DAVIS HILL COMMUNITY UPDATE
September 16, 2019
Dear Davis Hill Community,
I am hopeful that everyone is enjoying their weekend!
I did want to let everyone know that over the course of this past week I had the opportunity to visit all of our students (classroom visits in K and 1, Pod meetings in grades 2-5) to discuss general expectations at Davis Hill for the year.
The theme of these meetings was the following (though each meeting was different depending on grade):
1. As students- DHDragons are here at school in order to learn and grow. Not only in academics, but as 'people'. How we communicate, how we treat other people and how we demonstrate respect and kindness are critical skills.
2. As the adults (Administration, teachers, paraprofessionals) our job is to ensure that everyone is safe and the environment (our school community) is suitable for learning and growing to take place.
3. It is everyone's job to ensure that Davis Hill is both physically safe and emotionally safe for all community members.
-We talked about physical safety in the following ways:
a. We keep our hands and feet to ourselves
b. We keep our bodies under control
c. We use walking feet
-We talked about emotional safety in the following ways:
a. We use respectful words and actions
b. We strive to be kind and welcoming to others
c. We do not use hurtful language (teasing, telling other kids we won't be their friends if they won't do something, making fun of differences, etc)
d. We treat others the way that we would want to be treated
4. We also discussed the fact that despite our best intentions, there is an understanding that some problems will arise from time to time. Our discussion in this regard focused on the following:
a. If someone is doing/ or saying something that we do not like, or makes us feel uncomfortable, we have permission (responsibility) to say something to them. Tell them to 'Stop'.
Many times as the adults we find that issues between children occur because there is not clear communication about what is, and what isn't, 'Ok' for different people. Ultimately, our students decide for themselves what is and isn't 'Ok' for them. Further, they will benefit as they grow older from becoming their own best advocate. However, there is an understanding that not all students are able to self-advocate independently. Additionally, we realize that sometimes self-advocacy alone will not stop the unwanted behavior. Therefore, students are always advised to seek out a helping/ trusting adult in the building at ANY time if they feel that they need support.
b. It is everyone's responsibility to engage in respectful problem solving strategies. Engaging in name calling, gossip and/ or 'secret talks' with others about what someone else has theoretically done does not help solve a problem. What usually does help is having an adult mediate and talk to all students involved modeling problem solving steps and agreeing to a plan for moving forward.
I just wanted to make you aware of these discussions and that these types of conversations are happening frequently at Davis Hill as our students need our modeling and support. I am hopeful that as the adults, we are always able to keep the importance of our own behavior and actions toward each other in mind. When it comes to how we treat others, our children will always model what we do, not what we tell them to do.
For fifth graders- we also spoke briefly about social media, texting, etc. and the importance of following the same expectations for respect and kindness when using technology.
Regarding social media- I do want to add one note to our adult community members as well. Please be mindful and respectful when using social media. If you have a school based question or concern, our staff would prefer that to be directed to us rather than using social media as an avenue for complaints or rumor. In my opinion, using social media in this way is not what I would consider an effective problem solving strategy that models our expectations for our students.
Social media can be an awesome tool for spreading information, connecting with others and positivity. Unfortunately, it also can be used to undermine others and sow disinformation and ill will. I hope that those in our community make the choice to model respectful online discourse.
Have a great week ahead everyone!
Kindly,
Jay C. Norton, Principal
*Don't forget to read through the entire update... there are always more dates in the Upcoming Events Section. If you have any questions/ concerns- please don't hesitate to contact me/ the office.
CURRICULUM/ MEET THE TEACHER NIGHTS
CURRICULUM/ MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT
After consideration of the feedback received last year- we have asked our grade level teams to schedule their own plans for their Curriculum/ Meet the Teacher Nights this year. Please see the following outline of timing/ presentation to expect this year at each grade level. Once again- we will be sending out a survey at the conclusion of the Curriculum/ Meet the Teacher Nights to gather feedback and inform our future decision making.
