"Daisy Daily" for the Week of February 1, 2021

 Daisy Faculty & Staff,

As we prepare for next week, I'd like to provide some additional information:

• We will participate in Full Remote Learning for all students during the Week of Feb. 1 through Feb. 5.
• Teachers, support staff and paraeducators are expected to work remotely, unless they are ill and taking sick days.
• We will follow our usual in-school schedule that we are currently using; rather than revert to a former Full Remote Schedule.
• If Superintendent Martineau calls a snow day, it will be a traditional snow day, without remote learning, which would make our second snow day of the 2020-2021 school year.
• If we have an additional snow day, it will be a Remote Learning Day.
• We will keep our scheduled Virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences on Tuesday and Thursday (Feb. 2 & 4) with dismissal at 1 pm.
• If any P/T Conferences are scheduled on a traditional snow day, of course we will reschedule those.  Conferences on Remote Days will take place as scheduled.
• While we are remote next week, staff may teach remotely from school as long as the school is not closed due to inclement weather.
• If anyone needs to come to school to get materials to teach remotely, I will be at school on Sunday from 2-4 pm for you to retrieve materials.  Many faculty members already visited school today, as invited.  If that doesn't work for you, staff members can come in during regular school hours next week.
• Although we pushed out Chromebooks to all students on Friday, if you have students who were absent or left their Chromebooks behind, please place them on the tables in the main hallway (marked with their names); and let families know that they can pick them up next week between the hours of 8 am - 4 pm on any day that school is in session.
• We expect to be fully back in-person on Monday, Feb. 8th.
• If I've forgotten anything or if you have any additional concerns, please let me know.

Thanks for everything that you're doing to meet our students' needs!

Take care and stay warm,

Ruth

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• No Grade-Level Meetings this week due to Parent/Teacher Conferences
• No Faculty Meeting on Wednesday, so that this time can be used for Conferences
• Friday, Feb. 5, is "Favorite Sports" Spirit Day.  (Students & staff are encouraged to wear clothing, hats, etc., celebrating their favorite sports.)
• Friday, Feb. 5 is tentatively scheduled to be our 100th Day of School, unless we experience a snow day.  That would move the 100th Day to Monday, Feb. 8, but please feel free to celebrate the 100th Day whenever works best for you and our students.

As always, please consult the Daisy Staff Google Calendar for all dates and events at:

• DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Please be kind to yourself 

and take care of YOU!!!

You can't take care of others

if you don't take care of YOU!!!

I've started an electronic newsletter/blog for Daisy Families, which can be view at:

https://daisydailyforfamilies.blogspot.com/

Let's do our best to survive this week together and please feel free to include some SNOW activities with our students if we get some of the white stuff!

Take care and wishing the best to you all and your families!

Ruth

Daisy Daily for the Week of January 25, 2021

 Our students and staff continue to enjoy time outside,

bundled up as necessary.....

Let's try to keep the fun in what we do!!!

Welcome, Week #21 of School!

Daisy Friends,

As we start a new week, here are a few notes:

• Coverage looks a bit better for Monday with fewer staff absences and quarantined students and staff members returning to school.
• We'll hold Grade-Level Meetings as scheduled this week.
• Wednesday, Jan. 27 features:
• Virtual, Principal-led PLC from 3:15-4:00 pm
• Virtual PTO Meeting from 6:30-7:30 pm.  (Staff members are encouraged to attend.)
• Future Spirit Days (as suggested by students/adults):
• Fri., Jan. 29: "Snow/Winter" Themed Spirit Day
• Fri., Feb. 5: "Favorite Sport" Spirit Day (Pre-Superbowl), also 100th Day of School!
• Fri., Feb. 12: "Friendship" Spirit Day (Pre-Valentines Day)
• Please consult our Daisy Staff Google Calendar for all future dates at:
• 
  
• DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

New Staff Member:

Please welcome Julia Jenkins to our team as a Paraeducator, who will be serving as a floater at the moment.  So happy to have Julia with us!

Just in case you're looking for a good winter read:

If you need something positive to uplift your spirits, this is even better the second or third time:

Poet Amanda Gorman: "Not Broken But Simply Unfinished"

Let's make it a great week with our students and each other!

Thanks so much for ALL you do!!!

Ruth

Daisy Daily for the Week of January 18, 2021

 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day; 1/18/21

Dear Daisy Friends,

Hope that everyone is enjoying a safe, restful weekend.  Tuesday will be here before you know it!

