ESS Home Scholar Gazette
Week of 05/11/20
Greetings!
Dear ESS Families,
We are looking forward to continuing to implement our online distance learning plan this week. This will allow for increased consistency and flexibility in instruction. Please know that we are already working on our plans to support all our students when they are finally able to return to school. Our plans will focus not only on their academic needs, but also the social emotional needs that will arise from the effects of sheltering at home, being away from peers, and missing the structure of school. We know that the demands of distance learning will need to be balanced with the demands of maintaining your own family life, so please know it’s ok to just do the best you can. We will emerge from this, and when we do, we will be stronger as an Enfield Street School Community.
Thank you to our ESS PTO for posting a virtual spirit week for Teacher Appreciation. Hopefully our families were able to send appreciation to our amazing teachers throughout the week.
Warmest regards,
Mark Lord - Principal
Bethany Calado - Assistant Principal
PBIS Spotlight
Mrs. Tait & Ms. Hijeck
Mindfulness and Wellness
Congratulations if you survived our first week of distance learning through the TEAMS platform without throwing your device! First and foremost, we wanted to give a big shout-out and virtual high-fives to all the parents who are working hard, not only with your own jobs, but with the task of helping guide your child through this new wave of education. This has certainly not been easy on anyone, but we’re so lucky, as a community, to have dedicated, caring parents who have taken on this new responsibility.
As with any new role or responsibility, there comes a certain amount of stress. We get it! Teaching kids is hard work, but we have some ways to help you handle the stress. This week, we’re going to talk about coping thoughts – or thoughts that help you acknowledge a situation, get grounded, and move forward. These thoughts take some practice, but once you get used to using them, you’ll find it much easier to move through a tough situation. Here are some suggestions for coping thoughts you can use:
· “This is tough, but so am I.”
· “I’ve dealt with hard situations before and I know this will get better.”
· “It’s not that great right now, but it’s not the worst thing either.”
Sometimes coping thoughts can be a quick little reminder in your head; other times, you may need to take a deep breath, roll back your shoulders, and say your thought out loud. The important part is that you choose a thought that is meaningful to you and you know will help you work through some stress. This is also a good mindfulness activity to do with your children: have everyone in the family come up with their own coping thought and remind everyone to practice saying it throughout the day. It may feel silly at first, but after a few tries, you’ll begin to feel more comfortable and you’ll find your perseverance at an increase!
As we mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we have a PBIS channel in all classroom TEAMS. We’ve been posting content there and had a lot of “traffic” during the scavenger hunt, so we hope you’ve been able to locate us! As we move forward, we are going to be posting two assignments each week in your child’s TEAM. These lessons will be focused on Social-Emotional Learning, often called SEL. One of the weekly lessons will be presented by Ms. Hijeck and Mrs. Tait and the other lesson will be from Second Step.
For the past two years, Enfield Street School has been a proud participant in an outstanding SEL program called Second Step. In fact, many thanks to the ESS PTO, who assisted us in purchasing some of the Second Step kits our teachers use to present weekly lessons. The Second Step program offers lessons which help our students to better understand, manage, and express emotions and empathy, develop positive relationships, solve problems, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions. We are fortunate that the Second Step program has made their materials available online to teachers and families during this challenging time.
The weekly lessons will include a guided video with instructions and simple activities. Some lessons may include a few follow up questions for students to answer. If you are a family with multiple children at ESS, your students can certainly work together on the lessons and do not need to complete them separately. Additionally, SEL lessons offer a great “bouncing off point” for family discussions about any of the challenging topics above. The recent changes to our world may leave your children with lots of questions or strong feelings. The SEL lessons can provide an entry point for them to begin expressing and processing these with you. We hope you find the lessons valuable and to be time well-spent for your child and your family.
If you have access to a printer, the link below will take you to an SEL “passport” from Second Step. Your child may enjoy “stamping” the categories as they go through the lessons.
https://www.cfchildren.org/blog/2018/05/sel-passport-challenge/
As always, if you have any questions, please contact us at:
School Counselor Corner
Mrs. Lappen - School Guidance Counselor
I recently wrote to you about the power of flexible thinking. Little did I know that we would have many opportunities to practice this skill as we made the transition to online learning last week. Thanks to all of you for supporting the students during this process. As each week goes by, I am confident that all of us will become more adept at teaching, facilitating and learning through TEAMS.
