family to live a heart-healthy lifestyle, and that can start by taking one of the American Heart Association’s Family Heart-Healthy Challenges!!
Please click on our Kids Heart Challenge link below to get started. We challenge YOU to sign up online today and Choose Water over sugary drinks, Move More and Be Kind! Once you set up your child’s webpage, scroll down to Family Heart-Healthy Challenge and select your Challenge. You may choose more than one! It’s fun and easy, and just for registering, you receive a free Heart Hero wristband!!
Click on our registration link to get started: Clayville Elementary - KHC Registration
Thank you for being a Heart Hero!
Curriculum Highlights
Dental Hygiene Unit in Prek!
Ms. Joslyn's AM and PM PreK class learned all about dental hygiene this month. Students participated in many dental hygiene themed activities in reading and math. They also learned about how to keep their teeth healthy and strong! ~Ms. Joslyn
SHHH....We're Hibernating!
Grade 1 Authors
First grade is full of published authors! Students worked very hard on their animal research projects. They were thrilled to present what they learned with their classmates as part of their Wild and Endangered Animals unit! ~Ms. Addessi
Grade 2 & 3 Distance Learning Class
Clayville's DL students are reading up a storm! Since September they've really ramped up the number of minutes they read, the complexity of the books they tackle, and the discussions they have after reading. All of this hard work has landed them in the Reading Hall Of Fame! Check it out using the link below! ~Mrs. La Rose
Grade 2: Sports Fiction Unit
Grade 3: Analyzing Traditional Tales
Grade 4 Mathematicians
Grade 4 Distance Learners
Grade 5 Shining Stars
Student Council's Valentine's Day Spirit Week!
SNOW Much Fun During Recess
NOTES FROM THE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST’S CORNER
Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19
Given the many changes faced by families and children in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, knowing the most effective ways to respond to them is important in ensuring that they have accurate information as well as skills to cope with any anxiety associated with the major disruption that has resulted from the pandemic.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
STAY CALM, LISTEN, AND OFFER REASSURANCE
MONITOR TELEVISION VIEWING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
TAKE TIME TO TALK
BE HONEST AND ACCURATE
KEEP EXPLANATIONS AGE-APPROPRIATE
STAY CONNECTED TO SCHOOL
MODEL BASIC HYGIENE AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PRACTICES
BE AWARE OF YOUR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH
For more information related to schools and physical and mental health, visit www.nasponline.org and www.nasn.org.
Bill Rapp MA, Clayville Elementary School Psychologist
Head Start Flyer
News from Northwest Special Education
Northwest Special Education Local Advisory Committee meetings for the 2020-21 school year:
April 13, 2021
At this time, these meetings will be held virtually. Links to virtual meetings can be found on the Rhode Island Secretary of State's Open Meetings website at least 48 hours before the meeting date: https://opengov.sos.ri.gov/OpenMeetings.
News from the Scituate School Committee
PTO Update
We will be discussing our upcoming Walk-a-Thon Fundraiser and a virtual event for Clayville families. We hope to see you there!
Dates to Remember:
- 3/1-3/8: Read Across America Week
- 3/1: School Planning: Leadership Group Forum @ 7:00 p.m.
- 3/2: School Committee Meeting @ 7:00 p.m.
- 3/3: School Planning: Technology, Safety & Security Forum @ 7:00 p.m.
- 3/8-3/19: Surveyworks Window
- 3/8-3/26: Penny for Patients Fundraiser
- 3/11: PTO Meeting @ 6:30 p.m. (via Zoom)
- 3/15-3/19: Kids Heart Challenge (Grades 3-5)
- 3/15: Distance Learning & Professional Development Day
- 3/17: Wear Green Day!
- 3/23: Last Day of Trimester 2
Stay in Touch!
Email: Courtney.francis@scituateschoolsri.net
Website: https://clayville.scituateschoolsri.net/
Location: 3 George Washington Highway, Clayville, RI, USA
Phone: 4016474115
Twitter: @Mrs_Francis7