September 12, 2014
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Monday, September 15
Broadband Information Meeting – 7 p.m.
Tuesday, September 16
Dining for Dollars at Bertucci’s
Friday, September 26
All-School Assembly – 2:15 p.m.
Monday, October 6
School Committee Meeting – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 8
Open House – 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Monday, October 13
Columbus Day – NO SCHOOL
~~~~~~~~~~
Letter from the Leverett School Committee
The last goodbyes at camp, the last campfire extinguished, the last dip in the ocean, no more late sleep ins, the summer is past. But in its wake new images emerge, ones of young boys and girls rushing to catch buses, backpacks hurtling behind them, games played on the playground, new friends, hello to old friends, teachers busily preparing their rooms for opening day, and the new principal greeting those same youngsters at the school house door. And as with children, teachers, staff and administrators the Leverett School Committee has tossed aside its summer of relaxation to attend the business of overseeing the little red school house on Montague Road.
The School Committee met for the first time this new school year this past Monday. Our agendas tend to be somewhat predictable in their structure, but not necessarily in the direction that discussion, conversation, debate and dialogue take. There are minutes to approve, policy decisions to be made, information on enrollment and personnel to be presented. This month we voted on the Family Handbook and home schooling requests.
At the request of the Sustainability Subcommittee we discussed but reached no conclusion at this time on the issue of considering the creation of a five year budget plan that would look to reduce costs over that time period. Members were not convinced that we are in a position to move in that direction at this time. Members felt that more information is needed in order to make an informed and thoughtful decision. We did agree that it would be useful as a first step to have the SC chair attend meetings of the School Council and the PTO.
Principal Lacey has agreed to lay the groundwork for that over the course of the next few weeks. There were also discussions regarding the many building maintenance matters that had to be dealt with over the summer. We hope to have more information to share after the October meeting. And, of course, we had very, very preliminary talks regarding the fact that we will begin to discuss the FY16 budget in October.
Finally, and perhaps most important, the Committee discussed at length how to respond to the state’s movement towards replacing the MCAS standardized test with a new test, PARCC. In brief, there are three issues that members are to consider: first, their position on standardized testing; two, which of the two tests would they favor, if either; and, three, what, if any, response should be forthcoming from the SC. We have all pledged to do our due diligence in researching all matters pertaining to this very important educational topic. We urge you to do the same and recommend these two websites for your consideration:
www.doe.mass.edu/mcas
and
www.parcconline.org.
Also, we welcome your thoughts and opinions on these issues and encourage you to contact any and all members of the SC to share those views. This is a topic that will engage our attention for some time to come.
Until next month, the first Monday of the month at 6:00pm in the library, enjoy the early signs of fall and bask in the enthusiasm of young people growing, developing and learning about their world.
Respectfully,
Kip Fonsh, Chair
IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE
"This math is heart-attacking me”
So said my niece, at the age of six, while doing her first grade homework. There are many adults who may have the same feeling when faced with challenging or new information.
At LES, we are continually seeking new ways to help struggling learners or to stretch the curriculum when children are ready for more advanced material. One way that we are doing that this year is with Khan Academy. This program, which is free to all users, gives both children and adults the opportunity to practice and reinforce old skills and to learn new ones. There is a video component that gives brief lessons when the information is new, or when the user needs some help.
I’ve used Khan Academy myself over the summer to reinforce some long forgotten components of algebra, but the offerings range from math to medicine! You will be receiving a permission slip, which Khan Academy requires, to allow your child to access the program. This will also give the child an account that can be used at home.
Nothing can replace people, however. Parent volunteers, whether it is in the classroom or with the PTO, are an essential element in supporting learning here at LES. In particular, I am looking for two parents who would like to fill seats on the LES School Council. Massachusetts law requires that every public school have a School Council. The School Council assists the building principal in developing the School Improvement Plan, reviewing the budget, and identifying other needs of the school. Its members represent staff, parents, and the community. An election must be held, even if the number of candidates is equal to the number of seats. This will take place on the evening of Open House (October 8th).
Please consider offering an evening each month to help LES!
- Margot Lacey
SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
HANDBOOK & DIRECTORY
Today, the youngest LES child in each family will bring home two important school publications, the School Handbook and the All School Directory. The School Handbook contains extensive and hopefully comprehensive information about how our school works. It also serves as the official notification to parents/guardians of the school’s attendance, immunization, discipline, and bullying policies. Parent’s rights and responsibilities are clearly outlined in the handbook. Stapled to the cover is a “Parent Sign-Off” sheet that needs to be completed by every family and returned to school. This serves as a record that parents and guardians have been informed of school policies. Please take the time to read the whole publication and then put it in a spot in your home where it can be referenced when necessary. Then complete the Sign-Off sheet and return it to your child’s teacher.
The All School Directory contains annotated class lists that include addresses, phone numbers, and parents’ names. In the back of the book there is a list of email addresses that parents have provided. This book is for your use in arranging play-dates, birthday parties and all the other fun activities of a young LES student’s life. Parents gave their permission to have their personal information included in the directory and this information is to be used for school related needs only. Please respect our families’ privacy by not sharing information with folks not in the LES community.
