| September | October | November |
| December | January | February |
| March | April | May |
JUNE - Happy Summer!
The final days of the school year are upon us and we are bringing the 2008-2009 school year to a close. Many thanks to our families for your support in making this a most successful school year!
Lost & Found: We have many articles of clothing, hats, gloves and lunchboxes in our lost & found area. Parents please stop by and take a look to reclaim lost items. We will donate everything to charities after June 26.
Last Week of School Activities:
June 22, Grade 5 Field Trip
June 23, Kindergarten Graduation Celebrations
June 23, Grade 1 Insect Unit Presentation
June 24, Grade 5 Graduation Celebration
June 24, Grade 1 Field Trip
June 26, ROCK WALL ACTIVITY--please be sure all students wear their sneakers and appropriate clothing for climbing!
Class Placements.
All students have been assigned to a class for the 2009-2010 school year. Much thought and consideration went into the process of placing students.
Your child's teacher for next year will be listed on their final Report Card that will be sent home on the last day of school. (Please note that there may be staff changes within the district for the coming school year.)
We wish for all students to have a successful 2009-2010 academic year.
Field Day was a HUGE success. Students had a great time in all games planned, as did the parents who participated! Special thanks to Mr. Brown, Physical Education Teacher, who coordinated this special day for Clayville students, as well as PTO members for the purchase of Field Day T-shirts and ice cream, and to Mrs. Tait for coordinating the BMX Bike Assembly funded by SAFE. All had a great day.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADE 5 STUDENTS!
We wish you continued success at Scituate Middle School.
Work hard and make a difference. Remain committed and dedicated to your future learning. Grasp the challenges that lie ahead. Continue to be responsible and respectful.
We will miss you!
Newly Elected PTO Board Members: Congratulations! We look forward to working with Mrs. Tina Shippee, co-President, and Mrs. Jennifer Klimaj, Corresponding Secretary.
We would like to thank our outgoing PTO officers, Mrs. Lori DiMatteo and Mrs. Brandi Ross, who have donated so much of their time and effort to support our students, faculty and school!
We look forward to a new year of successes with our new board with remaining members, Juli Dexter, Randi Medici, Anne Fay and Dina Buscher.
Thank you for all your dedicated efforts in our school initiative.
Congratulations to our 2009-2010 School Bus Safety Patrol Members recently sworn in at Clayville Elementary School:
Talia Barriera, Isabella Bianchi, Tyler Carney, David Clarke, Kerrigan Champagne, Julia Cook, Clark d'Agostino, Giovanna D'Allesandro, Gretchen Darche, Sarah DiMatteo, Emily Grenier, Madison Halliday, Leah Lynch, Samuel Lynch, Laurel Marsh, Michael Nardone, Caitlyn Nicholson, Mackenzie O'Rourke, Kristen Page, Emily Plasse, Cassidie Ross, Tess Safford, Amber Shippie, Brittany Shippee, Matthew Tarnowski, Kaleigh Torres, Shannon Vanner, Parker Walsh, Kiara Wiliams.
These students have pledged to do their best to perform their duties faithfully with the bus driver and monitor on the rides to and from school.
Good Luck to all Safety Patrol Members.
APRIL - Happy Spring!
Student Placement Information
The plan for student placements will soon begin as teachers and specialists begin to consider the factors that contribute to creating classes for next year. As always, we look to balance groupings to ensure that each child be afforded the opportunity to maximize his/her potential. We hope to provide the best match between the learning style of a student and the teaching style of the instructor. Other considerations include achievement levels in reading and math, special needs of students, boy/girl ratio, social development and more. As you might imagine, much time and consideration goes into this process.
While I am continuing to offer a window of opportunity for parents to express any concerns they may have, if necessary, I have a different procedure this year for parents to follow in the placement of students.
The window for Parent/Principal Conferences is during the week of April 20-24, 2009. Please refer to the following placement procedure carefully so that you understand the parameters under which requests can be made. Requests will be considered, but none are guaranteed.
Placement procedure:
1. All placement requests must be made in conjunction with a Parent/Principal conference. Requests by phone, e-mail and/or notes will not be accepted.
2. Requests will require a good and sufficient reason for placement in one classroom as opposed to another. (Hearsay is not considered a good and sufficient reason.)
3. Since the placement process is a collaborative effort among teachers, specialists and the principal, teacher requests cannot be confidential.
