Smith STEM School
September 9, 2022
Dear Smith Families,
On behalf of the faculty and staff of Smith STEM School, it is my pleasure to welcome you to a new school year. Our students have been very busy making new friends, learning new routines, and building relationships with each other as well as with their teachers. I want to personally thank all of you for making the beginning of our new school year so successful.
I‘ve been visiting many classrooms during the past week and I have observed students showing kindness to one another, collaborating with each other, persevering through challenging tasks, and most importantly smiling!
During the first few weeks of school each student has been asked to think about their hopes and dreams for the coming school year. By sharing our hopes and dreams we send the message that what our students care about matters at school; their hopes and goals are taken seriously; they have a voice in what we'll learn and do.
As a school community we have begun to discuss our behavioral expectations around the themes of safety, respect, and responsibility. We aim to create a community of learners that fosters these core values to enable all of our students to become lifelong learners.
At Smith STEM School we appreciate the valuable role that families play as members of our school community and look forward to partnering with you to help all students achieve personal success. I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 29. This year, during Curriculum Night, you will get the opportunity to participate in several learning activities that your child experiences every day! We hope that you can come and experience the joy of learning! You don’t want to miss this opportunity!
Thank you again for trusting us with the most precious gift of all, your children!
Kind Regards,
Teresa Giolito
Smith Calendar of Events
Friday, September 9, 2022
Back to School Picnic 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
PTO Meeting 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Link: https://meet.google.com/djq-dcuf-taz?hs=122&authuser=0
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Parents Play 5:00 - 6:30 pm (Please see below for additional information.)
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Grade 5, Westmoor Park 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Rain Date, Parents Play 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Monday, September 26, 2022
Rosh Hashanah, No School
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Curriculum Night, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 1, 2022
Park Road Parade, 10:30 am
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Yom Kippur and Dussehra/Durga Puja (Hindu), No School
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Grade 5, Winding Trails
Friday, October 7, 2022
Grade 5, Winding Trails
Monday, October 10, 2022
Indigenous Peoples Day, No School
Welcome Debbie DeJesus, Office Paraprofessional
Welcome Alida Lamagna Kendell as School Counselor
My name is Alida Lamagna Kendell and I am the school counselor at Florence E. Smith
STEM Elementary School. I’m so excited to be working with you and your kids! This is a
new position in the WHPS district and I’m looking forward to working in such a great
school and community. School counselors provide services to all students through
various avenues such as:
● Individual sessions – Can be occasional or more frequent, depending on the
need. I always love when kids even drop in to say “hi” and share some news!
● Small group sessions (with parent permission) – Potential topics covered can
include anger management, self-esteem building, friendship/social skills, grief,
school success skills, etc. If you feel your child could benefit from a group, please
let me know!
● Classroom lessons – Focused on skills that help kids be their best selves by
learning about organization, time management, coping, stress management, self-
awareness, career exploration and more
● Referral assistance to outside programs and services in the community as
needed
A little about me:
I graduated from the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT with my Masters in
School Counseling. I was honored to complete my internship at Sedgwick Middle
School and worked with students from grades 6 to 8 last year. I’m passionate about
helping students be their best selves! I live with my husband, our dog Sonny, and our
turtle Henry. When I have time, I love to dance, try new foods, and watch anything
Marvel or Disney related!
My goal is to help your student learn new skills and grow academically, personally, and
socially. My office is a safe space for all students and I hope you and your students will
see me as a positive support in the building.
Communication is also very important to me and I am looking forward to working closely
with you as a team to ensure your child’s success. If you would like me to check in with
your child for any reason, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Alida Lamagna Kendell
860-263-3315
A Message From Mr. G
Greetings from the gym! Great news...We are bringing back monthly fitness challenges! Please be on the lookout for a new challenge each month! At the end of each month students will bring back their signed sheet to Mr. G and exchange them for a toe token! Enjoy your workouts and we hope your family joins in too!
Welcome Back Family Picnic
Welcome Back Family Picnic
Grab a blanket and your favorite dinner and join the Smith PTO and your friends for a great night!
What: A chance to catch up with friends and make new ones and enjoy an outdoor picnic.
