Daisy Daily for the Week of September 30, 2019

What an incredible crew we have!!!

Thanks to all who were able to join us

for an early morning photo last Friday : )

• Thanks to all certified staff members for your active participation in EL & AAC PD on Monday; what a worthwhile day!
• Please plan on a Faculty Meeting this Wed., 3:15-4:15 pm; agenda forthcoming.  This work time will feature integrated, differentiated activities, based on needs expressed at last week's PLC Meetings.
• We will have our first "Good News Assembly" on Friday, October 4, at 9:30 am.  The theme will be "Welcome Back to School" and "Be Kind."  We will celebrate students who met the Reflex Math Challenge over the summer as well as those who participated in the Governor's Summer Reading Challenge and the Commissioner's Summer Math Challenge, in a general way. Please send any completed logs that students have brought in to the office.  Also, we will recognize random acts of kindness and friendship at each grade level.  Please send me an e-mail regarding 1-2 students from each class who have demonstrated kindness (however simple).  This is something that we will continue to recognize throughout the school year.  Thanks!  
• In conjunction with our "Good News Assembly" on Friday, we are also planning a School Spirit/Positive Message Day.  Students and staff members are encouraged to wear school spirit wear, Westbrook purple or any clothing with positive messages regarding kindness, etc.  It's always fun to read these messages on shirts, etc., and this will be very visible at our assembly.  A message regarding this Spirit Day was sent home via School Messenger to Daisy Families & Staff.
• Friday is also our Semi-Annual "Bike/Walk to School Day."  Students must be accompanied by an adult and bike riders MUST wear helmets.  Staff members are encouraged to join our students and families on the walk to school from the Ted Lane Parking Lot this Friday.  Those participating are asked to meet at 7:45 am for the walk to school.
• STAR Assessments for Grades 1-4 will take place this week, as discussed in grade-level meetings last week.
• Homework Room starts Tuesday, Oct 1, location to be announced.  Students in grades 3-4 are recommended by teachers for participation; then letters go home to families for permission. 
• Grade-Level Meetings will take place in the office this week, as scheduled. Plan to discuss SLO's in Grades K through 4.
• We have received a request from a Westbrook High School student requesting the opportunity to shadow elementary teachers for a Senior Project.  Senior Hannah Martin is looking to complete 10 hours of observation in a variety of classrooms.  Please let me know if you'd be willing to host Hannah for some of her observations.
• We continue to tweak our Duty Schedule as necessary for the needs of our students.  Please be sure to consult the Google Doc for the most up-to-date schedule at:

2019 2020 Daisy Duty Schedule

Please also remember to check our Daisy Staff Google Calendar regularly as we continue to update this calendar, daily, at:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Let's make it a great week!  As always, please let me know your concerns.  

Warmly,

Ruth

Daisy Daily for the Week of September 23, 2019

Fun at the Annual Daisy PTO Picnic

Daisy Staff,

Welcome to a new week!
A few notes about this week and the weeks ahead:

• Grade-level meetings will take place this week, as regularly scheduled in our Daisy Staff Google Calendar.
• The first PTO Meeting of the school year will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 6 pm in the cafe.  All staff members are welcome to attend.
• The first Department-Based PLCs will take place on Wednesday after school.  Agendas will be forthcoming and those PLC Meetings scheduled at Daisy will run from 3:15-4:15 pm.
• We will have our first "Good News Assembly" on Friday, September 27, at 9:30 am.  The theme will be "Welcome Back to School" and "Be Kind."  We will celebrate students who met the Reflex Math Challenge over the summer as well as those who participated in the Governor's Summer Reading Challenge and the Commissioner's Summer Math Challenge, in a general way. Please send any completed logs that students have brought in to the office.  Also, we will recognize random acts of kindness and friendship at each grade level.  Please send me an e-mail regarding 1-2 students from each class who have demonstrated kindness (however simple).  This is something that we will continue to recognize throughout the school year.  Thanks!  
• In conjunction with our "Good News Assembly" on Friday, we are also planning a School Spirit/Positive Message Day.  Students and staff members are encouraged to wear school spirit wear, Westbrook purple or any clothing with positive messages regarding kindness, etc.  It's always fun to read these messages on shirts, etc., and this will be very visible at our assembly.  A message regarding this Spirit Day will go home to students and families.  PLEASE NOTE: This may need to be rescheduled due to School Photo Day on Friday; stay tuned!!! 
• PLEASE remember that notices, students work, etc., should go home EVERY day in student folders.  There are no longer any folders designated as "Wednesday Folders."  We would like information to get home to families as soon as possible so we don't hold folders in school until Wednesday distribution as in the distant past.  Likewise, parents/guardians send notes and important information to school on a daily basis in these folders, so please remember to check for such.
• Please remember to share Kids' News with your students and join in the Pledge of Allegiance each morning.  The link to Kids' News is on Ms. Godfrey's web page as well as our Daisy home page.
• Teachers/certified staff members, please remember to update your web page frequently with important information for families.  Likewise, with the number of staff relocations that took place this school year, please update the message on your classroom/office phones as appropriate.
• School Photos will be taken this Thursday and Friday.  Staff members who do not have ID badges must have their photos taken during that time.  Please check with the office for the best time to do so, in between scheduled times for classrooms.
• Monday, September 30, is a Professional Development Day with no school for students.  Certified staff members will participate in a full-day of PD, which will focus on: the continuum of EL services and Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC) with time for application of this new learning.  There will also be sub-groups that participate in Math Vertical Alignment and Curriculum Writing in specific academic areas.  A complete schedule of the day will be forthcoming.
• STAR Assessments for Grades K-4 will be scheduled during the week of September 30, as discussed in grade-level meetings last week.
• Homework Room will begin the week of September 30.  Students in grades 3-4 can be recommended by teachers for participation; then letters will go home to families for permission.  Invitation letters will be distributed to classroom teachers this week.
• We continue to tweak our Duty Schedule as necessary for the needs of our students.  Please be sure to consult the Google Doc for the most up-to-date schedule at:

2019 2020 Daisy Duty Schedule

Please also remember to check our Daisy Staff Google Calendar regularly as we continue to update this calendar, daily, at:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Let's make it a great week!  As always, please let me know your concerns.  

Warmly,

Ruth

"Daisy Daily" for the Week of September 16, 2019

MaryJo Noonan & Ruth Rose share a book in English and Spanish with our kindergarten students at Open House Breakfast.

Dear Staff,

Hope that everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend!

Many thanks to ALL for helping to make our marathon of Open House Breakfasts so successful last week!

As we enter our fourth week of the 2019-20 school year, here are a few reminders:

• Please review the procedures for a fire drill with your students as we will practice a school-wide fire drill this week.
• PLEASE remember that we have our Mandated Reporter Training this Tuesday, September 17th, in the cafe from 3:15-4:15 pm for ALL staff members.  
• Please, also remember that ALL staff members must complete three online trainings ASAP.  These are accessible on our District Web Page, under the tab "Employee Resources," under Health and are:
• Bloodborne Pathogens Training
• Health Training
• Mandated Reporter Training (This one produces a certificate upon completion, which much be shared with office staff, either in hard copy or electronically.)  When sending anything to the office, please copy Alicia Adinolfi, Diane Fencil and me.  Many thanks in advance!
• There is a PDEC Meeting this Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 3:15 pm in the Westbrook High School Library for PLC Leaders, district-wide.
• Our Daisy PTO Family Picnic will take place this Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 5:30-7:00 pm outside on school grounds.  This is usually very-well attended by Daisy families and staff members are encouraged to attend as well.  
• This week in Grade-Level Meetings, we will study student data.  For grades three and four, that includes a discussion of the results of your students who took the SBAC in Spring 2019.
• Don't forget to share Kids' News with your students and join in the Pledge of Allegiance each morning.  The link to Kids' News is on Ms. Godfrey's web page as well as our Daisy home page.
• Teachers/certified staff members, please remember to update your web page frequently with important information for families.  Likewise, with the number of staff relocations that took place this school year, please update the message on your classroom/office phones as well.
• We continue to tweak our Duty Schedule.  Please be sure to consult the Google Doc for the most up-to-date schedule at:

2019 2020 Daisy Duty Schedule

Please also remember to check our Daisy Staff Google Calendar regularly as we continue to update this calendar, daily, at:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Let's make it a great week!  As always, please let me know your concerns.  

Warmly,

Ruth

COME ONE, COME ALL TO.....

Daisy Daily for the Week of September 9, 2019

Preschool with Mrs. Gersz.

Spanish class with Senora Reynolds.

Daisy Staff,

Thanks for a great first two weeks of school so far and welcome to Week Three!

