Reading Elementary Rockets Report

Sunday, October 2, 2016

RES PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - Sun., Oct. 2, 2016

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Parents & Community Members,

This is a busy week for our school. Hope to see you this week! Community members are welcome as well Thursday night for:

COMMUNITY YARD SALE - Cleanout your garage and attic and reserve a spot in our field for October 8. A 10x10 site in our field is just $20 and a 20x10 is $30. Bring your own tables and tent or rent them from us for $5 each. You keep all the proceeds from what you sell. Please call the school at 484-7230 to reserve your spot OR SIGN UP ONLINE and send in or drop by your payment!

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

All of you who participate in the PTO and help support our school events!
Parents who volunteered to transport and help with the Gr. 5/6 to Woodstock for the Web of Life Field Trip.

Other Items of Interest:

Back to School Night - Is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6, 5:30 - 7 PM.

RES Sponsors Community Yard Sale - Sat., Oct. 8 - 9 AM - 2 PM - To honor the many volunteers and neighbors in Reading who supported one another during and after Tropical Storm Irene, RES announces the creation of a RES Kids Care club at our school. RES Kids Care also honors people from across the country who sent money, supplies, and expressions of support that helped us get back to work and school five years ago. Most importantly, the goal of RES Kids Care is to inspire and instill in Reading students that same community spirit as they go forward in their lives.

The inaugural event for "Kids Care" will be a town yard sale at RES on Saturday, October 8 from 9 am - 2 pm. To further the tradition of neighbor-helping-neighbor, half the proceeds will be used to start a children-in-need fund at RES. And to pay forward the help Reading received from other communities after Irene, Kids Care will donate the remaining proceeds to schools in Louisiana that were devastated by floods just days before school started, much as happened in our state.

So start cleaning out your garage and attic and reserve a spot in our field for October 8. A 10x10 site in our field is just $20 and a 20x10 is $30. Bring your own tables and tent or rent them from us for $5 each. You keep all the proceeds from what you sell. Please call the school at 484-7230 to reserve your spot OR SIGN UP ONLINE and send in or drop by your payment!

Act 46 Reading Community Forum - An Act 46 Community Forum will be held at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, at Reading Elementary School. This is a very important information session that will outline dramatic effects on this school and community. Please spread the word and be there to get a complete picture of this important community meeting.

MESSAGES FROM OUR TEACHERS -

From Ms. Shajen Lichtenstein - Guidance Counselor -

Hello, Reading Elementary School Families!

It is a pleasure to be working with your children. My first week filled my heart with their beautiful smiles and sweet stories of summer.

I look forward to a positive and active year, filled with quality and valuable experiences to enhance their self-knowledge. We will continue with our Social Thinking curriculum and maintain focus on Expected and Unexpected behaviors to support the children in making healthy choices for themselves and those around them. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. It is my pleasure to be serving the children and families of Reading.

From Señora Libeley:

I teach Spanish to all students Pre-K through sixth grades on Friday mornings.

Pre-K students will listen to stories, sing songs, and play games, all in Spanish. Kindergarteners will learn to follow basic classroom instructions, basic greetings, and how to count to ten.
First and Second graders will review and expand their basic classroom instructions, count to twenty, and will even play some math games in Spanish!
The third and fourth grades will spend the first few weeks learning useful classroom expressions, and the focus of their year is formulaic sentences, which includes things such as expressing the date, weather expressions, and telling time.
Fifth and sixth grades will study high frequency, irregular verbs – we will call them rule breakers. We will spend time looking at patterns among verbs and finding the ways in which this group both follows and breaks the rules.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about your child’s learning in Spanish. Email is the most reliable and quickest way to reach me. I can be reached at eleibly@wcsu.net.

MORE FROM OTHER TEACHERS NEXT WEEK!

OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL -

ASK YOUR FRIENDS/OUT-OF-TOWN RELATIVES/CO-WORKERS FOR BTFE!

LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENU FOR THIS WEEK:

Lunch accounts should be paid in full each month. Please send in your payment if you have not already done so. If you need help complete the Free/Reduced Paperwork, we are here to help! ALL APPLICATIONS are kept confidential. Thank you!

