Scotty Updates
A Newsletter from Scotland Elementary School
Week of November 14, 2022
Scotty Updates
Scotty Updates has been created to provide families and staff with information regarding upcoming events, happenings, and programs at Scotland Elementary School. Please take time each Monday to review our newsletter.
A Message from Jill & Tim
Dear Scotland Families and Staff,
I hope you are all well, and enjoyed the weekend! Please find a letter below from Kristi Montemurro, our Health teacher. Our health lessons will begin at Scotland at the beginning of December.
November 2022
Dear Parents/Guardians,
My name is Kristi Montemurro, and I am a Health teacher within the Ridgefield Public School System. This year I will be coming into your child’s classroom to teach one or two Health Education lessons. The focus of the lessons will be Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). These lessons will fulfill the state law that requires that HIV/AIDS education be taught in a planned, systematic and ongoing program taught by certified health educators. HIV/AIDS will not be mentioned until Fifth grade. Please see below the lesson outline for your child’s grade.
Kindergarten - germs and hygiene (Two 30 min. lessons)
â—Ź Main Focus: Hand Washing, Covering coughs and sneezes with their elbow
â—Ź Students will understand how germs are spread by coughing, sneezing and touching and identify ways to prevent germs from spreading.
1st Grade - OTC Medicine safety (One 30 min. lesson)
â—Ź Main Focus: Over the Counter Drugs (OTC)
● Students will define what medicine is. Students will recognize the importance of following the “Medicine Safety Rules” when using and storing medicine (OTC).
2nd Grade - hygiene & ways to stay healthy (Two 30 min. lessons)
â—Ź Main Focus: Discover that germs can be spread not only from coughing, sneezing and touch but also from blood
â—Ź Students will recognize how the body fights disease and prevents them from getting sick & explain what they can do to maintain their health.
â—Ź Students will understand to never touch blood because it contains germs and what to do if they come into contact with blood.
3rd Grade - Tobacco (One 40 min. lesson)
â—Ź Main Focus: Evaluate the effects of tobacco use on the body and why it is important for kids to never try tobacco products
â—Ź Students will understand what tobacco is.
â—Ź Students will identify harmful ingredients in tobacco.
â—Ź Students will describe how smoking impacts the body (respiratory system).
â—Ź Students will understand the importance of not using tobacco products & refusal skills.
4th grade - Drugs versus Medicine (One 40 min. lesson)
â—Ź Main Focus: Students will distinguish between a drug that is helpful and a drug that is harmful
â—Ź Students will evaluate what the difference is between using drugs as medicine and abusing drugs such as tobacco.
â—Ź Students will distinguish between a drug that is helpful and a drug that is harmful.
â—Ź Students will apply the six step decision making model to make healthy choices when confronted with drug use.
5th Grade - how to keep the immune strong & HIV/AIDS (Two 40 min. lessons)
â—Ź Main Focus: Determine one of the causes of HIV/AIDS & how to make positive decisions for our health
â—Ź Students will understand how the HIV virus attacks the Immune System and leads to AIDS.
â—Ź Students will understand how HIV/AIDS can be spread through blood.
â—Ź Students will be able to identify behaviors to enhance the immune system.
If you have any questions on what is being taught the health curriculum will be in the main office or feel free to email me with any questions, kmontemurro@ridgefieldps.net
Sincerely,
Kristi Montemurro
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Just a reminder that our Parent/Teacher Conferences will begin on Friday. Scotland School will be dismissed at 11:40am on November 18th, 21st, and 22nd. As we do on all early dismissal days, lunch will be served, but there will be no recess. We are excited to meet with you, and discuss your child(ren)'s progress so far this year!
Take care and have a great week!
Kind regards,
Jill & Tim
Spotlight on Curriculum 🔦
DreamBox Learning
DreamBox offers over 2,000 lessons with millions of paths through the curriculum. To engage students exactly where they are, it adjusts in real-time, adapting hints, level of difficulty, pace, and sequence.
Events & Happenings 📆
Monday, November 14th:
- B Day
Tuesday, November 15th:
- C Day
Wednesday, November 16th:
- D Day
Thursday, November 17th:
- E Day
Friday, November 18th:
- F Day
- Early Dismissal: 11:40am - Elementary School Conferences
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Coming Soon:
November 18th - November 22nd:
- Early Dismissal: 11:40am - Elementary School Conferences
Wednesday, November 23rd:
- Early Dismissal - Thanksgiving Eve
November 24th-November 25th:
- No school - Thanksgiving Recess
Scotland Honors Veterans
Scotland Celebrates Fall! 🍂
The PTA needs your help decorating our new Scotty Celebrates Fall Bulletin Board. Please click on this link below and upload a photo of your family celebrating a fall holiday or participating in a fall activity. We'll be printing and displaying your photos on our new bulletin board so students can see the unique ways we all celebrate fall.
Attention 5th Grade Families!
A Note from Our PTA
Scotties Helping Scotties!
Within the Scotland community, affording supplies, field trips, yearbooks, enrichment, and activities is never something a student should miss because of financials!