TERRA NOVA TESTING
Students in Grades 3 through 6 will take the Terra Nova tests over the next few weeks. These tests are comprehensive measures of student achievement in reading and math. Our students’ performance is measured against their grade peers all across the USA. These tests are sent to the publisher to be scored and will be returned to us in time to share with parents at the fall Parent/Teacher conferences. Students in Grade 6 will take the tests next week. The schedule for testing is listed below. All of the testing will take place in the morning, so please be sure your child gets to school on time. Thank you.
Grade 6 September 15, 16, 17
Grade 4 September 22, 23, 24
Grade 5 September 29, 30, and October 1
Grade 3 October 6, 7, 8
Upcoming Preschool Assessments
Beginning on Wednesday, September 17, 2014, all preschool students will be screened in the areas of Language, Concepts and Motor Skills using the screening tool, the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL-4). Ruth Love Barer, classroom teacher, Karen Gallagher, Speech Language Pathologist and Marianne Vinal, Occupational Therapist, will be administering the assessment, which generally takes about 20-30 minutes. Ruth Love will be in touch with individual preschool parents if there are any significant concerns. This screening assessment will give the classroom teacher valuable information in these three areas, which will help guide her teaching of your child.
ERVING SCHOOL UNION #28
COORDINATED PROGRAM REVIEW
State education officials will visit Leverett Elementary School for a program review during the week of October 20, 2014.
During the routine visit, Special Education, Civil Rights, and English Learner Education programs will be evaluated to verify compliance with state and federal requirements.
The officials will interview administrators, teachers and staff, survey parents, and observe instructional spaces.
Anyone wishing to be interviewed by the officials regarding any of the areas of review should call the Superintendent’s 0ffice at (413) 423-3337, no later than October 6th. They may also call the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at (413) 314-6702. The interviews will take place within two weeks of completion of the onsite visit.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC LESSONS
A letter and registration form from Brian Bender, our Instrumental Music teacher, announcing the start of this year’s program, was attached to last week’s Post. This program is offered to students in Grades 3 - 6. It is a fee-based program and lessons take place after school in the music room on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays. If you have any questions about the program, please contact Brian at [email protected]. If you need another registration form, please call Marilyn at 548-9144.
TOO MANY FRIDAY POSTS?
If your family is getting more copies of the Post than you need, please call Marilyn at 548-9144 or e-mail [email protected], and let me know which of your children should bring home the Post. Thanks!
PTO NEWS
Leverett Community Interview of the Week
Liza Pobebezinskaya
Sixth Grade
What do you like to do outside of school?
I like to read and play tennis with my brother.
What are you looking forward to this year?
Getting good grades and going on the sixth grade trip.
PTO Update
The focus at this month’s PTO meeting was on events and fundraising. The three events we are hoping to organize are: a Games Night, Math & Science Night, an Ice Skating Event and a Day of Service. Fundraising plans are to continue with monthly Deans Beans orders (see form attached – DUE MONDAY), host four Bertucci evenings (there’s one coming up on Tuesday, September 16th!), have a Genivieve’s wrapping paper sale for the month of October, and look into a quilt design and raffle event.
We also need someone who might be interested in changing the outside message board on a regular basis. This person would have a prearranged time to check in with Marilyn each week and find out if anything needs to be changed. Please let Marilyn know if you are available to help with this.
As always we welcome new ideas and new members to PTO. Contact Jo-Ann Konieczny ([email protected]) if you would like to help with any of these events or would like to propose another idea.
SUBSTITUTES
SCHOOL UNION #28
(Erving, Leverett, Shutesbury and Swift River Schools) is increasing its pool for
SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS (Music, PE, and Art), AIDES and RN’s
All grades Pre-K – 6
Please visit our website at www.union28.org for a substitute application and CORI form and send with a resume to:
BettyLou Mallet
ERVING SCHOOL UNION #28
18 Pleasant Street
Erving, MA 01344
(413) 423-3337
[email protected]
~ EOE ~
~~~~~~~~~~
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
(Items listed here are not school sponsored)
Piano Studio of Daphne Bye: Daphne teaches piano out of her home in Montague Center. She specializes in helping children learn quickly which, in turn, feeds their momentum and joy of learning. Ask her about her integrative approach to Suzuki education that creates strong musicians who love the process, read well, and play beautifully. Ages five and up.
DESE and Suzuki certified, with degrees in both piano and music education from McGill University, Daphne has over 30 years of joyful experience teaching piano. Reserve a spot now for this coming school year:[email protected] 413-834-0597
Mucho Gusto Spanish with Laurie Davidson: New classes this fall for older children and new locations! Please visit
www.muchogustospanish.com for full fall schedule
•for ages 0-5 Songs, circle games, creative movement, stories
•for ages 6-8 Games, stories, drama, poems, songs, art projects, and bookmaking
•for ages 9-11 All of the above with emphasis on conversational Spanish and literacy.
