THE PRIDE PRESS
Essex Elementary School Newsletter
May 1, 2020
PRINCIPAL NEWS
Hello Families,
Over the next several weeks we at EES will be working on the annual rite of spring known as placement for next school year. Throughout this practice our focus is on creating classrooms that are balanced in a number of different areas, including gender, academics, social, special needs, friendships, non-friendships, etc. This is always a delicate process, made even more so this year by the fact that we can’t all sit in the same room and work on it.
A further wrinkle is added by the fact that we have several faculty moves planned for next year, with one kindergarten teacher (Amanda Little) moving to the first grade team, two first grade teachers (Kitty Tracy and Julia Acanfora) moving to second grade, one second grade teacher moving to first grade (Lisa Badore) and one teacher coming from Founders to join our first grade team! (Stacey Mead) It is important to note that the teachers who are moving up to a higher grade level will not be moving up with their entire class (a process known as looping) but will, through the placement process, wind up with a few of their existing students in their classes next year.
Luckily, we do love a good challenge!
Enjoy the weekend,
Peter
Great Salamander Migration
Apparently this is a springtime ritual, as salamanders awaken from their winter slumber and begin searching for vernal pools in which they lay their eggs. Also, apparently, they particularly like wet, rainy nights in which to do their migrating. So, last week, on a really wet, rainy night the Farrell family headed out to see this for ourselves. It was amazing! We saw dozens of spotted salamanders working their way across the road, with several dozen frogs doing the same. If you get a chance, check it out!
SCHOOL COUNSELORS
Laughter is the Best Medicine
During this time of uncertainty and stress it has never been more important to draw on the coping skills that we have developed. Whether it be exercise, finding space for a moment of quiet and mindfulness, reaching out to others remotely for support, or engaging in hobbies, healthy coping mechanisms can help us get through our toughest moments. One of the main goals that we work on with your young learners is to help them to recognize uncomfortable feelings and develop ways to cope.
A simple, but sometimes overlooked, way of coping is laughter. Humor has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety, speed up healing, and bring people together. We all know that kids love to laugh too. A beloved ritual in Mrs. Acanfora’s first grade class is when kids read knock knock jokes to each other during snack time. We’re certain that EES students miss Mr. Picard’s joking as he greets kids every morning. We cannot wait until we are back in the schools, sharing smiles and laughter again. In the meantime, we hope that you have a weekend full of smiles and giggles with your family!
As always, EES school counselors are here for you and your kids. If you or your children are struggling during this time away from school, please do not hesitate to reach out!
Kim, Sarah, and Brea
CLASSROOM NEWS
Ms. Rowley's Class and Mrs. Day's Class
SEL News
THE POWER OF YET! Growth Mindset and Perseverance
Carol Dwek, author of The Mindset, discusses two different types of mindset: growth and fixed.
A growth mindset occurs when we believe our intelligence and abilities can be improved upon with effort and the right strategies. A willingness to confront challenges, a passion for learning and viewing failure as a springboard for growth are all characteristics associated with a growth mindset.
In contrast, those with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence and abilities cannot be altered in a meaningful way. As a result, mistakes are often seen as failures rather than opportunities to grow and learn.
Check out this resource from Big Life Journal for how to teach Growth Mindset to kids at home!
They also have a great Podcast for kids!
At EES we foster a Growth Mindset in all of our students- here is a video of SEL Coach Ms. Smith demonstrating perseverance while learning something new!
CHILD NUTRITION
Thank you to our awesome child nutrition team!!
HEALTH OFFICE NEWS
Handwashing
We all know how important hand washing is, especially now.
Please share this video with your children and your family about hand hygienes and stopping the spread of viruses.
Henry the Hand Foundation: a Non-Profit dedicated to improving health and wellness by
making people aware of the role their hands play in the spread of infectious diseases, using
several different multi-sensory and media techniques.
Spread the Word, Not the Germs!
Take Care and keep up the healthy habits,
Kimberly Bullock, BSN, RN, EES Nurse
ART
Gratitude
Essex Free Library
ESSEX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
We take care of each other
We take care of our school
Email: dsturgess@ewsd.org
Website: https://www.ewsd.org/EES
Location: 1 Bixby Hill Road, Essex Junction, VT, USA
Phone: (802)-878-2584