James Morris School
Weekly Newsletter, Vol. 9.7.2017
A Message from the Principal
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are pleased to announce the kick-off of our school-wide reading initiative for 2017-2018!
- Who? All JMS students
- What? A whole-school, classroom and individual challenge to increase independent-reading stamina and to foster development of a literature-rich life
- When? Throughout the entire school year
- Why? As educators, we believe that our students will benefit greatly in all academic areas by strengthening daily “habits of mind”, which include prioritizing the time spent exploring text in its various forms.
Answer - Your child will have a nightly reading log that may ask you to review and “sign off” on your child's reading, depending on his or her child’s grade. Please remind your child to fill in their log each night.
Question - How are you measuring reading: by the number of books?
Answer - We are measuring the number of minutes that students read independently or one-on-one with an adult.
Question - So, my child’s reading log may also include the minutes that we read together, even if I am the one doing some or all of the reading?
Answer - Great question! Yes, that is correct and will definitely apply to the early grades.
Question - Do articles, poems, websites, newspapers, non-fiction books, etc. all count toward the minutes?
Answer - Absolutely.
Question - Is this a competition of some sort?
Answer - The focus of this initiative is individual students working with their teachers to identify their current reading habits, discuss strategies for strengthening these habits, and making personal growth. Individual students’ competition is simply striving for one’s “personal best” and applying a growth mindset throughout the experience. To encourage the students to be active participants, we will be graphing each classroom’s progress from month to month, and as we reach whole-school benchmarks, we will celebrate together!
Question - So, is this a home-and-school initiative in which parents/guardians’ support is key to maximizing success?
Answer - Yes, this is a partnership. We thank you for your support!
Please reach out to any of us or your classroom teacher if you have questions.
Thank you,
KC Chapman, Principal
Barbara Connery, Instructional Coach
Jennifer Fodor, Library-Media Specialist
Your Input and Feedback
Additionally, our first Safe-School Climate meeting will take place on Wednesday 9/13 at 10:30AM. The focus of these meetings is anti-bullying efforts and fostering a positive school culture. Any interested parents/guardians are invited to attend. Again, coffee and pastries will be provided.
Upcoming Events
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH: Book & Numeracy Blast forms DUE
Monday, September 11th: School Improvement Plan meeting
Tuesday, September 12th: Board of Education meeting, (District Office, 7:00PM)
Wednesday, September 13th: Principal & Community Coffee Hour (9:30-10:30AM)
Wednesday, September 13th: Safe School Climate Meeting (10:30-11:30AM)
Thursday, September 14th: Literacy & Numeracy BBQ Blast (Wamogo, 5:00-6:30PM)
Saturday, September 16th: JMS Carnival (1:00-4:00PM)
Tuesday, September 19th: JMS Open House (5:30-7:00PM)
Thursday, September 21st-22nd: JMS School Photos
Friday, September 22nd: Harvest Luncheon
Friday, October 6th: Teacher Professional Development Day (No School)
Monday, October 9th: Columbus Day (No School)
Tuesday, October 10th: Board of Education meeting, (Warren School, 7:00PM)
Week of October 16th: Scholastic Book Fair
Wed, Thur, Fri, Oct. 18-20th: School Conferences (1:30PM Dismissal)
Flyers and Forms
Our School Vision
Our vision for James Morris School is to be highly regarded for our students' academic growth, and for instilling in students the desire to strive for the intrinsic value, rewards and opportunities that result from quality, professionalism, and pride in one’s work. To achieve this vision, we believe in:
A culture of academia
A strong partnership with parents and the community
A growth-mindset for students and staff
Research-based practices
Authentic hands-on learning experiences for all students
Awareness and understanding of issues related to diversity - social, cultural, and cognitive
Embedded character education and promotion of strong habits of mind