The PTA sets funds aside to help families in our community. We all experience financial challenges, from layoffs to life's moments and everything in between.
If you are experiencing any type of financial challenge, please email the principal about your needs. Your request is FULLY ANONYMOUS to everyone except our principal.
Do not be bashful; our community is always here to help! Please reach out to Jill with any needs you may have!
!!SQUARE1ART FUNDRAISER DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 7th!!
How it Works
1. CREATE Create artwork using the Square1Art Template sent home, or download your own template here!
2. TAKE A PHOTO Take a photo of your child’s art using an iPhone or tablet
3. UPLOAD Upload your art online at: http://www.square1art.com/shop/upload
4. SHOP Shop for keepsakes! Place orders through Nov 7th. Order early to receive gifts in time for the holidays!
Information to keep handy...
Library Volunteers!
Hello and welcome to a New Year in the SES Library! We are excited to once again have volunteers during Library Classes. The SES library is looking for volunteers to help with library book check out, reshelving returned books and hands-on activities. If you have time in your busy day to volunteer, the SES library would appreciate your help!
No long-term commitment necessary and it is not hard to do. If you have some time during the day and would like to be a part of the fun, here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
1) Click the link below to see our Sign-Ups by grade on SignUp.com
Kindergarten:https://signup.com/go/RXgASEF
First Grade:https://signup.com/go/sdfnzCz
Second Grade:https://signup.com/go/oAwbgON
Third Grade:https://signup.com/go/DJogDsp
Fourth Grade: https://signup.com/go/mcPzzKd
Fifth Grade: https://signup.com/go/XzBEjrg
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you would like. Please be considerate of other families and choose a few spots to begin with. Once everyone has had a chance to sign up, you can go back and volunteer for any open spots. If you do not see your class listed, it means it already has a volunteer.
3.) Fill out the Visitor Form to let us know the time and day you are coming to Volunteer.
The link is: https://bit.ly/3qbV1is
Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp. Use the links here or find them on the SES PTA WEBSITE
Please contact Amy Tomasco at sesnotes1@gmail.com with any questions.
It's not scary to help out in the LIBRARY!
⚽️ 🎼 Essentials 🎨 📚
- Each class will have one 45 minute essential per day (art, library, music, or PE)
- We will continue to follow the six day A-F day schedule
- Please find the essentials rotation below
Arrival & Dismissal đźš—
We will follow a similar drop off / pick up procedure that we did last year.
Arrival
- Drop off begins at 8:30am. Please do not drop off your child prior to 8:30am as there will be no supervision at this time.
Dismissal
- Pick up will begin at 3:25pm.
- Each day, please have your child(ren)’s first and last name displayed on your passenger visor, and have it remain visible until your child is in the car. This needs to be bold and large enough to be visible at a distance. This is a very important step to ensure we have your child ready when you arrive.
- For the safety of both students and staff, proceed carefully and slowly through the lot.
- Please have your child exit/enter the vehicle when your gear is in the park position and is one of the cars at the front of the line designated for drop off.
- Students must exit the vehicle on the passenger side (building side) of the vehicle. Multiple children must exit on the passenger side. It is dangerous to exit/enter on the driver's side of the vehicle!
- Students need to have all of their items ready in hand and will then exit the car immediately.
- Parents, please stay in your vehicle at all times so that the process will prevent backups on Barlow Mountain Road.
- If you miss the drop off time (after 8:45 a.m.), please park in the front lot and walk your child across the designated crosswalk to the main entrance of the building. If you arrive after the drop off window and must park in the parking lot, we ask that you kindly use the crosswalk.
Chromebooks đź’»
- For information on this year's Chromebook distribution and policies click here to watch a short video
- If you have further questions or concerns email: helpdesk@ridgefieldps.net
School Lunch 🥪
The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) advised that federal funds have been allocated for the Free School Meals for Children grant.
- Funding will support free lunches for all students in grades K-8 until funds are depleted.
- Snacks and additional items will be available through The Lunch Time POS system that allows students to purchase their lunch by entering a 5-digit code at the cash register. These items can be prepaid online at School Payment Portal Powered By LunchTime Software and at the school kitchen. Please read the letter here.
School Lunch will be available from the first day of school.
The school lunch menu is available online on the RPS website; click District Offices and click on Food Service, as well as below.
There will be no change in the payment system; all school lunch balances will roll over.
Questions in regard to Lunch Time POS can be directed to Eric Nickelson, RPS Food Service Director at 203-894-5550 x1127 or enickelson@ridgefieldps.net
Please find the lunch menu below.
School Dismissal Manager
We will continue to use School Dismissal Manager this year at Scotland. Please click below for information regarding this system. This system will be available to families in late August. A welcome letter will be emailed to families when the system is available. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us!
Contact Us!
Email: jkatkocin@ridgefieldps.net
Website: https://ses.ridgefield.org/
Location: 111 Barlow Mountain Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: 203-894-5825
Twitter: @Scotland_Elem