Happy Vacation Week!

Happy THURSDAY!

It is absolutely amazing to me that when we get back from the spring vacation, we will have 38 more school days left of this year. This year seems to have absolutely flown by! Where did the time go? Does anyone else feel the same way? I am still trying to get over the shock of registering my own daughter for Kindergarten and my son for driver's ed!

We will be completing our peanut butter, granola bar and hard candy collection when we get back from vacation and Mrs. Larkin will be starting her Band-Aid and sticker brigade to help Hasbro put smiles on the faces of children in their care. Thank you to everyone for participating and encouraging your children to help others, it makes a big difference.

As we turn the corner, it will be time to consider springtime safety. A reminder that flip-flops and dressy "heeled" shoes are not permitted. Wearing secure fitting shoes (no open backs) will help prevent falls and injuries at school. Also, playground equipment does get very hot, students should not be wearing short shorts, mini-skirts or tops revealing the midriff or spaghetti straps. Thank  you so much for your help in preventing falls and injuries at school. The safety of children is our top priority!

Save the date for our upcoming Art/Music night on May 12th. Mrs. Ray is looking for a couple of parent volunteers to help her hang the art work on Monday, May 12th. If you are available to help her, please contact Mrs. Ray directly at amie_ray@ewg.k12.ri.us

Are you looking for a few ideas for next week for a "Staycation"? Check out the Providence Children's Museum and the events calendar for some spectacular ways to spend time with your children. http://www.childrenmuseum.org/calendar.asp

On Wednesday of this week, I had the opportunity to do an activity that I read about in a new book I am reading: Bullying Hurts/ Teaching Kindness Through Read Alouds and Guided Conversations by Lester Laminack and Reba Wadsworth

Students listed to the author Mem Fox read the book "Whoever you are"

 http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=wherever+you+are++mem+fox+youtube&FORM=VIRE1&adlt=strict#view=detail&mid=46739C34F957E2C10A8246739C34F957E2C10A82

This was the backdrop for a great discussion on how alike we all are in so many ways. The story emphasized how we all smile the same and laugh the same...no matter where in the world we are. Students then had the opportunity to design bumper stickers with a partner with a message they want the "whole world" to see as a result of the story they heard.  They were really engaged during this activity laying the foundation for acceptance and empathy. Here are a few examples:

We hope you got the notice about the Earth Day Recycle Museum. We are looking forward to seeing your creations when you return from vacation! Remember this is an optional family activity. Participation is not required, it is just for fun:)

We will be celebrating Earth Day here on April 30 with a special presentation by the Toe Jam Puppet Band! We are so excited to have them coming here to our school!!! http://www.toejampuppetband.com/

Finally, wishing you all a vacation week filled with joy and happiness. We will miss all of you and look forward to the return and the last 38 days of the year!!!

Respectfully,
Melissa Marino

Good Afternoon,

An important reminder that the EXETER-WEST GREENWICH REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT ALL-DAY REFERENDUM 2014 - 2015 FOR THE

SCHOOL OPERATIONS BUDGET WILL TAKE PLACE ON MONDAY,

APRIL 14, 2014 FROM 7:00 A.M. TO 8 P.M.  

EXETER VOTERS VOTE AT EXETER TOWN HALL 675 TEN ROD ROAD  

WEST GREENWICH VOTERS VOTE AT WEST GREENWICH TOWN HALL

280 VICTORY HIGHWAY WEST GREENWICH

Please consider bringing a canned good to donate to the local food pantry.

Please see the following information about the upcoming Common Core Informational Session:

The Exeter/West Greenwich Regional School District invites you to an informational session sponsored by the Rhode Island Department of Education in partnership with PCG Education about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Please join us to learn more about how EWG is helping students to succeed.

Purpose of Event:

The Exeter/West Greenwich Regional School District would like

to help parents and the community to understand what the CCSS

are and what they mean for our students and our classrooms.

When: Tuesday, April 15th, 7:00-8:15 PM

Where: Exeter/West Greenwich Senior High School Reading Celebration

We are very excited about the generous donations of Peanut Butter, Hard Candy and Coffee. We will continue to collect these items until the end of the month of April. This will be our final collection for the year. Thank you to all of you who have donated.

Check out this wonderful article that of course I discovered through Twitter!

How to raise happy #kids, according to science: nature.ly/PTRPnU

I hope you will find it interesting! Lots of great thoughts!

See the note from Sue Curry, our school psychologist, she is planning to offer a parent workshop but would like your feedback on topics. I will attach her form to the email version of this blog for your consideration. Please send your form back to the main office and we will be sure she gets your responses.