Mon., Oct. 3 - Lunch: Pastichio (whole grain pasta), Apples, Mixed Green Salad; Breakfast: Cheesy Eggs - The Regulars(yogurt, whole grain cereals, assorted fresh fruits and oj or apple juice or cider.
Tues., Oct. 4 - Chicken Sesame Noodles(whole grain pasta); Pears, Broccoli; Breakfast: Oatmeal & Hardboiled Eggs - The Regulars
Wed., Oct. 5 - Vegetable Barley Soup, Cheese Sticks, Rye Crisp, Melon, Mixed Vegetables; Breakfast: Corn Muffins & Sausage - the Regulars
Thurs., Oct. 6 - Fish Sticks, Whole Grain Rice, Applesauce, Sweet Potato Fries, Black Bean Salad; Breakfast - Cream of Wheat & Hard Boiled Eggs - the Regulars
Fri., Oct. 7 - Pizza(whole grain crust), Kiwi and Oranges, Peas, Iceberg Lettuce; Breakfast - Fried Egg & Toast - the Regulars

Happening this Week:

Mon., Oct. 3 -

3 yr. old Pre-schoolers 7:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Tues., Oct. 4 -

4 yr. old Preschoolers 7:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Wed., Oct. 5 -

Both 4 and 3 yr. old preschoolers 7:45 - 11:45 AM
7:45 - 8 AM - All School Morning Meeting in MPR/Cafeteria

Thurs., Oct. 6 -

4 year old Pre-Schoolers 7:45 AM - 11:45 AM
"Back to School" Night - 5:30 - 7 PM - Pizza 5:30 - Visit Room 6 - 6:45; Parent Meeting 6:45 PM.

Fri., Oct. 7 -

3 yr. Pre-schoolers 7:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Sat., Oct. 8 - 9 AM - 2 PM - RES Community Yard Sale Fundraiser

Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events:

Mon., Oct. 10 - NO SCHOOL - Inservice
Wed., Oct. 19 - School Picture Day ** - This is a change!
Fri., Oct. 28 - End of Term 1

Thoughts to Ponder:

LIFE AT READING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

Sunday, September 25, 2016

PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - Sun., Sept. 25, 2016

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Parents & Community Members,

As many of you know Act 46 as it is discussed will have a direct impact on Reading Elementary School. If you are NOT familiar with what's being planned, please check out the WCSU website HERE. This Wed., Sept. 28 at 6:30 PM, there is another important meeting at the WCSU office. Time is passing quickly before hard decisions have to be made. Will your voice be heard in the process? There are informational papers in the foyer at school if you'd like to learn more before you go Wed.

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

All of you who arrive and pick up your students promptly. We know you are all busy, but appreciate the great time management that you are modeling for your children!
All of you who attended the Morning Meeting Wed. morning!

Other Items of Interest:

Act 46 Committee Meeting - The next WCSU Act 46 Study Committee Meeting will be at 6:30 pm on September 28, 2016, at the Windsor Central Supervisory Union.

Volunteer Process - If you are willing to drive students on a field trip, chaperone, or even read to a class, it's important that you be "approved" and have the proper paperwork on file with the office. If you are interested in volunteering at any time throughout the year, please send in the appropriate paperwork. Please contact Teacher Libbet if you have questions.

Bag Lunch - We really appreciate the time and effort that it takes families to provide lunches from home. When students see what is on the their peers' trays, sometimes it upsets a child as they "want" what the others have on their lunch tray. Even though your child may say they only "want" a sandwich and a snack bag, they often request the fruit or vegetable we are serving at school.

Some families find it helpful to have a child choose a few "meals" a month that they eat school lunch. The guidelines for free and reduced lunch have changed, so if you didn't qualify before you might this time, so please consider applying even if you haven't done so before.

We are blessed to have such a frugal and nutritious food service director, but its a tough balancing act making sure there's enough for those who purchase lunch. She only makes what is ordered in the classrooms first thing, so that exact count is important. The quality and amount of healthy food a student gets for $2.75 for lunch and $1.50 for breakfast is amazing.

If you did send bag lunches, remember that we don't have a way to "heat" lunch and fresh fruits and vegetables always provide extra nutrition! For a few ideas on packing school lunches, here is ONE of a zillion websites with ideas.

Guidance Counselor Update- The Board approved the hiring of Shajen (pronounced Cheyenne) Lichtenstein as our .40(2 days a week) Guidance Counselor. She will be meeting the students this week with Mrs. Knight's this Wed. and Thurs. She is an experienced special educator and has outstanding references and will make a great addition to our team at RES! She'll have a section in this blog next Sunday.

Music for Lunch - During the daily 40 min. lunch, we have a five minute "music" break halfway through. Students enjoy their lunches without talking while the adults in charge play various types of music. This is nutritious measure to help those young stomaches digest their food and give their "appetite control" centers a chance to catch up. Several times we've listened to local artist Spencer Lewis.

