New Town Elementary School
February- March 2022
Our Vision
Our Mission
Important Dates
2nd- World Read Aloud Day
7th- Report Cards Distributed
7th-11th- National School Counseling Week
7th-11th- School Spirit Week
10th- PTA Virtual Meeting: 6:00pm (see flyer below for more information)
17th- Kindness Day
21st- Presidents' Day- Schools and Offices Closed
March:
18th- Schools and Offices Close 3 Hours Early
New Phone Numbers
Main Office: 443-809-1541
Fax: 443-809-1544
Nurse: 443-809-1778
Nurse's Fax: 443-809-1779
From the Principal
Greetings New Town Families.
It is hard to believe that we are half-way through our school year and at the beginning of the third quarter. Despite the interruptions that have occurred due to COVID and inclement weather, our students continue to participate in meaningful and rigorous instruction.
Our students continue to engage in our new Bridges mathematics program in a variety of activities. The one key component of this new curriculum asks students to synthesize learning from a variety of topics using daily calendar-based activities.
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Our Kindergarten and Grade 1 students are currently being assessed using DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) which is a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of literacy skills. In addition, many of our students are continuing to use their AVID notes to deepen their understanding of stories and novels.
Please be reminded that if your child is ill, please keep them home and refer to the Nurse’s Corner for more information.
Additionally, please remind your child that electronic gadgets, such as phones and watches should be kept hidden in backpacks during the school day.
I am excited to share with you that New Town Elementary will participate in a virtual book fair. Although the book fair will look differently than in previous years, this will be a great opportunity for parents to purchase books. Please see detailed information below from our library media specialist, Ms. Desir.
I want to thank you for your commitment and support of New Town Elementary. Please know if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or a member of the administrative team.
Mrs. Coston
Nurse's Corner
Children need a healthy start each morning to have a successful day in school. Here are some suggestions to give your child a healthy start.
- Be sure they have a good breakfast (eggs, juice, toast, cereal, milk, etc). Avoid products with a lot of sugar. Too much sugar can cause a blood sugar drop mid-morning which will make them hungry long before lunch. Hungry children do not learn well.
-Make sure your children are dressed appropriately for the weather. With the weather so changeable, it’s a good idea to dress your child in layers. If it gets too warm, they can always remove a layer.
-Be sure your child is getting enough sleep. Most elementary school children need 9-10 hours of sleep a night as a minimum. Try to be sure your child is not coming to school tired.
COVID Information:
As a reminder, prior to your child coming to school each day, it is important to screen your child for symptoms of COVID-19. This includes taking your child’s temperature each morning. If you child has any of the following symptoms, please keep your child home, consult with their health care provider, and get tested if recommended by the health care provider:
- Fever of 100 degrees or higher
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- New onset of severe headache, especially with fever
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Vomiting or diarrhea
Additionally, if you have given your child medication for a fever, cough, or stomach ache prior to the start of the school day, please keep your child home from school.
We appreciate your support in keeping all of the students and staff at New Town Elementary healthy.
I wish you well!
Mask Up!
PTA Updates
The NTES PTA has a new email address: NTESPTA01@outlook.com. Please send questions regarding the PTA or volunteering using this email.
Also, If you would like to join the PTA, please click this link for membership form and send in payment via check only. Please place the form and payment in a marked envelope (as indicated on membership form) and your child can give it to their teacher, or you can drop it off at school.
Our first three restaurant spirit nights at Jersey Mikes, Brookside Pizza, and Chick-fil-A were successful. Thank you to all the families who have supported the NTES PTA by participating.
Our next restaurant spirit night will be in February at Ledos. A flyer will be shared through community email and by way of your child.
Stay tuned for information about our schoolwide fundraiser starting in the spring.
The NTES PTA board has two vacant positions open: Treasurer and Secretary. If you are interested in either position, please email your interest to NTESPTA01@outlook.com.
Thank you for your continued support.
With appreciation,
NTES PTANational School Counseling Week
Monday: Can’t Stop the Feeling! – Be Positive
School Spirit Day: Students and staff can wear New Town gear to show pride in our school. If you don’t own New Town gear, show your spirit in yellow and blue! Go Retrievers!!
Tuesday: Lean on Me- Friendship
Twin/Triplet Day: Students and staff can pair up with each other and wear matching outfits to exhibit their healthy friendship!
Wednesday: Life is a Highway – Goal Setting
Career Dress-Up Day: Staff and students can dress up as “What I want to be when I grow up.”
Thursday: Don’t Stop Believin – Self Esteem
Neon Day: Students and staff can dress up in their brightest clothing to show that they are bold, unique, proud individuals!
Friday: Eye of the Tiger – Perseverance
College Dress-Up Day: Students and staff are encouraged to wear college gear to school to promote college awareness. This is a great chance to share about your education with your child.
Counselor's Corner
It was created by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation with the intention of encouraging more harmony and kindness between people by offering thoughtful gestures of kindness, no matter how big or small. There are so many ways that you can join in, spread some kindness and positivity and possibly make someone's day.
Below is a calendar with kindness and/or wellness activities listed for each day of February.
World Read Aloud Day
One of our favorite events every year is World Read Aloud Day. Every year we find so many wonderful ways to celebrate reading with our students, teachers, families and school community. This year, our friends at Scholastic, have put together an amazing NEW event. It's called the World Read Aloud Day Book Fest!
And this year, we can all join the World Read Aloud Day Book Fest, a fun FREE virtual event:
Jan. 31- Feb. 2.
Join Scholastic in celebrating World Read Aloud Day with three days of free virtual events. Attend all sessions or just a few, there is something for everyone! Meet your favorite authors, play games, enjoy read alouds, hear from educational experts and more! More information can be found at https://www.scholastic.com/worldreadaloudday. We love celebrating World Read Aloud Day...It's such a special time of the year!
Library Book Fair
Coming Soon!!
We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. Hosted by our staff, this event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. As always, all purchases benefit our school. After missing out on many beloved traditions, our winter Book Fair will be a familiar, welcome, and safe event for our students.
Here’s what you need to know about the Fair:
Dates: 2/28/2022 - 3/4/2022
Our Book Fair offers a cash-free payment option called eWallet. It’s a convenient digital account that your child can use for shopping at our Fair.
Grandparents, friends, and others can contribute, too!
If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop online at our school’s Virtual Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.
As this week also falls during Read Across America Week, we have planned many reading themed activities to excite our school family. More information, including our Book Fair website address, will be coming home soon!
AVID
WICOR is an acronym for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading. WICOR strategies provide a learning model that teachers use to guide students in comprehending concepts and articulating ideas at increasingly complex levels.
What does WICOR look like at New Town?
Writing: Focused Note-taking, the Writing Process, use of journals, and Quick Writes to communicate their learning.
Inquiry: Ask and answer leveled questions, Socratic Seminars, and critical thinking activities.
Collaboration: Group projects and collaborative activities.
Organization: Binders, planners and agendas, and graphic organizers.
Reading: Reading strategies, vocabulary development, note-taking, graphic organizers, and summarization.
Virtue of the Month
Cooperation is working together for the good of everyone. It is a willingness to respect others and to follow rules that keep everyone safe and happy. It is being helpful to one another, sharing the load. It is joining others in order to do something that cannot be done alone.
The BCPS Inclement Weather Closing and Delays Information
BCPS Closing and Delay Information can be found at the following:
- BCPS school status information line: 443-809-5555
- TV: local television stations, including The Education Channel, Comcast Cable Channel 73.
- Please do not call New Town Elementary for this information.