4. The deadline for Parent/Principal Conferences regarding placement is April 24. Immediately after that date, placement meetings between the teachers and Principal will occur and final placements will be made.
Please be aware that the possibility of faculty changes always exists. Sometimes unanticipated openings occur during the summer that could cause teacher changes. Please know that we cannot move students due to these unexpected staff changes.
Thank you for adhering to these placement specifications. We always do our best in planning.
Parent/Teacher Organization
Clayville School is fortunate to have a very dedicated, capable and involved group of parents and teachers who together make up our PTO. The PTO sponsors special programs, after school programs, and events for the children throughout the year. Nomination of PTO officers for the school year is underway.
Please consider becoming more actively involved in the PTO. Every lending hand makes the job that much lighter. Every voice counts.
Homework -- Homework is an important part of your child's education at Clayville School. We believe that homework is truly an extension of the classroom, providing every student with the opportunity for enhanced learning. Homework assignments are related to the curriculum and consideration is given to the developmental needs of young children. We consider reading daily to be an essential component of homework. the single most important activity essential for reading success cited by the International Reading Assoc. (1998) is to be reading to children, with children and by children. Parents are encouraged to support their children's literacy success by reading to their children and encouraging them to read on a daily basis. therefore, even when there is no homework assigned, it is our expectation that children will spend time each day reading.
Reading Week, 2009. Our Reading Week celebration began on Monday, March 30, with the "Year of Science" theme. We continue to encourage students of all ages to read across the curriculum and explore the universe.
In addition to a Scholastic Book Fair and "Camp Out with a Good Book," Ms Forge, our Reading Specialist, planned a week of activities that students participated in that included guest readers, identification of favorite book choices, book trivia and much more.
A huge "thank you" to Mrs. Pelto-DiMeo for again running the Scholastic Book Fair for students here at Clayville. This is a tremendous undertaking and Mrs. Pelto-DiMeo works tirelessly to organize this event. Thank you to parents who were able to help set-up and assist during the Fair. All our volunteer efforts are appreciated.
ATTENTION PARENTS:
With the warm weather approaching, outdoor recess is a welcome reprieve to winter indoor recesses. Please be sure that your child wears appropriate footwear to school for outdoor activities and gym classes. Flip-flops, clogs, and open-toed shoes are unsafe when students are playing in the mulched area of the playground, running in the field, on the hardtop and/or in grassy areas. Thank you for supporting this request.
Our School Store is open every Friday during first and second recesses. Students are invited to purchase small items with proceeds contributing to school events and assemblies. Most items are $ .25 and no more than $1.00. I would like to extend a special thank you to Mrs. Tait for running the school store this year.
REPORT CARDS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED ON APRIL 27. (An extension of the third quarter has been made to our four snow days.)
A special welcome to our newest Clayville students and their families:
Cassandra, Grade 3M
Jennifer & Tina, grades 1F and 2A
Hanna, Grade 2L
Cian, Collin & Caleb, Grades 1F, 2L and 4M
Welcome to our Clayville School Family!
Welcome Back from Winter Break!
With spring right around the corner, it can be hard to keep children focused on learning. Here are simple ideas to help make school a top priority:
1. Make attendance job #1 - Let your youngsters know that school is important by keeping them home only when sick, scheduling appointments after school hours, and arriving on time. If possible, take family vacations during school breaks.
2. Show you care by talking about school activities and special projects. Attend as many school events that you can. Be available for helping with homework - but teach children that schoolwork is their job.
3. Keep it upbeat by showing a positive attitude about your own work, which will make them feel better about their work.
(Home & School Connection)
NECAP. Results for students in grades 3, 4 and 5 were distributed to parents with the second quarter report cards. The New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) is the state assessment taken last October in the content areas of math, Reading and Writing (grade 5). These tests measure performance on grade level expectations (GLEs). Specifically, these tests are designed to measure the content and skills learned through the end of the previous grade. The results of NECAP assessments are intended to evaluate how well students are achieving the learning targets contained in the GLEs.
District Spelling Bee
The champion of the Scituate School Department Spelling Bee is Timothy Nolan, a sixth grader at the Middle School. Tim attended Clayville School for his elementary school years. Runner up is Hannah Sherring, also a Middle School student. Tim will represent our district in the Statewide Spelling Bee Competition on March 14, 2009. The state bee will be held at the North Providence High School, Mineral Spring Avenue, North Providence, RI at 9 a.m. I know you join me in wishing Tim good luck in representing our District!
