Region In Review
October 26, 2018 | K-5 Focus
International Walk to School Day
Washington Primary School
The Burnham School
Booth Free School
On a crisp early October morning, each Region 12 elementary school enjoyed the beautiful fall foliage while participating in the International Walk to School Day. This is a wonderful initiative promoting a healthy lifestyle. Healthy nutrition and exercise habits started at a young age sets a positive health foundation for life. This walk also promotes walking safely and a sense of community. Students and staff from each school were joined by community members such as parents, grandparents, siblings, town officials, town employees, and seniors. We were happy to have our superintendent, Megan Bennett, and resource officer, Richard Innaimo, join in on the fun too! Being together as a community and sharing in a healthy fun-filled walk together was the perfect way to start the day!
Click below to view our full slideshow from the International Walk to School Day:
Fire Prevention Week
Look. Listen. Learn.
Fire is everyone’s fight! It is a national effort led by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to lower the number of home fires and home injuries in America. Along with USFA, each fire community is speaking out with a unified message of fire prevention and safety to the public. A great way to assist in accomplishing this goal is to teach our youngsters how to stay safe and prevent fires happening in their homes.
Across the country, firefighters conduct fire prevention programs for elementary school children. Region 12 is no different. All three elementary schools recently participated in a fire prevention program sponsored by their town’s local fire department. These programs annually occur during Fire Prevention Week in October. This year’s theme 'Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware-fire can happen anywhere' provided our students with a powerful message that is designed to make children safer at home and at school.
Through three simple calls-to-action, this year’s theme identifies basic but essential ways people can reduce their risk to fire and be prepared in the event of one. Students learned to look for places a fire can start, listen for the sound of the smoke alarm and learn two ways out of each room.
Through this program, our local firefighters hope that our children will carry the fire safety message home and that parents discuss fire safety with their children and create appropriate actions in the case of fire. “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware-fire can happen anywhere” works to remind us all that fires can happen anywhere and that there are important steps people can take to remain safe.
Burnham School’s Adventure to the Town Hall
Kindergarten through Gade 2 students at Burnham School have explored their community. They have learned about community helpers and how they contribute to the success of their community. Through shared reading, students have read and written about contributing community members such as police officers, firefighters, teachers, and construction workers. They have learned that a community helper is a person who performs jobs that help improve the overall well-being of the community. They keep the community safe and healthy and make life better for the people that live within the community.
Community helpers are part of children’s everyday lives. When children interact with community helpers, they gain knowledge about the world around them. To provide students with an engaging and real-life experience, the students had an opportunity to visit the Bridgewater Town Hall. There they met First Selectman Curtis Reed, as he talked about some interesting town facts and about his role as the town leader. Students were excited to receive a town hall passport in which they collected stamps as they visited each department. They enthusiastically visited the building department where they were shown blueprints of a house presently being built. Their next visit was with the town treasurer who explained how money is collected and distributed throughout the town. The boys and girls also explored the vault with the town clerk who showed them many important documents dating back to the 1800s. They were also reminded of the importance of licensing a pet. The picture collage wall was a popular stop. The students were amazed to see the spectacular photos taken long ago of the town hall. The last stop was the tax collector counter. It put a smile on their faces to hear that tax money helps to support our schools. As the boys and girls left, they thanked the Bridgewater Town Hall members for the wonderful learning experience they had and for the memories they will cherish forever!
Washington Primary School's Living Garden
Burnham Fall Festival
Animal Embassy Visits Washington Primary School
Creating Kindness Through Creatures
National School Bus Safety Week
October 22nd through the 26th was National School Bus Safety Week. The Region 12 drivers celebrated this year’s theme: “My Driver, My Safety Hero” and were presented with shirts displaying a picture of the poster which won the national contest. Joining the drivers were Region 12 staff members Nancy Baran and Debby Bliven. The drivers were introduced to their new “Safety Heroes”: Trooper Matthew Costella, Resident Trooper from Washington, Officer Pat Kessler, Washington Constable and Rich Innaimo, Region 12’s new SRO.
A Message from the Nurse
What is Salmonella?
You may have seen recent news reports that Kellogg’s Honey Smacks Cereal was linked to a salmonella outbreak. The US Center for Disease Control provided information to consumers and retailers not to eat, sell or serve any Kellogg’s Honey Smacks Cereal. More recently, the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service reported the recall of 6.5 million pounds of beef due to the possible salmonella contamination. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 50 cases of this serious illness are linked to this outbreak, fourteen of whom were hospitalized. Another case of Salmonella was reported by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention this week due to raw chicken. Twenty-nine states (including Connecticut) have been affected. Twenty-one people who were infected with salmonella have been hospitalized. This type of Salmonella is resistant to multiple antibiotics.
The USDA highly recommends cooking all meats to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit or more to kill harmful bacteria. A food thermometer is best used to measure the internal temperature. Also, when handling raw meat/poultry, always wash hands thoroughly. In addition, use a separate cutting board for raw meat and wipe down areas that have come in contact with meat/poultry.
Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) can be mild or severe. People infected with the bacteria can develop diarrhea (which can become severe), fever, and abdominal cramps approximately 12-72 hours after being exposed. If a person does not recover within 4-7 days, hospitalization (to include antibiotic therapy) may become necessary. The infection can spread from the intestines into the bloodstream and other body sites. Infants, the elderly, and people who are immunosuppressed are more prone to developing the severe form of this bacteria. People who develop severe diarrhea from Salmonella may not return to normal bowel habits for months before total recovery. Also, some may develop pain in their joints (reactive arthritis) which can lead to chronic arthritis. Other symptoms are: irritation of the eyes and painful urination.
The CDC estimates that food is the source of approximately I million illnesses, 19,000 hospitalizations and over 300 deaths every year. It is important to become proactive and maintain awareness of any news updates related to health and safety. Any questions should also be addressed to the health care provider.
Edith M. Poidomani ,RN,MS,NBCSN
Shepaug Valley School Nurse
Fliers & Upcoming Community Events
Region 12 Calendar
Oct 26th - Grade 5 Track Meet, Shepaug, 9am
Oct 26th - SVS Minecraft Night, Shepaug, 6pm
Oct 29th - SVS High School Picture Day
Oct 29th - Building Committee Meeting, SVS Library, 5pm
Oct 30th - Building Committee Meeting, SVS Library, 2:30pm
Oct 31st - WPS Trunk or Treat, 5:30pm
Oct 31st - BFS Halloween Party 5pm
Nov 3rd - BS PTO Vendor Fair, 6pm
Nov 5th - SVS PTO, Shepaug, 6pm
Nov 5th - WPS ASAP Writing Workshop, 3:15pm
Nov 5th - Education Committee Meeting, SVS, 6pm
Nov 5th - Finance Committee Meeting, SVS, 6pm
Nov 5th - Board of Education Business Meeting, SVS, 7pm
Nov 6th - Professional Development Day - No School For Students
Nov 10th - Connecticut Debate Association, Debate Tournament, SVS, 8am
Nov 12th - Veterans Day - No School
Nov 13th - SVS Senior Portraits, 8:30am
Nov 13th - WCSU Post Secondary Planning, SVS, 9am
Nov 14th - BS Parent Visitation Day, 9:30am & 1:30pm
Nov 14th - BFS Parent Visitation Day, 9:30am & 1:30pm
Nov 16th - WPS Spelling Bee, 1:30pm