What's "Go Noodle"? - Ask your child about "Go Noodle" that was introduced during library/tech time and is being used in several classrooms. This program offers all kinds of "movement" activities - from calming to energizing. You can sign up at home for a free account as well, check it out HERE. Many students are super active, but sometimes on rainy/snowy/cold days - it's nice to have a way to get active that's fun!

Back to School Night - Is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6, 5:30 - 7 PM. More details to follow!

Picture Day - Picture Day has been changed to Wed., Oct. 19, so that ALL students are here that day. We have been assured that photos will be sent back to the school promptly so that pictures can be distributed during the holidays!

MESSAGES FROM OUR TEACHERS -

From Mrs. Faulkner - Pre-K Classroom Teacher:

Thank you to Teacher Libbet for our new doll bed; our dolls are much more comfortable now! Thank you to families who donated doll items and dress up items. They are much appreciated.

Hannah from VINS will join us this Tuesday to help us learn more about butterflies. We are very fortunate to be able to have her visit every month this year; we will share our time with Hannah with our kindergarten class. She will arrive at 8:00 and on this Tuesday we expect to go outside with her. Please send boots or extra socks and shoes for your child, as the grass is wet with dew in the mornings at this time of year.

Sometimes items do not get put where they belong, so to make sure your child’s sweaters/jackets are sent home with him/her, please label them. I have a laundry pen in our classroom that you are welcome to use.

Share time for October will be the week of October 3rd. Your child may bring something in any time during that week. In order to learn something new about our classmates and their lives away from school, we request that you help your child select something other than a toy. A souvenir from a family vacation, a photo of a special time or anything else that encourages conversation and questions from your child’s peers will help us work on these important skills.

If any of you are planning on helping with any driving for field trips (such as to our swim lessons), please fill out a “Request for Background Check” form ASAP and hand it to Mrs.Faulkner, Miss Amy or Teacher Libbet. This is a state requirement; it needs to be completed every year that you drive children.

If anyone has an unneeded garden hose, we would love to cut small sections for our “fire fighting” theme! Thank you!

MORE FROM OTHER TEACHERS NEXT WEEK!

OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL -

ASK YOUR FRIENDS/OUT-OF-TOWN RELATIVES/CO-WORKERS FOR BTFE!

LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENU FOR THIS WEEK:

Mon., Sept. 26 - Lunch: Fish Chowder, Whole Grain Roll, Grapes, Carrots & Snap Peas; Breakfast: Eggs in a Basket - The Regulars(yogurt, whole grain cereals, assorted fresh fruits and oj or apple juice or cider.
Tues., Sept. 27 - Garlic-Brown Sugar Chicken, Whole Grain Medley, Melon, Spinach, Potatoes; Breakfast: Oatmeal & Hardboiled Eggs - The Regulars
Wed., Sept. 28 - Scrambled Egg & Tofu Burrito on Whole Grain Tortilla, Oranges, Tomatoes, Shredded Iceberg Lettuce; Breakfast: Whole Wheat French Toast Bake w/Bacon Crumble - the Regulars
Thurs., Sept. 29 - Tangerine Beef Stir-Fry, Whole Grain Rice, Tangerines, Broccoli, Lentils; Breakfast - Cream of Wheat & Hard Boiled Eggs - the Regulars
Fri., Sept. 30 - Cheesy Noodles w/Ground Turkey (whole grain noodles), Apples, Mixed Green Salad; Rainbow Peppers & Avocados ; Breakfast - Omelet - the Regulars

Happening this Week:

Mon., Sept. 26 -

3 yr. old Pre-schoolers 7:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Gr. 5/6 - Web of Life Field Trip

Tues., Sept. 27 -

4 yr. old Preschoolers 7:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Gr. 5/6 - Web of Life Field Trip

Wed., Sept. 28 -

Both 4 and 3 yr. old preschoolers 7:45 - 11:45 AM
7:45 - 8 AM - All School Morning Meeting in MPR/Cafeteria
Gr. 5/6 - Web of Life Field Trip
6:30 PM - WCSU Act 46 Meeting - Woodstock, VT

Thurs., Sept. 29 -

4 year old Pre-Schoolers 7:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Gr. 5/6 - Web of Life Field Trip

Fri., Sept. 30 -

3 yr. Pre-schoolers 7:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Superintendent Alice Worth visits RES

Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events:

Thurs., Oct. 6 - "Back to School" Night - 5:30 - 7 PM - more details to follow
Sat., Oct. 8 - RES Community Yard Sale Fundraiser more info. to follow
Mon., Oct. 10 - NO SCHOOL - Inservice
Wed., Oct. 19 - School Picture Day ** - This is a change!

