Principal's Message - Mrs. Judd
"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."
- Thornton Wilder
Expressing gratitude is a powerful force that positively impacts both ourselves and others. Research shows that practicing gratitude fosters stronger relationships, promotes optimistic thinking, and even improves physical health. Throughout November, WPS students and staff explored the concept of Gratitude. Students defined gratitude and shared examples from their own lives. They learned that gratitude is a mindset that appreciates the people, places, things, and experiences that enrich our lives. In every classroom, students reflected on and shared what they were grateful for, with common themes emerging, such as family, friends, teachers, toys, sports, vacations, animals, nature, and universal concepts like love and friendship. First grade students recently showcased their work at a Community Meeting, expressing gratitude for their family, special people, places and events. Moving forward, students will be encouraged to use Gratitude Journals to document moments that bring them joy and appreciation. Selected entries will be featured during morning announcements and on our school gratitude board.
On November 25th, we honored our local senior citizens. The PTO, in collaboration with several community organizations, hosted a wonderful Thanksgiving feast for our seniors at our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon. Over sixty seniors joined in the celebration. Students transformed the cafeteria into a festive fall-themed dining hall, complete with place settings, centerpieces, and special pinecone ornaments. Our guests were entertained with student parades, songs, and poems. We are deeply grateful for the parent community and generous donors who helped us show love and respect to our senior neighbors. Special thanks to Lauren Werkhoven who coordinated all the details, Pete Sax for wonderful entertainment, Sarah Belanger who organized our fifth grade helpers, and to all our volunteers who helped behind the scenes and during the event.
Looking ahead, the school is supporting a food drive, running now through December 18th, led by our Student Council. Student members visited the Warren Food Pantry, which serves the Washington area, to learn about food insecurity. They discovered that around 25 families visit the pantry each week. We appreciate your donations in advance. Additionally, on December 13th, we will join schools across Connecticut for PJ for Kids Day, supporting children with cancer at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Your donations for this important cause are greatly appreciated.
I thank you for your continued support, and I am grateful to be part of a collaborative and caring community! If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at judde@region-12.org or at 860-868-7331.
Third Grade - Ms. Ackerman
This month, our class has been focusing on the theme of Gratitude. We’ve learned that gratitude is the quality of being thankful and recognizing the good things in our lives. It’s an important value that helps us appreciate both the big and small things around us.
Throughout the month, we have done many activities to show how grateful we are for the things in our lives. One of these activities included writing about what we are grateful for and why, which we shared on our "Attitude of Gratitude" bulletin board. We also created gratitude posters that listed a variety of things we’re thankful for, and then we grouped them into categories. The class worked together to turn this information into a bar graph that represented the entire class’s gratitude.
Additionally, during Parent Visitation Day, each student created a gratitude collage with the help of their family members. The collages turned out beautifully and highlighted the many things students are grateful for in their lives.
We are so thankful for all the wonderful things in our lives and are excited to continue celebrating gratitude together in third grade!
Books are Great Gifts - Mrs. Ubaldi
The holiday season is soon approaching and we are all faced with the challenge of finding that unique gift for a child. Your solution could be a book. Your first decision is to decide whether you are buying a book that the child can read or if you are buying a book to be read to the child.
If you are buying a book that the child can read, it pays to do a little research. You want to know the child’s interests and reading level. While the child might be fascinated by cars, not just any book on cars will be appropriate. Look for age and reading level recommendations when choosing books. You wouldn’t want to buy a book meant for a younger child, or if you buy a book that is too difficult the gift loses its excitement. I’ve included a link to the Connections Academy. They have provided 11 links for parents to use to find books for their children.
Math Puzzles Mr. Stacey
There’s a bulletin board in school right now with a handful of challenging math puzzles. It’s called the “Fall Math Challenge.” The puzzles use a few different Thanksgiving themed pictures to create simple equations and students must figure out what number each picture represents. For example, the first challenge gives two equations: Acorn + Turkey = 14 and Acorn – Turkey = 10. Can you figure out what number the acorn and turkey represent?
There are four more challenges and they get progressively harder. In previous newsletters, I have shared fun math games that I recommend playing with your children at home. Math-themed puzzles are another great way to bring “fun math” into your home! There are sheets to take home on the Fall Math Challenge bulletin board. I also recommend classic number puzzles like Sudoku and KenKen. I’ve shared these with my students in the past and they really enjoyed them!
Notes from the Nurse - Mrs. Hodge
It is important to stay healthy as we look forward to spending time with family and friends over the holiday season. Frequent hand washing, flu shots, sufficient rest and sleep, eating healthy and staying hydrated are all ways we can try to keep those germs at bay. As a reminder, please keep your child home when they are ill. Students must be fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. As a reminder, please call the attendance line if your child will be absent. I can also be reached at hodgem@region-12.org.or 860-868-6879.
Outdoor Play
There are many fun things we can do outside in the winter to keep our children active. However, it is important to consider safety and it’s a good time to review the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. We will have outdoor recess if the temperature is 20 degrees and our grounds are not too wet outside. Please be sure to send your child with the appropriate outdoor clothing for the weather. Our children must have snow pants and snow boots in order for them to play in the snow. Please pack extra socks and a spare set of clothes to keep at school in your child’s locker.
Also, if you would like to send in any pants/shirts that your child has outgrown as a donation for spare clothes to the nurse’s office, that would be greatly appreciated! If your child receives a change of clothes from the nurse’s office, please wash and return them to my office .
More friendly tips from the nurse:
Ice skating and sledding are more great ways to get exercise on a cold winter day. Children should be supervised. Advise your child to sled feet first or sit up instead of lying down head first. Skate only on approved surfaces and skate in one direction with the crowd, wear a helmet and never skate alone!
REMINDER FOR REACH PARENTS: All REACH students must submit proof of influenza vaccination prior to December 20th to the School Nurse.
CONGRATULATIONS TO WPS!
Washington Primary School has been ranked #2 in the State as the Best Elementary School! This prestigious recognition is a testament to the exceptional skills and dedication of our staff, the hard work of every student, and the unwavering support from our families and community members. It’s a privilege to be part of such an incredible community and to celebrate this achievement together!
Upcoming Events
December 14-18 - Food Drive
December 7 - Hickory Stick Shopping Night 5:00-7:00
December 12 - Early Dismissal (10:45 - REACH and 12:45 - K-5)
December 13 - PJ Day for the Kids (See link above)
December 13 - Holiday in the Depot - 5:45-7:30
December 18 - Hickory Stick Shopping Night - 4:30-6:30
December 19 - Winter Sing-A-Long 3:30-4:30
December 20 - Cultures Around the World
December 23 -January 1 - Winter Break
January 2 - School Resumes
Winter Sing-A-Long
If you are looking for a way to relax and have a little fun as a family over the next few weeks, mark your calendar for the Winter Sing Along on December 19th from 3:30-4:30. Families are invited to the WPS gym to sing together, listen to winter poems, and to enjoy hot cocoa and treats sponsored by the WPS PTO.