Harrington Happenings
September 17, 2023
Happy Sunday Harrington Families!!
I hope everyone has and a nice weekend so far, seems we dodged a much hyped up hurricane situation yesterday which I'm sure we are all grateful for! This past week was our first full week of school and by most accounts the students have transitioned really well into the school year. As we continue through September, all of our student's will continue to work through their bench mark assessments. We will be assessing students until Sept 27th and will use that data to establish needed student interventions and supports.
September 20th will be holding our Curriculum Night.
- K-2 teachers will meet with families from 5 -5:45
- Meet the Principal in the Cafe 5:50 - 6:10
- Specialist teachers/Special Education/Related Services - 6:15 - 7:00
- Grades 3&4 Teachers 7 - 7:45
A couple things I'd like to mention in this weekends Harrington Happenings. As most know, we have had some substantial issues regards to bees around the building. I have had the town, as well as a pest control service at the school spraying certain areas of the building grounds. The bees seem to be gravitating around the dumpsters and some outdoor garbage cans by the playground. We have sprayed the dumpsters and I will be removing the garbage cans from the playground in the hopes it will alleviate this bee problem.
The second subject I'd like to address is the cafeteria. it seems there has been some postings made in regards to the cafeteria and the way in which I have attempted to control the volume level. First, the acoustics in the cafe are terrible and because of the substantial way that voices carry, it can get incredibly loud in the cafe during lunches, sometimes to the point that students are unable to hear the lunch aides attempts to get the student attention, this is a safety concern. In the hopes to support getting students attention, I instituted the use of the microphone. After consideration, I have made the decision to not use the microphone in the cafe as a way to get student attention. Lunch aides will be using a "clapping" tone to get the students attention as we have in the past, however, they will continue to clap until all students respond. We will continue to work with students in the cafe to ensure that their lunch is an enjoyable time for them. I will stress that if families have comments, or questions regarding the processes in place at Harrington, I welcome those families to reach out to me directly as I am the one that makes the decisions on what is in place at Harrington.
I will remind families that drive on school grounds to pick up their students and drop off their students that smoking is prohibited on school grounds. If a staff member does witness smoking in vehicles on school grounds, they will kindly ask you to stop smoking, this includes vaping devices. I appreciate your support in adhering to no smoking on the school grounds.
Once again, remember toβ¦"Push through your day, Smile, Be Happy, Stay Positive!"
Be safe! Stay well!
Rob & Karen
Monday Math Nights at Harrington
Introducing....Monday Night Math for Harrington Families π€©π‘π’π§©ππππβοΈ
Monday Night Math Fun is a once-a-month virtual experience for Harrington students and their families!
These sessions will be facilitated by Harrington Parent/Math Educator Dr. Molly Rawding, Assistant Principal Karen Grabowski and/or other Harrington staff throughout the year. We are excited for opportunities to connect with our community to spread the joy of math!
Join us once a month to puzzle together - we will explore different math ideas, learn games & routines, and/or estimate with an esti-mystery!
September's Monday Night Math is scheduled for Monday, September 25 at 7-7:30pm. Bring pencil and paper!
Sign up here by Sunday, September 24. The zoom link will be sent out the day before the event.
Let's Stay Connected!
HPTO
Hello Harrington families,
Our Color Run is this Saturday, 9/23! We are in need of volunteers to make this event a success. Please consider signing up here:https://forms.gle/AKZ16e4ci22T6XDv9
If you are still interested in signing up to participate, please register using one of our registration options:
- $25 registration (includes a color run t-shirt, sunglasses, and 3 color packets): https://tinyurl.com/HPTOColorRun25
or
- $5 βcome for the funβ registration: https://tinyurl.com/HPTOColorRun5
There will be a DJ and a dunk tank!
Our Pridewear sale is coming soon! There will be a handful of sample items for you to view at Curriculum Night this Wednesday. Detailed information including a link to the online store will be coming soon!
Our monthly PTO meetings will be held every Wednesday at 6:30 in the Harrington library or virtually through Zoom unless there is a holiday or a half day. Our next PTO meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 4. You can find all event and meeting information on our Harrington PTO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HarringtonPTO
Beginning of the Year Information
Building Hours - The Harrington School and the Main Office will be open daily Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. You can also contact the office with any specific questions between these hours. The phone number is: 978-251-5166.
Building Access: Visitors to the school are only permitted with an appt. made through the main office. You must have a photo ID when you come to the school. The main office staff will verify your ID using the camera system on the door buzzer. If you are picking up your student(s) prior to dismissal, please call the main office ahead to inform them and and remain outside the building and the main office staff will dismiss your student.
Buses: f you have any bus questions concerning routes or bus stops, you can find the information on the Chelmsford Public Schools website or call 978-251-5100 (https://chelmsfordschools.org/departments/transportation/ ). Students will not be required to show a bus pass and bus pass checks will not be conducted over the first few weeks of school. By the middle of September when final adjustments have been incorporated into the transportation routes, we will distribute bus passes to students and begin bus pass checks. The bus passes this year will contain the bus number, bus stop, and approximate pick-up time for each rider. Please note that buses will run late for the first week or two of school as drivers take extra care in learning stops and students.
District Nutrition Message
This year Massachusetts is offering all school lunch and breakfast at no charge to students. This does not automatically make families eligible for any other benefits. We strongly encourage families that feel they are eligible for transportation or extended day reduced tuition to fill out the online free and reduced meal application. The links can be found below.
https://cpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1478035692058&page=lunchapps
If you do qualify for benefits you most likely will be eligible for SNAP benefits.
https://www.mass.gov/snap-benefits-formerly-food-stamps
Some examples of SNAP benefits are discounts on gas, electric utilities and internet services.
District Academic Calendar
C. D. Harrington Elementary School
Email: asselinr@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://harrington.chelmsfordschools.org/
Location: 120 Richardson Road, North Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5166
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harringtonelementarychelmsford/