Rocky's Weekly Roundup!
October 2, 2022
A Message from the Leadership Team
Dear RES Families,
Last week we celebrated International Peace Day and students showed off their school spirit on Friday. The four day school week did not make our days any less busy at RES!
The month of October kicks off a lot of happenings at RES. We are excited to implement a new initiative RES Reads. RES Reads is a great way to partner with families and bring incredible literature and conversation around specific themes from our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program, Second Step into your homes. A communication was sent home last week describing the initiative and details can be found below.
Don't forget picture day is this week (details below)! We also have No School on Wednesday, October 5th and No School on Monday, October 10th and Tuesday October 11th!
Another short, but busy week ahead!!
Mrs. Melissa Labrosciano, Principal
Mrs. Kim Roy, Assistant Principal
Pinwheels for Peace - Celebrating International Peace Day at RES!
RES Reads
We are very excited to share that during the 2022-2023 school year RES students and families will engage in a take home book club called RES Reads similar to our past practice of “One Book, One School.” Four times throughout the school year students and families will be engaged and encouraged to read a collection of specific books together aligned to our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program’s themes, Second Step.
During the months of October and November your child will bring a book home and a cardstock with related resources aligned to our first Second Step theme, Skills for Learning. Each book includes a cardstock aligned with the book and includes; a summary of the book, discussion questions, complementary texts, Second Step information, and additional resources. An RES Reads website has also been created to support the home and school connection. Please use the QR code provided on the cardstock to share photos with us of you and your child reading together to be included on our RES Reads website. Throughout the months of October and November the book and cardstock will be cycled through your child’s classroom. Your child’s classroom teacher will create a scheduled rotation for all the students and families in the class to enjoy the beautiful literature selections. We encourage families to read the literature together, engage in conversation around our SEL topics, and enjoy this special time together!
Prior to the month of December you will receive a communication to be on the lookout for the book title your child will be bringing home aligned to our second Second Step theme, Empathy.
Grade 4 Student Council - Leadership Opportunity
Halloween House is Back!!
For those who are new to RES, the Halloween House is a tradition among the RES community that is created by our amazing Physical Education (PE) teachers, Mrs. Emerito and Ms. Starkey with the help of parent volunteers. The Halloween House will be up and running for the week of October 24th with the last day being October 31st. The Halloween House is located in our small gym and students participate in fun activities during PE class throughout the week. Think of a large obstacle course and a fun playscape with a Halloween theme. The Halloween House is not scary and is appropriate for all ages.
The creation of the Halloween House is a huge undertaking and we need parent volunteers to support Mrs. Emerito and Ms. Starkey’s efforts. We need parents to help with decorations, hang items, organize the maze, and create some obstacle courses. We are looking for volunteers during the week of October 10th and October 17th. We need volunteers for two shifts each day. You can use the Halloween House Set Up form to sign-up! If you cannot come during a particular shift, please let us know and will do our best to accommodate.
In addition we need parent volunteers to help take down the Halloween House beginning November 1st. You can use the Halloween House Clean Up form to sign-up! As you can imagine, taking down the Halloween House is also a tremendous amount of work.
We are very excited to be bringing the Halloween House back to RES, especially after such a long hiatus. We need your help and support to make this a wonderful experience for our students and community.
Seeking Donations
We are requesting donations of these items because it will be too difficult to track and manage returning them to potentially many families that might have them available for us.
Please drop them off outside the main office vestibule on the table labeled - PE DEPT.
We truly appreciate it, and thank you so much for your donation!!
Picture Day
Picture day is THIS WEEK!
Thursday October 6th: Picture Day, Grades 1-4
Friday, October 7th: Picture Day, PreSchool and Kindergarten
Legacy Studios is our new vendor this year. You can go directly to their website to look for additional package options you may want to take advantage of. If you miss picture day this week, the make-up date is November 10.
We have a very limited number of order forms available in the RES office. If you would like one sent home via backpack, please call the RES main office at 203 938-2519. Thank you.
A Message from Nurse Connolly and Nurse Carley...
News from the Health Office:
Hello Fall! The morning air is getting cooler, and it's getting darker earlier and the leaves are starting to change. As we've mentioned before, we will go outside for recess unless it is raining or too cold. It is very helpful to have children dress in layers this time of year and be prepared for wet and variable weather.
While the changing leaves are beautiful, this time of year can trigger seasonal allergies which can bring cough, congestion and itchy eyes. A few things you can do to help your child through this season and things to keep in mind:
- Washing hands and faces after playing outdoors helps remove the allergens.
- Saline sprays or rinses can help loosen nasal congestion to aid with blowing the nose and clearing the congestion.
- Consider reaching out to the pediatrician if your child's energy level is affected by symptoms or if the cough is persistent or if fever develops.
