Lots of helpful information this week!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Know that your child's health, safety and well being are priorities at Wawaloam School. We continue to encourage frequent hand washing, covering coughs, good nutrition, fresh air, exercise, etc. but recognize that our population is young and learning to master these healthy behaviors. Increased illness at this time of the year is to be expected. Working together, we hope to minimize the amount of illness so our students can be in school, feeling well, and ready to learn and excel at Wawaloam School. Mrs. Larkin and I have been reflecting on information that we feel may be helpful now that we are encountering increased illness. She has shared information that we wanted to pass along so that we can stay as healthy as possible:

Despite our continuous efforts to decrease the spread of illness, this is the time of the year when students seem more likely to become sick. Complicating this year is the report that the flu vaccine has not been as effective as was hoped. In school, the most common recent complaints have been: stomach aches, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, sore throats, ear aches, vomiting, and developing fevers.

This is a reminder that while attendance is very important, it is also very important that your child feels well enough to be in school for the day with his/her classmates and ready to learn. If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or higher, has vomited, has a headache not relieved by an over-the-counter analgesic, a severe persistent sore throat or earache, nausea or stomach ache unrelieved by eating, going to the bathroom  and/or an antacid, it is advised that your child remain at home with a responsible caretaker. Please contact your physician for medical advise if needed. I can be reached at 295-8802 if you have any questions or are unsure if your child should come to school, or wish to discuss your child's health.

As a review, students should remain out of school for 24 hours fever free without the use of analgesics before returning to school. Students who vomit should be able to eat solid foods without further vomiting for at least a day before returning to school. Students with persistent headaches, sore throats, earaches should be evaluated by their physician to determine if medication should be ordered to relieve their symptoms. If your child is brought to the physician, it is advisable to obtain a doctor's note that he/she has been examined. This will document the reason for your child's absence, if prolonged, from school. Students who are prescribed an antibiotic, must take the antibiotic for 24 hours to be noncontagious and able to return to school.

During this time of higher than normal illness, to limit unnecessary exposure to ill students in the health office waiting to be picked up, I have requested that staff continue to use health office passes to send ill/injured students to the health office and to limit the visits of students whose complaints are minor and can be handled in the classroom. For example, during the winter months, having chapped lips is a big distraction for many students. If able, you may send in a lip moisturizer with your child's initials for their personal use.

Please note that during the winter months, unless the temperature, including wind chill, is below 20 degrees, or inclement weather, students spend approximately 15 minutes outside to enjoy fresh air, exercise and sunshine. Please mark all belongings with their initials to avoid items becoming part of our growing lost and found bin. If your child is missing a piece of winter clothing, please encourage him/her to check this bin or send us an email describing the missing item and we will gladly check for you.
If your child is in need of a winter coat, or clothing, please let me know. I frequently receive donations of gently used items to pass on to our students.

 

Thank you so much Mrs Larkin! We certainly appreciate all of these reminders! 



Additional information that we want to share is that we are extending the Flash Food Drive from this week until Monday. Please try to send in one item.  Mr. Feinstein has announced that he will donate 1.00 per item up to $1000.00 to all schools who participate. As of now, we seem to have about 400 items. Anything you can send in is appreciated. 

Don't forget about the Math Workshop next Wednesday at Wawaloam School from 9:15-10:45 AM. This is on the Common Core Math and Tools to Support Instruction at Home and Mrs. Kilday will be the presenter. She can offer this at additional times as well if there is interest. Please let us know. 

Hoping you all have an outstanding weekend and that you are ready for some Superbowl action!! 

Sincerely, 
Melissa Marino

PS- Here is a GREAT site to check out with your child about Groundhog Day which is on Monday, February 2, 2015!  http://www.groundhog.org/

PSS - 100th day of school is now on February 6 (NEXT FRIDAY) we will accept your 100th day of school projects throughout the entire week next week! We already have some AWESOME creations!! 