Congratulations to our newly-elected Student Council Officers:
Co-Presidents David Marioano and Ian Tait
Vice President, Shea Lancaster
Co-Treasurers, Abigail Dexter and Renee Bourgault
Corresponding Sect., Jessica Santanelli
Recording Secretary, Abigail Snow
Event Coordinators, Vanessa Christiansen and Maya Sperry
The student council is busy planning many wonderful activities for our students and our school. With their support and creativity, our students will enjoy a variety of Spirit Day activities while contributing to worthy causes throughout Rhode Island.
Our student council members serve as role models to our younger students, setting examples of appropriate behavior during lunch times, recesses, after-school programs and dismissal times. Some will serve as mentors to students sharing the importance of responsible and respectful behavior and putting forth their best efforts in school.
Recently, members of the student council held their annual Carnation Flower Sale for students, faculty and staff during Valentine's week. Monies support fifth grade activities and school events. Thank you student council members. Mrs. Boutiette, teachers and parents and all that helped make this event successful!
RIF (Reading is Fundamental)
A RIF book distribution was held at Clayville for all students coordinated by parent volunteer, Mrs. Julie Pelto-DiMeo. the books were purchased through grant funds awarded by the Scituate Art Festival Grant. All students received one free book to add to their personal libraries. Thank you to the PTO for joining teaches in their efforts to promote a love of reading!
Indoor Recess
The winter weather has limited our outdoor recess time. Therefore, indoor recess activities are offered currently during our longest recess period, which is on Fridays. Student are involved in various activities of choice. These activities include movie options, craft projects, table games, jumping rope, basketball and more.
Any parent who would like to volunteer to assist in our Friday indoor recesses, please call the school at 647-4115.
ALL School Assemblies
Assemblies have been a great way for students to come together as a school family. Our assemblies provide information and offer additional avenues for providing enrichment to our programs. Assemblies are held on ce a month and vary in content. Some events to date include the Dixie land Band Performance, Len Carbrall storytelling, Character Development & Anti-Bullying, Irish Sep Dancing (upcoming) and much more. Ask your child about these events!
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2009, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Clayville School. All children who turn five years of age on or before September 1, 2009, are eligible. Notification has been sent to all families regarding this exciting event along with all other pertinent information necessary for registration purposes.
We look forward to meeting with you!
SKILL Programs. Our Skills programs are running very well! Please be reminded that you may send a snack with your child since time for a snack is provided before the start of every after-school program.
Also, I would like to share that Mrs. Gina Nicholson is another parent volunteer who spends countless ours organizing the Skills program. I inadvertently omitted her name from last month's news. I extend my thanks to Mrs. Nicholson for her efforts.
Lost & Found: We have accumulated a HUGE amount of clothing in our Lost & found area! Please check the school foyer for sweaters, coats, gloves, etc that your child may be missing.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:
March 3, Grade 5 Parent Workshop
March 14, State Spelling bee
march 16, Irish Step Dancers
March 26, Kindergarten Registration
Our Harvest Festival was a HUGE success! Students studied Colonial Times and Native American cultures and traditions and celebrated their learning with our annual Harvest Festival. Congratulations to all students and classroom teachers, Mrs. Boutiette, Mr. Gaudreau, Mrs. Gould and Mrs. Marchetti for an outstanding presentation in this end of unit celebration. Thank you also to Mrs. DeFranco, our School Nurse/Teacher, for providing authentic clothing for so many. Special thanks to parents for supporting your child in their studies, in their special projects, and for your hard work during the Saturday work day. Our museums were supported with the lending of many artifacts and the food donations from grade 5 families for our feast were much appreciated!
“The hands of many make the work light."
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High School/Middle School Renovation Project: Flyers were distributed to all families regarding the proposed Middle School/High School Renovation Project. Thank you for taking the time to review this important information in order to make an informed decision regarding the upcoming referendum vote on December 16, 2008. Also, go on line at www.scituateri.net for additional information. |
Student Council News: Clayville fifth graders will hold Student Council elections soon. Students who are eligible to run for office (meeting the required criteria of two teacher recommendations, academic good standing, leadership abilities, good citizenship practices, and consistent appropriate behavior), will run for the office of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary. Mrs. Boutiette is the facilitator of our Student Council. More information to come!
