Daisy Daily for the Week of February 25, 2019

Daisy Friends,

Hope that everyone had an amazing week last week!

I'm really looking forward to welcoming all of our staff members, students and families back to school on Monday, Feb. 25.

Here are a few notes about the upcoming week/s:

• This week features our Literacy Night (Thursday, 6:00-7:30 pm) AND Read Across America (all day Friday).  See invitation below:

• Please note that the theme is "Cozy Up and Read," and students and their families are invited to come in pajamas; staff, too!  Thanks in advance to all who are working with Diane Lewis and Kim Godfrey and the core committee to make this a fabulous event.  After reading stories in classrooms, everyone will move to the gym for the culminating event with a storyteller.  All students who attend will go home with a new book!
• "Read Across America" will take place the following day, Friday, March 1 (in honor of Dr. Seuss's Birthday) and the theme will continue with a school-wide pajama day.  Diane will send out information regarding guest readers and activities planned for Friday.
• The Board of Education Budget Workshop will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 7 pm in WHS Library.  This is a public meeting and will be very informational about next year's budget.
• PDEC Committee meets Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 3:15-4:15 pm.
• For all the events, please check our Daisy Staff Calendar for all the details of upcoming events at:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

• Please let me know anything that you'd like me to add to our Staff Calendar for the good of all.  (This includes special events/guests in your classrooms.)
• PLEASE, in the event that you need to call out sick, please remember to e-mail both Alicia and me, as well as to request a sub through Kelly Services or Delta T, so that we can plan coverage accordingly.  This is especially important for those staff members who don't require a substitute through these services.  Thank you!
• Kindergarten Team--please note:  I'd like to hold our Grade-Level Meeting on Thursday during your planning time, instead of Friday, as we have a few conflicts on Friday.

During School Vacation last week, we made a delivery of ten boxes of toys and comfort care items to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital.  Thanks so much to ALL who supported this effort!  The staff at YNHH was incredibly happy and receptive of this donation.

Just an FYI re: "Using Students as Resources" at our school.
Each Friday, I am inviting a group of fourth-grade students (a different group each week) to give me feedback, help with a project, etc.  Rather than "electing" a student council, I'm endeavoring to get all students involved in an advisory capacity, even those who might not see themselves as leaders.  So far, it has been wonderfully enlightening.  They come during lunch time and we all consider it a very important meeting.  : )

Let's make it a great week back with our students!

Warmly,

Ruth

Daisy Daily for the Week of February 11, 2019

Our students enjoyed so many wonderful activities

on Kindness Day!!!

Daisy Staff,

Thanks to all for such a great week last week!  We had a terrific Kindness Day on Monday; followed by lots of Parent/Teacher Conferences; and topped off with the Sweetheart Dance on Friday.  Thanks to all for your flexibility and for the hard work that you put into all of this, always for the good of our students!

Many thanks to all who added your talents to our "One School, One Book" Kindness Day with huge kudos to Cathy Dowler for coordinating it all!  Job well done, folks, with so much love for such a great cause!!!  : )

• Grade-Level, Leadership and Special Area Team Meetings will take place as scheduled on our calendar.
• Westbrook Board of Education Meeting is scheduled for Tues. evening, 7 pm, in the library at Westbrook High School.  This meeting with feature the budget workshop.
• A Joint Department-Based PLC Meeting will take place on Wed., from 3:15-4:15 pm, location TBA.  We will work together on EL Strategy #1.
• Our Toy Collection for Yale New Haven Childrens Hospital will come to a conclusion on Thursday, Feb. 14th.
• Third- and Fourth-Graders will participate in SBAC Interim Assessments this week, as scheduled on our Staff Calendar.
• February Vacation Week will take place Feb. 18-22.  The school office will remain open during that week, except for Monday, Feb. 18, which is a holiday for Presidents' Day.

• "Light on Westbrook" Photographic Art Show at Oxford Academy will take place on Sat., March 23, 6-8 pm,  to benefit the Summer Meals Program at Daisy.  Please mark your calendars and plan to join in this fun, worthwhile event!

As always, please check our Daisy Staff Calendar for all the details of upcoming events at:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Please let me know if you can help with the following:

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT VOLUNTEER INTO CLASSROOMS:

Marti White, of Oxford Academy,  has visited Daisy with a student from Oxford who is very interested in working with our students while using his Spanish, which is a second language for him.  He is most interested in working with EL students whose native language is Spanish and/or assisting in our Spanish classes.  He is available to come to Daisy at the following times and would be supervised by Marti White:

• Tuesdays from 10:30 am to 12 Noon

• Fridays from 9:05 to 10:00 am

Please let me know if any staff members would like to give Oxford student Bailin Pollard an opportunity to work with our students.

Thanks and let's make it a great week!

Ruth

Scenes from the "Sweetheart Dance".....

Daisy Daily for the Week of February 4, 2019

Today (Mon., Feb. 4) is the culminating event for 

"One School, One Book" Kindness Day!!!

Please remember that we are following a special schedule for the entire day, as previously e-mailed to all, with the link here:

SCHEDULE for "One School, One Book" Kindness Day, Feb. 4, 2019

We skip the "Letter Rotation Day" today and will pick up with 

"E Day"  Day on Tues., Feb. 5.

Please tune in to "Kids News" LIVE at 9:05 am today, 

to kick off this special day.  (We'll make an announcement from the office as a reminder.)

Our All-School Kindness Assembly will take place in the gym

from 2:15-2:45 pm today.  

(Please have students pack up for end of the day in advance.)

LET'S MAKE IT A WONDERFUL DAY!!!

Thanks, in advance, for everyone's flexibility today : )

Other Notes About this Week:

• We have early dismissal at 1 pm on Tues. and Thurs. for Parent/Teacher Conferences.  If you haven't yet sent your conference schedule to the office, please do so today/Monday. Please let me know any conferences that you would like me to join and also please let me know if you'd like assistance in arranging Language Line for any conferences.
• Due to Conferences this week, we will not hold Grade-Level Meetings in the office, EXCEPT the Special Area Team, which WILL meet on Friday at 8 am.
• The Annual Sweetheart Dance, sponsored by the PTO, will take place in the cafe from 6:30-8:00 pm on Friday evening.
• The PINK Basketball Game, to raise money for Cancer Research, will take place at WHS on Friday evening.  The Girls' game begins at 5 pm and the Boys' game begins at 7 pm.

As always, please check our Daisy Staff Calendar for all the details of upcoming events at:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Let's make it a great week!

Ruth

---The Livernoche Family---

Cory (Mom of Jack, Madison and Michael) wants everyone to know just how much she and her family appreciate the support that everyone has shown "Baby Jack" and her entire family.  We will collect toys for Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, in honor of Jack, up until February 14.

Thanks to all for your kind thoughts and generosity : )