When: Friday, September 9, 2022
Where: Smith School
Parents Play
THIS EVENT IS FOR ADULTS ONLY
Where: Smith STEM School’s Soccer Field
When: September 20, 2022 5:00-6:30 PM (Rain date September 22nd)
Come join us in our first ever Parents Play night! See some familiar faces and meet some new ones too. Mr. G, along with some other Smith teachers, will be teaching the games Cornhole, Kan Jam and Spikeball.
Child care will be provided for Smith STEM students only. Students will be watching a G rated movie in the cafe!
Come have some fun and get to know each other!
Smith School Choir for 4th and 5th Grade Students
5th Grade Choir Rehearsals begin on Wednesday, September 21th and choir meets every Wednesday before school from 7:45 - 8:28 am
Please encourage your child to attend every rehearsal and to be on time.
- We begin singing promptly at 7:45 am
- Students enter at the St. James Street door from 7:25 - 8:00 am
- Students who arrive at 8:00 am or later must buzz in at the door located at the bus driveway
- Students who eat breakfast at Smith are dismissed from rehearsal a few minutes early so that they can get a "grab and go" breakfast in the cafeteria
Smith STEM School staff provide childcare for Smith STEM siblings of choir members during rehearsal times. This service is provided free of charge and is sponsored by the Arts Department. If you would like more information, please contact Mrs. Saraceno at Becky_Saraceno@whps.org.
West Hartford Public Schools
Free Breakfast & Lunch
Due to an extension of regulations by the State of CT, all meals, breakfast and lunch, are free for all students for the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. Free meals are not expected to last the entire year. The duration of the free meals will depend on the funding we receive from the State. We are estimating that this will last for the first 45-60 school days. It is imperative that families fill out free and reduced meal applications ASAP so that they are set to receive benefits when the free for all period is over. This information is also used for other programs.
Ala carte items (snacks), are not free and will have to be paid for. We do not allow students to go negative on their account with ala carte (snack) items. Your student can pay for snack items with cash or their Paypams account. Please click one of the buttons below for instructions on how to add money to your student's Paypams account.
Covid Protocols
Throughout the year, WHPS will closely monitor the situation and respond appropriately with flexible prevention strategies. To support these efforts, please read the following information carefully.
Vaccination
Increasing vaccination rates in our students, staff, and community is our greatest strategy for keeping students learning in-person. The CDC recommends COVID-19 primary series vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older, and COVID-19 boosters for everyone ages 5 years and older, if eligible. Everyone 6 months of age or older can also receive a seasonal vaccine for influenza.
Tests
Students and staff should test if they develop COVID-19 like symptoms. All WHPS schools have been supplied with COVID-19 test kits which are available to students and staff at no cost. Please contact your school if you need a COVID-19 test kit.
Isolation
If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please contact your school nurse. Those who test positive should isolate for 5 days with the day of the positive test being Day 0. After the 5 day isolation period, students and staff are allowed to return to school if they have been fever free for 24 hours. It is still mandatory to wear a mask from day 6-10 when returning to school after a positive Covid case.
For those who have had a known exposure, the CDC recommends that instead of quarantining, exposed persons should wear a high quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day 2 or 3 and again on day 5 from the last exposure. Home tests are sufficient.
Mask Use
Masks will continue to be optional in West Hartford Public Schools. People may choose to wear masks as an additional layer of protection. Masks will be available in schools. While masks on public transportation are no longer mandated, masks are still encouraged on school buses as a layered protection strategy.
The CSDE and DPH recommend the TEST-MASK-GO strategy to maximize time in school. This strategy allows students with mild respiratory symptoms to attend school under the following conditions:
they are fever-free (< 100°F) and feel well enough to participate,
they do not live with anyone who has had COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks,
they test negative for COVID-19 prior to reporting in-person on every day they have symptoms, as well as one final test on the morning their symptoms have completely resolved.
Individuals who have any respiratory disease symptoms should not use the Test-Mask-Go strategy if:
• they have a fever (≥ 100°F) or feel feverish (they should not report in-person until their fever has resolved for at least 24 hours without the use of medication)
• they live with a person who recently tested positive for COVID-19 (within the past 2 weeks)
COVID-19 Dashboard and Tracking
WHPS will report student and staff cases weekly and maintain the COVID-19 dashboard starting at the beginning of the school year.
WHPS will continue to emphasize frequent hand washing and run the ventilation systems in each building at full capacity as directed by DPH guidance as mitigation strategies. WHPS encourages the use of outdoor learning spaces whenever possible. School events, before and after school programming, sports and all activities will proceed as planned.