Clayville School Lunch Program Update:
A new computerized cash register system from the ARAMARK Nutrition Services Program, Point of Sales (POS), will be coming to Clayville at the start of December. Some components of the program include continuation of pre-payment on account (which can minimize the amount of money exchanged at school), computerized record of purchases made and balance of accounts, expediting speed of service and reducing wait time to enjoy lunch. Students will be using an I.D. number (to be distributed at school) and entering it into a PIN pad upon entering the lunchroom. Each student is only able to access their own account.
*Look for more information coming home from our food service company, ARAMARK.
Questions can be directed to our Food Service Director, Vito Tallarito at 647-4120 or
Tallarito-Vito@Aramark.com.
| Response to Intervention (RTI) Our school system is working very closely with the state of RI to support teaching and learning with a full circle of support, namely through the Response to Intervention (RTI) process. RTI is the practice of providing high quality instruction matched to students needs using rate of learning over time to make important educational decisions. Our teachers screen, identify and document interventions for students who are struggling in reading and use a progress monitoring assessment to determine growth based on the assessment results. *Parent participation in your child’s schoolwork and ongoing communication with teachers will continue to support an increase in achievement results. |
State House Performance:
Our Clayville Chorus students, under the leadership of Music Teacher, Mrs. Charlotte Ethier, performed at the Rhode Island State House on Monday, December 8, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. A short concert of holiday favorites was shared by our students and others throughout the State.
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Clayville Spirit Day: Student Council members organized a School Spirit Day to collect donations for Thanksgiving Food Baskets. Ms. Colvin, 3rd grade teacher and Feinstein School Coordinator, organized the distribution of food baskets. Many thanks to all for supporting our efforts to help those in need. |
Recess:
The cold weather is upon us! Please dress children with warm clothing, such as hats, gloves, and a heavy jacket so they will be comfortable at recess time. Thank you.
Reminders:
*It is important that any note sent to school be dated and signed. It is particularly important to list the person’s name who will be picking up students at the end of the day, along with the date and parent signature on the pick-up note.
*Please remember to call the school by 9:00 a.m. if your child is out of school for any reason. Calls are placed to the home to verify student absences.
*Students must be signed in to school if late. School starts at 8:45 a.m. If dropping off your child to school, arrival is after 8:15 a.m. only. Students are never allowed to enter the building unattended.
*Please note that TOYS are not permitted at school. Many students are bringing stuffed animals, hand held video games, cards, etc. in backpacks. Any toys brought to school will remain in the Principal’s office to be picked up by parents. Thank you for your support.
On
Behalf of all Clayville Faculty & Staff:We wish you a Happy Holiday and Safe Vacation
November, 2008
AlertNow
A reminder that the AlertNow Notification Service is scheduled to be in place in all Scituate Schools. This system will allow us to send a telephone and/or e-mail message to you providing important information about school events or emergencies. Information was sent home previously and we are awaiting parent contact information from all families. We hope to launch a test call on November, and go live shortly thereafter. Please be sure to return contact information to school ASAP.
Harvest Festival
Our annual Harvest Festival, originally scheduled for November 6, has been postponed to Monday, November 10. Please visit the Indian and Pilgrim settlements between 9 a.m. and Noon.
Our students are studying Colonial Times and Native American cultures and tradition, and are well-prepared to shared information with our guest visiting our Villages during this special event that celebrates their learning.
Thanks to the families who assisted our teachers and students in preparing the outdoor classrooms on two separate workdays earlier this month. The efforts of many will allow all to participate ina memorable learning experience.
Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November 18 and 20. As you know, school conferences are a wonderful way for parents and teachers to learn more about a child's strengths and needs. The key to successful conferences is two-way communication. It is a good idea to prepare some questions in advance, such as:
*What are the grade level expectations in reading, math, etc. for my child?
*What are the expectations for homework? Has my child missed assignments?
*How are my child's work habits?
*What can I do at home to help my child be more successful at school?
As a parent, you know your child better than anyone else. Good communication between home and school will help assure your child's success in school.
All School Assemblies
Each month the Clayville student body gathers together for an "All School Assembly." The assembly begins with a roll call of all classes attending, a welcome from the principal, and follows with a special presentation. Students are reminded at this time that we are a school family; and in working respectfully and responsibly together, we can attain many successes.
During our September assembly, for example, students shared in an Anti Bullying Assembly presented by Kaleidoscope Theatre. Respectful and responsible behaviors were the overarching theme.