My guess is that most of you were not surprised by the announcement that we will not be returning to school this year. When we left abruptly in mid-March, we didn’t realize the extent to which adult lives would be turned upside down. To that end, I want to address the needs of parents and caregivers this week.
A few weeks ago, the New York Times published a special section entitled “Pandemic Parenting”. The variety of articles focused on some basic themes such as “staying healthy and staying sane”.
In previous newsletters, Mrs.Tait and Ms. Hijeck have written about practicing mindfulness as a way to minimize anxiety and increase happiness in children. Parents and caregivers can also benefit from this practice. While it may be more challenging for adults than children to master, adults can start by reflecting on some of their habits that get in the way of being mindful—e.g., looking at the phone when someone is trying to talk to us or watching television all evening instead of initiating conversations with family members. Mindfulness is not something to turn to only during stressful times but a practice that can be incorporated into a daily routine. This practice can provide moments of stillness during the course of an otherwise hectic and chaotic day.
For parents and caregivers working from home, it can feel overwhelming and almost impossible to manage the needs of children while simultaneously fulfilling the expectations of employers. It is very important to set boundaries with children as well as supervisors while working from home. That may mean setting up a more flexible schedule such as starting work early in the morning and finishing later in the evening after the children have gone to bed. Create and discuss a daily plan with family members so they feel included and invested. Let them know what you need from them in order to fulfill and balance all of your competing responsibilities.
Other takeaways from “Pandemic Parenting”—
· Limit the amount of time spent watching or reading the news to manage stress levels
· Take time to be alone, decompress and recharge
· Schedule and then take small breaks throughout the day
· Walk, run, bike ride or workout with an exercise app
· Sit down to a family dinner and practice “relational mindfulness”-stay present, listen carefully and ask everyone to share a joyful moment that happened during the day
· Maintain social distance but stay social by reaching out to family and friends on a recurring basis
· Don’t work in bed and turn off the phone and computer at least an hour before going to sleep
This time of crisis presents a multitude of challenges for families. As parents and caregivers, there are many demands for your time and attention. In order to function at your best, it is imperative that you carve out the time to acknowledge and strive to meet your own needs. By doing so, everyone benefits.
District List of Available Activities
School-Wide Activity
Teacher Spotlight
Miss Kraucunas - Kindergarten
Hello ESS families!
It’s crazy to think how all of this social distancing is starting to feel normal! Part of my new normal has been spending a lot of extra time outside and thankfully the weather has been cooperating nicely (for the most part)! I’m not much of a runner so I have been finding some cool places to walk to switch things up. While still social distancing, there are some trails and parks around to offer a way to take a break from seeing the same house and yard for days on end. I recommend the Scantic River Trail with access on Bailey Road and the Windsor Locks Canal State Park which is right over the bridge in Suffield. If you’re looking to take a little drive, the Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke Massachusetts is a beautiful place to visit (if you are looking for directions look up Ashley Reservoir parking and it’ll bring you to the place)!
It is a bummer that we will not be returning to school and having all of our end of the year fun. One thing that the students of Room 2 would have been doing is gardening. The Enfield Street courtyard needs some work and that was going to be our project. Luckily, gardening doesn’t just have to happen at school! Getting dirty and pulling weeds can happen right at home. Fostering an appreciation for nature is also important and learning how to be patient while waiting for something to grow is a skill that we can all practice! https://kidsgardening.org/gardening-toolbox/ This link will bring you to some basics of how to get started and growing guides to help make you and your child a successful gardener!
Enjoy all the time outside that you can get!
Miss Kraucunas
Mrs. Lajoie - 1st Grade
Hello Families,
As you all know, this past week brought the heartbreaking decision that some of us may have anticipated would come but were not prepared to hear. While buildings have been closed for this school year, learning has not ended. We are entering into our virtual learning phase of instruction with both excitement and apprehension. If you have been a student in my class, you know I would try to comfort you by saying, “ I have a story for that or I can make a connection.” This situation calls for a story to inspire us to move forward.
