Peter Noyes Friday Flyers
Week ending October 14, 2022
Upcoming Events
October 19.....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45
October 21....Food Pantry Day
October 21.....Noyes Night Out - DaVinci Bistro - Mention Noyes School!
October 22.....Trunk or Treat/Fall Festival 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM ** DATE CHANGE**
November 1.....Picture Retake Day
November 2.....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45 Parent Conferences
November 4-10.....Scholastic Book Fair
November 9.....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45 Parent Conferences
November 11...No School - Veteran's Day
November 16.....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45 Parent Conferences
November 23.....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45 Thanksgiving Recess
November 24 & 25.....No School Thanksgiving Recess
December 14.....Early Release Day Dismissal 11:45
December 26 - January 2......No School - Winter Break
October 14, 2022
Dear Families,
Thank you to all the parents who attended our Safety Meeting on Wednesday and thank you to Sudbury Police Chief Scott Nix for co-leading this presentation with me. SPS and SPD have a long-standing shared commitment to the safety of our students and staff. At our talk, we covered many topics including intruder response, internet safety, bike/walker safety, and general building safety.
We spent some time discussing how we train for intruder response and I wanted to share that information with all of you. First, we annually train the adults working in the school within the first 2 weeks. We also review the slide-decks we use for student training. There are three slide-decks used in SPS and each is tailored to a grade span (PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8). At this point in the year, teachers have reviewed these procedures with their students in a developmentally appropriate manner, just as they’ve reviewed fire drill procedures.
During our meeting, Chief Nix offered to train parents in intruder response/active shooter response, which he described as a life skill. This training would be geared towards adults, not children. It will be based on the Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) course. Chief Nix would like to know if there is Noyes parent interest in this type of training to determine if it should be offered. If you are interested, please complete this Google form.
You may want to know how teachers talk to students, especially our youngest learners, about a sensitive topic such as intruder response. While we would never disclose every element of our safety plans for security reasons, we can share the key elements students learn at the elementary level.
1. Teachers first talk about many things we already do to stay safe such as wearing bike helmets, using a crosswalk when we cross the street, wearing seat belts, and practicing drills like fire drills and bus evacuation drills.
2. Teachers tell students another way to stay safe is to practice Safety Drills. In Safety Drills, there is an announcement. The first thing to do is to stop, look, and listen to the teacher or grown up for directions about what to do next. Students learn to “Lock and Block” -- lock the doors and block the entrance -- or “Leave.”
3. Older students learn that if they are in the hallway/bathroom or without an adult, they should first look for the closest adult. If one is not safely available nearby, they will use the information they hear and see to make their decision to “Lock and Block” or “Leave.” If they can safely get out of the school, that is the first choice.
4. We do not use terms like “armed intruder” or “gunman” in elementary school. We use terms like “someone who doesn’t belong in the school,” “stranger,” or “intruder.” For many very young students, none of these terms are necessary. We simply say in any emergency, look for the grown up for directions.
The teachers are highly skilled at delivering information in a calm, age-appropriate way. They talk about how it is unlikely that we have a fire at school, but we practice fire drills so we are ready for that emergency. We practice any drills -- fire drills, safety drills, bus evacuation drills -- to be better prepared.
If your children come home worried about this topic, you may consider emphasizing the following:
1. Reassure children that school is a safe place. School staff members work with parents and community helpers, like police officers and firefighters, to keep everyone safe.
2. The school building is safe. All the exterior doors are locked. All school staff wear blue badges and visitors wear orange badges so you know who is supposed to be in the school. Safety drills and fire drills are practiced.
3. We all play a role in school safety. If you ever hear or see anything that makes you nervous or frightened, tell an adult.
4. Don’t dwell on the worst possibilities. Although there is no absolute guarantee that something bad will never happen, it is important to understand the difference between the possibility of something happening and the probability that it will affect our school.
We do not announce Safety Drill dates in advance. In our experience, anticipating a drill creates more anxiety. This also gives us a chance to have a true practice, much like we do with unannounced fire drills.
As always, if you have specific concerns that have not been addressed, please reach out to your child’s teacher, our guidance counselors, or me for more information.