I just want to give a shout out to the administrative assistants in the office. Patty and Karen are truly the secret ingredient to our well-oiled machine. They would simply do anything to make sure our students are safe and cared for. They have their own fan club who stop by daily to find out if they will be outside at recess time. They make so many things happen behind the scenes….. Administrative Professionals Day is “scheduled” for the Wednesday during vacation so I wanted to thank them, blog style, so you all know how important they are to Wawaloam (although you probably already knew!).

Enjoy the weekend and the signs of spring! Take a minute to notice the crocus buds and the daffodils! There are Spring events everywhere! I am hoping to get to the Zoo on Sunday!!

Respectfully,

Melissa Marino

Greetings!

Our Reading Celebration is off to a great start. It has been amazing to see all of the unique and creative ways students are sharing the joy of READING! We have already had quite a few BINGO cards submitted to the office. We are looking forward to seeing how many students will earn Free Popcorn to celebrate their tremendous efforts! Keep up the great ideas, we can’t wait to see what next week brings! There is so much creativity around hereJ

I hope everyone is considering what they might create for the Earth Day Recycle Projects. Save those items that look like they could be transformed! We will send notice about these projects home next week. We hope you enjoy these family projects as much as we do!!

Thank you for the donations of Peanut Butter, Hard Candy and Granola Bars! Our bins are filling up quickly!! This collection will continue throughout the month of April. The Peanut Butter will go to our local food banks and the Granola Bars and Hard Candy will be shipped to those serving our Country.

We are very excited about our new blog format! The number of views is increasing with each passing week! We hope you feel well informed. We try to share little tidbits that help you feel connected to what is happening here. We are busy bees!!

I also want to let you know that I pass a lot of information along through Twitter in case you are interested. I am @MelissaMarino9 if you search for me. There is a mix of what teachers might want to peruse and resources for families. This has been an outstanding resource! To sign up for an account you simply go to Twitter.com to make an account and it is free. I find it to be an express version of having access to resources.

Have a fun time if you are planning to go to the Boys Choice event this weekend! Nothing can possibly compare to a bunch of boys at a bowling alley!

Another reminder, Spring Picture Day will be held here on Wednesday, April 9.

Thank you so much for your help with the toy population. We all agree that this has made SUCH a difference. We have restocked our recess shed with brand new jump ropes, balls, bubbles, Velcro games, foam discs and more….there should be plenty to do without items from home. We really appreciate your support and understanding.

This week, we distributed T-Shirts that were created especially for our school from the Feinstein Foundation to students in grades 1 and 2. We will get them to Kindergarten next week. During our Wednesday meeting, we talked about ways to show kindness since we were going to be receiving these shirts. Each student also was given a BLANK Thank you card and asked to write a thank you note to anyone they wanted thanking them for something they did that made a difference….so far, I have had teachers and students happy to have received a note of thanks this week. Did any make it home? I am curious! You can respond right to this blog if you would like!

I encourage you to consider attending the Common Core State Standards Information Session sponsored by the RI Department of Education in Partnership with PCG education.  The purpose of the session is to help parents and community members understand what the Common Core State Standards are and what they mean for our students and our classrooms. This will be held on Tuesday, April 15, 2014 in the EWG Senior High Auditorium from 7:00-8:15. For more information, you may contact our Director of Curriculum, Dr. Marie Ahern at 397-5125 ext. 12. You can also learn more about this transition at www.ride.ri.gov/Transition-CCSS

A message from Mrs. Ray:

Dear Parents,

 I was able to buy clay with the profit we made from your Artsonia purchases! A great big thank you!  First grade will be using cloud clay so the mess is minimal.

Second grade will be using air dry clay. We have to paint it with acrylic paints which are permanent if it gets on clothing. Please remind your second graders to "dress for a mess" on art day.

Art work makes great mothers and Father's Day presents so don't forget to visit artsonia again: www.artsonia.com  Thanks for your continued support.

Mrs. Ray

Have a great weekend! Hope to see you at the PTA meeting on Thursday at 6:30 at Wawaloam. You can come even if you have never been to a PTA meeting, the more the merrier and they are serious about snacks!!!

Sincerely,

Melissa Marino

 

We decided to bring some signs of Spring into our hallway this week! 

Friday News and Updates from Wawaloam School

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday to All!

A reminder once again of the Common Core Informational Session on April 15th, from 7-8:15 PM in the HS auditorium.  Here is the link to take you to a more detailed flyer about this event:  http://bit.ly/1fpPjvT

Kindergarten Families:

Here is an update from Melissa Cohen (school librarian) and Sue Curry (school psychologist) and Tonia Algiere (intern) from our PBIS Team!

Our PBIS program has been helping our kindergarten students learn the

importance of developing strategies to manage our feelings. We have enjoyed

songs, games, and activities to introduce and reinforce these strategies.

