Dear Leeds Caregivers,

Our LEAP enrichment program will begin running in February. The paper forms were sent home. Please see more details below. Also, we will have scholarships or financial assistance for families. If you need financial assistance, please contact Gabrielle Hollender at ghollender@northampton-k12.us or Principal Wenz at cwenz@northampton-k12.us

Just a reminder.......

KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 5

We have early dismissal days at the end of the month for Teacher/Caregiver conferences. Dismissal is at 11:30 for Kindergarten through Grade 5 students on each of the following days:

• Monday, 1/24
• Tuesday, 1/25
• Wednesday, 1/26
• Thursday, 1/27
• Monday, 1/31

We do not have school on Friday, January 28th for a teacher work day.

PRESCHOOL - Session 1 preschool students will come to school on Monday (1/24) and Tuesday (1/25) for our morning session 8:10-10:40. Session 2 preschool students will come to school on Wednesday (1/26) and Thursday (1/27) during session 1 time 8:10-10:40. We will not have preschool in the afternoons. We will not have session 2 on Monday (1/31). If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Sarah or Ms. Rachel.

Stay safe and be well,

Chris Wenz, Principal

Link to district website re: State At-Home Covid Testing Consent/Information. If you want to participate in this program, you need to complete the form and opt into the program.

https://northamptonschools.org/additional-covid-screening-options-consent-needed/

Link to January 21st Covid Cases Update:

https://northamptonschools.org/jan-14th-covid-update/

The next meeting of the Leeds Equity & Inclusion Committee will take place (virtually) on Wednesday, February 9, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. New folks are always welcome and encouraged to join! Please reach out to leedsequityandinclusioncomm@gmail.com for the meeting link, to join our email listserv, or with your questions/ideas. We plan to meet the second Wednesday of every month throughout the year. E&I participation is always completely flexible–you can choose to commit to as much or as little as you’d like.

Are you a caregiver of a Leeds student in 4th or 5th grade? Support their power, and the power of youth everywhere, to lead awesome social change in our schools and world!

LEAP (Leeds Enrichment Afterschool Program) is starting up again, and will offer a Social Justice Club – a terrific opportunity for older students to dig into ways they can help transform the spaces they occupy into brave, inclusive, and joyful spaces for all. The Social Justice Club will meet after school on Mondays and Fridays from 2:15 to 3:45 PM, February 4 through April 1. Leeds ESP Dara Shackelford, a trained facilitator of restorative practices, is *lead adult* in this youth-led initiative – and her fifth-grade daughter helped design the club!

A few more signups are needed to get the club up and running – and new registrations must be received by end of tomorrow, Tuesday 1/25. Financial assistance may be available based on need. Find more info below or on the flyer, or contact Gabrielle Hollander with any questions: ghollender@northampton-k12.us

Social Justice Club will explore issues of equity and inclusion. This is a youth-led action club to develop a sense of responsibility for diversity and equity within the Leeds community and the world. Each week, members of the club will create content that will then be broadcast to the Leeds school community. The broadcast will include important information about social justice issues relevant to our elementary school students. From famous people to poetry to key facts to environmental action, to learning how to be more inclusive, the SJC leaders will help to create a Leeds community that embraces and welcomes diversity! SJC will use practices including restorative justice, dialogue, and community engagement to put equity into action and build skills that will prepare students for leadership, compassion and social responsibility. Open to 4th and 5th grade.

Students have been actively involved in lots of outdoor activities and games on rainy days. This is NOT a drop in program. You need to sign up in advance to attend Early Bird or Late Bird to ensure our staffing ratios are met. Just a reminder that if you need to change your child's Late Bird attendance, please call Gabrielle at (413) 587-1530 ext 3659 or email at ghollender@northampton-k12.us

• Our Februrary Early/Late Bird Form is now open. Please complete the form by Friday, January 21st. If you need assistance, please contact our coordinator, Gabrielle Hollender.

• Payments: Pay Online (preferred) or make checks payable to "City of Northampton" There is a new drop down menu to choose Early/Late Bird or LEAP. For those of you who paid prior to the drop down menu, Gabrielle is keeping track of online payments.
  

  *Note: UniPay seems to have an aversion to Visa cards... so please try another card for payment

• Please be sure to choose the dates you need for after school care. We have a limited number of staff and may not always be able to accommodate drop ins.

• Late Bird - 2:10-5:15 (Please send your child with a snack from home.)