Thoughts to Ponder:

LIFE AT READING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

Sunday, September 18, 2016

PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - SUN. SEPT. 18, 2016

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Parents & Community Members,

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

All of you who have pre-paid your lunch accounts! This saves so much time and effort for our hardworking food service director!
Rick and Donna for their generous donations of time and effort to RES since our opening. This week, Rick dug out the sandbox and filled it with clean, fresh sand, and constructed a cover for it to keep animals out of it. They also donated bookshelves and a desk to the principal's office. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Other Items of Interest:

Breakfast Served - If you'd like your child to eat breakfast at school, please have them there between 7:30 and 7:40. No breakfast will be served after that so students can get to class in time. For $1.50, children have a healthy breakfast.

Morning Meetings - We will be having our weekly "big" morning meeting THIS Wednesday at 7:45 AM and we hope you can join us for that.

PTO Meeting - Please join the PTO this MON., Sept. 19, at 7 PM, and see how you can help!

Picture Day - Picture Day has been changed to Wed., Oct. 19, so that ALL students are here that day. We have been assured that photos will be sent back to the school promptly so that pictures can be distributed during the holidays!

Back to School Night - Is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6, 5:30 - 7 PM. More details to follow!

School Arrival Times - PLEASE do not arrive before 7:45 AM if your child is not eating school breakfast. IF this creates a dilemma for your family because of your work hours, please contact Mrs. Knight so we can work on solving it together.

Act 46 Committee Meeting - The next WCSU Act 46 Study Committee Meeting will be at 6:30 pm on September 28, 2016, at the Windsor Central Supervisory Union.

Guidance Counselor Update- We have offered the .40 Guidance Position to Shaja (pronounced Cheyenne) Lichtenstein who will be meeting the students this week during Mrs. Knight's Library Media/Tech class. The Board will be asked to officially hire her Wed. evening. She is an experienced special educator and has outstanding references and will make a great addition to our team at RES! The superintendent has said she can't start until after the Board approves her, so she will start next week.

MESSAGES FROM OUR TEACHERS -

From Mrs. Drinker:

MORE FROM OTHER TEACHERS NEXT WEEK!

OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL -

PTO - The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers. If you'd like to help, please go to smile.amazon.com, and choose "Reading Parent Teacher Organization Reading PTO" from the list of organizations. Every little bit helps our students!

TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS - How Tools for Schools Works - Price Chopper
OUR SCHOOL CODE IS - 13970 Register your AdvantEdge Card and designate a school at the Guest Services desk at your local Price Chopper, at your school, or online at pricechopper.com. Schools can redeem accumulated points for free supplies and equipment. Tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers to register their card and designate Reading Elementary! Thanks for your support!

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION - We had several pages already submitted by a 4th grade student and her family! I e-mailed out blank forms last week that can be used to attach the Box Tops to! If you don't have time to cut and paste, please send them in and our students will help us out!

VOLUNTEER - We love community members involved in our school! Perhaps you can help "count" box tops, read in a classroom, plant flowers, share one of your skills with a classroom, or any number of other things! Feel free to e-mail Cathy Knight - cknight@wcsu.net with questions or call Libbet at 802-484-7230.

LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENU FOR THIS WEEK: Have you submitted your free and reduced lunch application? Have you pre-paid your lunch account yet? If not, please send in your check for $55. to save $5.50 on your lunch account AND help keep our food costs down.

Mon., Sept. 19 - Lunch: Corn Chowder, Turkey Slices, Whole Grain Corn Chips, Oranges & Kiwis, Spinach Salad w/Shredded Carrots; Breakfast: Whole Grain Bagels/Cream Cheese - The Regulars(yogurt, whole grain cereals, assorted fresh fruits and oj or apple juice or cider.
Tues., Sept. 20 - Coconut Chicken, Whole Grain Rice, Pineapple, Peas; Breakfast: Oatmeal & Hardboiled Eggs - The Regulars
Wed., Sept. 21 - Gardeners' Pie (whole grain topping), Apples, Carrots, Assorted Vegetables; Breakfast: Pancakes & Sausage - the Regulars
Thurs., Sept. 22 - Turkey Cutlets, Whole Grain Couscous, Applesauce, Tomatoes, Iceberg Lettuce; Breakfast - Cream of Wheat & Hard Boiled Eggs - the Regulars
Fri., Sept. 23 - Taco Bake, Whole Grain Corn Chips, Pears, Mixed Green Salad; ; Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs & Whole Wheat Toast - the Regulars