Thank you for your partnership.
Anne McKernan
Assistant Superintendent for Administration
Art Quest
September 2022
We believe there is no absolute measure for the importance of recognizing and appreciating the skills, passion, and desire of the developing artist. Therefore, Art QUEST provides students with an opportunity to explore, create, and extend their artistic interests, knowledge, and skills. The following information pertains to the Art Quest Nomination process and how to go about preparing a student portfolio. Fifth-grade students who demonstrate an inventiveness in their artistic skills and a flexibility to organize the elements of their artwork are invited to be considered for Art QUEST 2022-2023. The Art QUEST instructional framework aligns with the National Core Art Standards and is learner-centered, emphasizing the production of artwork, advanced structure for creating, presenting, responding, and connecting for deeper analytical and evaluative discussions about Art and artist. The curricular programming design prioritizes the unique gifts for each student. It intends to facilitate, broaden the selected student’s perspectives, and promote artistically literate citizens with opportunities for creativity, communication, and critical thinking necessary for the personal knowledge and experience to make Art while combining rich and meaningful skills and points of view. A formal Portfolio Review by a committee of practicing certified art instructors will convene in September to complete the selection for 30-35 students. The groups range from approximately 15-17 students, which allows for more individualized attention. In addition, at least one to two field experiences per year, to a museum or an artist studio, give students a real-life connection to the artist and the Arts. Last June letters were sent home outlining the program. Details are also included in this letter describing the program, as well as how you go about preparing your portfolio. The Art QUEST Nomination Form must be completed in order to enter the student’s portfolio. Once the form is complete, submit it to the QUEST office (see nomination form attached). Your school art teacher is also a resource.
Details of the program are as follows:
Population: 30-35 fifth grade students from West Hartford’s Public Schools
Locations: Bristow Middle School for students who will attend King Philip Middle School in 2022-2023. Duffy Elementary School for students who will be attending Sedgwick Middle School in 2022-2023. Prospective Bristow Middle School students will attend the Art QUEST site corresponding to the middle school they would have attended based on district guidelines.
When: Classes for Session I (October 3, 2022~ December 19, 2022) and Session II (January 9, 2023 ~ March 21, 2023) will be Monday afternoons from 3:50 pm – 5:30 pm.
Transportation: Participating students are picked up at their elementary schools by bus and taken to their Art QUEST location. Parents are asked to please pick up their child promptly at 5:30 pm at the Art QUEST designated location.
Smith School Curriculum Night
Please join us for Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 29, 2022
A Night for Caregivers and Staff to Engage, Connect and Learn
At Smith STEM School we appreciate the valuable role that families play as members of our school community. Please join us on Thursday to learn about what your child will be learning and discovering this year.
Grades 3-5
6:00 - 6:40 pm Classroom Presentations
Grades Pre K-2
6:50 - 7:30 pm Classroom Presentations
Please come meet our/ESOL/ Instructional Specialists / Special Area Teachers/ Clinical and Special Education Staff at their Information Session
Anytime between 6:30-7:10 pm in the library
Grade Level Elementary Curriculum in a Nutshell Overviews
Smith School Curriculum Night is Thursday, September 29, 2022
It is a pleasure to share a brief overview of all areas of the Kindergarten through Grade 5 West Hartford Curriculum. West Hartford’s comprehensive program is based on the Connecticut Core Standards. Teachers provide instruction on essential literacy and mathematics skills and understandings necessary for success on both district and state assessments establishing the foundation for continued study. The West Hartford curriculum also includes integration of visual and performing arts, science, social studies, physical education, world language (grades 3-5) and library media services.
This curriculum comes alive in the hands of our talented teachers who are committed to ensuring that our students reach their highest potential. We are dedicated to accommodating children’s diverse needs, the way they learn, their experiences and interests, and to facilitating continuous educational growth. If you should have any questions about your child’s curriculum, your classroom teacher is the best source of information.
No single document can fully explain the rich and complex nature of the school curriculum and instructional goals. We know that learning is optimized in a partnership with families, teachers, and schools. Working together, we can use your experiences as a family and our work in the classroom to create a respectful climate of academic success and joy for lifelong learning.
Sincerely,
Paul W. Vicinus, Jr.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
Each grade level overview as well as information on Early Childhood Programs (PreK/ELC) are also accessible on the WHPS website at