Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 THE WASHINGTON POST Important Phone Numbers Mrs. Karen Gray Principal b59kgray@manchesterct.gov Interim Principals Mr. Roland Axelson b57raxel@manchesterct.gov Mr. Mike Saimond b25msaim@manchesterct.gov (860 647-3333 Mrs. Joan Charnas Assistant Principal (860) 647-3336 b21jchar@manchesterct.gov Ms. Nicole Lewoc Social Worker (860) 647-5018 Carla Trovato Secretary (860) 647-3332 Ms. Mindy Olson Nurse (860) 647-3334 Cafeteria (860) 647-3338 Attendance Line (860) 647-3332 After School Program (860) 647-6973 Scott Aiken PTA President PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE from Interim Principals Mike Saimond & Roland Axelson Dear Parents and Guardians, Please be aware that there will be no school on Tuesday November 5th due to teacher professional development and voting. There will also be no school on Monday, November 11th due to Veteran’s day. There will be a shortened day (1:17 dismissal) on Wednesday, November 27th and no school on Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th. Shortened days (1:17 dismissal) for Parent/Teacher conferences are also scheduled for Tuesday December3rd, Wednesday December 4th and Thursday December 5th. The Washington School Governance Council had their first meeting on Tuesday October 22nd and is off to a great start. The next meeting of the Washington School Governance Council is scheduled for Tuesday November 19th at 6:00 p.m. in the tutor room. Everyone is welcome to attend and observe the meeting. The replacement of the ceilings and lights in rooms 3, 5, 6, 8 and 16 has been completed. The rooms15, 17, and 18 will be done by Friday, November 15th. The weather has been fantastic so far this fall. We have all watched the foliage change to the wonderful colors we are so used to seeing this time of year. The leaves have been falling and it is time to rake them together for the annual leaf collection/harvest. Raking leaves is a great family activity. The next full moon is November 17th. A quick look outside at the full moon as a family can bring up wonderful discussions. Please enjoy what is left of the fall season, as winter winds and all they bring will be visiting us soon. Please remember, Daylight Savings Time ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday November 3rd. Please turn your clocks back one hour. We want everyone to arrive at school on time on Monday, November 4th! Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 Do you struggle helping your child with math homework? Second and First Grade teachers are looking for parents who want to learn how to help their child at home with math homework. You will learn the strategies and mathematical practices teachers use in the classroom. The workshop includes a quick presentation, handy handouts, and hands-on teacher directed lessons. A light dinner and babysitting will be provided. If you are interested, please complete the bottom portion and return to your child’s teacher. Further information will be sent home with your child at a later date. What: Parent Math Workshop Where: Washington Elementary School When: November 14, 2013 Who: **Parents of students in grade 1 and 2 Time: 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. **After-school students will be picked up by the babysitters and brought to a designated area for a light dinner and activity. ____ Yes, I am interested in attending Parent’s Name:_______________________ Phone #:____________________________ Child’s Name:____________________________________ After School Program? Yes or No Teacher’s name:_______________________________________ Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 November Good Deed Doers Nehamyah Briscoe, Saniyah Otero, Tristan Alayon, Tyler Waterman, Tayshaun Parkman, Carlee Warren, Noel Getachew, Logan Robbins, Noah Getachew, Foster Flynn, Joseph Millette, Luis Madera, Jaylah Robinson, Daunte Ayala, Sophia Piktelis & Jazmine Noble. This month’s art kit was presented to Daunte Ayala! Congratulations to you all! Keep up the good work and remember YOU can get caught doing the right thing too! Students of the Month Kindergarten ~ Antwon Miller, Rome Baxter, Brian Truong, & Caleb Croteau-Schenck 1 st Grade ~ Ti’Nya Millette, Vivian Truong, Mya Patino & Alicia Gomes 2 nd Grade ~ Jovan Davis, Brookelyn Askew & Na’Zariyah DeLemos 3 rd Grade ~ Jesse Phasouk, Kylynn Monts & Adrian Cortes 4 th Grade ~ Tashianna Black, Kaiden Flynn & Derek West 5 th Grade ~ Ryan Garcia, Olyvia Adom & Nevaeh Gabourel Remember, YOU can be Student of the Month in your classroom too! Washington Scholars who are Safe, Smart and Respectful are always eligible to be Student of the Month. Congratulations to all of October honorees and good luck in November! Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 21st Century CCLC After School Program After School Program will be closed on November 5, 11, 27, 28, and 29. For those of you who missed our Family Art Night, please make sure you sign up for Family Fitness Night with Mr. Phillips – coming in January. GOBBLE GOBBLE!!! ~Andrea Clarke 2nd Grade News Students in Miss Fitzgerald and Mrs. Farrell’s class investigated pumpkins! They pulled out the “guts” and seeds, used describing words, made estimates about the pumpkin weight, and MORE! Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 News From Media Center These are a few of Mrs. Dehm’s favorite reading apps for iphones or ipads: Kindergarten – Letter School Grade 1 – I Like Books Grade 2 – Reading Comprehension Second Grade Grade 3 – Reading Comprehension Social Studies for 3rd Grade Grade 4 – Reading Comprehension Animals Grades 3-4 National Geographic Weird But True Grade 5 – Reading Comprehension Solar System National Geographic Just Joking Also, this is a website with more app suggestions: http://athome.readinghorizons.com/community/blog/top-ten-reading-apps-forchildren/ FRC News ~ Mrs. Turnquest Wednesday, November 6 – Infant/Toddler playgroup 10 – 11 Thursday, November 7 – Preschool playgroup 10 - 11 Friday, November 8 – 2nd grade lunch bunch (Asst. Supt. Amy Radikas joining us) 12:05 – 12:40 Tuesday, November 12 – Childcare Provider Appreciation Dinner 6 – 7:30 pm Wednesday, November 13 – Infant/Toddler playgroup 10 – 11 Thursday, November 14 – Preschool playgroup 10 -11 Monday, November 18 – After school 5th grade teambuilding program 3:30 – 4:30 Wednesday, November 20 – Infant/Toddler playgroup 10 – 11 Thursday, November 21 – Preschool playgroup 10 -11 Friday, November 22 – Early Head Start Book Club 10 – 11:30 Monday, November 25 – After School 5th Grade teambuilding program 3:30 – 4:30 Tuesday, November 26 – 1st grade lunch bunch (State Rep. Jason Rojas joining us) 11:5 – 12:25 Tuesday November 26 – FRC Department Meeting 1 – 3 in the FRC Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 Reading Together…How to Read with Your Child Becoming a successful reader and developing a love of reading begins in the home. Here are some fun ways you can help your child become a lifelong reader by sharing reading together. • Book Choice — Give your children the power of choice by taking them to the library to get their own library card and let them choose books to sign out, make a trip to buy some books at a local bookstore, or let them pick books from a school book flyer or book fair. Research shows that when children are allowed to choose their own books they are more interested in reading. • Make Books Special — Turn reading time into an event at home by creating special places to read, a favorite chair, tucked into bed at nighttime, or under a homemade tent. Create a special place for your children to keep their books, a spot on a bookshelf or in a basket. • Family Reading Time — Have a time during the day when the whole family reads together either their own books or one book to share aloud together. Begin with shorter amounts of time 10-15 minutes to work into busy schedules and work up to longer amounts of time 30-60 minutes as it becomes a family habit like watching a favorite TV show at a certain time. • Take Turns Reading — Read books together sentence by sentence, page by page, or chapter by chapter depending on the reading ability of your child. If the book has lots of dialogue pick a character part and read, even changing voices to sound like the characters for added excitement. • Talk About Books — Remember to stop while reading a book and talk about what is going on in the text. Ask deeper questions like, “Why do you think Junebug did that?” “What would you do next if you were Junebug? Why?” “Why do you think the author used the word curious to describe Junebug?” Remember that promoting a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere is key to helping your child become a good reader. Next month I’ll share tips on helping your child develop his/her expressive oral language. Happy Reading! Dr. Fiano Reading Consultant Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 2013 Cross Country Challenge Congratulations to all students who participated in the 2013 Manchester Cross Country Challenge for Grades K-5 at Manchester High School. It was a wonderful day for all Washington students and for the following individual accomplishments: Medal Winners: Place 4-5 Boys 15th COLLIN DEMO Place Grade 1Boys Place Grade 1 Girls 15th FOSTER FLYNN 3rd SKYLA GABOUREL And a special congratulations to the Grade 1 Girls team who won 3rd place overall at the race. The team included the following students: Place 1 - Girls 3 - SKYLA GABOUREL, 22 - CARLEE WARREN, 23 - JASMINE NOBLE, 24 - ALICIA GOMES, & 35 - KARINA VARGAS Great job to the rest of these students who came out to run for the Washington Stars. PLACE K Boys PLACE 2-3 BOYS PLACE 4-5 BOYS 23 CAYDEN CAPLETTE 22 GEIGEL MENDEZ 37 ARION HAYES PLACE 35 JARUS PHILIPPE-COLE 45 Jaylen Gomes 1 Boys 26 MASON MALDONADO 107 NOAH GETACHEW 66 CHASE JOHNSON 45 LUIS MADERA 122 KALEB ELIAS 75 ERIN STRONG PLACE 2-3 GIRLS PLACE 4-5 GIRLS 96 QIYEN PHILIPPE-COLE 33 SANIYAH OTERO 66 ANGELEENA WARREN 97 THOMAS MAXWELL 82 ANGELICA REYES 69 AMAYA HENDRICKS 98 NOEL GETACHEW 95 AIYANA MOORE 92 KAIDEN FLYNN 100 DAVID DURANT 115 HILLARY