Happy Holidays!

What an amazing week! We hope you enjoyed all of the activity as much as we did. Thank you to all of you that came and volunteered and helped us to make all of the holiday magic happen!

Wishing you all a joyous and magical holiday break! Looking forward to seeing you all in 2017!
A special thank you to Rick Rheinberger (GRINCH) for his annual trip to Wawaloam School to read The Grinch Who Stole Christmas!

In closing, I just want to say how fortunate I am to lead this school.The smiles, the laughter, and the joy infiltrate our hearts every single day. Enjoy the time off together.

Respectfully,
Melissa Marino #ewgrsd

*Please take a moment to read the Superintendent's newest blog post by following the link below:

http://erinakes.blogspot.com/

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

​URI Water Safety Instructor Training link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjQkttNi1uSmtFRTA/view

URI Lifeguard Training link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjOFBwYUJNbkNZR1U/view

ATTENTION PARENTS OF PRESCHOOL AGE CHILDREN The Family and Consumer Science Department at Exeter-West Greenwich Senior High School in conjunction with the Child Development classes will be offering a 12-week preschool experience for 3, 4 and 5 year olds from February 27th to May 25th, 2017. High school students will plan and operate the preschool experience under the guidance of Linda Sawicki; Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher. The program will be run from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM, every Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Class size will be limited to 12 children and enrollment will be on a first come basis. Children must be potty trained (no pull-ups) at the time of registration. The total cost of the program will be $70.00 to cover snacks and supplies. Payment is due on the first day of preschool. Any questions should be addressed to Linda Sawicki at Linda_Sawicki@ewg.k12.ri.us. Once again this year we will be using an online registration form. To access the online registration type the following link into your web browser.

 https://goo.gl/B3rsSo

Week ending December 16th, 2016

On Thursday, I had the opportunity to invite Nurse Larkin to the Kindergarten meeting to share the "cough spot" presentation with our students. On an annual basis, for the past several years, we have spent the time reviewing the benefit of coughing into your elbow (instead of your hand) as a method of preventing the spreading of germs.  For more information :Cough Spot 

Caution: Your Kindergartener may have come home and told you that Mrs. Larkin showed them her elbow tattoos and that I sneezed on them! Rest assured, this is all part of the collaborative presentation we have been working on together for the past 4 years!  Mrs. Larkin has very convincing "stuffed animal" germs and we use a handful of pom-poms to show what it would look like if you could actually SEE the germs when someone sneezes/coughs!  I hide the pompoms in my hands and fake sneeze toward Mrs. Larkin and all of the colorful pom-poms go FLYING! This is all part of the student engagement process. Did they mention any of this to you? We would LOVE to know if you heard about this! 

The Cough Spot Tattoo (on Nurse Larkin)

Obviously, we do not want children who are sick to come to school, but we want to do whatever we can to prevent as many absences as possible! The statistics that show the difference it makes when students miss just a couple of days per month are vitally important to consider when you make the decision to keep a child home from school. The following link will provide you with some interesting facts about the significance of attendance and what you can do at home to avoid chronic absenteeism from school.

*We will be recognizing children who have missed one day or less during each quarter with a certificate of congratulations. 

Parent Information Regarding Attendance 

Attendance Works is a national and state initiative that promotes better policy and practice around school attendance. We promote tracking chronic absence data for each student beginning in kindergarten, or ideally earlier, and partnering with families and community agencies to intervene when poor attendance is a problem for students or schools. DID YOU KNOW? • Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school. • Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read. • Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks. • Being late to school may lead to poor attendance. • Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit now so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and at work. 10 Facts About School Attendance Worth Thinking About TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20th WHOLE SCHOOL PAJAMA DAY AT WAWALOAM SCHOOL Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!  Melissa Marino  @MelissaMarino9   #ewgrsd COMMUNITY NEWS *CLASS OF 2019 BREAKFAST WITH SANTA EVENT CANCELED Unfortunately the Breakfast with Santa event scheduled for Saturday, December 17th has been canceled due to lack of ticket sales.

Week Ending December 9th

                                     

                                  Bwana Iguana Visits Wawaloam Kindergarten Students

       


A very special "Thank You" to Mr. Alan Shawn Feinstein for making it possible to have a visit this week from Bwana Iguana for our Kindergarten students. The show included seeing an array of turtles, lizards, and snakes and learning new information about these fascinating reptiles! Check it out! Bwana Iguana

Did you know that tomorrow (12/10) from 1-3 you can ice skate for free at the Boss Arena if you bring an unwrapped new toy for a child. If you have never gone, consider trying it out. They have special little carts that new ice skaters can use to help them keep their balance on the ice. Once you get over the workout involved with getting everyone laced up and on the ice, it is a blast!

There are still about 40 tickets left for the EWGPTA Polar Express event! If you are interested, you can contact Tami DePietro at jd340@cox.net.  She would need your child's name and the number of people in your group.
Children are invited to wear PJs, bring blankets and they will be serving hot chocolate and cookies!

Check out this link for a few suggestions as we get closer to the holiday celebrations.
Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday
My favorite? #4 Remember why you are doing this. Ask yourself why you celebrate certain holidays. If this task or that errand doesn't contribute something meaningful to your celebration, cross it off your list. Chances are no one will notice that it’s missing.

I will end this week with a special picture that exemplifies the mindset here at Wawaloam: Mr. Greenberg, our Elementary School Social Worker happened to be wearing a yellow and black vest today. I told him I liked his bee vest! I told him he needed to wear the antennae headband. I asked him if I could take a picture, he didn't even blink. We decided he should stand next to the Bee Kind poster in the office. 