• Just a reminder that we do not have school on the following dates in January:

  • Friday, January 28th
    

  Additionally, we will be having PreK through Grade 5 Caregiver/Teacher conferences on the dates listed below. We will have Early Bird on these dates, but we will not have Late Bird.

  • Monday, January 24th
  • Tuesday, January 25th
  • Wednesday, January 26th
  • Thursday, January 27th
  • Monday, January 31st

LEAP

Be on the look out for the February LEAP forms (our enrichment program) will be sent outthis week. You can use the same online payment as Late Bird. There is a drop down menu for LEAP. Online payment instructions: I know some of you had difficulty with our online payment system, so we have created a document with instructions. Here is the link.

If you or you know someone who would like to be a LEAP instructor for our next session, please reach out to Gabrielle with more information, (ghollender@northampton-k12.us or 413-587-1530 ext 3659)

BEHAVIOR POLICY: All staff and students will adhere to the Northampton Code of Conduct found at http://www.northamptonschools.org/project/code-of-conduct/

Our district is conducting a culture and climate survey. We would love your feedback. Please click one of the survey links below to share your family's experience with our school. Your feedback will help us strengthen our partnerships and work on engaging with families. Thank you !

https://forms.gle/i3rBrLfAsx15TNFo7 English

https://forms.gle/vZxsbsTer1XL18F49 Spanish

https://forms.gle/AEPfWedanLQkwSfLA French

https://forms.gle/2GpTTV4XeLppzibJA Swahili

https://forms.gle/sK4Jq3rbfQSwuzQS8 Kinyarwanda

https://forms.gle/QizHD36TeonxXCSC7 Chinese

https://forms.gle/eDREhajF44BJWv9E7 Burmese

For more information, please visit our Kindergarten Registration website:

https://northamptonschools.org/kindergarten-2/

Registration Session 1 - Monday February 28th from 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Location: Jackson Street School 120 Jackson St, Northampton (413) 587-1510

Registration Session 2 - Wednesday March 2, 2022 from 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Location: Leeds Elementary School 20 Florence Street, Leeds (413) 587-1530

Registration Session 3 - Tuesday March 8, 2022 from 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Location: RK Finn Ryan Road School 498 Ryan Rd, Florence (413) 587-1550

Registration Session 4 - Thursday March 10, 2022 from 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Location: Bridge Street School 2 Parsons Street, Northampton (413) 587-1460

Just a reminder that breakfast and lunch are free for all students. However, milk without a lunch, is NOT free. If a student wishes to have just a milk at lunch there is a charge of $0.50. Some of our students have been charging milk to their accounts.

Upcoming Dates

• 1/25 - COVID Testing
  

• 1/25 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Caregiver / Teacher Conferences No Lift Off / No Late Bird

• 1/26 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Caregiver / Teacher Conferences No Lift Off / No Late Bird

• 1/27 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Caregiver / Teacher Conferences No Lift Off / No Late Bird

• 1/28 - No School - Teacher Work Day

• 1/31 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Caregiver / Teacher Conferences No Late Bird

• 2/1 - COVID Testing

• 2/4 - Friday LEAP classes begin

• 2/7 - Monday LEAP classes begin

• 2/8 - COVID Testing

• 2/8 - Leeds PTO Meeting @7:00pm

• 2/9 - Early Dismissal @11:30 Half Teacher Work Day

• 2/9 - Equity & Inclusion Committee Meeting via ZOOM 6:30-8:00

• 2/21 through 2/25 Winter Break - No School

• 2/28 Kindergarten Registration for fall 2022/2023 @Jackson Street School @2:30-5:30

• 3/2 Kindergarten Registration for fall 2022/2023 @Leeds Elementary School @2:30-5:30

• 3/8 Kindergarten Registration for fall 2022/2023 @RK Finn Ryan Road School @2:30-5:30

• 3/10 Kindergarten Registration for fall 2022/2023 @Bridge Street School @2:30-5:30

Click here for the most up to date District calendar.

Click here for the School online calendar.

Sharon DeWitt, School Secretary

(sharondewitt@northampton-k12.us)

Laura Ziomek, Administrative Assistant

(lziomek@northampton-k12.us)

Gabrielle Hollender, Early Bird/Late Bird Afterschool Coordinator

(ghollender@northampton-k12.us)

Chris Wenz, Principal

(cwenz@northampton-k12.us)

Email: sharondewitt@northampton-k12.us
Website: http://www.northamptonschools.org/project/leeds-elementary-school/
Location: 20 Florence Street, Leeds, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 587-1530