News from Eli Terry
Week of September 8th, 2023
A Note from Your Principals
Last spring we were incredibly lucky to have so many amazingly qualified Grade 4/rising Grade 5 students interested in becoming a Peer Mediator. We recognized that because only 10 are selected as mediators, there was a need (and interest!) for additional student leadership opportunities.
As a result, we are introducing a "Student Ambassadors" program this year. 8 additional fifth graders have been selected as “Ambassadors” and will serve an important role in our school; being a student voice, face, and leader in our community. These "ambassadors" will help Mr. Kenyon and I make important decisions and share ideas for how we can improve things at Eli Terry.
Some things "ambassadors" might do:
Visit classrooms to get feedback from students on things that are working well or not working well - then work to brainstorm and implement solutions
Welcome new students to our school - giving tours, serving as a friend, etc.
Assist with planning and running school wide events and assemblies
Plan events, like food drives and fundraisers, that can make a difference in our school and town
The first initiative "Ambassadors" will be tackling is planning a lesson/read aloud to help introduce the newly purchased (by the PTO!) "Buddy Bench" to all our K-5 students.
“Ambassadors” will meet 2 times a month, before school, from 7:45-8:25. In addition to these morning meetings, ambassadors may also have “jobs”, projects, or homework that they’ll need to work on outside of the school day.
We are SO excited about this new program and will certainly look to expand it in the coming years.
"It is not enough to simply listen to student voice. Educators have an ethical imperative to do something with students, and that is why meaningful student involvement is vital to school improvement."
PAWS - Helping Students Demonstrate Expected Behavior
During Open House presentations this week, you likely learned about our PAWS acronym. PAWS helps the Eli Terry adults explicitly teach, model, and reinforce expected student behavior. It helps students demonstrate behavior conducive to learning and positive peer relationships.
PAWS stands for:
P - Personal Responsibility
A - Acting Safely
W - Working Together
S - Showing Respect
Over the course of the last few weeks and throughout the upcoming year, students will be explicitly taught what these behaviors look like, sound like, and feel like across the many settings of our school and even the bus. In the photo above, Grade 3 students in Ms. Haven's class are brainstorming these expectations for recess!
Students can earn a PAWS card for exemplifying these expected behaviors and PAWS card raffles take place every Friday. We had our first official raffle last week, and again this morning. Take a peek at the slides below to see the prizes/experiences every child has an opportunity to win in the month of September. Prize offerings change monthly to keep it fresh and exciting for students. If you have an idea for something, or would like to offer something that you feel would make a great incentive, please feel free to share!
Volunteering Policy and Procedures
The district has worked to update the volunteer registration process in order to align with Board of Education policy. This should largely result in most volunteers simply needing to complete the registration form as a "Group I" volunteer (which means you are volunteering in the presence of a SWPS employee) and will not have to wait for a background check to be completed. "Group II" volunteers will have a new step that requires them to undergo DCF background checks.
An updated volunteer registration form is available on the district website. We recognize that some volunteers have already registered this year, but we do not have not have information about the role you expect to serve (Group I or II). If you have already submitted, you are asked to resubmit using the new form.
Below you'll find a quick link to the new form!
A Peek Inside Our Week
Grade 3 students worked to find "just right" reading spots for their independent reading!
Students in Grade 1 explored how emotions are experienced in our thoughts and how they are felt in our bodies. This understanding is foundational in becoming an "emotion scientist" and being able to engage in the skills of RULER.
The Kindergarten team ROCKED our first "Terrier T-shirt Tuesday"!
Students in Mrs. Glasser's Grade 2 class practiced using the math norms of: talk about each other's thinking and use multiple strategies and multiple representations, during a "Number Talk" using 10-frames.
Mr. Kenyon and 2 of our Eli Terry girl scouts joined us for Wednesday's Open House, hoping to recruitment some new members!
Kindergarten students practice their letter identification and letter formation using the iPad app Writing Wizard.
Upcoming PTO Events
2023-24 PTO Family Directory
Each year the PTO puts together a Student/Family Directory. This is OPTIONAL but if you would like your child's address/phone number/email included please fill out the attached link. Please fill out a separate form for each child in the family.
Teachers are not allowed to give out this information so this is a great way to be able to schedule play dates, birthday parties, etc. The form will be available for 2 weeks and will close on Friday, September 29th. At that time, the directory will be put together and distributed electronically to all Eli Terry families.
This meeting will be virtual, via Google Meet and the link code is included below.
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/fbu-ozgt-sts
The meeting begins at 7PM and the board is incredibly cognizant of peoples' time, so plans to wrap up by 8PM.
We would LOVE to see new (and returning!) faces on the screen and I know the PTO would welcome your thoughts, ideas, and questions to help make this year a success!
Reach out to Rachel Goetz, event chair, with any questions: rgoetz1013@gmail.com.
Eli Terry will be welcoming the Scholastic Book Fair during the week of October 2nd!
There are many volunteer opportunities available throughout the week and we'd love for you to be part of it! Sign-up directly at this registration link and be sure to complete the district's "volunteer registration" form linked above.
For additional information about the book fair, stop by the fair website - there's great information about what books will be featured at this fair, as well as how to set-up your student's electronic payment option (the very popular eWallet)!
THANKS to the success of our fairs over the last few years, we ensure that no child leaves the book fair empty-handed. Also returning this year is Family Night on Thursday, October 5 - stay tuned for more information!
Any questions, contact the Eli Terry PTO via email or on our Facebook page.
As you reflect upon the past week, is there someone in the Eli Terry school community that deserves a "shout out"?
- Maybe an ET neighbor who watched your child at the bus stop so you could get to work early?
- Maybe an ET student who was a buddy to your child on the bus or during recess?
- Or maybe an ET staff member who you feel went above and beyond?
We encourage you to share your gratitude by completing the quick Google Form linked below!
Expressing gratitude brings joy to not only those being acknowledged but those doing the acknowledging!
Mark Your Calendars!
- **Virtual** PTO Meeting - Wednesday, September 20th, 7-8PM (Google Meet link above)
- PTO's Movie Night - Friday, September 22nd, 6:45PM-movie end
- NO SCHOOL - Yom Kippur - Monday, September 25th
- Fall Picture Day - Thursday, September 28th (flyer linked below)
- Registration Opens for PTO Paint Night - Friday, September 29th
Remember...any of the above events can be quickly added to your own Google Calendar just by clicking the blue hyperlink!
Events in the Larger South Windsor Community
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