The people who work here make such a difference every day! They would do anything for your children! Just look at this picture and you will agree! 

COMMUNITY NEWS YOU CAN USE 

~EWG Class of 2019 Breakfast with Santa Fundraiser~

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjVS1hR2xGQ3hGN3I5VnVyLW1DNkxkbjNrU3Iw/view

EWG Knights Youth Football & Cheer - Informational Flyer Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjU19qdXUxZ21iZWs/view

Week ending December 2, 2016

HOLIDAY BAZAAR

On behalf of the PTA, please come to the Holiday Bazaar this Saturday, December 3 from 9-3 at Metcalf School. There will be over 50 vendors, a cafeteria serving breakfast and lunch; and photos with Santa. We hope to see you there, and thanks for your support. I will be there in the Kids Shopping Area from 12:30-2:30 PM! 

Did you know that on the first Sunday in December each year, Sweenor's Chocolates in Wakefield opens their candy-making workshop to the public so you and your children can watch as their "elves" roll and twist candy canes into shape the old-fashioned way.  From experience, I will assure you it is an event to consider this weekend! 

The holiday open house is scheduled for this Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., Wakefield, RI, store at 21 Charles St. For a map of the area, Click Here.

Sweenor’s Chocolates looks forward to seeing you!

No matter how you spend your weekend, I would encourage you to take the time to truly enjoy the moments you spend together with your family. Think about not using the words, "hurry up", and just love the fact that our children sometimes simply need to take their time. Try to forget about agendas and deadlines and breathe as you watch the wonder and merriment that is such a special bonus to this time of year. They say there is joy and wonder EVERYWHERE when you look through the eyes of a child. 

Peace, 

Melissa Marino  

                                               COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS 

 

~EWG Class of 2019 Breakfast with Santa Fundraiser~

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjVS1hR2xGQ3hGN3I5VnVyLW1DNkxkbjNrU3Iw/view

EWG Boys Lacrosse Fundraiser - Informational Flyer Link:

  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjb2Nqb3REUGtLNVk/view

EWG Knights Youth Football & Cheer - Informational Flyer Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjU19qdXUxZ21iZWs/view​

"Bee" Thankful

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you! We have so much to be thankful for! Personally, I am thankful every single day that I have the good fortune to walk through the halls of Wawaloam School. I am honored to lead teachers who are so devoted and dedicated to their students. 

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the gratitude we feel and personally serves as a reminder that there are so many good and positive happenings if we take the time to look for these and truly notice. I noticed what could only be described as a small mountain of food that came in for our holiday drive. Our families are so generous and kind, we are most THANKFUL! We cherish all of you!

Important Reminder: NO SCHOOL Wednesday, November 23-Friday November 25.

PICTURE DAY was held this week on Wednesday, what a great job all of our students did with waiting SO patiently for their turn! The pictures will be in within a couple of weeks. We will have a picture make-up day scheduled soon in the event that you are unhappy with the pictures or if your child was absent from school on Wednesday. 


MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

In addition to the move to full-day kindergarten, our district has experienced a dramatic increase in enrollment at the elementary level over the past few years. As a result, we have been monitoring enrollment trends and our school's space capacity. 

We are currently in the process of reviewing our needs and exploring potential changes to the grade structure at each of our schools, including the possible (probable) move of grade two to Metcalf Elementary School and the possible move of grade 6 to the Junior High School. Including grade six as part of our middle school (JHS) also has significant programmatic benefits. 

These changes may be implemented as early as next school year. Stay tuned for further details on our progress, and watch for surveys as we work to gather information from parents to assist us with our planning.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, I heard we may even see some flurries! 

Melissa Marino  @MelissaMarino9

Week ending October 28 at Wawaloam School

SCHOOL SPIRIT??? 

Thank you to everyone who sent in a carved pumpkin for the magnificent display in front of our school!

We can't wait to drive by and see them at night over the weekend.  Everyone who came in the building mentioned the pumpkins!

We hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween on Monday. Just a friendly reminder, please leave costumes and candy at home to ensure a safe and healthy day at school.

*If you would like to send a few pictures of your children in their costumes, I will print them and hang them up in the hallway, we do know how much they LOVE this fun holiday! 

We do have an ongoing food collection for our local food pantries. 

Send your non-perishables in with your little ones between now and Thanksgiving.

There is a NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN AT METCALF SCHOOL.  You will see a separate email from Wawaloam today to ensure that this information is communicated for the November 1st plan of action. Thank you for reviewing the new plan for safety at METCALF SCHOOL.  We know there are many of you with children in both schools and who use the YMCA so we are spreading the word!

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A special thank you to Mrs. C. who visited from Ocean State Transit and talked with us about School Bus Safety!

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

LACROSSE NEWS LINK

http://s3.amazonaws.com/EWGRSDweb/contentweb/CommunityAnnouncements/2016%20Indoor%20Lacrosse%20Flyer%20SL.pdf

TOMORROW AT THE EXETER LIBRARY FROM 11:00 -2:00 

Hoping to see many students from EWG at this wonderful event! We are so happy that the Washington County Coalition for Children decided to add a space in Exeter this year! We will be "chalking up" the sidewalk all around the playground! You can come for an hour or stay the whole time! 

Community Announcements

 EWG Lacrosse Car Wash Fundraiser: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjOXNvVGdmdzlwTFU/view

EWG Class of 2019 Mattress Fundraiser) in your weekly newsletter to parents for the next few weeks.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjMG1OLXlOc21qODA/view

Hockey Team Fundraiser 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SShHJTJjZjR1ZvWE9Md0xQWEE/view