BENITEZ 122 KRYSTINE PAGAN 128 KY’LYNN MONTS 132 ANEEA JOINER 46 ANTHONY AMARAL 101 NEVEAH GABOUREL 113 TREY THOMPSON Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 Library Programs Story time Sign-up Manchester Public Library’s Late Fall Story time session will begin on November 4th, 2013 and will run through December 14th, 2013. Sign-up for the season begins October 28th for Manchester residents and October 30th for non-residents. There are programs for children from birth through 6th grade and all the programs are free. Age specific programs for infants, one year olds, two year olds, three to five year olds and elementary age children require registration. Drop-in programs for all ages are also offered each week during the session and do not require pre-registration. For more information or to register, call Mary Cheney Library at 860-645-0577 or Whiton Memorial Branch Library at 860-643-6892. Locations: Mary Cheney Library, 586 Main St., Manchester, CT 06040 Whiton Memorial Branch Library, 100 North Main St., Manchester, CT 06042 Potty Training Boot Camp Tuesday, November 12th, 2013, 6:30-8 pm. Parents will learn how to help their child transition from diapers to the potty chair in a manner that will be fun and easy. Pre-registration and space is limited to 30 participants. Please note this free program is for adults only. For more information or to register, call 860-645-0577. Location: Mary Cheney Library Building, 586 Main St., Manchester, CT 06040 Leila and the Nutmegs – This book club will take place on Tuesday, November 19th from 3:454:45pm at Mary Cheney Library. Children in 4th to 6th grade will discuss one of the Nutmeg nominees and do a related activity. The book for this month is The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer and you must read the book to participate. Snacks will be provided. Registration is required – please call 860-645-0577 to register. Location: Mary Cheney Library Building, 586 Main St., Manchester, CT 06040 Silkworms Parent-Child Book Club – This month’s meeting will take place on Saturday, November 23rd from 2:30-3:30pm at Mary Cheney Library. This program is for children in 2nd to 4th grade ad a parent. The book for this month is Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo and both child and parent must read the book to participate. No siblings please. Snacks will be provided. Registration is required –please call 860-645-0577 to register. Location Mary Cheney Library Building, 586 Main St., Manchester, CT 06040 Read to Xiahna The Dog – Saturday, November 2nd between 2-3pm. This program is for children in 3rd through 5th grade and requires registration. Space is limited so please call the children’s department at 860-645-0577 to reserve a spot. Location: Mary Cheney Library Building – 586 Main St., Manchester, CT 06040 Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 Greetings from 21st Century After School Program! There are still slots available in every grade EXCEPT 3rd which is full. After School fee is based on what a student pays for lunch. Any questions, please call Mr. Hassan at 860-539-5221 – between 3:30 – 6p.m. Community Conversation Manchester Community College has received a grant to host a community conversation on “How should we nurture children to be healthy and make better choices?” Being a parent has never been more difficult! As you are well aware, the national rate of childhood obesity is on the rise. Children spend little time engaged in creative play and physical activity, but spend a countless number of hours on the computer or watching television. Children often lack basic nutrition and at times adequate medical care and supervision. Through this conversation we hope to both support and improve access to information for parents. We are trying to get parents along with community members to participate in a “Community Conversation on Saturday, November 30th from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The conversation will be held at MCC on Main, located at 903 Main Street, Manchester. We will be hosting a light brunch for all participants. Children are welcomed to come and will be provided with festive holiday activities as well as supervision. Please consider this opportunity to help your children, other families and educators in the community! If you are interested in this project or wish further information please contact Charlotte Etier at Cetier@mcc.commnet.edu or please call Charlotte at 860-519-6607. Respectfully, Susan Van Ness, Associate Professor Early Childhood Education 860-512-2683 MaryJo Archambault, Program Coordinator Therapeutic Recreation & Disability Specialist 860-512-2708 Karen Gray ~ Principal Nov. 2013 Important Dates To Remember November 4th – Photo Retakes 9:30 – 10:30 November 5th – No School – Election Day November 11th – No School- Veterans Day November 14th – Parent Math Workshop Grade 1 & 2 5:30 – 6:15 pm November 14th – PTA Meeting 6:30 – 7:30 pm November 22nd – Sports Team Day November 27th – Early Dismissal 1:17 pm November 28th & 29th – No School – Thanksgiving Recess