Long Hill School Newsletter
March 2024
Message from the Principal, Mrs. D'Aiuto
It’s hard to believe that we are at the end of our second trimester! March is a busy month and I am excited for daylight savings and spring. I am looking forward to longer hours of daylight.
This is also a friendly reminder that school begins promptly at 9:00am. It is extremely important that students attend school on a regular basis. Good attendance is essential to student achievement. When a student is tardy, he/she is missing important instructional time. Please make every effort that your child is at school on time every day.
Important Dates
- Friday, March 1: Early dismissal K-4:1:50pm; Pre-k am session hours: 8:45am-11:05am; Pre-k pm session hours: 11:45am-1:50pm
- Tuesday, March 5: Picture Day by Photography by Roman
- Tuesday, March 5: Second Trimester Ends
- Friday, March 8: Early dismissal K-4:1:50pm; Pre-k am session hours: 8:45am-11:05am; Pre-k pm session hours: 11:45am-1:50pm
- Thursday, March 14: Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Thursday, March 14: Report Cards distributed
- Friday, March 15: Early dismissal K-4:1:50pm; Pre-k am session hours: 8:45am-11:05am; Pre-k pm session hours: 11:45am-1:50pm
- Thursday, March 21: Parent/Teacher Conferences - more information to follow
- Friday, March 22: Early dismissal K-4:1:50pm; Pre-k am session hours: 8:45am-11:05am; Pre-k pm session hours: 11:45am-1:50pm
- Friday, March 29: No School - Good Friday
- Tuesday, April 2: No School for Pre-K; Early dismissal at 1:50pm for K-4
- Monday, April 8-Friday April 12: No School - Spring Break
- Monday, April 15: School resumes
Read Across America Week
Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences
Important Information:
- In-person conferences will be held on Thursday, March 14 and Thursday, March 21 between 6:00-8:00pm. Conferences will be 10 minutes long. Children ARE NOT permitted to attend in-person conferences. Please contact your child's teacher with any questions.
- Information on how to sign up for conferences will be sent out via email from your child's classroom teacher on Friday, March 1 at 4:00pm. Please contact the main office if your email address has changed, as this is how our conference information will be communicated to all parents/guardians.
- You also have the opportunity to schedule a conference other teachers and staff members that your child works with. Information about how to do this will also be communicated in the March 1 email from your child's classroom teacher.
Pre-K - No School on Tuesday, April 2
As previously communicated:
The Pre-K program will be closed on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Please mark your calendar that there will be no Pre-K sessions held on this date. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 Schedule Change - K through 4
There has been a change to the district calendar. Tuesday, April 2, 2024 will now be an early dismissal day for K-4 students. There will be NO school for Pre-K students.
Spring Photos by Roman
Our spring photos will be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. See the flyer below.
Kids Heart Challenge
In February, our Pre-K through fourth grade students students participated in the Kids Heart Challenge. Thank you to Mr. Beloin, our Physical Education teacher, who organized this event. Thank you to our students, parents, and staff members who helped make this challenge a success!
LHS raised $9,960 for the American Heart Association! Congratulations to our top five Kids Heart Challenge fundraising students:
- Evangeline Ramos
- Makenna Hammond
- Alexander Romao
- Sydney Saikus
- Nora Saikus
Kindergarten Registration
We will continue to register students for Kindergarten for the 202402025 school year. Families wishing to register their child should contact the school at (203)-929-4077. Children must be aged five on or before September 1, 2024 to enter kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year. Find exemption information here:
http://www.sheltonpublicschools.org/kindergarten
Unsure which school you are assigned to? The School-by-Street listing can be found here:
Kindergarten Age for 2024-2025 School Year
According to Public Act 23-208, Section 1(a), students must turn 5 on or before September 1, 2024 to enter Kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year.
However, children who turn 5 between September 2 and December 31, 2024 may be admitted:
(1) upon a written request by the parent or guardian of such child and
(2) following an assessment of such child, conducted by the building principal and an appropriate certified staff member of the school, to ensure that admitting such child is developmentally appropriate.
Please send your written request to Kristen Santilli at the Office of Teaching & Learning at ksantilli@sheltonpublicschools.org and complete the assessment below:
Kindergarten Assessment
Once the Office of Teaching & Learning has received your written request and you have completed the assessment, someone from the school where your child will be attending will contact you with further information on how to proceed.
If you have further questions, please call the Office of Teaching and Learning at 203-924-1023 x317.
Sham-O-Grams
Sham-O-Grams will be hung up and displayed around the school.
Please note: Sham-O-Grams are NOT sent to student from another student.
Complete the grams. Return it with payment of $1.00 per gram, in an envelope labeled “Sham-O-Grams” by Friday, March 8, 2024. Please contact the main office if you would like to purchase additional grams.
