The Farmingville Files

Dear Farmingville Families,

It was wonderful to see so many of you at Open House last week. Thank you for joining us to learn about the curriculum, your students' classroom, and our school! If you could not attend, please read through this newsletter which contains many of the updates that Mrs. Doty and I shared.

On Thursday, the PTA organized an assembly for our students where they learned how to unlock the key to kindness. Ask your children about their adventure and what they learned from the Quest for Kindness program.

As a reminder, there is no school next Thursday. Happy Rosh Hashanah to those who celebrate!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Nancy

We’re off to another exciting year at Farmingville!

The lazy relaxing days of summer are behind us and we’re all settling back into our routines. Unfortunately lice don’t take any vacations so be aware of any itchy heads.

Head lice are a common problem with children. About 10 million Americans become infested with head lice each year. Good observation skills at home and school are the key to minimizing potential infestation and, if cases are discovered, to contain the spread. Here are some tips to help:

1. Check your child’s hair near the scalp, particularly behind the ears, nape of the neck and crown. You probably will not see the actual louse, but will find the eggs, called nits. They are dark to light beige colored and teardrop in shape. Usually located about ¼ inches from the scalp on the hair shaft, they are not easily removed from the hair. One way to distinguish dandruff or dry scalp from nits is to try to blow on the “flake” or flick it with a Q-tip. If it continues to stick on the hair and flick off, then suspect it to be a nit.

1. Be alert to signs of your child scratching his/her head. The head louse is a parasite that survives by biting its host (your child). Thus the person’s head starts to itch.

The teachers are aware and do refer children to me to check throughout the year. I also check classes. The teachers or I explain to the children what I am doing and why. Then I enlist their help in letting me know if they need to be checked. Also realize that they may or may not have become infested at school. School is where the cases may first be detected.

If your child gets head lice don’t panic. It is not life threatening but there is a lot of work involved. All family members should be checked and all contacts of the child should be notified. Your child must be treated with a topical medicated shampoo or cream rinse formulated to kill head lice and the nits. All nits must be combed out with a nit comb (generally provided with the medication). Removal of all nits is the key to preventing reinfestation, checking hair and removing nits for 2 weeks is a must. All items that come in contact with your child’s hair must be cleaned (vacuum or wash and dried in the clothes dryer) or, if the item cannot be cleaned, seal it in a bag for about 10 to 14 days. Examples of items and areas to be cleaned are: towels, bed linen, hair combs, hats, brushes, hair clips, ponytail holders, carpet, furniture, car seats.

Infestation with head lice has absolutely nothing to do with hygiene! Remind your child to “not share things that belong near the hair.” Regular inspection of hair just like regular inspection for ticks is essential. The best defense is a good offense. If you do discover an infestation, please let me know so that I can monitor the class.

Together we can keep this problem in check. If you have any questions, concerns or want me to check your child, please give me a call. Thank you for your help.

Chris Giacometti

The State Board of Education has defined two levels of criteria for an absence to be considered an excused absence.

“Level 1” includes the first nine absences and these days are considered excused absences for any reason that the student’s parent or guardian approves. The parent or guardian must submit either written or oral documentation within ten school days of the student’s return to school.

Excused “Level 2” absences are the days beginning at the tenth absence and meet one or more of the State’s acceptable reasons. For more information regarding the acceptable reasons, please visit the Connecticut State Department of Education Guidelines for Absences.

If your child reaches the thresholds below, you will receive a notification. The notifications will lag the actual absences. For example, your child may reach their 6th absence on a Wednesday and you may not be notified until the following Monday.

Typical attendance notification thresholds.

• At 6 absences a notification is emailed.

• At 9 absences a notification is emailed.

• At 9 absences and 6 unexcused, a notification is emailed.

• At 9 excused absences and 10 unexcused absences, a truancy notification is emailed.

Mrs. Arcamone received a Master's Degree in Marriage and Family therapy in 2008. Her and her husband moved up to Ridgefield 10 years ago after falling in love with the community during the Holiday Stroll. After searching for homes in various towns, they happened to drive through Ridgefield during the holiday stroll where ice sculptures were being built and lights were strung and immediately knew this would be our forever town. They are both native New Yorkers. Mrs. Arcamone's daughter just entered Kindergarten at Branchville Elementary School and her son is in Pre-k. She is a beach girl at heart and can be found by the beach anytime of the year- it is her home away from home and helps keep her grounded. She is so excited to join the Farmingville Community and looks forward to a wonderful year ahead!!