I am reminded of one of my former kindergarten students I was fortunate to teach many years ago named Derek. Derek started the school year a bit later than the others, having moved to Enfield in October, so he was adjusting to his teachers, his classmates, his school and his new playground. When we went outside for recess, we would head toward the back of the school beyond the hardtop to the old wooden playscape. When the bees weren’t out to bother us, the kids would venture up and down the s-slide and the fast slides or they would cross the monkey bars, walk across the balance beam and flip from the bars. Some children would slide down the fire pole with the ease of a firefighter rushing to heed the alarm. Derek would watch in awe. He would watch from the top and the bottom of the pole and ask many questions and contemplated. He and I would have many conversations about that fire pole. He confessed that he was afraid of the fire pole and later, that he dreamed of being a firefighter one day. So, together, we would study the way the others effortlessly put their hands in place and then one leg and then two and carelessly slide down, without giving it a second thought. It wasn’t like that for Derek. He was afraid and anxious so we would talk about the steps, over and over while enviously watching friend after friend go down. Like any teacher, I would encourage him and support him with the words, “I know you can do it and you’ll know when the time is right.”
One day Derek asked me if I had ever gone down the fire pole and I quickly replied with a chuckle, “No, I’m afraid of heights.” He looked at me and said matter-of-factly, “You won’t know if you can do it, if you don’t try” and with that and a face full of determination and sudden burst of confidence, he raced to the top of the fire pole. When he got to the top, the other students stepped aside and let him through, instinctively knowing that this was a momentous event in his short 5- year-old life. They cheered him on as he talked his way through the hand placement and then leg placement. I waited tentatively from the bottom, looking up, convincing him that I would be there to catch him if he needed it. As I waited a circle of peers assembled, cheering and chanting him on. Derek let go and slowly but cautiously he made his way down to the sounds of cheers and was greeted with a big hug from his teacher. That was a pretty special moment but not as special as what was going to happen next. I congratulated Derek and I told him how very proud of him I was for overcoming his fears. I asked him how he felt and the huge grin her wore from ear to ear was enough to complete the story, so I thought. You see, Derek challenged me. Derek said that to overcome your fear, you needed to conquer it and you never know you can, unless you try. Some very good advice to take a leap of faith from the smallest of voices with all the best intentions in the world. Derek challenged me to go down that fire pole and he assured me he would be at the bottom ready to catch me if I fell. For me, this was supposed to be a spectator sport, but at the insistence of all my students and the advice of a great role model, I headed to the top of that playscape, and repeated the same steps we had practiced for days, took a leap of faith and slid, ever so slowly, down that pole. I was greeted by cheers, high-fives and hugs and the feeling of victory. What remains with me from that day, was the memory of a boy who overcame his fear, took a leap of faith, persevered and triumphed, a class that supported him and also the words, “you don’t know you can unless you try.” The reason why this story resonates with me, especially now, is because this experiment in student distance learning is similar to sliding down the fire pole in that we are being asked to step outside our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. We are taking a leap of faith, hoping for the best, trusting the outcome and working as a team and cheering each other on. We won’t know we can unless we try. It won’t be perfect but together, we can do it. Look at how far we’ve come already! We will persevere. We will make it through, learn from it and come out that much better. ESS, we got this and I am so proud to be a part of this team!
Mrs. Fitzgerald - Second Grade
Hello, Enfield Street families!
I hope this newsletter finds you all healthy and happy. One of the things keeping my family and I busy these days is our newest hobby…baking! As a family, we try to create some tasty treats a few times a week. A few of our new, favorite recipes are located within the links below. I would encourage you to check them out!
https://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/cookie-recipes-for-kids?
https://www.purewow.com/food/easy-baking-recipes-for-the-whole-family-motts
I hope all the special ladies in our Enfield Street families had a nice Mother’s Day weekend. If your little ones are looking for something to make for (or with) you, crafts are always a thoughtful way for them to express their love and appreciation. Here are a few ideas.
https://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/g4233/mothers-day-crafts-kids/?slide=9
Our new online learning format has been a big adjustment for everyone this past week. I know that we, classroom teachers, are becoming more comfortable with our virtual teaching skills each day. Please continue to reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions. Remember that it may take a little while to become totally comfortable with this new way of teaching and learning, but we are here to support you!
Stay safe and be well,
Mrs. Fitzgerald
Mrs. Cianfarani - Special Education
Hi Families,
Well, today is May 33rd or maybe just May 11th like my calendar says and I’m pretty sure this is Week 100 that we have been home and not in school. Is anyone feeling the same way? I will never take for granted too many things to name EVER again- I promise!
Working from home with my 4-year-old daughter and my husband has certainly been different, to say the least. This whole time there are the same responsibilities, just some new ways of getting it all done. If you get an email from me in the middle of the night, don’t be alarmed. It just means the house is quiet and I can finally do my best thinking. I, like you I’m sure, have also had to be more flexible thinking than ever, learn new things every minute, balance and juggle like never before, be more patient with myself and everyone around me and persist like crazy! I knew what a “growth mindset” was before this all started but I can honestly say now that each and every one of us is living “a growth mindset” every second this continues. “A growth mindset unlocks our ability to learn and grow especially during challenging times”- Yes, this is absolutely all of us. We are doing hard things, really hard things.