Flyer was previously sent home. An additional copy is provided below.
Last Day of School
The tentative last day of school is now Tuesday, June 11, 2024 due to the two snow days.
Late Students
Please remember that the school day begins at 9:00am. Students can be dropped off at school beginning at 8:45am. Any student dropped off after 9:00am is considered tardy. STUDENTS SHOULD NEVER BE DROPPED OFF IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL. If you are dropping your student off after 9:00am, you MUST park in the parking lot, walk them to the front door, and buzz into the main office and wait for a staff member to come to the door. Please remember, our school day begins promptly at 9:00am and instruction begins shortly thereafter.
Any student who is dropped off and arrives after the 9:00am bell has rung is considered tardy.
Students with excessive tardies and absences will be referred to our youth outreach officer.
Information Regarding Weather Related Schedule Changes
Information regarding early dismissals, delays, or cancellations as they relate to winter weather
- Kindergarten-Fourth Grade: 2 hour delayed opening - doors open at 10:45am; school begins at 11:00am; morning bus stop time is 2 hours past normal bus stop time.
- AM Pre-K: NO SESSION ON DELAYED OPENINGS
- Kindergarten-Fourth Grade: Early dismissal (unless otherwise noted) - 1:50pm
- PM Pre-K: NO SESSION ON WEATHER RELATED EARLY DISMISSALS
- Make sure the main office has current emergency contact information. Advise your emergency contacts that they must show photo ID. Your child will not be released to anyone who is not listed as an emergency contact on Infinite Campus.
- Delays, early dismissals, and cancellations will be posted on the district's website at www.sheltonpublicschools.org. There is no district phone call that goes out.
- Local radio and TV stations will also broadcast the message.
- You can also sign up for text message alerts from various news news stations.
- Please do NOT call the school as it is important to keep the phone lines open for emergencies.
Reminder about Vacations/Trips and School Work
As stated in the school's Policies & Procedures:
For planned absences, such as vacation during the school year, teachers are NOT required to provide students or parents/guardians with advance work or assignments. It is the student’s and/or parent’s responsibility to get the work upon their return. Taking time from school to go on a vacation poses a risk to your child’s educational progress. Both students and parents must understand that when school is missed due to vacations, it is not the responsibility of the teachers to provide remedial instruction for the assignments/content that has been missed.
We are seeing an increase of students being absent for an extended period of time. When a child misses school for an extended period of time, he/she is missing important and imperative instruction and content and can pose a risk to his/her progress.
Food Services Meal Balances
As previously communicated by the district:
As you know, the Shelton Public School System offers breakfast and lunch meals to be purchased daily through our cafeteria food service program.
Families who apply and are found eligible may receive free or reduced-priced meals. There are no free meals for those students whose families have not applied through the process nor have been approved for free or reduced-priced meals.
Any student who has an outstanding balance in their lunch account will not be permitted to receive breakfast.
Money can be added to your child's lunch account through the Infinite Campus portal. If you have any questions about your child's account or applying for the free or reduced program, you may contact your child's school office.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
T.E.S.O.L. Newsletter
From the PTO's Desk
1. School Dance - March 1st. Registration Closed. No door sale. Please
bring your meal vouchers. Raffle tickets are cash only. Please use
the cafeteria entrance and check in at registration table.
2. PTO meeting on March 11 th from 5:30 – 6:30. Executive board
nominations open. Please reach out at ptolonghill@gmail.com for eligibility
inquiry and details on role.
3. Yearbook sale closed now but picture upload open until March 16 th -
https://images.jostens.com/0YAjifY9JZl8ZxAcq9uHdCw
4. Egg hunt – March 23 rd . Rain Date – March 24 th . Pre – filled Egg
donations requested. Easter Bunny will be available for pictures and
food truck too. Flyers coming home soon.
5. March Teachers’ treat sign up will be shared in coming days.
6. Chipotle Fundraiser on April 3. Flyers will be sent home.
7. Heads up - Book Fair on April 17 and 18. Make up day 04/19.
8. Thank you for your support at the following – Teachers’ Supply Drive,
Bridgeport Islander Hockey Game night and Spiritwear fundraiser.
9. No frill fundraiser coming soon.
10. Quassy Family event – May 10 th . Ticket purchase will open in
April.
Community Offerings/Activities
School Information
Address: 565 Long Hill Avenue, Shelton
Phone number: (203)-929-4077
Fax number: (203)-929-8250
Website: http://longhill.sheltonpublicschools.org/home_page
Twitter: @DAiutoAndrea
LHS Policies & Procedures: https://www.smore.com/674wn
Principal of Long Hill Elementary School