January 23 Wawaloam Updates

Dear Wawaloam School Community, 

It seems as though we may be forced to deal with some true winter weather over the weekend and maybe into next week too! WJAR Channel 10 says: A coastal storm may come closer to the area than previously expected for Saturday and Saturday night. Right now specifics are cloudy but there is a chance of accumulating snow for SOME as well as a chance of rain mixing in with the snow at times closer to the coast. Must be time to dig out the sleds and snowpants! Speaking of which, we do try to make every effort to get your children outside for recess. We do feel that it is very important to get hearts pumping and bodies moving! The link below stresses the importance of getting outside to play:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/why-kids-should-play-outside-even-in-extreme-cold-pediatrician-1.2516872

However, at times it actually is TOO cold to do this and we have been creative on some of those days. We have been using the gonoodle.com website and there are actually 15 minute links that are called INDOOR RECESS. We have to set some safety parameters for these days but overall, all of the kids who have recess at that time come down to the cafeteria and spread out and follow the movement prompts to the music while watching the screen. Have your children mentioned this? They seem to be having a GREAT time when it is taking place! 

Another great idea for an indoor activity: Family Bingo event this Sunday, from 1-3 pm in the Metcalf cafeteria. We've got about 50 families signed up but have room for more, so walk-ins are welcome. Just $10 per family includes two hours of BINGO (everyone wins a prize!) and refreshments. We'll also have a raffle with great prizes like a $20 gift card to Christmas Tree Shop. 

BJ's Membership Fundraiser - The PTA's annual BJ's fundraiser starts today and runs until Friday, February 6th. Fliers and enrollment forms are coming home today with your child. Did you know that your friends and family outside the EWG community can participate as well? Send them to the PTA web site (https://sites.google.com/site/exeterwestgreenwichpta/bj-s-fundraiser) where they can download the enrollment form. You can do a new membership or a renewal, and the PTA receives $5 for every membership. The PTA thanks you for your support!

We are going to be having a FLASH FOOD DRIVE FOR ONE WEEK ONLY NEXT WEEK JANUARY 26-30. Alan Shawn Feinstein has invited schools to participate in this challenge and we are taking it on! He will donate 1.00 for every item we receive next week up to $1000.00 Put this on your calendar, please send in at least one canned food item next week! We will try to send additional reminders out as well and if we get enough participation, we will plan another special assembly for our school! 

A message about the EWG Girls softball winter clinic. It is a great introduction for the little ones to see if they are interested in softball and also great exercise during the winter. It is reasonably priced and is geared toward the younger girls. If you are interested, this link will take you to their website: www.ewggirlssoftball.com 

Don't forget to check out what is going on at your local library! I know that Shannon at Louttit Library and Diane at Exeter Library are always planning great events for children and families. In fact, I noticed on the Exeter Library Calendar there is a FROZEN party coming up on Saturday January 31 Shannon from Louttit asked me to share this information with you:
Relax and Read With a Dog Saturdays January 31 & February 28 10:30am-11:30am A local 4H group will be here with their dogs for children to read to. This program is great for struggling and new readers to read to dogs in a non-stressful environment. Children can sign up for 15 minute sessions. Please call the library or come in to register. Open to children in Pre-K through 4th grade.  Lego Club Thursdays  6-7pm  January 8, 22, February 5, 26, March 5, 26 What do we do at Lego club? Lego club is free play for an hour with the library’s  collection of Legos~We hope to see you there!

One more upcoming event I want to mention briefly this week is that we are going to be having a SPORTS EQUIPMENT RESALE EVENT. Do you have cleats that no longer fit? Outgrown equipment? Football helmets? Bats? Gloves? Outdoor games? Hobbies that have fizzled (snowshoes, tennis raquets, yoga mats?  Stuff that you have no use for taking up space in the garage? Please consider sending these items in to Wawaloam School. We will be saving all of your donations for a special event in March called "Bee A Good Sport". All of the proceeds will be used to support our PE program at Wawaloam School! Bee on the lookout for more detailed information coming soon! 

           What a FUN idea!                My children enjoying the snow last year!

Have a terrific weekend everyone! 

Sincerely, 

Melissa Marino

P.S.  Have you placed your orders for Girl Scout Cookies? 