The children enjoyed hearing the book Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses

by James Dean and Kimberly Dean. Listed below are other books you may

want to read at home with your child that foster discussion about feelings.

● Pete the Cat: Rocking in My New School Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin

● Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by James Dean

● When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang

● Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis

and Laura Cornell

● My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss

Thank you PTA for another amazing Free Book Giveaway event this week! The students were all so excited about their new book- what a great kickoff before we host our Reading celebration here at Wawaloam School!

Reading Celebration: By now you may have received our “Bingo Card”. This is not intended to cause any stress at home. We want this to be a fun way to show your enthusiasm toward reading! Do whatever you can- we hope you will try to come up with 5 ways between now and April 11 to show your love for reading. For grades 1 and 2, try to get a Bingo! Kindergarten, pick any 5 activities!

Mark your cards at home together with your child. When they get a “Bingo” have them return their card to the office for a popcorn pass for Friday, April 11.  Hopefully, this gives you more planning time and a slower pace to try to complete all of your activities J

*Earth Day Recycle Projects save those items that look like they could be transformed!  More information coming home soon!

Thank you to all of you who have been helping us collect Peanut Butter for our local food shelters and Hard Candy and Granola Bars for those serving for our county. We are off to a great start! Please consider helping with your donation. The kids LOVE having something to drop in the bin!!  

*Child Outreach Screenings are taking place at Lineham School for all 3, 4 and 5 year olds. Call 397-3771 for your appointment today.

The Head Start Program is enrolling for the 2014-2015 program year at  centers located in: Charlestown, South Kingstown, North Kingstown, and Westerly

Your family may be eligible for this FREE program if: -You reside in NK, Exeter, SK, Westerly, Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton or Narragansett -You meet the Head Start income Guidelines -Your preschooler is between the ages of 3 & 5 -You are receiving FIP or SSI, are homeless, or your preschooler is a foster child

They provide Health and Dental screenings, Nutritious breakfast and lunch daily Classroom Socialization & Educational Activities, Family Engagement: Volunteer and Training Opportunities, Services to children with Special Needs & Severe Disabilities, Tools to help children and families succeed and Transportation Resources. You can call their Main Office today to schedule an appointment & give your family a HEAD START! 789-3016 ext 307

Netwalking! I would also like to pass along information about a new community resource activity called Netwalking. Have you heard about this? I have participated with my daughter a few times and absolutely love the opportunity to take the time to walk with other families and observe and comment on our amazing surroundings.

She is geared up and ready for the April Vacation! Maybe I will see some of you participating! Here is her message:

During Spring Break, April 21-25, I will be leading my Family Netwalking Adventure series again. 77 children and their parents participated with me last Spring, and we had a great time! Visit my CALENDAR page for details.  You can access the calendar from this menu on this page.

http://www.netwalkri.com/HANDS-ON_LEARNING.html

This week I read a brand new book to students in Grades 1 and 2- Ask them about it! It was called Going Places by Peter and Paul Reynolds. Students had the opportunity to share something they would LIKE to get good at and try to think about the steps they would need to take to get good! My favorite response was from the student who wants to get good at Roller skating. Step 1: Beg mom and dad to take me to the Rollerskating place…… XOXO

This conversation flowed into our School Improvement Meeting afterschool. We are working as a faculty to shift to the “Growth Mindset”. There is a powerful 10 minute video that defines this concept. If you would like to learn about what we are working on, here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc&safe=active

If we could pass along one way to foster this mindset in your child, consider asking them the following questions at the end of their day: What did you learn today? What did you try hard at today? & What mistake did you make that taught you something?

We will keep you posted on our progress as a Professional Learning Community!

Sharing a link that had all of our students dancing their way into school this morning: https://getschooled.com/top-5/top-five-best-covers-of-happy

Don’t forget to consider following me on Twitter, there is such opportunity for learning through the endless resources that are out there! I always try to pass along great Tweets for parents! https://twitter.com/ @MelissaMarino9 

Enjoy the weekend!

Melissa Marino

Spring is here! Friday Updates

Happy Spring!

Happy Outdoor Recess!!  

Thank you to everyone for helping the easy adjustment to our new PM Pick-Up routine. It could not have gone any smoother. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we always prioritize the safety of students.

We hope those of you who attended Family Math Night at Metcalf yesterday had a great time! A very special thank you to Mrs. Kilday for organizing this event! Additionally, thank you to the teachers and our Director of Curriculum who volunteered their time to set up and organize for the event.

Again, EWG will host an informational session for parents and community members about the Common Core State Standards. Representatives from RIDE and PCG Education will be the presenters on April 15th, from 7-8:15 PM, in the High School auditorium. For more information contact Dr. Marie Ahern, Curriculum Director at 397-5125 ext. 12.