- Itchy or red eyes? Allergic eye irritation more commonly affects both eyes, but if you notice redness, irritation, pain or drainage from only one eye this is more likely to be bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) which does need to be treated with antibiotic eye drops for 24 hours prior to the child returning to school.
Questions or concerns that you want to discuss with the nurses? Email us or call us:
Jen Connolly - jconnolly@er9.org or (203)938-2519 ext 309
Deanna Carley - dcarley@er9.org or (203)938-2519 ext 342
Thank you!!!
Important Dates and Reminders
Wednesday, October 5th: No School - Yom Kippur
Thursday, October 6th: Redding Board of Education Meeting at JRMS
Thursday October 6th: Picture Day, Grades 1-4
Friday, October 7th: Picture Day, PreSchool and Kindergarten
Monday, October 10th: No School - Columbus Day
Tuesday, October 11th: No School - Professional Development Day
Tuesday, October 25th: Joint Board of Education Meeting with Barlow and Easton at Barlow
Friday, October 28th: RES Festive Friday - wear school colors or Spirit Wear
Monday, October 31st: Halloween Parade - more details to come!
Bus Transportation Information
If you have any specific questions pertaining to your child's bus stop, please contact First Student directly, 475.470.0373. Unfortunately, we are not able to help you regarding bus information.
Morning Arrival Procedures
Students may be dropped off at school beginning at 7:55 a.m. - 8:05 a.m. There is no adult supervision at school prior to this time, so please be sure to listen for the morning bell before letting students out of your car to enter the school building. In the morning, all students arriving by parent vehicle, in Kindergarten through Grade 4 will be dropped off in the Big Gym parking lot and will enter school through the main entrance. Please see the RES Campus Map to view the drop-off route and location of drop-off. Staff members supervising morning drop-off will monitor students exiting cars. It is important that students are prepared with their backpacks on and all belongings are ready to go so they can exit the car quickly. Students will exit from the passenger side of the vehicle. Family members dropping children off must remain in vehicles during this time.
Afternoon Dismissal Procedures
We will begin dismissing students out to cars around 2:45 p.m. and this process will continue until 3:00 p.m. If students remain in the holding areas at 3:00 p.m., we will bring them down to the main office to be picked up.
Each family will be assigned a student pick up number. This number will be identified on a tag that attaches to the child’s backpack, and a separate tag that hangs from the rearview mirror of the vehicle being used for pick-up. Staff supporting the student pick-up process will help escort children out to cars, matching student pick up numbers on backpacks and vehicles.
For our returning families, please track down your student number tags and car tags you used last year. This includes both the rearview mirror tag and the smaller tags that attach to your child’s backpack. Please keep these car tags, until your last child enters JRMS.
For our new families, we will issue a student number tag & car tag to hang from your rearview mirror. This is needed if you are picking your child up at the end of the school day. There will be a corresponding number on your child’s backpack. New families will receive tags during Welcome Back to School meet and greet. If you are unable to attend the back to school orientation, please call the main office and make arrangements to pick up your car tags.
In the afternoon, all students being picked up by parent vehicle, in Kindergarten through Grade 4 will be picked up in the Big Gym parking lot. Please see the RES Campus Map to view the pick-up route and location.
Families must remain in vehicles throughout our pick-up process. Staff will monitor and assist students into vehicles, as needed.
Peanut and Tree Nut Free Classrooms
Due to the amount of students with life threatening peanut and tree nut allergies all classrooms at RES are designated as peanut and tree nut free areas. We are following the same practices as JRMS. Please do not pack classroom snacks that contain peanuts and/or tree nuts. Your child may still enjoy peanuts and/or tree nuts during his/her lunch period in the cafeteria. We only ask that snacks eaten in the classroom do not contain such products, as the cafeteria has additional procedures and special precautions to follow for children with food allergies. Students are encouraged to engage in safe practices in the cafeteria, which includes refraining from sharing or swapping meals and snacks. If food is being allowed at a classroom celebration, food products must be accompanied by the original packaging so that ingredients can be checked.
COVID-19 Information & Health Reminders
Please remember to keep your child home if they have a temperature above 100.0, any vomiting or diarrhea or if they are simply not feeling well enough to be at school. The symptom profile for covid is widely varied and oftentimes presents as mild cold symptoms, so please be mindful and test your child when they are sick or if they have been exposed to someone with covid.
The district is following the current CDC covid guidelines, which you can review here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html.
In summary:
**If positive, isolate at home for 5 days. Return on day 6 if no fever and symptoms are improved. Mask through day 10. (Test day or symptom start day are DAY 0).
**Report positive cases to the school nurse and enter absence into school dismissal manager.
**If exposed, wear a mask, test if symptoms develop. Or test 5 days after last exposure. If negative, continue with mask through day 10. If positive, isolate for 5 days.