A few notes about the four-day week ahead (Week #20 of School):

• Grade-Level Meetings will take place virtually, as scheduled.
• STAR Testing will continue this week.
• Bilingual Teacher, MaryJo Noonan, will let teachers know about LAS Links assessment schedules for those students involved.
• Department-Based PLC Meetings will take place on Wednesday, January 20.
• Please continue to bundle up and take our students outside as much as possible for recess and mask breaks, as needed.
• We have received another order of tri-fold desk shields, so please let the office know if you're in need of any additional shields.
• We've replaced the tri-fold shields in the cafeteria with sturdier, plexiglass shields.
• Tori Reynolds' class will be back in-person this week, while Teri Paulsen's class will be working remotely.  Special Area Teachers, Specialists, Support Staff and Kitchen Staff, please take note.
• Teachers, please continue to check the link to the "Remote Learners" document, which is updated daily.  Likewise, please update Kayla, Alicia, Lisa and me with any updates that you receive directly from parents/guardians.
• As always, here's the link to the Daisy Staff Google Calendar for all the latest dates, meetings, events, etc.:
• DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Thanks for all you do to make learning productive, safe and fun for our students.  Let's keep it going!

Take care,

Ruth

A socially-distanced workout in P.E......

Daisy Daily for the Week of January 11, 2021

Our Preschoolers Wish All a Happy New Year!

Superintendent Dr. Kristina Martineau wishes 

a kindergarten student a Happy Birthday!

Daisy Friends,

Hope that everyone enjoyed a safe, restful weekend.

As we prepare for the week ahead (Week #19 of School), here are a few notes:

• Teachers/Support Staff:
• We will hold grade-level meetings this week, as scheduled.
• Please plan to give students Reading/Math STAR Assessments over the next two weeks (Weeks of Jan. 11 and 18th).
• Please plan to have Trimester 2 Running Records completed by the end of January.
• Other Meetings:
• Monthly BOE Meeting on Tues., Jan. 12, 7 pm (virtual)
• PDEC Meeting on Wed., Jan. 13, 3:15-4:00 pm, for those involved (virtual)
• Daisy Leadership Team Meeting, Thurs., Jan. 14, 3:15-4:00 pm (virtual) re: Results of Remote Learning Survey (completed by families)
• Friday, Jan. 15---Daisy School/Westbrook Spirit Day
• Monday, January 18---Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday

As always, please consult our Daisy Staff Google Calendar for all daily events, at:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Let's make it a great week!

Ruth

Congratulations to our students who were winners

in Daisy PTO's Family Gingerbread House Contest!

Daisy Daily for the Week of January 4, 2021

Welcome to 2021!!! 

Daisy Friends,

Hoping that everyone had a bit of time to rest and recharge over the holiday break and that you and your loved ones are healthy and happy.

As we start off the new year, we're going to be flexible in offering remote learning for those students who need it to ensure the highest level of safety for all.  As you saw in previous emails from Superintendent Kristina Martineau (and reinforced  with my emails to families), we are recommending that parents/guardians choose remote learning for some students, as applicable:

"Before we return to school on Monday, we ask that you carefully review, if applicable, Connecticut travel restrictions and guidance related to gatherings, which include individuals outside immediate household.  If these situations apply, we ask that you choose remote learning until the self-quarantine period is over.  If you have not yet done so, please reach out to your child’s principal to let them know if your child will be participating in remote learning to help us to better support your child, classmates, and staff as we continue to deliver instruction in this blended format for remote and in-person learning."  (From Superintendent Martineau's email.)

Please note:  I will continue to notify those teachers involved regarding parents/guardians' decisions to have their children participate in remote learning after the break and I ask teachers who receive this information directly from families to communicate with me as well.

As we prepare to kick off Week #18 of the school year, please consult our Daisy Staff Google Calendar for all important dates, meetings, events at:

• 
  
• DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

Please know that:

• Grade-Level Meetings will take place this week, as noted on the calendar.
• We have a Virtual Faculty Meeting on Wednesday after school.
• Our students may need to re-adjust to wearing masks for long periods again, after the break.  Please schedule as many mask breaks outside as necessary.
• We must continue to be super vigilant with mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing, cleaning and disinfecting.  We have plenty of disposable masks, face shields, sanitizer and wipes; just let the office know what you need.
• Friday, January 8, with be "Daisy Spirit Day."  (Please wear anything that symbolizes your school spirit, including Westbrook purple!)

Please check out the display case in the main entry.  You will see that we are now displaying notice of birthdays for all students and staff members, each month.  If anyone is missing, please let us know!

Wishing you all a great week back with our students!

Please let me know if you need specific support of any kind.

Take care,

Ruth