September Newsletter
Principal Monique Dangleis
Off To a Great Start!
Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! We've had a wonderful first few weeks with your children, getting to know them and helping them get to know one another. The first six weeks of school are so important in establishing a positive climate and expectations. We believe that by investing time at the beginning of the year by teaching social skills, character values, and setting rules together, children will benefit all year long by knowing they are in a place that is welcoming and safe. You can support us by talking to your child about the rules their class created for themselves and how showing CARES traits helps everyone do well in school and make friends.
Welcome!
At our first assembly, we welcomed all new second grade students and gave a special hello to students new to Wilbraham. We're so happy to have you on our team. This year, we also welcome new teachers, Sydney Castonguay and Shannon Martin, new Educational Team Leader, Michele Stevens, new Paraprofessional, Maria Ardolino, and new Kitchen Support Staff, Donna Taylor. We hope you all love Stony Hill as much as we do!
hwrsd.org Has a New Look
I am in the process of adding helpful information and pictures of our students. Please take a look around and let me know what you'd like to see on our site. I want to make finding information as easy as possible for you. A PTO Corner will be coming soon and I plan to add Twitter and Facebook once permission slips are sent home.
Electronic Newsletter
This newsletter will be sent to you via connect ed email and it will always be posted on our website. There are times that a paper flyer or a phone call are best options to get information to you, but I will mainly use a paperless method to keep you informed. If this doesn't work for you, let me know and I will be happy to accommodate your needs.
September/October
PTO Mixed Bags Fundraiser. Information will be sent home soon.
10/3
PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
10/5
Early Release Day
10/10
School Improvement Council 3:00 p.m.
10/29-10/30
Book Fair
10/31
Early Release Day
Transportation Safety Rules
- Remind your child that showing expected behaviors on the bus helps keep everyone safe. They must stay seated and use quiet voices. Disruptive behavior and shouting distracts the driver.
- Remove excess items from backpacks. Items dangling from backpacks can (and have) gotten caught in bus doors and caused injury to a child.
- Toys must be left at home. Taking toys out on the bus can (and has) led to arguments and other unpleasant experiences for our kiddos. Encourage your child to read instead.
- Follow all Parent Drop-Off and Pick-Up rules. I've posted them below for your convenience.
Parents/Guardians, these rules must be followed for the safety and well-being of our children and staff members.
Always, always, always, yield to buses. If a car blocks their entrance or exit to the back parking lot or Stony Hill Rd, the kiddos on those buses get home later than they should.
Pull all the way up to the very end of the line (at the yellow ‘student pick up’ sign).
If you need to park in the ‘spillover’ area along the sidewalk, please be sure that your entire vehicle is off of the driving lane and is completely on the sidewalk.
Do not park between the ‘No Parking’ sign and the wooden light post. There isn’t enough room to clear the driving lane.
Only enter the pick-up circle when there is enough room so that your vehicle’s back-end does not block the driving lane.
Always scoot your car up as close as possible to the car in front of you.
Children can only exit or enter a left hand door on your vehicle. If that is not possible, you will need to park your car in a parking space and wait until a staff member can safely walk your child across the parking lot. Don’t allow a child to exit a right hand passenger door.
Keep your name card clearly posted on your dashboard.
If, for some reason, we do not have your child’s name on our pick up list, a staff member will direct you to pull into a parking space. We will work on getting your child to you as quickly as possible.
If a car is in front of you, do not pull to the right of the vehicle to exit the line. Wait until the car(s) in front of you exit the circle and follow behind them.
“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” —Abraham Lincoln
This year, our school-wide focus remains on Building Bridges as we seek to bridge ideas and relationships between students, colleagues, families, our district, and the community. But we are also incorporating the notion that happiness leads to success. There has been a great deal of research that supports the idea that a positive school climate leads to higher student achievement. The National Association of School Psychologists states, "A school's environment, and the degree to which students feel connected, accepted and respected, heavily influences students' academic achievement, mental health, and overall school success." Stony Hill has always had a warm and welcoming climate, but what a fun and energizing goal this is for all of us this year - to simply find ways to increase our happiness! Below are two articles on this idea, as well as a great (and amusing) video. Be in touch with any ideas you have to share on this topic.
Thank You For Coming!
Our Fall Open House was a wonderful community event, thanks to all of you who came to hear what our entire staff is doing for your children. We are so fortunate to have such supportive and involved families. It was my pleasure to introduce you to our school's MVPs! Thank you for your rousing applause for each and every one. They are my heroes and certainly deserved and appreciated that moment of recognition. A big shout out to our PTO for talking with parents about the many ways they can contribute, and for providing a delicious bake sale for us to enjoy some treats and water while we mix and mingle. We will hold many community events this year so be on the look out for more information.
Stay in Touch
Email: mdangleis@hwrsd.org
Website: sh.hwrsd.org/
Location: 675 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA, USA
Phone: 413-599-1950
Facebook: www.facebook.com/StonyHillPTO/