We have test kits available at school. Contact Jen Connolly, school nurse, at 203-938-2519 ext. 309 or jconnolly@er9.org to pick up a test kit or have one sent home with your child.
Visiting RES Reminders...
At RES we regularly discuss our safety protocols and procedures. The following protocols are implemented for visitors at RES:
In order to enter the vestibule at the main entrance, anyone wishing to do so MUST present a photo identification. Identification will be held up to the outside camera and checked by our office staff before you are allowed to enter the vestibule. This procedure includes dropping off your child, picking up your child, etc. Please do not take offense if you feel the office staff should know you. There will not be an exception made to this rule. Office staff will also be asking visitors the purpose of their visit.
Visitors will be allowed in the building by appointment only. Appointments could range from a specific meeting with a teacher, special education team, and/or administration. Appointments would also include any volunteer opportunities or visits in your child’s classroom. An appointment may also be a call from the nurse to pick up your child. All planned visits and appointments will be arranged for you by an RES staff member.
If you feel you need to enter the building and have not made previous arrangements. You must call RES to make arrangements prior to arriving. For example, access to our lost and found area.
A drop-off table will be placed outside of the vestibule. The table will be clearly marked. Please make sure items are properly labeled before you arrive (child’s name and teacher). You do not need to ring the bell to tell the office an item is being dropped off. The table will be checked twice daily at 10:30 a.m. and at the end of each school day.
Students are expected to be dropped off each morning by 8:05 a.m. If you are arriving at drop off after 8:05 a.m., please drop your child off by parking in the main parking lot, and have your child walk down the walkway to enter through the RES main entrance.
ER9 Incident Reporting Form
We wanted to share with the RES community that there is a district wide practice whenever there are concerns regarding mean spirited behavior and your child. Mrs. Kim Roy is not only the RES Assistant Principal, but also the Safe School Climate Specialist. If you ever have concerns regarding mean spirited behavior involving your child, you can access the ER9 Incident Reporting Form to address your concerns. Once the form is completed, Mrs. Roy receives an email and will be able to follow up with you if more information is needed.
The link to the ER9 Incident Report Form is on the Redding Elementary Website (scroll down to the bottom of the site and you will see it linked under Other Information). You can also access the form via this link below. You can choose to remain anonymous, however it is helpful if you add as much information as possible in case an investigation needs to take place.
Please call or email Mrs. Roy if you have any questions or concerns regarding the process, kroy@er9.org.
RES Job Opportunities - We Need Your Help!
Anyone that has volunteered to be a lunch buddy - maybe you want to consider being a permanent lunch monitor at RES. We also need one more recess monitor. Please go to the ER9 website to apply for one of these positions.
We also have an opportunity for a BUILDING SUB. This person would work in many roles throughout the school year. You might be a classroom teacher, work with students as a paraeducator, potentially be involved with our special education program, you might work in PreSchool, as well as helping out as a lunch or recess monitor. This is a full year position. Qualified applicants should have a 4-year college degree. NOT necessarily in education. Please call Bobbie in the main office 203-938-2519 Ex. 304, if you are interested.
Our support positions for recess and lunch allow you to have a little bit of flexibility, where you still have time to get your child(ren) on and off the bus each day. Please log on to the ER9.org website; under human resources tab; employment opportunities. THANK YOU!!
Quote of the Week
“I am the one thing in life I can control. I am inimitable – I am an original.”
– Lin-Manuel Miranda
Redding Community Opportunities
Contact Us
Mrs. Kim Roy, Assistant Principal
Website: www.reddingelementaryps.org
Location: 33 Lonetown Road, Redding, CT, USA
Phone: (203)938-2519
Additional School Contacts
Office hours for Special Services is 7:30am - 3:00pm during the regular school year.
SPECIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Ms. Jennifer Del Conte, Director, Special Services
Ms. Michelle King, Administrative Assistant to Director of Special Services
mking@er9.org Ext. 313
Mrs. Jennifer Hankla, Supervisor, Special Services
Mrs. Marilyn Caruso, Secretary, Special Services
mcaruso@er9.org Ext. 312
Office hours for the main office is 7:30am - 3:45pm during the normal 10-month / 180 day school year.
SUPPORT STAFF:
Miss Bobbie Granskog, School Secretary
bgranskog@er9.org Ext. 304
Budgets, Payroll, & Information for Rocky's Weekly Roundup!
Mrs. Komal Kulkarni, School Secretary
kkulkarni@er9.org Ext. 302
Registrar & Enrollment
Mrs. Rachel Saluzzi, School Secretary
rsaluzzi@er9.org Ext. 301
Assistant to School Principals
School Dismissal Manager & Subs
OTHER FREQUENTLY CALLED NUMBERS:
Nurse Connolly — Ext. 309
Library— Ext. 343
Kitchen — Ext. 346
You will find a complete list of telephone extensions and email addresses for our staff on our website www.reddingelementaryps.org