Coming off Teacher Appreciation Week, maybe you’ve heard Jimmy Fallon’s awesome “Teacher’s Day Song” where he sang how teachers should make a billion dollars, have a month-long spa day and get free quac at Chipotle. While I wouldn’t mind any of these things, parents are teachers right now more than ever and deserve the same recognition and appreciation.
If I could write music or sing (at all), I would create a “Parents Day Song” in honor of all of you incredibly hardworking parents who are moving mountains each day to support your children and their education. I read this in an article and I couldn’t agree more- “Parents are everyday heroes who undertake a loving commitment to protect, care for and nurture their child to the best of their ability. You may be a biological parent, stepparent, grandparent, kinship parent, foster or adoptive parent. Regardless of how you identify yourself, you are your child’s most important person”.
As we are beginning live lessons, I have been teaching alongside (or across from one another through a computer screen) amazing parents who are right there monitoring, supporting, coaching and asking those important questions. They are balancing and juggling and learning new things and they show up every day. For this, no one could say THANK YOU enough. Truly, THANK YOU for your partnership and for your patience as we continue learning all of this crazy stuff together.
Happy belated Mother’s Day to all of the special ladies in our lives!
Please let the kids know that we miss them SO much and can’t wait to be together again
Stay healthy and happy,
Mrs. Cianfarani
Specialist Spotlight
Mr. O'Brien - PE
Dear Students,
I hope you are all safe and healthy and your loved ones are the same.
I am very happy to be back working with all of you.
I miss seeing you but we will ALL do our very best to get through this time of distance learning.
Each week a Physical Education K-2 teacher will create a video demonstrating a new skill and ask you to practice and try your best to learn that skill.
Over the next few weeks the videos will be of:
Underhand Throwing, Overhand Throwing , Jumping and Landing, Fitness, Mindfulness and Volleying.
Do your best with these skills and have fun practicing them.
Remember to do some daily physical activity and always “Be Safe, Be Kind and Be Responsible”.
Thank you, stay safe and healthy!
Mr. O’Brien,
ESS Physical Education Teacher
Mrs. Paradise - Reading Specialist
Dear Parents,
This distance learning is confusing and challenging at best. We all want to help our children and students as best we can. Without a lot of materials at home what can sometimes be the best course of action? Reading! Encouraging your child to read each day is one of the single best educational things we can do! Even if your child chooses to reread material, that rereading is valuable, too! In fact, for the fragile reader, rereading just might be the best course of action. Rereading helps build confidence, reinforces vocabulary and the accuracy of “sight” words. Rereading builds comprehension. Did you ever notice how you see additional things in a movie the second and third time you see it? It’s the same with rereading. We ‘get more out of it’ every time we reread it! Also, a little hidden fact, reading and rereading helps the reader get comfortable with ‘book language’. This in turn, helps the reader, read more fluently from that experience. So go ahead and feel good about encouraging rereading! I do!
Stay safe! Stay healthy!
Linda Paradise
Helpful Links
www.Newsela.com -This site has hundreds of articles for children to read. They begin at grade 2. This is a wonderful resource to challenge an advanced reader.
Don’t forget to practice your facts. Do you have a deck of cards? These 16 games are a fun way to practice at home.
https://www.weareteachers.com/math-card-games/
Starfall
For social studies and science videos check out brain pop junior. They are offering free access because of school closures.
This is a link for Math Strategy practice. It is lengthy, but has some great things that you can print off for all grade levels. https://community.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=n2ZHaEprrfs%3D&tabid=6036&mid=14879
Scholastic Grade K
https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome/grades-prek-k.html
Scholastic Grades 1 & 2
https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome/grades-1-2.html
Spin a Word Game https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3q9lZGd46F0OTQwMTMxNzktYzVmYi00NTUyLWExYmQtMDc0ZTZhYTdkMzM2
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS
This link will take you to a great resource for Virtual Field Trips! https://www.weareteachers.com/best-virtual-field-trips/
You can access everything from zoos, planetariums, national parks, volcanoes, museums, aquariums, and even Mars – there seems to be something for whatever interests your young learners! It might be a nice break for the whole family!