During our October 31 assembly, Mrs. Patricia Parent, a Native American, shared information regarding the culture and traditions of Native Americans, artifacts and storytelling. This was an excellent lead in to our 4th and 5h grade sties of Colonial Times and Native Americans.
Future Assemblies are being planned with the support of our PTO!
Our Clayville School Store will be open on Fridays during recess at 12:40 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. Mrs. Lori Tait, our 5th grade parent volunteer, will support this activity with monies being used for our All School Assemblies.
Thank you to all Clayville Families for the generous donations during the October Food Drive at our Back to School Bash. Over 100 items were collected and delivered to a lcoal Food Pantry in Scituate. (All efforts were coordinated by our PTO.)
Feinstein Good Deeds Program
Clayville is a school participating in the Feinstein Good Deeds Program, coordinated by Miss BethAnn Colvin, 3rd grade teacher. This program emphasizes the importance of "Making a Difference in the Lives of Others." Our students participate by sharing good deeds each day and in special projects and activities. Some have included hosting food drives, raising money for the Scituate Animal Shelter, outerwear collections, etc.
Mrs. Alan Shawn Feinstein will be visiting our school to share his message with students soon! He also has forwarded to our school a $5,000 grant for participating in the Program to support special projects we are involved in. Watch for more information on future activities coming home soon!
Attendance: A Key to Student Success: Learning builds day by day. A child who misses a day of school misses a day of learning. Being late for school hurts a child's learning too. A student who is 10 minutes late every day will miss 30 hours of instruction during the school year.
Children can copy notes or make up an assignment, but they can never get back what is most important: The discussions, the questions, the explanations by the teacher, and the thinking that makes learning come alive.
Your child's success in school depends on having a solid, educational background -- one that can only be gained through regular school attendance. (The Parent Institute)
September/October
We are proud of the outstanding faculty and staff here at Clayville. To view a complete list of faculty members, click on the "Our Clayville Faculty" link on our homepage. This link also enables you to email classroom teachers and itinerants alike.
Our capable staff includes:
Principal: Mrs. Karen Capelli
Secretary: Mrs. Elfie Reynolds
Teachers Assistants: Mrs. Laurie Audet, Mrs. Tammy Gardner, Mrs. Nancy Hankinson, Mrs. Celeste Leveillee, Mrs. Karen Maggiacomo, Mrs. Karen Mattera, Mrs. Deborah Montanaro, Mrs. Jody Powers and Mrs. Debra Ray.
Our custodial staff includes Head Custodian, Mr. Jeff Spicer, and Mr. Ron Bonner;
Aramark Staff (Lunch program personnel) are Mrs. Kathy Blaine and Mrs. Connie Berarducci;
And our Technology specialists are Mr. Mark DiLuglio and Mr. Rick Blaine.
Please be sure to review the following pertinent information sent home recently:
Student Information Form. This form should be returned to school as soon as possible as it provides us with information in case of emergency. Please keep this information accurate and up to date.
The Student/Parent Informational Handbook. This provides you with school information and school procedures. Please sign the last page and return it to your child's teacher as soon as possible.
Free/Reduced Lunch and Breakfast/Milk forms. These afford you the opportunity to receive benefits if eligible for our food programs. Please return the application forms as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed immediately and a response returned.
Insurance Forms. These forms provide you with opportunity to purchase insurance for your child. Please return the application and payment as soon as possible.
Parent Pickup and Dismissal Procedure. Please send a note to the classroom teacher if you choose to pick up your child from school on any given day. If you are picking up your child every day, only one note is needed informing us of the daily pick-up and we will place your child's name on the list for the year.
Record the name of who will be picking up if it is someone other than a parent. Any person picking up students from school should be listed on your student information form.
Parents may enter the building through the main entrance and should wait in the cafeteria. All children will be called to the cafeteria at 2:55 p.m. for dismissal and will be seating at the cafeteria tables. Each parent will sign-out one at a time. Your child will then be dismissed to you and you can exit through the doors by the Art/Music room. Please be prepared to present a picture ID until staff members get to know parents/guardians picking up students. Our goal is to ensure the safety of all.
Thank you so much for your support.
Parent/Teacher Organization
I would like to invite all parents/guardians to participate in the many upcoming programs sponsored by Clayville School's PTO. Please join us in planning for the 2008/2009 events at our first PTO meeting. Stay tuned for the PTO Newsletter coming soon with informative information and meeting dates. I look forward to your participation in all the happenings here at Clayville!