The Buzz at Leeds
January 10, 2022
Message from Principal Wenz
I hope everyone had a good long weekend. Students were counting how many days we had in this past weekend with me this morning. Our winter has entered the extremely cold phase. Please be sure to send your child with hats, coats, mittens, and boots. Children are allowed to play in the snow at recess if they have snow pants and boots. If you need outdoor clothing for your child, please contact Susannah Bastek sbastek@northampton-k12.us We go outside if it feels like 15 degrees or higher. Unfortunately today it felt like 12 degrees. Tomorrow is supposed to be exceptionally cold.
If your child is absent, please contact the office. If you send an email to your child's teacher, please cc: Laura Ziomek (lziomek@northampton-k12.us) or call our absentee line.
This pandemic just seems to keep on giving. Please help us keep our staff and students safe and follow the Daily Self-Checklist.
Our enrichment program will begin running in February. The paper forms will be sent this week. Please see more details below.
Just a reminder.......
January is a very busy month. We do not have school on the following days:
- Monday, January 17th in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or
- Friday, January 28th for a teacher work day.
We have early dismissal days at the end of the month for Teacher/Caregiver conferences. Dismissal is at 11:30 for Kindergarten through Grade 5 students on each of the following days:
- Monday, 1/24
- Tuesday, 1/25
- Wednesday, 1/26
- Thursday, 1/27
- Monday, 1/31
Session 1 preschool students will come to school on Monday (1/24) and Tuesday (1/25) for our morning session 8:10-10:40. Session 2 preschool students will come to school on Wednesday (1/26) and Thursday (1/27) during session 1 time 8:10-10:40. We will not have preschool in the afternoons. We will not have session 2 on Monday (1/31). If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Sarah or Ms. Rachel.
Ms. DeWitt, our School Secretary, has taken a leave of absence to care for a family member. If you need to contact the office, please contact Laura Ziomek our Administrative Assistant at 413-587-1540 or lziomek@northampton-k12.us. Thank you!
Stay safe and be well,
Chris Wenz, Principal
Leeds PTO
General Meeting Agenda
January 11, 2022
7:00 p.m. Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89416814914?pwd=SUFFektRTkpuWDFSdUVzditDaTdJdz09
Meeting ID: 894 1681 4914 Passcode: 842082
Please add your child’s teacher name to your screen name.
Ex. Jean Monska/Foster
Welcome: What is your favorite snow activity?
Events and Activities
Completed
i) Meadow Farms and Florida Grove Fundraiser
ii) T-Shirt Design Contest-Shirts have arrived!
iii) PTO Gives
6. Future
i) Food Frenzy Fundraiser (Friendly’s and Little Caesar)
ii) Brick Fundraiseriii) Auction Virtual with an in-person celebration at the end (looking for auction items and ideas)
iv) Variety Show
v)Snow Sculptures
vi) Staff Appreciation
7. Ongoing
i) Florence Bank Community Choice Grants
ii) Amazon Smile
8. Principal’s Report9. Teacher’s Report
10. New Business
i) Volunteers in Schools during COVID
ii) Community Building during COVID (virtual community meetings?)
11. Adjournment
Upcoming PTO General Meetings
February 8 at 7pm via Zoom
March 8th at 7PM (Meeting solely dedicated to the Auction)
April 5 at 7pm
May 3 at 7pm
June-TBD Officer Elections
Leeds Equity & Inclusion Committee - A Subcommittee of our School Council
The next meeting of the Leeds Equity & Inclusion Committee will take place (virtually) on Wednesday, January 12, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. New folks are always welcome and encouraged to join! Please reach out to leedsequityandinclusioncomm@gmail.com for the meeting link, to join our email listserv, or with your questions/ideas. We plan to meet the second Wednesday of every month throughout the year. E&I participation is always completely flexible–you can choose to commit to as much or as little as you’d like.
We hope everyone is holding up okay, staying warm, taking good care, and finding the supports you need during this new phase of the pandemic. With that in mind, we’re re-sharing these local pandemic support resources (including mental health resources) compiled last year by REAL.
This week, we’re looking ahead to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, coming up on Monday, Jan. 17.
Northampton’s Resistance Center for Peace and Justice will host a virtual MLK Day Celebration on Jan. 17. The full-day event includes an African American history walking tour and eight community workshops - including a specifically kid-friendly workshop, a workshop hosted by the Students of Color Alliance at JFK Middle School, and a workshop hosted by REAL. Check out the full schedule and register here!
