News You Can Use
January 26, 2020
Spirit Week!
Monday, Feb 8, 2021, 08:00 AM
Redding Elementary School, Lonetown Road, Redding, CT, USA
ER9 School Community COVID-19 Information
President's Note
"When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid,
the new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it.
If only we're brave enough to be it"
-The Hill We Climb, Amanda Gorman
Parents, teachers and family know and see the future artists, engineers, athletes, poets, mathematicians, and ______ (fill in the blank) that grace the halls (or calls) each day at school. We are delighted to welcome students back in school or continuing to temporarily learn from home.
While you know the RES PTA well for active social and enrichment programming and fundraising, do you also know the roots of PTA as an advocacy organization? We advocate for every child.
In the coming weeks and months our school curriculum, staffing and programs will be shaped by town budget agendas, decisions and final proposals. From Board of Education meetings to policy, diversity and capital improvement subcommittees, you can follow news and details on www.er9.org. Join a meeting or catch up on notes. We will be advocating for a strong budget to support the needs of every child.
At the State and National level, we want to share the many resources available and always welcome new ideas and ways to improve our community.
Connecticut PTA Advocacy-in-Action
National PTA – Positions & Resolutions
National PTA – Family Resources
-Meredith and Angela
Annual RES International Festival
The annual RES International Festival is a celebration of countries, customs and traditions from Taiwan to Brazil, Russia to Antarctica! Families "captain" a country for a one-afternoon event where students can learn 3 key facts, look at visuals, see traditional dress or understand something unique. Many families embrace the event as an opportunity to celebrate family traditions and customs with friends from school.
So, be a part of this years' festival as we rethink how to make the magic happen. Reach out to RESPTA4Kids@gmail.com if you have one hour to help!
Here are photos from past events (2019).
Grab-and-Go Meals
Reminder: Grab-and-Go meals are available for pick up to all students this year, regardless of financial need. We urge families to take advantage of the opportunity for healthy meals on the go to support students learning from home. Regular meal pick up at Joel Barlow High School will provide a nutritional boost to hard-working students with little to no preparation needed.
Several modifications are being made to our current meal pick-up procedure beginning in January.
- Pick up on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 3-5pm -- (Mon: 3 lunches, 2 breakfasts, Wed: 2 lunches, 2 breakfasts, Fri: 2 lunches, 3 breakfasts)
- Meals are made from scratch and ready to heat meals are being added
- Two-week cycle menus will be posted on school Websites
- Meals can be ordered by emailing Chartwells at: David.Kennedy@compass-usa.com with the number of students you are picking up for. Each order will include breakfast and lunch for each student. The order cutoff is 9am on the day of pickup.
Below is a sample lunch and breakfast menu:
Lunch
- Monday: Chicken Ranch Wrap
- Tuesday: Mac & Cheese
- Wednesday: Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad
- Thursday: Pasta with Homemade Meatballs
- Friday: Turkey & Cheese Sandwich
- Saturday: Pulled Pork Meal/Sandwich
- Sunday: Sausage, Egg and Cheese on WG Biscuit
Breakfast
- Bagels, homemade muffins, cereal, yogurt
Please feel free to contact David Kennedy at David.Kennedy@compass-usa.com or Deena Robushi at drobushi@er9.org with any questions or concerns.
RES has Heart
If your young artist worked on his or her 4x4 heart canvas during distance learning, please return it to the school as soon as possible. On the back, please write your child's name, grade, and classroom teacher. We are very excited to begin the next phase; displaying the collective hearts in the front lobby at RES as a way to illustrate community and celebrate our young artists. Please contact mweiss@er9.org if you have any questions.
Parent-to-Parent Support
"We as a community are stronger together and better equipped knowing we have somewhere to lean. Last fall our entire family tested positive for COVID-19 and began our ride on an emotional train that seemed to be never ending.
"Beginning with the word "positive" which normally would be a good thing, the disbelief that this could be happening, then the fear for your health and the health of your family. Followed by the anger of who to blame and then the shameful guilt that you did something wrong when you were trying to be so very careful and the social and emotional chaos you are about to serve up to your friends, family, school and community.
"Finishing things off with the anxiety and responsibility that you could have harmed someone you care about without realizing it causing even further heartbreak all of this while you yourself are sick and recovering from the virus. Leaving the lingering fog of ...will we be ok and what will be the long term effects of all of this be?
"The truth is our summer months were spent barely leaving our yard staying as safe as possible and my husband who is a firefighter brought COVID home with him. This virus is unbiased, unforgiving and unfortunately will have a continued impact on our lives in different degrees for the foreseeable future.
"My hope and reason for sharing our story and my contact information is to let other families know you're not alone, the emotions are real and validated and we'd love it if we could help even one family navigate through the COVID ride and lessen the load.
"As there is a greater need for support while we all navigate through this year, the PTA has committed to continuing the Parent-to-Parent zoom calls however if your needs are more private and not something you wish to share in a public forum please reach out. There is no reason to get through it alone, let's take the ride together and build a community of resources along the way."
-- Amy Teerlinck
Slow the Spread with Brownie Troop #31492
4th Grade Yearbook
Thanks for the pictures you have sent already! We want to make this year memorable for your 4th Grader; Do you have any photos of friends, class parties, SnowBall Dance, field trips, garden club, Boys and Girls Club Activities, Art Show, and International Festival...
Click here to upload your images directly to our yearbook website
Browse to select the photo(s) you wish to upload, click on “Select My Images.”
Enter information about the photo and provide contact information in case the staff needs additional information.
Click “Upload Chosen Images.”
It’s that easy, submit your photos today!
In case you missed it -- January PTA meeting
Easton, Redding, Region 9 Special Education Committee
The tri-district special education committee works to support students and families who rely on additional support services in kindergarten to 12th grade.
Learn more about the committee's efforts and events at its website here.
Employer Donation Matching
As we approach the end of the year, you may be thinking about charitable donations. The RES PTA is a 501(c)(3) organization, and if our work is valuable to you, you can consider making an angel donation right here, or by mailing it to the RES PTA at 33 Lonetown Rd., Redding, CT 06896.
We'd also like to remind you that your employer might be like Thomson Reuters -- a company that generously matches employee gifts to local nonprofits doing the work communities rely on. If that's the case, please let us know, and we'll help you complete all the paperwork you need to make it happen!
Contact Us
Email: respta4kids@gmail.com
Phone: (203) 938-2519
Join the PTA!
As a PTA, our main goals will remain what they have always been:
- To provide academic, cultural and social programs for our children to enhance their learning and
- To support our teachers and staff and to act to unify our school community.
To fulfill our mission for a unified parent/ teacher community, we strive for 100% PTA membership. Dues are $25 per family this year. For more information on how to join, go to:
RESCTPTA.MEMBERSHIPTOOLKIT.COM
We are planning lots of safe and exciting virtual events this year that will be available to PTA members only, so sign up today!