Happy New Year~Happy Winter Wonderland

Dear Families,

I am beginning to understand the whole idea of hibernation after this week of a true dose of winter chill. For the record, I am not a fan of cold, snow, ice or wind (no matter how many times I have been exposed to the movie Frozen). Trying to stay positive, I forced myself to think of 10 things that make me happy that are connected to the cold weather. Here they are: warm pajamas, fleece blankets, a fireplace that is crackling, homemade soup, winter boots, rosy cheeks, Yawgoo Valley, baking cookies, football season and fresh fallen snow that looks like glitter. Please feel free to add to my list, maybe hearing your additions will change my perspective:)

Obviously, we did not go outside for recess this week but if we see temperatures and wind chills that are acceptable, plan on outdoor time next week. This means students should come to school with warm coats, boots, hats, gloves etc.  I am sure we will hear cheers of joy and jubilation when we can finally allow outside recess.

Did any of your Kindergarten children mention the book we read this week together called Tattle Tongue?? This provided a GREAT explanation of the difference between tattling and telling and the rules for Tattling! 1. Be a Danger Ranger 2. Be a Problem Solver 3. Now or Later 4. Mind your own "Bees"wax  If you are interested, ask your Kindergartener about this!

Thank you to the PTA for a great meeting last night. In spite of the frigid temperatures, we had a great turn out and lots of ideas were shared! One promise I made was to mention that the PTA will gladly accept donations for Upcoming PTA Event Raffles! They will be happy to accept items you received over the holidays for gifts that you might not need and would be willing to donate. These could include but are not limited to: Frames, Gift Cards, Accessories, Stationary, Games, Home Decor, Soaps, Candy, Costume Jewelry, etc. etc. etc. Simply send your donations in to Metcalf or Wawaloam and leave for PTA :)

Speaking of donations, we are in the process of sending 18 packages to troops stationed in Spain, Italy, Iraq and Africa thanks to all of you! This was a great community project and we should be very proud of our Wawaloam efforts to think about and help others.


A quick reminder about the Parent Math Workshop scheduled for this coming Tuesday from 6-7:30 PM at METCALF on Alternative Algorithms. Many times we will hear "they do not teach math the way I use to learn" and Mrs. Kilday has a great parent session planned to help you support the instruction that takes place in the classroom at home! She is hoping for a great turn out!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend- I will be wearing warm pajamas, covered in blankets, eating soup, listening to the crackling fire while routing for the Patriots!

Warmly,
Melissa Marino

Simplify

Dear Wawaloam School Community,

It is that time of year, holiday shopping and running back and forth and everywhere. Hoping that during all of the hustle and bustle you are carving out the most important thing, time together with your family. I am on a personal mission to worry less about "getting it all done", my plan is to look for ways to simplify while increasing the number of opportunities to spend time together.

The thing is, there is not a magic wand or secret code to make this happen. You have to really analyze the day (the week) and think about ways this can happen. I have learned that the crock pot works as a lifesaver in our house. If I can plan the meal in the morning, when we get back from all of the errands and events from the day, dinner is done. If the schedules are different, the food stays hot and there is less stress involved......and it makes the whole house smell delicious!

Another crazy little lifesaver is using paper plates and cups during the week. First off, I want to say that I HATE THEM.....but it makes for a super quick clean up and increases time to spend together at night. I am sure this is not great for the environment.....but I am using less water because I am not doing dishes....or running the dishwasher......that has to count for something!

This weekend, we are making cookies. My husband and son are probably (definitely) not interested. My plan is to do this with my daughter while the Patriots game is on TV. This will put all of us in the same room while we are accomplishing one of my favorite holiday activities. I actually checked the game schedule and planned the time for making the cookies. This is what I mean by analyzing ways to make this happen.

Do you have any special time saving tricks you can share? I know our Wawaloam Community would love if you would share your own ideas with us! I will post your thoughts if you send me an email or respond to this blog. Let's help each other to simplify!

Next week, December 16th is the last day to turn in your Cards for a Cause orders for the year. I also know that if you add an extra 1.00 or 10.00 all proceeds are being used to purchase gift cards for the local food banks....something to consider.

By now you have probably seen the permission slip for our upcoming whole school field trip to the movies on December 23! We are all very excited about this opportunity to do something so special for our troops, our heroes!

We have already seen some of the items: socks, playing cards and hard candies! Thank you for reinforcing our community project at home and for your support. We can also thank Mr. Feinstein for the funds we will use for our school wide celebration of performing a good deed for others.

