NOVEMBER 20, 2015
Tuesday, November 24
READATHON!
Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27
Thanksgiving Recess- NO SCHOOL
Friday, December 4
Picture Retakes- 10:00am
Monday, December 7
School Committee Meeting- 6:00pm
Monday, December 14
Winter Chorus Concert- 7:00pm
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IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE
A Time for Thanks and Transitions
As we approach Thanksgiving, a time when it is customary to reflect upon those people and things that give our lives sustenance and meaning, we have much to be thankful for here at Leverett Elementary School. We have many people who care deeply about this school and its mission in educating the ‘whole child,’ we have a lovely building, and we have a fabulous space to run and play and commune with nature.
At this particular moment, it is important to give special thanks to some special people who have been an important part of this community and will not be returning after Thanksgiving.
Our art teacher, Susan Boss, is retiring after many years of helping LES students dabble in paint, clay, and color. The staff was able to honor Susan at a recent retirement party, and we hope you will encourage your children to stop by and thank Susan before the end of the day on Tuesday. We have been fortunate to have our new art teacher, Karie Neal, spend some recent Mondays with Susan, getting to know many of the children, and observing everyone in action! Welcome aboard, Karie!
Another transition will be taking place right after Thanksgiving, when Amanda King returns from her maternity leave. The kindergarten has been in good hands under the leadership of Beth Hodgeman. How lucky we are that Beth had just moved to the area when we were seeking an interim kindergarten teacher last summer! She has quickly won the admiration and respect of both children and staff, and we wish her well. Amanda and Beth will share kindergarten duties for the week after Thanksgiving, so that our kindergartners will be able to make a gradual and smooth transition.
We’d also like to extend our thanks to Occupational Therapist Chris Vitello, who has decided to return to hospital work. While he was not here long, Chris did a stellar job and quickly established great relationships with kids. Thanks, Chris!
Wherever you spend the Thanksgiving break, I hope that you have a very happy time with family and friends, and that there will be at least a couple of mornings where you won’t have to wake up to the sound of an alarm clock!
-Margot Lacey
SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
READ-A-THON!
Next week we will continue the LES tradition of having a school-wide Read-a-thon on the day before Thanksgiving recess. Students are invited to wear pajamas to school and spend the day comfortably cuddled up with a good book… or several! Classrooms will be visited by guest readers and the whole school will read independently, read with partners, listen to books read aloud, and engage in a variety of book-related activities throughout the day. This is a fun day that the students look forward to and a great way to celebrate the joy of reading!
The Electronics Dilemma
A recent field trip presented a dilemma that has not been discussed very much here at LES, and we are at a point where we will need to establish some guidelines for use of electronics on field trip buses, as well as in venues such as our afterschool program. In the case of the recent second grade field trip, I received emails and phone calls from parents on both sides of the argument, particularly because this was one of our longer trips, and it became clear that we need to have a consistent plan.
The impact that screen time is having on children’s social interactions is something that educators are encountering with increasing frequency. Many parents feel that electronic devices are fine, especially if they reduce noise and restlessness in a situation such as a long bus ride. Concerns about ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ have also been raised, since not all children have access to different kinds of electronic devices. The monitoring of appropriate use of these personal devices is quite difficult for staff when several children use them simultaneously. There is a lot to think about!
I will be discussing student use of personal electronics with the PTO and the LES staff. It is important that parents participate in the conversation as we develop a plan for use (or non-use) of personal electronic devices here at LES, so I hope parents will share their thoughts, either through email or in person.
- Margot Lacey
PICTURE RE-TAKE DAY HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A RE-TAKE, PLEASE KEEP THE CLASS PICTURE FROM YOUR CHILD’S PICTURE PACKET AND RETURN THE REST TO SCHOOL BEFORE THE 4th. EXTRA ORDER FORMS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE IF YOU MISSED THE FIRST ROUND OF PICTURES.
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
(Items listed here are not school sponsored)
THE UNUSUAL HISTORY OF 5 ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS HYMNS
Nick Grabbe is a guest speaker, SUNDAY, Nov. 29, 10 - 11 a.m., Leverett Congregational Church (LCC), 4 Montague Road, Leverett. The LCC congregation is open and affirming and children friendly. All are welcome to this free event. The LCC is located across from the Leverett Post Office. For more information, call Claudia Gere 259-1741.
Free Guinea Pig + supplies (cage, house, water bottle, food dispenser, etc....). He's about 3 years old, healthy. Needs a new family who can offer him more time and attention. His current family is distracted by a new, crazy dog. If interested call Sarah (413) 540-3839
Project WILD
Professional Development Workshop For Educators of Students in Grades K-12
Presented by: Dawn Marvin Ward & Kathy Richards
Date: Saturday December 5, 2015 Time: 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Location: Millers River Environmental Center 100 Main St. Athol, MA
Phone: (978) 248-9491 Website: atholbirdclub.org
Cost of Workshop: $15 per person
Pre-registration required: Dawn Marvin Ward [email protected] or (413) 367-9562
Registration deadline: November 24, 2015
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to receive training in this award winning, interdisciplinary nationally recognized program! It is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school. The program emphasizes terrestrial and aquatic wildlife because of their intrinsic, ecological value, as well as their role in teaching how ecosystems function. Through the use of balanced curriculum materials and professional training workshops, Project WILD accomplishes its goal of developing awareness, knowledge, skills and commitment.
Workshop participants will receive a copy of the guide and a certificate of completion. This hands-on workshop has applications for school teachers, scout leaders, camp counselors, nature center staff, home educators, after care teachers, etc.
Project WILD is sponsored in the state by The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife www.masswildlife.org
Dear Leverett Parents,
Thanks to the generous contributions of Leverett families, we raised $80 for the Montague Public Library!
Thank you to those who contributed! If you would like to send a donation directly to the library, the address is:
Montague Public Libraries
Carnegie Library Branch 201 Avenue "A" Turners Falls, MA 01376