• As you know we have Open House Breakfasts each morning this week, starting at 8:30 am in the Cafe.
• Here's the schedule:
• 8:30-8:45 am--Breakfast for students, families and staff from each grade level in the cafe (provided by the PTO.)
• 8:45-9:05 am--Parents/Guardians go to classrooms with teachers.  I'll take students to the "Pit" for a brief morning meeting and story in English and Spanish with MaryJo Noonan and me.
• 9:05-9:15 am--We'll bring students back to classrooms and they can show families a few highlights in their rooms.
• 9:15 am--We'll make an announcement that Open House has been completed and thank all for joining us, as many parents need to get to work.
• Here's the line-up for grade levels and Open House Breakfasts:
• Monday: Grade 4
• Tuesday: Grade 3
• Wednesday: Grade 2
• Thursday: Grade 1
• Friday: Grade K
• Students arriving before school who usually meet in the Cafe (Daisy Dining Room) with Mrs. Bielawa (and other staff members) will go to the Pit.
• Thanks to all for your flexibility as these Open House Breakfasts will impact morning events this week.
• Due to Open House Breakfasts, we won't hold Grade-Level Meetings this week.  Next week, we will study student data in Grade-Level Meetings as it will be the designated third week of the month.
• All new staff members are invited to the Board of Education meeting this Tuesday, September 10th, at 7 pm at the Westbrook High School Library.  This is a great opportunity for new staff members to meet our Board of Education members and I look forward to seeing you there.
• Thanks so much to Kim Godfrey and Maggie Gilhuly for creating the fabulous display of new staff members in the display case in our main lobby!
• "Kids' News" will start this week.  This live streaming of fourth-graders presenting the daily news--and leading students in the Pledge of Allegiance--can be viewed at any time as it is recorded live and posted on our Daisy web page.  Thanks so much to Kim Godfrey for facilitating this!  A lot of work goes into each morning's presentation and contains valuable daily news.  Classroom teachers, please share this with students on your classroom Smartboard or any computer.  It's also great to know, now that we're livestreaming and posting it on our school web page, that ALL staff members--as well as families--can view this at any point during the day, or even look back at earlier broadcasts because it's archived on the website.  Our fourth-graders take great pride in their presentation of Kids' News!
• There is no Wednesday after-school Faculty Meeting this week, but PLEASE remember that we have our Mandated Reporter Training next Tuesday, September 17th, in the cafe from 3:15-4:15 pm for all staff members.
• Please, also remember that ALL staff members must complete three online trainings ASAP.  These are accessible on our District Web Page, under the tab "Employee Resources," under Health and are:
• Bloodborne Pathogens Training
• Health Training
• Mandated Reporter Training (This one produces a certificate upon completion, which much be shared with office staff, either in hard copy or electronically.)  When sending anything to the office, please copy Alicia Adinolfi, Diane Fencil and me.  Many thanks in advance!

Let's make it a great week!  As always, please let me know your concerns.  

Please always remember to check our Daisy Staff Google Calendar regularly as we continue to update this calendar, daily:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Warmly,

Ruth

COME ONE, COME ALL TO.....

Daisy Daily for the Week of September 2, 2019

Daisy Staff,

Hope that everyone is enjoying a wonderful holiday weekend!

Thanks to all for such a great first week of school!  In the first three days with students, we saw bus schedules drastically improving with buses clearing much closer to reasonable times in the afternoon.  Many thanks to all who came out to meet buses in the morning, especially in personally escorting preschoolers and kindergarteners in from the buses.  We will continue this for the upcoming week and then we will settle in with those scheduled on our duty schedule, along with some additional support for our youngest students.  The extra after-school help, especially on our first day of school with rainy day dismissal was much appreciated as well!!!

• Grade-level Meetings will start this week, according to this schedule:
• Tuesday, Preschool, 9:15-10:00 am
• Tuesday, Grade 1, 10:15-11 am
• Tuesday, Grade 4, 1:45-2:30 pm
• Thursday, Grade 2, 9:15-10 am
• Thursday, Grade 3, 11:15-Noon
• Friday, Grade K, 12:45-1:30 pm
• All grade-level meetings will take place in my office. Classroom teachers and special education teachers working with each grade level are expected to attend and specialists and support staff are invited to attend as schedules allow.  Representatives from the special area team will be invited in at future meetings.
• At this first meeting, we will discuss how students are settling in; plans for Open House Breakfasts for next week for K-4; and the sharing of Data Sheets.  I will share a Google doc agenda with each team.

As always, please check our Daisy Staff Google Calendar for all upcoming events.  This is a fluid document, which is updated daily, so please bookmark this link and check it regularly:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

• Daisy Leadership Team Meetings will start next week with PLC Leaders and Lead Teacher, time to be adjusted due to Open House Breakfasts.
• The Board of Education will meet on Tuesday, September 10, at 7 pm in the Westbrook High School Library.  All new staff members are invited to be recognized by the Superintendent and to meet BOE members.
• Mandated Reporter Training for all staff members will take place on Tuesday, September 17, from 3:15-4:15 pm in the Daisy Cafe.  Please note that this is a full training that is mandated, in addition to the updates that we received on the first day back, and this will take the place of a Wednesday meeting that week.
• Our Daisy PTO Family Picnic is scheduled for Wednesday, September 18, from 5:30-7:00 pm.  This is always a wonderful time and all staff members are invited to attend and your families are welcome to come as well.

Enjoy the day today and see you on Tuesday!

More updates to come......

Warmly,

Ruth

Welcome to our newest staff members!!!