Wawaloam School will be holding a reading celebration during the first two weeks of April (March 31-April 11). We are changing the “usual” weeklong list of events to a student choice card where they will have the chance to make a BINGO on the card of choices. Once students have completed the row of their choice, we will celebrate with FREE POPCORN for students who bring their card back to school with your signature verifying that they completed 5 items. Our hope is that this will make it easier than remembering a specific day and event and will give students a creative choice in how they participate in the celebration. *Cards will come home at the end of next week.

*Information about our Earth Day Recycle Project Museum will be coming home before the April Vacation. Our “museum” will be on display April 28-May 2. Save those items that look like they could be transformed!

I am passing along information regarding RI Kids Consignment Sale. The event will take place at the West Warwick Civic Center from April 3-6 during the day.

For the month of April, we will hold our last “Good Deeds” collection of the 13-14 school year. We will be collecting items to help those “near and far”:

We are looking for sealed jars of Peanut Butter to assist our local food banks (Near and Local) and hard candy and granola/power bars that we will ship to soldiers (Far Away) *Recently we learned that these items are in the top 10 requested list and ship easily. Please drop these off in the main office.

Mrs. Larkin is looking for clean boys and girls sweatpants and underwear in good condition for the occasional need in her office. All donations can be dropped off in the main office. (Thank you!)

Finally, There is an Autism Awareness Puzzle-athon @ Metcalf, Saturday March 22nd @ 1:00pm. ALL proceeds benefit the EWG Special Education department. Consider showing your support to troop 1353 as they take action and host this educational puzzle-athon to increase Autism Awareness and earn their Bronze Award! Way to go Girls!!

Have a tremendous weekend!

Melissa Marino

Friday Updates Wawaloam 3/14

Good Afternoon,

Hope you are all having a great week. Another beautiful Saturday is in the forecastJ  We had a pretty busy week here at Wawaloam~

On Wednesday, a group of students from the Green School came by to present an assembly to Grades 1 and 2 on Healthy Food Choices as part of a Senior Project. The students played a “jeopardy” game and watched a short video based on the book, “Is Your Hair Made of Donuts” by Joy Feldman. Our students were completely engaged by their influential message. It was wonderful to see these role models share the importance to make healthy choices and exercises. Wawaloam students were invited to write thank you notes or draw pictures about what they learned if interested. Be sure they remember to drop these off to me in the office and I will pass them along to our new community friends.

If you would like more information: 

www.thepictureofchildrenshealth.org 

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to observe the Healthy Sandwich Competition at Metcalf School. This event was sponsored by our food service company, Sodexo. This was very well attended and it was great to see some “old” friends conjuring up their masterpieces. The pride was evident, but most important they were having SO much fun!!!

I enjoy my walkthrough of the whole building, but this week I was especially inspired by displays of kindness and empathy in kindergarten. Within a 20 minute span of time in 3 classes I observed at least 6 students making choices to help each other without being asked, this makes my heart feel so good! Be sure to compliment your Kindergarten student this weekend!

If you do not have any plans this weekend, consider attending the EWG High School Production of Beauty and the Beast at HS this weekend. I am planning to bring my daughter, Juliette on Sunday at 2:00. There is also a show tonight and tomorrow night at 7:00 PM. We are looking forward to it!

Our new parent pick-up routine will begin this Thursday, hopefully you have been reading about this and know the new plan. We sent notices home today with students. Call us if you have any questions regarding this change.

Thank you to all of you who helped us have such a successful book fair.  I think the volunteers had as much fun as the students attending. We appreciate your time so much! Don’t forget the Family Book Fair tonight at Metcalf from 6-7 PM.

Also, Family Math Night will be held at Metcalf for Grades 1 and 2 this Thursday night. 5:30-7:30

A parent passed along this cool contest, the deadline is THIS THURSDAY. There are scholarship opportunities! If you are interested, check it out:

http://www.google.com/doodle4google/index.html

EWG will host an informational session for parents and community members about the Common Core State Standards. Representatives from RIDE and PCG Education will be the presenters on April 15th, from 7-8:15 PM, in the High School auditorium. For more information contact Dr. Marie Ahern, Curriculum Director at 397-5125 ext. 12.

Finally, Girls Softball Season Registration is Open. If interested go to www.ewggirlssoftball.com Sanjay Pande is the President of the organization.

Enjoy the weekend and make it memorable,

Melissa Marino

Lots of countdowns this week: 

4 Days until the Family Book Fair Night! 

10 Days until our new end of day parent pickup procedures. 

10 Days until the 1st day of Spring! 

Trying out a new blog site.....let us know what you think!