Principal Update
King Elelmentary School Week 08/19
Welcome Back!
Welcome Back!
I hope that you are having a wonderful summer!
The custodial staff is working extremely hard to get the building into tip-top shape. New desks and chairs came in and floors look fabulous. When you see them, please remember to thank them for their efforts. King Chromebooks have arrived; the Technology Department is in the process of unboxing and enrolling them. The plan is to have seventy-five Chromebooks delivered before school starts. Also, do know that the week of Monday, August 19 to Friday, August 23, you are allowed in the building to set-up your classrooms. These are all signs that a new school year is quickly approaching.
The most important time in the school year for students, teachers, and parents is the first two weeks. What happens during this critical period pretty much determines how the rest of the year goes. It's a new school year with new teachers, new books, new classes, and new friends and the students' perceptions about school is in flux. Therefore, let us instill in them new hope. This year, we will create a culture in the classroom of a Growth Mindset. Share with your students that we are all learners who should persevere in our learning. (Successful experiences during the first two weeks of school do not guarantee success for the entire year. But, they are powerful steps in that direction.) We are all learners who persevere in our learning - Growth Mindset for all!
Let's make it a great year!
Schedules should be finalized by the end of the week and you should be receiving them by early next week.
Welcome New Staff
John, Erika, Tom, Jean, Susan, Ofelia, Wanda, Sara, Cecilia, Andy, Liz, Nathalia, and Cindy.
We wish them the best in their future endeavors.
We welcome the following new staff to the King family:
John Woodrum - Head Custodian
Eliza Decarvalho - Assistant Office Manager
Amanda Lloyd - Explorers Coordinator
Molly Shveda - EL Department Coach
Jaclyn Roberts-Gallant -2nd-grade teacher
Juliette Lloyd - 4th-grade teacher
Rebecca Gabovitch -5th-grade teacher
Melanie Sharick - 5th-grade teacher
Denise Week - Sage teacher
Leah Williamson - Art Teacher
Kristine List - Kindergarten Aide
Paula Galvani - Kindergarten Aide
A Note from Your Literacy Coach
Hi Everyone!!!
I wanted you to mark your calendars with a very important date! On Friday, September 6th I will be serving it up at our first Book Room Breakfast! Come see what is new in King’s book room, check out the materials we have available for you to borrow for your classrooms, and grab some freebies and a sweet treat to start your day!
By the way - as you are setting up your classrooms, pulling together all the new ideas you have thought of trying this summer-I would love to help! Please let me know if I can help you sort through books, organize your classroom libraries, level books, label book boxes….whatever you need! I am here to help and support you!
See you all soon!
Chris
A note from the Coaches
Greetings, everyone!
We hope you have all been enjoying a well-deserved summer respite and are feeling energized and rejuvenated! We have been enjoying the time and beautiful weather as well, and are happily turning our thoughts to being together with you and our King family!
As always, SY19-20 beckons us with new opportunities to build community, increase our professional capacities, and impact student learning. We can't wait to hear about all the enriching experiences you've had over the summer, and build on those with you to make King bigger and better now that we are complete with grades K-5!!
Best wishes for the rest of the holiday!
Chris, Erin, Molly and PJ
King's School Improvement Plan
It's important to know about the School Improvement Plan. When you develop your Student Learning Goals and Professional Goals goals this year, they should align with our school goals. If you need assistance please see any of the academic coaches or anyone from the administration team.
Standard I: Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment--High Leverage Goals
● Promote the learning and growth of all students by utilizing high-quality assessment throughout all curriculum areas. Teaching teams will analyze student work, informal/observational data, performance and growth data and utilize this data to inform and strengthen instruction to meet all student needs through targeted, differentiated instruction across the curriculum.
● Throughout the 2017-2020 school years, the King School Staff will continue to develop new units of instruction that focus on STEAM integration and Project-Based Learning. The goal will include additional integration of the 5Cs of STEAM Education (collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and citizenship).
Standard II: Teaching All Students--High Leverage Goal
● The King community will promote and maintain the academic, emotional and social well-being of all the students. We will support a culture of rigor and excellence in a positive school environment. This will include proactive and targeted strategies based on the specific needs of the King students.
Standard III: Family and Community Engagement--High Leverage Goal
● All King School stakeholders will promote the learning and growth of every student through effective partnerships with families, caregivers, community members, and organizations.
Standard IV: Professional Culture--High Leverage Goal
● Maintain and nurture a collegial, collaborative, and professional culture among all staff that supports King Elementary School’s focus to increase student achievement as a shared responsibility.
Create an Amazing Classroom Culture
Safety and Wellbeing
It is the responsibility of the school to make sure that our students are safe and feel safe in our school. Therefore, there are building security measures that we undertake.
- All doors are kept locked at all times
- All adults must clearly display an ID badge at all times
- All parents and visitors should check-in at the front office
**The first week of school, the teachers will review and practice our fire drill, lockdown, and shelter in place procedures in the classroom. This is something all school in the district must do. In addition, during the first month of school, the fire department does their fire drill safety procedure with our school. Please, get a sense as to which students may need a prior warning or extra support during the drill. We want our students to be prepared.
In light of the happenings in our country, I also share the school's safety plans:
Early Release 2019 -2020
Early Release 2019-2020
Below you will find the schedule of elementary Early Release days for 2019-2020:
- October 17th - Parent Conferences
- October 24th - Parent Conferences
- October 31st - Parent Conferences
- November 7th - Parent Conferences
- December 5th - School Based Professional Development
- March 5th - School Based Professional Development
- April 30 - Parent Conferences
- May 7th - Parent Conferences
- May 14th - Parent Conferences
- May 21st - School Based Professional Development
- May 28th - Parent Conferences
The district Professional Development days are listed below as well:
- August 26th
- September 17th
- November 5th
- March 3rd - FTA Day
Important Reminders
STEAM Week and #ARTSMATTER Day
STEAM Week October 21st - October 25th
Arts Matters Day October 25th
Curriculum Night
Thursday 9/26, 6:00 -7:30 P.M K - 2
Thursday10/3, 6:00 - 7:30 P.M Grades 3 - 5
MCAS 2020
Testing Windows
ELA test sessions -March 30 – May 1
Mathematics test sessions - April 27 – May 22
STE test sessions -April 28 – May 22
The exact dates will be sent closer to the testing period.
ACCESS for ELLs testing window will be January 6–February 7, 2020
PBIS & SEI
SEI - Social Emotional Learning lessons will be incorporated into the school day's curriculum. SEI promotes students' social, emotional, behavioral and academic success in school and beyond.
***It is the expectation that the PBIS lessons are completed in the first week of school and Zones of Regulations by September. In addition, there is a theme for each month. The theme for September -for all elementary school -is RESPECT. If you need assistance or further information, our PBIS coaches are here to assist you.
We can do it!
School Based Committee Opportunities
School-Based Committee Opportunities
❏ PBIS team
❏ School Improvement Plan
❏ PTO liaison
❏ School Council
❏ Robotics Club Teacher Coordinator (April)
❏ Facebook & Twitter Administrator
❏ Veteran’s Day Organizing (Nov.)/PTO
❏ Give Back/Because we care (November)/ PTO
Plans for the first two days of school
The first contractual day is Monday, August 26th. The first day will be District Professional
Development (TBA). On Tuesday, August 27th we will meet in the cafeteria at 9:05 A.M for the staff meeting. PTO will be hosting a luncheon for staff on Tuesday.
August 27, 2019
8:00 - 11:00 A.M
King Cafeteria
Allison and I look forward to seeing all of you and are excited for the upcoming year!