Pawsome News
September 6, 2019
Dear Pawsome Loring Families,
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Best,
Sara Harvey, Principal
David Gaita, Assistant Principal
Staff Professional Summer Learning
- Science, social studies, math, writing, and PBIS curriculum writing
- Google Infused Classroom coursework and bookclubs
- Coding coursework
- Fundations training
- Wilson training
- Graduate Coursework in various areas to support student learning
- And lots and lots of reading of educational books and articles
Staffing Update
Please join me in welcoming some new staff members to our Pawsome Loring Community!
School Psychologist - Dana Naliboff
Ms. Naliboff is joining us after covering a year-long leave as the school psychologist in Lincoln. During her graduate program, Ms. Naliboff completed internships at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Cambridge and at the Harrington and Bowman Elementary Schools in Lexington. Ms. Naliboff has a lot to offer our community!
Administrative Assistant to the Principal - Tara DiBona
Ms. DiBona joins us with over twenty years of administrative experience in various settings. She has also been an active member of the PTO at her daughter's school and this year is the PTO president. Ms. DiBona will be joining Ms. Cook in the front office on Monday, so you will probably meet or talk to her on the phone very soon.
Kindergarten Long Term Substitute - Jamie Le Blanc
Ms. Le Blanc has recently covered a maternity leave in a first grade class in Belmont. Prior to that position, she was working in Newton as a literacy and math interventionist and substitute teacher for five years. Ms. Le Blanc comes with a lot of experience that will be a perfect fit for Ms. Fullam's kindergarten class while Ms. Fullam is home with her baby.
Spanish Teacher
Please know that we are diligently working to fill our Spanish teacher position. We have been collaborating with other Spanish teachers in the district to ensure our students are receiving a robust Spanish curriculum until a permanent teacher is in place.
Open House -Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Please pay careful attention to the times listed below to ensure that you arrive at the appropriate time for your grade level.
Community Celebration
Community Celebration takes place at 2:40 p.m. on various full-day Wednesdays throughout the year. The dates are listed below. All members of our Loring Community are welcome to attend Community Celebration.
If you are planning to attend, please pay close attention to a few things:
- If you plan to dismiss your child(ren) from Community Celebration, please send in a note that morning so the office and teachers can be prepared. Last minute dismissal changes after Community Celebration make school dismissal very tricky for everyone.
- Please do not park in the Car Pickup line for Community Celebration, doing this is unsafe and holds up our whole student dismissal. Since parking is limited, please plan to walk or carpool if possible.
- The first row of chairs on each side of the lunchroom are reserved for staff. Staff members need to be in close proximity of the students during Community Celebration.
- Please be mindful of talking while in the audience. All adults should be modeling respectful audience behavior for our students.
Community Celebration Dates
- October 2 and 23
- November 6
- December 11
- January 15 and 29
- February 12
- March 18
- April 1 and 29
- May 6 and 27
- June 3
On Community Celebration days, students and staff are encouraged to show our Pawsome Loring School spirit by wearing school colors (maroon and gray), school apparel (can be purchased on the PTO website), leopard and/or paw prints! We love to look PAWSOME!
School Council Election
The Loring School Council works to support Loring, This year we will be working on our School Improvement Plan and some other initiatives that help to improve our Loring School Community. Ideas are always welcome!
We will be holding an election for the open 2-year spot at Open House on September 24, 2019. Marc Gallagher and Amy Kohen will be returning for one more year. Emily Wood has completed her time on the council. Thank you Emily!
If you are interested in running for the remaining parent spot, please submit a brief bio including why you are interested in the position to Emily Wood egwood41@gmail.com. If you have any questions about what your role would be, please check in with Emily Wood, Marc Gallagher or Amy Kohen.
We are also in need of a Community Member. If you know of anyone that may be interested, please send him or her my way!
The Loring School Pledge
This year we have added our Loring School pledge to the morning announcements. Please practice our school pledge at home with your child(ren).
Loring School Pledge
I am respectful
I am responsible
I am caring and kind
I show best effort
I am part of the Pawsome Loring Community
Changes to Student Dismissal
Sending a note in your child's red folder is the preferred way to change your child's dismissal.
- Any note will do. Our Loring PTO has pre-made dismissal notes available for purchase if interested. All the work is done, just fill in the blanks.
- While an email to the teacher is always welcome, it should not be the primary way to change your child's dismissal.
- A morning reminder to your child about their dismissal change is always helpful.
If you do need to change your child's dismissal during the school day, please call the main number, 978-578-0870 and speak directly to a staff member as early as possible. Late dismissal changes make for tricky dismissals. Voicemails and emails are not recommended as we may not receive them in time.
Attendance is Important
Parents and families, you are the essential partners in promoting good attendance because you have the responsibility for making sure your child(ren) get to school every day. Please work with us to ensure a favorable attendance record for your child(ren).
Let Your Children Know that Good Attendance Is Important:
- Attendance is a parent and student responsibility. Let your child know that you think attending school daily is important. Show them you are interested in their school activities and tell them that you want them to do well in school.
- Good attendance habits start at an early age. Make sure your child goes to school regularly and on time. This helps them develop a positive view of school and the importance of attendance.
- Become involved in your child’s school life and school activities.
- Take an interest in your child’s schoolwork. Read with or encourage daily reading at home.
- Read the school newsletter. Post the school calendar and notes on the refrigerator, or other prominent location to highlight school activities and important student information.
- Do not provide inappropriate excuses for your child to miss school. Do not let them take time off from school for minor ailments – particularly those which would not prevent you from going to work.
Establish a Routine:
- Give yourself and children enough time to get ready in the morning.
