DAVIS HILL COMMUNITY UPDATE
August 5, 2019
I hope that everyone is enjoying a restful and relaxing summer. As the calendar has turned to August, you will find that the updates will begin to increase as we head toward the first day of school. Please keep an eye out for these updates and feel free to contact me with any questions/ concerns.
Shout out to our awesome custodial staff as they have been working extremely hard in the heat and humidity to clean the building and get Davis Hill ready for the 2019-2020 school year. We are appreciative of their work.
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.
REGISTRATION
PRINCIPAL STORY TIME AT GALE FREE LIBRARY
5TH GRADE SUMMER READING
Link: Summer Reading Grade 5
KINDERGARTEN DROP IN DAY
The schedule for the drop-in day is as following:
AM SESSION (Students with last names beginning A-K)
LOCATION: Meet in Davis Hill Front Lobby
TIME: 10:00-11:00
PM SESSION (Students with last names beginning L-Z)
LOCATION: Meet in Davis Hill Front Lobby
TIME: 1:30-2:30
SUPPLY LISTS (K-5) (Please note that individual teachers may have other items as well as the school year begins).
8/10: Story Time with Your Principal (10:00AM/ Gale Free Library)
8/12: PowerSchool Parent Portal will be open for HANDBOOK SIGN-OFF and TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION.
8/21: PowerSchool Parent Portal will be open for TEACHER ASSIGNMENTS.
8/22: Davis Hill Open House* (10:00-11:00AM and 5:00-6:00PM).
8/22: New Student Orientation (During Open House at 10:30 and 5:30)
8/26: First Day of School for STAFF MEMBERS
8/27: First Day of School for STUDENTS IN GRADES 1-5.
8/27: *Drop In Day for Kindergarten
8/28: First Day of School for KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS.
9/2: Labor Day- No School for Students
*Teachers are not present at the Open House. This is an opportunity for your child to walk the building and find their classroom before the first day of school.
POWERSCHOOL PARENT PORTAL INFORMATION
Letters for new students with their PowerSchool Parent Portal Information (for logging in) have been mailed. Once you receive your letter, if you have any difficulty setting up your PowerSchool access, please email Pat Johnson (patricia_johnson@wrsd.net) for help. Please note that the portal will not be open prior to August 12th.
The PowerSchool Parent Portal will be open for all parents on August 12th in order to access and sign-off on the Student Handbook. Link: PowerSchool Parent Portal
The PowerSchool Parent Portal will also be open on the 12th for parents to review transportation information.
POWERSCHOOL PARENT PORTAL/ CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENTS
POWERSCHOOL PARENT PORTAL
Once again this school year all families will be accessing classroom assignments through PowerSchool. This practice is consistent with other elementary schools in the District. Teacher assignments will be available starting on *Wednesday, August 21st via the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
*Dates are subject to change depending on technical issues/ concerns.
NOTE: This year, teacher specific welcome letters/ information will be emailed to parents/ students on the 21st for students in Grades 1-5. Kindergarten students will receive a letter, which will include a name tag for the first day of school. Letters will be available at Open House. Any letters not picked up at the Open House will be mailed on Friday, August 23rd.
CLASSROOM PLACEMENT
A reminder that our staff has worked very hard to develop class lists. Sending and receiving grade level teaching teams and special education staff (when applicable) work together, with administration, to create class lists that are in line with the goal of our WRSD School Committee Policy (“establish classes that will enhance the dynamics of the classroom by bringing students together who will work as a learning team, and challenge and complement one another”). Classroom placement is an important, complex and time-consuming process that our staff takes very seriously.
A volunteer parent questionnaire was sent home last spring in order to provide parents an opportunity to offer input related to their child’s learning style and provide any pertinent information that may support Davis Hill staff in the placement process. Per School Committee Policy, parental requests for specific teachers are not to be considered in the placement process.
ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION FORM
OPEN HOUSE/ NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION
OPEN HOUSE
We will be holding our annual Open House on Thursday, August 22nd at 10:00am-11:00am and again at 5:00pm-6:00pm.
The Open House is designed to allow students and parents time to visit your child’s classroom and provide new students and families the time to walk through the school. During each Open House session (approximately 10:30 and 5:30), I will invite any new students and their families (as well as any kindergarten students and their families who may have missed our Kindergarten Orientation in June) to meet with me so that I may introduce myself, provide general information, and answer questions.
Due to all the work that is being done by teachers and custodians, the time frame for the Open House has to be kept to what is listed. Also, I ask that parents please let your children know that teachers are not present at the Open House and that the school is still being prepared for the first day. The meeting of their classroom teacher happens on the first day of school, not at the Open House. Additionally, not all rooms will look ready for the first day of school, as some rooms will be in the process of getting ready for the start of school.
I want to thank all of our staff for the work that they do in preparation for the Open House! We are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of custodians and teachers!
NOTE: SCHOOL KIDZ School Supply Kits will be available for those who ordered during the Open House on Thursday.
VOLUNTEERING/ SUMMER READING
Volunteering:
If you are interested in volunteering in the library during the next school year, please e-mail us with your day/time preference and/ or your child(ren)'s name & grade for 2019-2020 school year. When the final school schedule is complete, we will provide additional information to those who have expressed interest.
Summer Reading:
Please see the following links for our Summer Reading for 2019.
Candice Prevosk - jaycan@charter.net
Laura Rosbach - lcrosbach@yahoo.com
Davis Hill Library Volunteers/Co-Coordinators
COMMUNITY GARDEN THANK YOU!
PARENT INFORMATION
8/10: Story Time With Principal (10:00AM/ Gale Free Library)
8/12: PowerSchool Parent Portal will be open for HANDBOOK SIGN-OFF and TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION.
8/21: PowerSchool Parent Portal will be open for TEACHER ASSIGNMENTS.
8/22: Davis Hill Open House* (10:00-11:00AM and 5:00-6:00PM).
8/26: First Day of School for STAFF MEMBERS
8/27: First Day of School for STUDENTS IN GRADES 1-5.
8/27: *Drop In Day for Kindergarten (See schedule above)
8/28: First Day of School for KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS.
8/30: School Store Open During Lunch
9/2: Labor Day- No School for Students
*9/4: PTA Food Pantry Donation Day
*9/6: Ice Cream Social
*9/12: PTA Meeting (6:30PM)
*9/27: Spaghetti Supper
*10/6: Annual Dragon Dash
*Tentative- Specifics TBA
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