The Cardinal News
Paris Elementary March 25, 2020
A Lot Has Changed
A lot has changed in the past week or so for not only families, our community, and our schools, but really our whole society as a whole. While we know these changes may be causing stress and anxiety for families, we hope the school can provide some routine and support to you and your children. We recognize the tremendous burden families are experiencing and don’t want to add to this in any way.
I will do my very best to keep you updated on any new developments regarding our school closure, meal deliveries, and the remote learning we are doing at this time. We will continue to update you on our Paris Elementary Facebook page, through the School Messenger app and sending out newsletters. We hope this will help everyone know what is happening in our district.
Thinking of you and your children during this time of social distancing! Stay healthy and enjoy this precious gift of time you have been given with your children during this school closure.
-Lori Pacholski
Remote Learning
What a challenging time we are all facing- teachers, parents, and students- during these unprecedented school closures across the state and the country. Teachers have taken on this challenge with a determination and motivation I have not quite seen before. They are working hard to plan for and provide meaningful opportunities for students and families to stay engaged in learning activities until we can return to PES.
While we know this new way of providing learning activities to your children may come with a bit of nervousness, frustration or anxiety, we want you to know we do not expect you to be your child's new teacher. You have already been your child's first and most important teacher since birth. You know what your child is capable of and what is going to work best for your family. Do what you can with what you have at this time. Nothing that we are sending home should be a source of frustration for your child or for you.
If your child is struggling with something that was sent home, please reach out to your child's teacher for clarification and guidance. They are ready, willing and able to help. They miss their students and they want to be helpful to you without overwhelming you.
It is important for you to know that teachers are not providing any new learning materials to students. They have been directed to provide materials and resources to students that will help them practice skills they have already been taught. We have asked that all teachers contact students on a daily basis (phone call, email, online or other means) and to contact parents once a week (email, phone, etc).
We intend to mail all future learning packets for students. The next packets will be mailed out on Thursday, April 2nd. These packets will have activities for students to do over the course of a two week period. Fifth and sixth grade students who have access to the internet will continue to have their materials provided online and packets will only be mailed to those fifth and sixth grade students who do not have access to the internet.
Report Cards
Counselor’s Corner
Greetings from your school counselor and school social worker! We miss being at school with all of you and seeing your smiling faces. With our first week of learning from home complete, we want to remind you to be taking good care of your minds and bodies.
One great way to do this is through mindful breathing. Posted below is a link that we both enjoy called “Counting Breathes”. Try this every day and see how it helps. You can also search mindfulness for kids on the web and find many other options.
Finally, remember that if you are starting to have feelings such as worry, sadness, or anxiety tell an adult so they can help. We are also here to talk with anyone who would like to speak with us.
Stay healthy and happy!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Morrison - (207) 743-8972, ext. 7008 or a.morrison@msad17.org
Miss Kelsey - (207) 743-8972, ext. 9607 or k.wilcox@msad17.org
Please Update Your Contact Information
Teachers have been reaching out to families, but have had some difficulty reaching a few people. If you have not heard from the school via email, phone or through the School Messenger app within the last week, please contact us to provide the best phone number and email address that we can reach you at.
Teachers are using various communication apps and email to stay in contact with you. It is important you are checking these apps and your email for information from your child's teacher. and the school. We are working hard to keep all students engaged in some type of learning tasks during our school closure. If there is a better way for a teacher to contact you, be sure to let them know so you don't miss out on important information and updates.
Please contact us at 743-7802 to update your information so you will receive news from PES and the school district.
You can also reach out to the secretaries through email at:
Until further notice our secretaries will be answering phones Monday-Thursday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.