- Set alarm clock 30 minutes earlier for students who need more time to get ready for school.
- Plan ahead the night before: such as identifying and prepping breakfast, have kids choose clothes and shoes the night before, and pack their backpacks with completed homework and snacks/water. Parents can prepare for work the night before too.
- Set a regular bedtime schedule.
- Get proper rest and go to bed early.
- Help your child relax before bedtime with a story, instead of the stimulation of television/screens.
- Have schoolwork, red folder and lunch ready and laid out, ready to go.
- Limit and balance extra-curricular activities.
- Reach out to the principals or guidance counselors if you need help developing family routines to promote regular, on-time school arrival.
Back-to-School Packet
Please reach out to the front office if you have any questions.
Pack 60 Sudbury
Grades k-5 to Join Cub Scouts!
Come sign up at Loring School during Open House (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
Flyer attached below.
Loring Core Values
At Loring School, we are PAWSOME because we show our Core Values!
Respect ~ Responsibility ~ Caring ~ Best Effort
Week of September 9, 2019
Word of the Week: CARING
Feeling and showing concern, kindness, and understanding toward others.
Core Value Action of the Week:
As we start the school year, remember to be kind and helpful in all situations at school, at home and in also your community. When you are caring, you are constantly considering what others are thinking and feeling in order to monitor and modify your behavior.
Week of September 16, 2019
Word of the Week: BEST EFFORT
Doing the best that you can and trying your hardest.
Core Value Action of the Week:
At school and at home, remember that your teachers and families want you to always show your best effort by working hard and doing the best that you can with everything you do. At home each night, share the ways you showed best effort at school. Ask your family and friends how they showed their best effort?
Bus Information
Here are some reminders and suggestions for students who ride the bus. At Loring safety is extremely important to us and you can help by following these expectations.
Bus Stop Expectations:
It is important that students arrive at their bus stop at least 10 minutes before their scheduled time.
All students should be supervised by an adult while waiting for the bus.
For students in K and 1-grade, an adult needs to be present for that student to exit the bus.
Some suggestions to keep kids busy while waiting could be: Eye Spy, Would You Rather?, Twenty Questions, Alphabet Game or even sing some songs.
Behavior Expectations for Students on the Bus:
We have a bus coming next week and each classroom will visit the bus while Mr. Gaita and I go over these expectations. You can help by reminding your child about these expectations.
Students need to sit down throughout the bus ride.
Students should be using an appropriate voice volume while on the bus.
Students need to stay in their seats.
K and 1-grade students will be sitting in the front of the bus.
Students should not eat or drink on the bus.
Bus Driver’s Names:
We would like to thank all the bus drivers for their hard work. We thought it might be helpful for you to know the names of the drivers:
Bus 1: Kathy Bus 2: Roland Bus 3: Kathy/ Joe Bus 4: Joan Bus 5: Kiran Bus 6: Brenda
If you have any questions please email Mr. Gaita at david_gaita@sudbury.k12.ma.us
Car Drop Off/Pick Up
Car Drop: Staff members will be outside on the sidewalk between the gym and library doors at 8:45 a.m. Please do not leave your child(ren) without staff members present. Car drop off is an active process to keep the cars moving. At 8:55 a.m., school doors will be closed and secured. If your child(ren) arrive after 8:55 a.m., they are late but still Pawsome. Please park and sign your child(ren) in at the front office.
Car Pickup: Please remember to display your yellow card for pickup on your dashboard visible to staff members on duty. Please keep this yellow card on your dashboard until you have your child in your car. If you are new to Loring, you will be receiving one the first day of school in your child's backpack. If you do not have a yellow card after the first day, please email David Gaita and Sara Harvey with your child's name and teacher.
The gates for car pickup will open at 3:00 p.m. each afternoon. The car pickup process is the same as last year, which is entering by the baseball field and following the drive around the school and exiting on the opposite side. Car pickup is an active process to keep the cars moving. If you have any questions at all, please reach out.
Car pickup ends at 3:35 p.m. All remaining students will be brought to the front office to be picked up there.
Walking
If your child is a Walker this year, here is some helpful information for a safe and smooth arrival and dismissal.
Arrival - If your child walks to school in the morning, it is important to know that they should enter through the front door of the school. The doors open at 8:45 a.m., when we are staffed. Your child should not be arriving much earlier than 8:45 a.m., as the doors will not be opened, and we do not have staff available to monitor the safety of your child.
Dismissal - Walkers are provided a color coded (Pink-Green) walker card to exit the building. This card displays the students name, the days of the week that they are dismissed as a walker, and any clubs they may attend.
Walkers should exit through the dining room only. All walkers need to check out with the Loring staff member where they will hand in their walker card as they leave. The front office checks the walker cards each evening to ensure that all walkers have picked up their card for the day, and exited the building at dismissal. Phone calls are made to families/guardians of any student(s) who have not turned in their card on a day that they should be walking.
Below is an explanation of the color coding system. Walker cards are placed on a table at the entrance of the dining room. We try to provide an appropriate color walker card for your student, but feel free to let the front office know of any changes or adjustments.
- Pink - A pink walker card indicates that your child may not walk alone, or check out with the Loring staff member unless they are with an older sibling who has a green walker card, or a parent or guardian accompanying them. Students who typically have a pink walker card are grades K-3. All parents/guardians of students with a pink walker card must enter the building and escort your child out, checking out with the Loring staff member.
- Green - A green walker card indicates that your child may walk alone. Your child will exit through the dining room and check out with the Loring staff member.
Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the walker policy or process.
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:
Picture Day - September 11th
Leopard Fest - September 14th
PTO Meeting - September 18th
Open House - September 24th
Rosh Hashanah (No School) - September 30th