Fourth Grade
Date: September 17th
Time: 5:30-6:00PM
Who is Invited/ Audience: Parent(s)/ Guardian(s) and Student (Fourth Grader)
Fifth Grade
Date: September 17th
Time: 5:30-6:00PM
Who is Invited/ Audience: Parent(s)/ Guardian(s) and Student (Fifth Grader)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH/ SIMCO
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL (SIMCO)
The School Improvement Council (SIMCO) is an advisory committee that every school in the Commonwealth must have in place. We are looking for a combination of school staff, parents and community members to serve on our SIMCO. There will be approximately 6 meetings during the school year. Our first meeting will be on Thursday, September 19th at 4:00. Some areas of discussion include MCAS results, our School Improvement Plan, school goals, parent survey planning and results, among other items. Please contact me if you are interested.
DRAGON DASH REGISTRATION- DEADLINE TO ENSURE T-SHIRT SEPTEMBER 19TH
CORI
A reminder that any non-employee adult that enters school to volunteer/ chaperone (except for assemblies) must have a current CORI (Criminal Offense Records Information) completed. (CORI’s expire every 3 years.) Please ensure that when you are in the building, you are wearing your badge and it is visible. We appreciate your support in keeping our school safe!
HANDBOOK/ POLICIES
Please make sure that you have reviewed Davis Hill’s Handbook and signed off that you have reviewed it on the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
OFFICE DISMISSALS
We respectfully request that all afternoon office dismissals occur prior to 3:10. The reason for this request is that it is difficult to balance end-of-the-day needs and the upcoming school-wide dismissal in the office. The office is considered 'closed' from 3:15-3:45 during the dismissal period.
POLICY REVIEW/ LOST ARTICLES*
The school will not assume responsibility for any items (brought to school by students), which are lost or stolen. A Lost and Found area is maintained in the cafeteria. On a monthly basis, unclaimed clothing will be donated. Pupils are encouraged to turn in any article found to the Lost and Found Area. Items coming to school, including lunch boxes, book bags, coats, hats, boots, and mittens should be clearly labeled with the student's first and last name.
*We respectfully request that students do not bring toys/ cards (Pokemon/ etc.)/ stuffed animals or personal possessions from home. These items can easily become lost, damaged or be ‘traded’ with friends.
BUS CAPACITY/ PERMISSION REQUIRED
This year the bus company has stated to us at Davis Hill the importance of students only riding the bus that they have been assigned. We have been asked to ensure that parents be mindful of bus capacity, some of the buses are already full and even a few 'extra' kids will stop the buses from moving. Therefore; we will not be able to transport students on a bus for CCD, Sports Practices, Child Play Dates, etc.
FIFTH GRADE FUNDRAISING - SPAGHETTI SUPPER
5th grade parents, the next Spaghetti Supper planning meeting will be Tues., Sept. 17 right after the curriculum night.
We are seeking donations for the Spaghetti Supper and Silent Auction. If you have a relationship with a local business or goods/services you’d be willing to donate please email DavisHillClassof2020@gmail.com.
Please also bring in a box of regular spaghetti to contribute to the supper.
*Donations can come from anyone- not just parent(s)/ guardian(s) of 5th Graders.
WELLNESS SCREENING INFORMATION/ OPT-OUT FORM
Here are some key dates and links to keep handy.
9/17: Grade 4 and Grade 5 Curriculum/ Meet the Teacher Night
9/17: Spaghetti Supper Planning Meeting (After Curriculum Night)
9/19: SIMCO Meeting (4:00PM)
9/26: Professional Development Day (12:20 Dismissal for All Students)*
9/27: Spaghetti Supper
10/6: Annual Dragon Dash
10/10: School Picture Day
*Please make note of all half-days (12:20 dismissal time) for the year in calendar (9/26, 10/24, 1/30, 3/12, 5/22 and the last day of school).
PARENT CORNER
PRESENTATION AT HIGH SCHOOL
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
Davis Hill Elementary School
Email: jay_norton@wrsd.net
Website: http://www.wrsd.net/davishill/
Location: 80 Jamieson Road, Holden, MA 01520, United States
Phone: 508-829-1754
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisHillDragons/
Twitter: @DHPrincipal