St. Helena Primary School
Family Newsletter
Contact Us
Email: rrocha@sthelenaunified.org
Website: https://www.sthelenaunified.org/Domain/137
Phone: (707) 967-2772
Principal's Message
It was so wonderful to have you all here in person this past month for Parent-Teacher Conferences! I know a lot of schools that had to hold these on Zoom, and I am grateful that we could do them in person. Teachers were so relieved to be able to meet with parents face to face!
In addition, we were so glad that so many parents could join us last Friday for our costume parade! It is wonderful to return to some of our regular traditions.
The vaccine availability for younger children brings us new hope for the future! We are so excited that we can offer a vaccine clinic here this Friday! See below for more information.
11/5 Friday:
We are so excited that our students get to watch the SHPS Homecoming Parade from campus this Friday! The St Helena High School Homecoming Parade will start at 1:55 pm and pass by each of the schools on their revised route to minimize traffic on Main St.
This is not an early release day. The change in route means that the 1st and 2nd-grade Primary students (and Kinders who attend B & G Club) can watch from school.
Kinder will be released at their regular time of 1:50 and we will try to have all traffic gone by the time the parade will pass SHPS at approximately 2:00.
This month was a special time to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos at SHPS. We'd like to thank our Spanish teacher, Mrs. Rubio, for creating a beautiful cultural altar that students added to. They enjoyed making the papel picado (tissue paper cutouts) and the marigold flowers in Spanish class. On Monday, 11/1, we celebrated by serving Mexican hot chocolate and conchas (sweet bread) for breakfast while listening to the "Coco" soundtrack. We'd also like to thank Martha and Benedita, our food service staff, for their help!
Thanks for sending in pictures of your loved ones!
Celebrating!
Sra. Venedita & Sra. Martha
Fall is here!
Important Upcoming Dates
Friday, 11/5: COVID Vaccine Clinic at SHPS, 3-5 pm (for all children ages 5-11) SEE BELOW
Thursday, 11/10: No School, Veteran's DayFriday, 11/11: No School, School Recovery Day (we didn't have any school closures, so this is now a day off)
11/18: Picture Make-Up Day
11/22-11/26: Fall/Thanksgiving Break, No School
School Committees
School Site Council: At our last meeting, the SSC approved our School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA), which includes targeted goals to assist students & families with closing the achievement gap, social-emotional skills, and parent engagement. Highlights of this plan will be presented at the next SHUSD School Board meeting. If you would like to see a copy, please contact our Principal.
ELAC: Our next ELAC meeting is at SHHS on Wed. November 10th at 5:30 pm. See flyer below!
Academic Updates
St. Helena COVID Testing
If your child is out with COVID-like symptoms, please get them tested right away so that can return to school. SHUSD has partnered with N3 Labs and your child can now be tested M, W & Friday mornings in front of Vintage Hall. Remember to also come by the school to pick up an Independent Study packet so that your child can work on schoolwork while they are out. Registration for N3 Labs is below.
What if my child's class is on Modified Quarantine?
From the Office...
Picture Make-Up Day: Here is where to can pre-pay if you didn’t order pictures yet: https://www.dorianstudio.com/prepayment/. Otherwise, if your student is retaking pictures, just bring back the original photo and they will re-take their picture.
Drinking fountains at all sites are re-opened effective Monday, November 8, 2021 in accordance with recent COVID-19 guidelines provided by the Napa County Department of Public Health. Drinking fountains will be cleaned/disinfected a minimum of twice daily, per the guidelines. Students may use the drinking fountains or bring a refillable bottle from home. In support of our ‘Green Initiative,’ plastic disposable water bottles will no longer be provided.
Parent/Teacher Group Update
1. Please join our PTG meetings, the first Wednesday of each month, at 5:00 pm either live in the Elementary School Auditorium or via Zoom.
2. The District-wide Directory has made its debut! It is filled with tons of helpful information for you! A "one-stop shop" to find important district information and family phone numbers and/or emails to connect with one another. Please consider completing the directory survey so you can be a part of the school directory. We will continue to add family information to the directory as we receive it. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqpYU5p4Jyg26hRNOKiaJONrU3GPfF-KqetafooNPI_TLxhg/viewform?usp=sf_link
3. Don't forget to sign up for Amazon Smile! This helps raise funds for our schools. Feel free to share with family & friends. Information below!
Social Emotional Corner, Ms. Dana Sabin, School Counselor
As always, if you’d like to know more about our SEL program at SHPS, feel free to reach out to Dana Sabin at dsabin@sthelenaunified.org
SHUSD Social Worker, Roxana Plancarte
Hello everyone,
As the holidays approach, I just want to remind you that we are here to provide support. St. Helena Unified School District is working collaboratively with different community agencies to continue providing resources and services for students and families. Below you will find a flier for incredible support available to parents/caregivers in collaboration with Napa Valley Adult Education. If you have any questions regarding any other resource or service please do not hesitate to contact me: rplancarte@sthelenaunified.org
Child Nutrition & School Lunch Menu
November is Native American Heritage Month
November Read Alouds: Mrs. Rocha will be reading these to students during Library Time
Reading Tips - From Mrs. Ivanhoff (SHPS Reading Specialist)
This is from a Scholastic News for parents article...
7 Important Questions to Ask your Child During Storytime
One of the most precious times of the day in our super busy lives is the time we spend with our children right before bed when we read with them. But, did you know that you can make storytime even more valuable and boost the skills your child gets out of reading by asking a few strategic questions? And as a bonus, it’ll make the reading experience more interesting and engaging for both of you! “When you ask questions during storytime, it really helps children learn to be active readers and to think critically,” says Tammy Milby, Ph.D., director of reading in the Department of Education at the University of Richmond. “When parents can get kids thinking and discussing a text, it makes storytime a richer experience.”
Ask these questions before, during, and after a story to encourage your young learner to think about the text in a more in-depth way:
Before You Read
1. What do you think might happen in this story?
While You Read
2. What word do you think should come next?
3. What was that character’s name again?
4. Which words do you think best describe this character?
5. Does anything in this book seem familiar to you?
After You Read
6. How might this story be different if it was told from another character’s point of view?
7. Can you make up a different ending to this story?