Nantucket Elementary School
April 10, 2023 Monthly Newsletter
Nantucket Elementary School Latest News and Calendar Updates
Dear Families,
Hello and Happy Spring!!
Welcome to April! We hope you are enjoying the start of spring and the holidays upcoming. This is the beginning of the third trimester for our students. Our report cards were sent home in backpacks, and they were published in the ASPEN portal. It is very important that you review these. This gives you the information you need to see how your child is doing in school. This is a very busy month for students in school, as you can see below.
I have been asked to share with all families the need for Board Members and volunteers for the FONPS (Friends of Nantucket Public Schools). This group serves as the District's PTO. They organize so many events for our students including the Bike-A-Thon and the upcoming Spring Dance. They donate funds to schools for enrichment activities. They offer scholarships for students to participate in island activities. It is the most worthy organization. If you are available, please consider joining the group in whatever way you can. Their next meeting is 4/12 @ 6:00 pm (NHS). Their website is: friendsofackschools@gmail.com
We have recently shared the letter to parents regarding placement information for next year. This was emailed to all parents from Jane Melville on 4/7 and sent home in children's backpacks on 4/6 or 4/7. This is your opportunity to share any insights you want us to know about your child and their learning. You can suggest peers that work and peers that do not work. This is not a place to request teachers for the following year. You have until 5/5 to share this information with me. Teachers will be starting the placement process very soon.
We also want to make you aware of a growing concern at NES. Students need to be in school everyday. Currently, we are sending letters home to families of students with more than 15 days of absence. While we understand that illness has played a significant role in absences, we are sending letters to people with significant unexcused absences that are due to travel. In addition, if there is no reporting of the absence from the parent, this gets marked as unexcused. The first thing we have to look at when placing students into the next grade is academic performance. If a child is struggling and has missed more than 15 days, they may need to stay in their current grade and not move to the next one. Please do everything you can to be sure your child is in school everyday. See the information below on how to report your child's absences.
Another big event coming is Teacher Appreciation Week! This occurs in the first week of May. As a school, we celebrate this during the second week of May - 5/8 - 5/12. We do this to hold a luncheon for all staff at NES. This is sponsored by the NES School Council and Parents. We solicit family support in the form of cash donations, gift cards for 45 Surfside, or checks made out to 45 Surfside to pay for the luncheon. The luncheon will be on 5/10 - the half day for students in PreK, 1 and 2. May 10 th, there is no school at all for Kindergarten students. This is our screening day for next year's Kindergarten students.
We have been collecting information for participants for Lip Sync. It is a big fundraiser and family friendly fun evening. This year it will be held on Friday, May 19th. Students form groups, pick a song, plan and practice a dance routine, and perform it on the stage at NHS. The songs need to be appropriate - kid language. Lots of groups bring props and wear matching clothes! See links below to get all the details. We will email them separately as well. So far, we have 11 groups signed up. We can only take 20 so be sure to turn in the sign up forms as soon as possible - no later than 4/14. Each group must have a parent leader. This is an at home practice event, but we love to watch our students plan and practice on the playground and at the club!! If we do not have at least 18 groups by 4/14, we will have to cancel this event.
Here is news from our grades and departments:
PreK - In April the students are learning about Nursery Rhymes, Insects and Bugs, Planting and Gardens, and Springtime! Nursery Rhymes are a great way to have students practice using language by singing, remembering the lyrics, and by also incorporating hand movements. This is a wonderful way to continue to add that connection between home and school. As always we continue to get outside every day and find ways to incorporate our learning through nature. We encourage all of our families to also spend time outside when able to. Perhaps this could be through a walk, playing outside, writing/drawing with chalk, or having a picnic!
Kindergarten - Kindergarten is still working on informational writing. Some classes made pizzas, playdough, and other whole group things to then write about during workshop times. Kindergarteners have been introduced to the digraphs sh, th, ch, wh, and ck. We've practiced identifying them when reading and using them in our writing. In math, we're working with number bonds to decompose and compose numbers to 5. We're really emphasizing the part-part-whole and creating a solid foundation for future numeric equations.