Ms. Chung earned her Bachelor's degree in English at Uconn in December 2020. She is currently enrolled in a special education masters program at the University of Hartford, and will complete the program in the spring of 2025. Ms. Chung is passionate about teaching, and enjoys helping students reach their full potential. She has previous experience as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional. Ms. Chung enjoys being active, kickboxing, swimming, and going to the gym. She also loves music, playing piano and bass guitar, singing, and spending time with family and friends. Her family is originally from South Korea. Ms. Chung was born in Hawaii and grew up In Manhattan, NY and Old Greenwich, CT. She enjoys volunteering and likes to travel and see new places.

Mr. Sanchez-Flores is excited to join the Farmingville Elementary community and Ridgefield Public Schools! With a background teaching grades 3 and 4 in Danbury, he’s eager to bring his energy and experience to this new opportunity. Outside of the classroom, he loves staying active by exercising and hiking, catching a good movie, and immersing into a great book. Mr. Sanchez-Flores is looking forward to helping FES students grow and succeed.

We are having a blast being "all in" Spanish in grades 3-5! During class, we are working hard to only use Spanish. Students are becoming more comfortable watching, listening, and practicing words in Spanish! We are beginning to explore the culture of Puerto Rico, using two native animals, Coqui and Iguaca. Ask your student if they can greet you, say goodbye, share their name or say how they feel all in Spanish! ¡Gracias!

Please find our district Weather Related Process and Expectations here.

We know how fun it is for our students to get together after school and enjoy time together! Due to safety and limited space on the buses, we are asking that students have no more than 2 guest riders with them at a time. Anytime there is a need for more than 2 additional students to ride, families will need to make arrangements for parent pick up that day. Thank you for understanding!

Please fill out the form below a day prior to visiting FES. Thank you!

If you are visiting FES, please help us to expedite the entry process by filling out this form a day prior to a planned visit (teacher meeting, PTA meeting, mystery reader, library or art volunteer, etc.) and your badge will be waiting for you when you arrive. If you have something to drop off for your child during the school day such as a forgotten lunch or instrument, there will be a table outside of the entrance to place the item.

When you arrive to enter the building, we ask that you press the video doorbell button and identify yourself. Once granted access, please do NOT hold the door open for a different guest entering the building. While this may be inconvenient and feel impolite, we are standardizing access to the buildings across the district so that everyone knows what to expect.

For visits to FES during the school day, I recommend that you arrive early as it takes some time to process your visitor badge. For a visit that is not arranged a day ahead of time, calling the main office at 203-894-5570 ahead of your visit is a helpful practice.

• No School - Thursday, October 3

• Author Visit - Julie Leung - Friday, October 4
• K-12 Art Show - Wednesday, October 9
• Early Dismissal - Friday, October 11
• No School - Monday, October 14th
• Raccoon Rally - Friday, October 18th (Please look for the volunteer sign up! We welcome all volunteers!)
• Costume Parade - *Weather Permitting* - Thursday, October 31st @ 10 am (All families are welcome to attend on the back field)

We treat smartwatches (e.g. the Apple Watch, the Gizmo Watch, the Android Smart Watch) or other similar devices that provide a student with the ability to text, take photos or make calls in the same way we treat a cell phone and they are subject to the same practice. If a parent makes the decision to permit their child to have a cell phone, smartwatch, or similar device at school the cell phone or smartwatch:

• must be turned off
• must remain in the child’s backpack at all times during the school day
• must remain in the child’s backpack for the duration of the bus ride to and from school

As you might imagine, a cell phone or similar device in any school setting has proven to be a disruption to learning and the social environment. We have also witnessed that Fitbit and other fitness trackers can be a distraction. If these fitness devices cause a distraction, a teacher will ask the student to remove the device, and likely the teacher will contact you about the concern.

E-readers, Nooks, and Kindles are only permitted to support reading in school or on the bus if a teacher determines it is helpful and has told a parent it is allowed.

If any of the above devices mentioned become a repeated concern, parents/guardians will be contacted to retrieve the device which will be held in the main office.

We appreciate your understanding for the safety and focus of our students, therefore, we kindly request that only parents or guardians attend events/volunteer opportunities in the presence of enrolled students within the elementary school building during the school day. For example, an infant or younger child with a parent may attend a PTA meeting that takes place at the school.

A sibling is not permitted to accompany a parent when they are:

• volunteering in a classroom
• attending daytime activities
• attending class parties
• volunteering in the library
• mystery reader
• attending a class performance
• or any other activities within the building when students are present

This practice helps ensure a secure and conducive learning environment for all children. Siblings are welcome to attend evening events unless otherwise specified.

Please check your students' e-Backpack for this important information and other programs across the district. Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion to cmelagrano@ridgefieldps.net.