Springfield’s annual Citywide MLK Day Celebration will also be held virtually on Jan. 17. The event, “Standing Together in Hope We Rise,” will take place from 11:00-12:00, and will feature music, dance, spoken word performances, and more. Full details and livestream here!
Check out this list of children’s books honoring King’s life and legacy, and this list of suggested activities for kids of all ages to engage in the national day of service.
Thanks for reading, and as always, please be in touch with any questions!
Early Bird / Late Bird / LEAP
- Our Februrary Early/Late Bird Form is now open. Please complete the form by Friday, January 21st. If you need assistance, please contact our coordinator, Gabrielle Hollender.
Payments: Pay Online (preferred) or make checks payable to "City of Northampton"
*Note: UniPay seems to have an aversion to Visa cards... so please try another card for payment
Please be sure to choose the dates you need for after school care. We have a limited number of staff and may not always be able to accommodate drop ins.
- Late Bird - 2:10-5:15 (Please send your child with a snack from home.)
Just a reminder that we do not have school on the following dates in January:
- Monday, January 17th
- Friday, January 28th
Additionally, we will be having PreK through Grade 5 Caregiver/Teacher conferences on the dates listed below. We will have Early Bird on these dates, but we will not have Late Bird.
- Monday, January 24th
- Tuesday, January 25th
- Wednesday, January 26th
- Thursday, January 27th
- Monday, January 31st
LEAP
Be on the look out for the February LEAP forms (our enrichment program) will be sent outthis week. You can use the same online payment as Late Bird. Online payment instructions: I know some of you had difficulty with our online payment system, so we have created a document with instructions. Here is the link.
If you or you know someone who would like to be a LEAP instructor for our next session, please reach out to Gabrielle with more information, (ghollender@northampton-k12.us or 413-587-1530 ext 3659)
BEHAVIOR POLICY: All staff and students will adhere to the Northampton Code of Conduct found at http://www.northamptonschools.org/project/code-of-conduct/
Kindergarten 2022-2023 Information Night
School Culture & Climate Survey
Our district is conducting a culture and climate survey. We would love your feedback. Please click one of the survey links below to share your family's experience with our school. Your feedback will help us strengthen our partnerships and work on engaging with families. Thank you !
https://forms.gle/i3rBrLfAsx15TNFo7 English
https://forms.gle/vZxsbsTer1XL18F49 Spanish
https://forms.gle/AEPfWedanLQkwSfLA French
https://forms.gle/2GpTTV4XeLppzibJA Swahili
https://forms.gle/sK4Jq3rbfQSwuzQS8 Kinyarwanda
https://forms.gle/QizHD36TeonxXCSC7 Chinese
Letter from Dr. Provost & Lisa Safron, Director of Health & Safety - December 30, 2021
Breakfast & Lunch Menus
Northampton Youth Softball Sign Ups
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Calendar of Events
Upcoming Dates
1/11- Leeds PTO Meeting @7:00pm via Zoom
1/12 - Fire Drill @9:15
1/12 - Leeds Equity and Inclusion Committee Meeting @6:30pm
1/17 - No School in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
1/18 - School Council Meeting @6:15pm via Zoom
1/24 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Caregiver / Teacher Conferences No Late Bird
1/25 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Caregiver / Teacher Conferences No Lift Off / No Late Bird
1/26 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Caregiver / Teacher Conferences No Lift Off / No Late Bird
1/27 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Caregiver / Teacher Conferences No Lift Off / No Late Bird
1/28 - No School - Teacher Work Day
1/31 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Caregiver / Teacher Conferences No Late Bird
2/8 - Leeds PTO Meeting @7:00pm
2/9 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Half Teacher Work Day
2/21 through 2/25 Winter Break - No School
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Contact us:
(sharondewitt@northampton-k12.us)
Laura Ziomek, Administrative Assistant
Gabrielle Hollender, Early Bird/Late Bird Afterschool Coordinator
(ghollender@northampton-k12.us)
Chris Wenz, Principal
Email: sharondewitt@northampton-k12.us
Website: http://www.northamptonschools.org/project/leeds-elementary-school/
Location: 20 Florence Street, Leeds, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 587-1530