First Grade - First graders are learning, reading and writing about American Symbols starting in April! We will also be starting to learn about double digit addition, shapes and basic fractions. In Science we are wrapping up our science unit on sound and vibration. Lots of hard work in first grade!
Second Grade - Second grade is excited for the nicer weather to arrive. We are moving onto adding and subtracting numbers up to 1,000. We’re finishing up learning about landforms. Second grade finished writing our opinion pieces and we are beginning to learn about poetry. We cannot believe we are in April and that April vacation is so soon!
Meri Lepore's Nurse's Corner
Sleep is an important part of helping our students be successful. The connection between sleep and health is very real according to the National Sleep Foundation. Getting enough sleep is critical to the students growing and learning. Check out the link below to see how many hours you and your students need to be most successful in work/school. Establishing good sleep habits is also important to getting a good night’s sleep. Have a set schedule for bedtime. Getting outside in natural light and exercising daily. Limiting the use of electronics and turning them off one hour before bedtime all help to get the brain ready for sleep. Last month I wrote about good eating habits and there is a correlation between the foods you eat and how they affect your sleep. What and when you eat can make a difference in the quality of your sleep. Check out the links below!
Chart on hours of sleep per age
Meri Lepore
Nurse Nantucket Elementary School
Counselor's Corner from Jenny Williams, Heidi Smith and Madeleine Sybert, Social Worker
This month in SEL classrooms, students are learning about problem solving with the goal of finding solutions that are both safe and respectful. Students who develop stronger problem solving skills are more likely to be academically successful, socially adjusted, less impulsive, and less aggressive. In preparation to solving problems, students first learned how to identify emotions in themselves and others in order to build relational skills and develop empathy. Students then practiced how to use helpful calm-down strategies such as belly breathing, counting, and positive self-talk before tackling a problem. With this foundation, we started learning about the steps we can take to solve problems, making good choices, and the importance of thinking before we ‘say’ or ‘do.’
The problem solving steps that you can help reinforce with your child at home include:
S: Say the problem. First use words to describe the problem rather than acting in mean or aggressive ways.
T: Think of solutions. Try to come up with multiple solutions to the problem, even the less desirable ones, rather than acting on the first idea that comes to mind.
E: Explore the consequences. Think about what could happen if a certain solution is chosen and eliminate.
P: Pick the best solution. Select a choice and discover that sometimes there are many great options.
Making mistakes helps children learn and grow and is an important part of childhood development. Helping children become active participants in solving problems promotes accountability as well as supporting a child’s role as a responsible member of their community. As learners, we continually practice ways to be courteous and use our developing skills throughout our day. For example, students have learned about what they can say or do if they bump into someone in the hallway or if someone falls during play. Practicing “Excuse me, sorry” and “Are you okay? May I help you up?” after an accident, helps children continue to build empathy, learn to fix mistakes, and treat others the way they would like to be treated. Reviewing good manners and how to say sorry is a skill for life.
Warmly,
Heidi Smith
Elementary School Counselor Intern
Jenny Williams
Elementary School Counselor
Madeleine Sybert
School Social Worker
Thank you for all of your efforts to support your child's learning. We need your partnership with us in this most important journey of supporting your child for success. Know that Mrs. Kimberly Albertson, Assistant Principal, and myself are always available to support you. Feel free to call the school to set up appointments, call to speak with us, email us, or catch us outside in the morning and/or afternoon. We love feedback and want you to feel comfortable reaching out to us as needed!
Best,
Kim Kubisch and Kim Albertson
Here are a few very important reminders that have been previously shared. As we always say, we need you the parents and adult family members to be partners with us in your child's education. An important role that you play is to be a model for our high expectations. Please review these sections and let us know if you have any questions.
Attendance - we are starting to see some students with higher absence numbers. It is very important that you notify your child's teacher or call the front office. You can send a message to your child's teacher through REMIND or call the front office to leave a message regarding your child's absence at (508) 228 - 7290 ext, 3. If your child needs to miss 5 or more consecutive days, you must make an appointment with the principal well in advance of upcoming absence. The NES Parent Handbook has been posted on the NES website (www.npsk.org, click on schools, click on Nantucket Elementary School). Please review the important section on attendance. Retention in the current grade level is a possibility if a child has excessive absences. As we continue to rebound from the Covid Pandemic, children being in school each day is a necessity.