I also want to encourage you at home to check out the website called  GoNoodle.com  You can sign on and make a quick account and it is FREE!  On this site you can find many ways to get your children moving, especially on days when it is bitter cold and outside play time is limited. Mrs. Corcoran's class uses this pretty consistently. I have used this during indoor recess with our students and they loved it (well, except for the boys when I played the Frozen song, "Let it Go"). I am sure you can find a few family favorites and it might even become a special part of your routine together!

I asked 3 students to share their holiday wishes and received the following responses: 

Anthony B. "A New Bike!"

Owen S.   "A Video Camera!"

Liam W. "New Pokemon Cards!"

Hoping you all have a weekend filled with lots of time together.  My daughter is in a Holiday Dance Show on Saturday! 

Enjoy~
Melissa Marino

Warm December Greetings

Dear Wawaloam Community,

Make sure you carve out some time on this Saturday to attend the Holiday Bazaar at Metcalf School. 
There you will find nearly 70 vendors with a huge variety of wares, a special kids shopping area with all gifts priced $5 or below, a Penny Social, a 50/50 raffle, Holiday Café, baked goods, and of course pictures with Santa! You will also find so many people who have put in lots of hours to pull this event all together. Don't miss out on the fun! My daughter had a wonderful time last year in the 4-H craft room with Mrs. Kilday!


This week, we had a special visit with Alan Shawn Feinstein. He brought us a message about being a hero and using your caring powers and we are working on plans for a whole school event to show what a difference we can make. More information coming soon! 

Children in Grades 1 and 2 may have told you about the journal we wrote in this week when we met together and recorded our own good deed! Students were proud to raise their hands to show which examples of good deeds they help with at home and at school! 

I have  a follow up email from Mr. Feinstein that I wanted to share with you all:

"To my friends at Wawalaom School:

What a heart-warming visit I had with your teachers and students.  Please tell them how special you all are to me.Would you please inform your Jr. Scholars that these coming weekends, December 7^th , 8^th 13^th and 14^th at Slater Park in Pawtucket between 4p.m and 8p.m – there will be a ‘Winter Wonderland’ of lights and entertainment. The Slater Park Carousel will also be running and all our Jr. Scholars showing their Jr. Scholar Card will be eligible for 4 free rides and popcorn. 

As ever,

Alan"

*As your children complete good deeds during the holiday season, we would love to hear about these and even share these examples during announcements. Please tell us through email, note to school or give us a call. 

This link will bring you to a site devoted to sharing ideas about ways to inspire kindness.

http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas

The Exeter Tree Lighting was held on Thursday night and the Grade 2 Wawaloam Chorus was invited to sing! We were happy to hear, "Jingle Bells, Rudolph and Here Comes Santa Claus!"
We even saw Santa arrive by fire truck!! 

Thank you Mrs. Scheff for working so hard with our students to put on such a cheerful show!

Hope to see many of you tomorrow at the bazaar! Enjoy the weekend and each other :)
Melissa Marino

Bee Thankful

Dear Wawaloam School Community,

Hope everyone is managing to stay warm with the surprising burst of frigid temperatures this week! Please be sure to check the forecast as we do try to get the children outside unless the temperature feels well below freezing and if they are dressed appropriately, it is so helpful. Recess is in the morning so please remind your children how important it is to put on those hats and gloves as well. Helping reinforce those habits makes things more manageable for the classroom teacher who is making sure the whole class is prepared.

If you have a preschool age child (3, 4 or 5 years old), please consider a FREE Child Outreach Screening.  The state of RI has set a goal to screen ALL children before they enter kindergarten.  Please call Robin at Lineham School at 397-3771 to schedule an appointment.  And please, share this information with your friends!

Please check out all of the amazing student art on Artsonia!! Our art teachers put your students art in a Virtual Art Museum and you can give comments to all of our budding artists! You can also compliment our awesome art teachers through this site. I am so impressed with the creativity and detail in the projects in the art classroom. Check it out, you will be amazed!  http://www.artsonia.com/museum/  All you have to do is enter Wawaloam School and you are able check out so many masterpieces! 

Thank you so much to everyone who sent in items for our food drive. It was a great success and shows students how we can all be community helpers. We had the collection of food right in the middle of the hallway for students to see how it grew and grew over the past couple of weeks!