Lastly, fire alarms. We had two alarms this week. One was about 5 p.m. on Wednesday and the other one was today, as you know….which was not our favorite evacuation since it was in the pouring rain. These faulty sensors/detectors are being replaced. Here’s where you can help!When the fire department came to Noyes, I was reminded that if this were a real fire, they would not have been able to get all the trucks near the building due to the cars parked along the entry driveway. This is common practice for those dropping off/picking up from SED and for parents coming into school for a short time, but I must emphasize that you cannot park in the entry driveway. A fire or other emergency can occur at any time and we need to be sure these emergency vehicles can access the building. Thank you for parking in the parking lot if you are getting out of your car to come into the building for any reason. I know it’s less convenient, but in a true emergency, every minute counts. Thank you for your cooperation.
As always, we thank you for your support and partnership.
Best Regards,
Annette Doyle
Principal
Wish List From The Food Pantry!
Cereal*
Soups (large (Progresso) and small cans
Boxed Meals (boxed potatoes, taco kits, Hamburger Helper)
Canned Meals (chili, beef stew, canned pasta)
Baking (cake and brownie mix, oils, sugar)
Pasta Condiments (ketchup, salad dressing, mayo)
Tomato (sauce and diced)
Boxed Rice (Near East)
*we REALLY need cereal!
Picture Retake Day is Tuesday, November 1st!
Lunch/Recess Volunteers
Dear Parent or Guardian,
The holidays are fast approaching, so we have identified a few agencies that offer Holiday Help programs. Their contact information is below. If interested, please contact them as soon as possible as the programs do fill up. The options are more limited this year. Please be sure to read all the details and pay attention to deadlines.
1) Project Just Because
http://projectjustbecause.org/
This program fills up very quickly. Their first phase is full, but they are accepting names for phase 2. Here is the link. If interested, please complete the application as soon as possible because it may fill up and they’ll stop accepting requests.
This program is open to families with children from birth up to age 18 (unlike some others), so it may be the best option for those with kids over age 12.
You can self-refer for this assistance and you will need to be able to pick up the items in Hopkinton, MA.
2) Globe Santa:
https://globesanta.org/aboutreq.aspx#request
How to request gifts for your family:
Everyone needs a hand every now and then. If your family could use assistance this holiday season, follow the instructions below so Globe Santa can help.
Globe Santa does not accept family letters without a holiday gift verification form.
Families who have children 12 years old or younger and live in Globe Santa's delivery area can submit a holiday gift verification form from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) or another approved agency. Follow these steps to request holiday gifts for children:
1. Tell us your story. Write a letter to Globe Santa describing your situation or telling us why you’re seeking holiday gifts for your children. Do not include a wish list or gift ideas.
2. Finish your forms. Complete and sign your Holiday Gift Verification Form from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) or another approved agency. Sudbury Public Schools is an approved agency to provide a Gift Verification Form. Please contact Jennifer Vlacovsky at jennifer_vlacovsky@sudbury.k12.ma.us or Karen Blumberg at karen_blumberg@sudbury.k12.ma.us for one of these forms before you apply.
3. Check envelope contents. Before you send your request, confirm your family letter and verification form are included in the envelope. Letters received without a verification form cannot be processed!
4. Mail your request. Send your letter and completed verification form to the following address by November 4th, 2022:
Globe Santa
39B Teed Drive
Randolph, MA 02368-4201
About DTA Holiday Gift Verification Forms
• DTA families who live in our coverage area and have children 12 years old or younger can submit to Globe Santa a Holiday Gift Verification Form. If you have not received your verification form, contact the DTA at (877) 382-2363.
• Please call Globe Santa at 617-929-2002 if you have any questions.
3) Other resources:
If you receive assistance from DCF or DTA, ask your worker about other assistance.
If you are looking for other holiday assistance ideas, please email jennifer_vlacovsky@sudbury.k12.ma.us or contact your child’s school counselor. There may be options that school staff and I learn about as it gets closer to the holidays.
Wishing you all the best and a peaceful holiday season!
Jennifer Vlacovsky, LICSW
School Social Worker/School Adjustment Counselor
jennifer_vlacovsky@sudbury.k12.ma.us
978-579-0870 x4005
Peter Noyes Elementary School
Email: kristin_moffat@sudbury.k12.ma.us
Website: http://bit.ly/PeterNoyes
Location: 280 Old Sudbury Road, Sudbury, MA, USA
Phone: 978-443-1085
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.noyes.3
Twitter: @NoyesSchool