Driving and Parking on the NES/NIS campus
We have had several concerns shared regarding safety of students as they enter and exit the school recently. These concerns have been regarding parent drivers not following safety rules. These are listed below for your reference. We appreciate all of your anticipated efforts and required patience.
- NES will open in the morning at 7:45am. Students who are walking, biking or getting dropped off should be outside the building no earlier than 7:35am and walk to their assigned class meeting place outside.
- If parents wish to escort their child to their assigned class space, they must park their car in the Backus Lane parking lot ONLY.
- The parking lot off of First Way, behind the school is for staff only.
- All of the parking spots are assigned to staff or students at NHS.
- Parents and Guardians should not use that lot for any reason.
- This is a terrible place for students to be dropped off, this is not a drive through, and there is nowhere for any non permitted driver to park.
- Again, please stop driving in this lot. We are asking you to be a model for all children in the morning and the afternoon.
- Drive through drop off in the morning is permitted at the K and NES/NIS side entrances. This means parents stay in their car, and a staff member will open the passenger side door to help your child exit safely. Then, the car continues driving out the exit. This is for all students.
- Drive through pick up in the afternoon is permitted for all students grades 2-5 in the large circle between NES and NIS. This means parents stay in their car, and a staff member will oversee students entering cars. Then, the car continues driving out the exit.
- K and 1 students are met by parents at the back K entrance. Students will be standing in their assigned class lines.
- The circles and driveways on campus ARE NOT PARKING SPACES. An adult driver must stay in the car while waiting for students to exit or enter the car.
- At dismissal, all parents will continue to wait outside in the already designated spots with staff supervision (kindergarten circle for kindergarten and first grade students, outside of the front door for second grade students).
- In the event of inclement weather (severe snow or rain), kindergarten and first grade students will be dismissed out the kindergarten and cafeteria doors to parents outside and second grade students will be dismissed out the gymnasium doors to parents outside.
- Drivers may not pull into the bus loop to pick-up their children EVER.
Upcoming Events
SAVE THE DATES!!
- FONPS Meeting NHS 6:00 pm 4/12/23
- NES Second Grade Family Folk Dance Night NES Gym 4/13/23 5:30 pm
- April Break - NO SCHOOL - 4/17 - 4/21/23
- Students return to school 4/24/23
- Parent Meeting - The Dance of Interaction with Jeanine Fitzgerald NES Library 6:00 - 7:30 pm
- NPS School Committee LGI 6:00 pm 4/25/23
- NPS School Committee LGI 6:00 pm 5/2/23
- NES School Council NES Library 3:00 pm 5/4/23
- FONPS Spring Dance NIS Gym 5:30 - 7:00 pm 5/4/23
- NPS Half Day Dismissal 12:00 5/10/23
- NES No School for Kindergartners 5/10/23
- NES Kindergarten Screening Day for students entering K in September 2023 5/10/23
- FONPS Meeting NHS 6:00 pm 5/10/23
- Sunday, 5/14/23 Mother's Day
- NPS School Committee LGI 6:00 pm 5/16/23
- NES/NIS Lip Sync Rehearsal in the NHS Auditorium 4:00 pm 5/17/23
- NES Unified Arts Night NES 5:30 pm 5/18/23
- NES/NIS Lip Sync Performance in the NHS Auditorium 6:00 pm 5/19/23
NES/NIS Lip Sync 5/19/23 6:00 pm
We need 8 more groups to sign up by Friday 4/14/23 or we will have to cancel this event.
Lip Sync Welcome Letter - English
Lip Sync Welcome Letter - Spanish
FONPS Dance 5/4/23 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Jeanine Fitzgerald Parent Meeting 4/24/23 NES Library 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Nantucket Elementary School
Website: www.npsk.org
Location: 30 Surfside Road, Nantucket, MA 02554, USA
Phone: 508 228 - 7290