On December 3, Mr. Alan Shawn Feinstein will visit our school for a brief visit in the morning. He will be greeting students at Wawaloam during arrival. If you can locate your Feinstein T-Shirts for those of you who have them from last year, please consider wearing yours on that day!

Check out this great picture of some of our Kindergarten friends with their "Cough Spot" tattoos! This is part of the program Nurse Larkin is piloting along with several other Kindergartens in our state this year.

This week in our grade level meeting, all students heard the story Bee Wigged thanks to the PTA approving a request for a group of books that explore the themes of friendship, kindness and a variety of topics on expectations that can be reinforced through literature. I always know when the students enjoy these stories because they applaud and have big smiles on their faces. This fun story about true friendship was a big hit with students in Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 this week!

This week, I asked 5 students the question, "What are you thankful for?"  These are the amazing answers I received:

Lila D. "My brother"

Tyler P. My Ipad I got from my dad"

Zoe G. "My friends"

Cecelia B. "My Family"

Gianluca P. "That I am a student at Wawaloam School" XOXO

With the Friday off next week, there will not be a blog posted so I would like to take this time to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving break with your family. I am thankful to be part of such an amazing place and appreciate everything you so to support the learning of your child and our incredible school community.

                                                                   BEE THANKFUL

Have a great weekend! 

Melissa Marino

@MelissaMarino9

World Kindness Day: Making a Difference in our School Community

 WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

We had the opportunity to think about World Kindness Day this week which was officially on November 13. Announcements were made to remind us how small acts can have a large impact on some one's day and in our whole grade meetings, we created little notes to leave for people in an effort to maximize joy! Perhaps some of you were recipients? 

We try to reinforce kindness EVERY DAY but we think it is pretty special that there is a whole day devoted to being kind, random acts of kindness, making kind choices and choosing kind words.

          WAWALOAM STUDENTS MAKE A SNOW/LEAF MAN EARLY THIS MORNING!


If you haven't heard, there is an upcoming presentation being put on by the EWG Partnership with Parents and the PTA. The presentation is titled: Social Responsibility/Social Networking and your Digital Footprint. A Journey into being socially responsible while using Social Media.  This is taking place at the Junior/Senior High School Auditorium from 6-8 PM on Thursday, November 20th. For more information, please contact: Catherine_Murray@ewg.k12.ri.us

Our food drive continues here at Wawaloam, our collection will continue right through the holiday season, thank you for continuing to send in non-perishable items. We have the collection right in the middle of the main hallway, students are always excited to add to this great cause!

If you are not aware, there is a President's Challenge Monthly Fitness On-line Newsletter that you can access if you are interested. It is FILLED with lots of fabulous information and resources. The theme this month is Fitness is Fun!
https://www.presidentschallenge.org/newsletter/nov-20121.html

Last week, I asked if anyone had stories to share about ways your children/family are volunteering time and making a difference. Thank you so much to Jenn Spira for sharing how Owen and Annie spent Election Day! They worked in the North Kingstown Food Pantry helping to sort and put away food collected during a local high school drive and election day drive. They were there for 2 hours that day and " had a blast!" 
 
Jenn shared some of what her kids learned: 

• even "non-perishable" food has expiration dates
• pigs love to eat expired human food (!)
• there are many different kinds of beans (black, red kidney, pink kidney, dark red kidney, garbanzo, chick peas and more!)
• many hands make light work, and even kids can make a difference
• work can be fun; and finally, 
• that many of our neighbors are in great need every day!

Thank you so much for sharing this and inspiring others! I hope other families will share too, I know there are a lot of people (including Wawaloam students) doing great things! 

DATES COMING UP:

November 17 Picture Make-up Day (Old pictures must be returned, envelopes available in office)

November 19 Parent Math Workshop Building Number Sense 6-7:30 PM at Wawaloam

November 20 Social Media Event for Parents 6-8 PM

November 27-28 Thanksgiving Recess

December 4 Exeter Tree Lighting Town Hall 6:30 PM

December 6 Holiday Bazaar at Metcalf School 9-3

CHECK OUT ALL OF THE UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE EXETER LIBRARY!
http://www.exeterpubliclibrary.org/

Have a wonderful weekend that provides you with time to enjoy each other. 

Respectfully, 
Melissa Marino
@MelissaMarino9