For more info or to register, email Laurie at [email protected] or call 413-367-9608
New classes:
Tuesdays at Artspace in Greenfield, Sept. 9 – Nov. 18
3:30-4:15 for ages 9-11
4:30-5:15 for ages 6-8
Wednesdays at Second Chances Kids' Consignment Shop in Amherst, Sept. 17 – Nov. 19
9:15-9:50 and 10:00-10:35 for ages 0-5 with caregiver
10:45-11:25 for ages 3-5 with caregiver
Friday afterschool in Amherst, location TBA
new group forming - email Laurie for more info
Fine Art Photography: ELLIOTTO The Leverett Crafts and Arts center is pleased to sponsor the Massachusetts photographic debut of Elliotto, presenting: Americana: Essence & Architecture. The exhibit opens Sunday, 9/14, and runs until 9/28. The hours are Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6:00 pm and Weekdays, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. 10% of all purchases by School parents will be donated to the school.
Big, beautiful, organic fall raspberries - $4/pint. Please call Portia at 548-9737.
Traveling Rubarb Circus: Former Leverett students Lucia Mason, Jackson Blaine, and Bella Lattanzi are in this circus production, along with a bunch of other kids. Their circus troupe is completely led by kids between the ages of 8 and 17, and they do it all!
You've waited a year and now it's here! Tickets are now available for the The Traveling Rhubarb Circus' 2014 show, Look! This year we will use fabric, trapeze, floor acrobatics and a brand new lyra to illustrate the story of the stars and Cassiopeia's stolen crown! Tickets Now Available for Look! At the Montague Mini-Mart.
When?
Friday September 12 -- 6:30 PM, Saturday September 13 -- 3:00 PM, Saturday September 13 -- 6:30 PM, Sunday September 14 -- 3:00 PM
Where? 2 North Street, Montague, MA 01351
Tickets won't last long so get 'em while they're hot!
Enrolling now! At TheCenter in Amherst, children spin stories from movement using classical and modern dance techniques. Sister duo Ashley and Caddy Carlisle combine their years of dance training with a special approach to teaching that gets kids reading, writing and dancing; connecting, collaborating and creating. It’s a holistic approach to dance. Classes beginning on September 18 for children ages 5 through 14, in downtown Amherst. For more information, visitwww.thecenterdance.com or email [email protected].
The Fall session of Herbal Girls will begin soon for Fifth and Sixth Grade Girls. We have fun learning wild edibles, foraging and making delicious treats, making herbal medicines and other herbal products. A highlight of this session will be dying wool with natural dyes and making a felted bag. Wednesdays afterschool dates are September 17, 24, October 1,15 and possibly the 22nd if there is interest. Tuition is $35/session with a $15 materials fee for the entire package. Contact Jean Bergstrom for details and to register at [email protected] or 367-2842. Space is limited, so register soon.
The Enchanted Forest: A Non-scary Halloween Event
"Sounds of the Night" Friday & Saturday, October 24 & 25,
5:00-8:00pm. Come to the Hitchcock Center for a magical treat! You will be led along our pumpkin lit forest trails where creatures will emerge to share their stories. This year we will meet nocturnal critters whose sounds fill the night. Fun for all ages!
Adult: Members $10 / Non-members $12
Children: Members $5 / Non-members $8
Under 3 years free
Registration required, please call to sign up for a walk time, space is limited. Call: 256-6006
Responsible Leverett alum looking for after school or evening babysitting/parent helper job in the east Leverett area. Good with kids and has a flexible schedule. Willing to negotiate pay. For more information please call Gaelen Murray at 413-549-9960 or email her at [email protected].
Farmers Market & Group Tag Sale -Saturday, September 20th, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m Rain (Town Hall) or Shine (Church Lawn) Leverett Congregational Church (across from post office)
COME TO BUY: Attic treasures, household goods and more,
baked goods, preserves, & fresh local produce
COME TO SELL: Claim Your Own Tag Sale Space, 12’ x 12’ for $10. Lots of room, NO reservations needed.
Call for more info: Nancy Paulin, 413-548-9644
![harvest festival harvest festival](https://cdnsm5-ss5.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_3147859/Image/Karin/Website/Friday%20Post/Screen%20Shot%202014-09-12%20at%2012.20.51%20PM.png)
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![bertuccis bertuccis](https://cdnsm5-ss5.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_3147859/Image/Karin/Website/Friday%20Post/Screen%20Shot%202014-09-12%20at%2012.22.43%20PM.png)
If you would like to put a notice in the Community Bulletin Board section of the Friday Post, please submit notices to be published no later than Thursday at noon. The easiest way to do that is by e-mail to [email protected]. Flyers for non-school sponsored events can be attached to the Post. They must contain a disclaimer “This is not a school-sponsored event” and a sufficient number of copies (125) should be provided to the office by the end of the school day on Thursday.