Long Hill School Newsletter

The week of May 6th is Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. I want to thank all the teachers and staff members for their dedication and the impact they make on a daily basis. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful staff at LHS!

• Thursday, May 2: Kindergarten Field Trip - Beardsley Zoo
• Monday, May 6: ABC's Countdown to Summer Vacation begins - see information below
• Thursday, May 9 - Friday, May 10: PTO sponsored Plant Sale - Schedule below
• Monday, May 13: Early dismissal K-4:1:50pm; Pre-k am session hours: 8:45am-11:05am; Pre-k pm session hours: 11:45am-1:50pm
• Monday, May 20: Pre-K Field Day - more information to follow
• Tuesday, May 21: Second Grade (Mrs. Allen's & Mrs. Zerella's Classes) Field Trip
• Thursday, May 23: Second Grade (Ms. Giordano's & Mrs. Persico's Classes) Field Trip
• Friday, May 24: K-4 Field Day - more information to follow
• Monday, May 27: No School - Memorial Day
• Wednesday, May 29: Fourth Grade Field Trip to PHS - more information to follow
  
• Friday, May 31: K-4 Field Day rain date
• Tuesday, June 4: Kindergarten Step-Up 10:00am - more information to follow
• Tuesday, June 4: Pre-K Step-Up for our 4 year olds moving on to Kindergarten 2:00pm - more information to follow
• Thursday, June 6: Early dismissal K-4:1:50pm; Pre-k am session hours: 8:45am-11:05am; Pre-k pm session hours: 11:45am-1:50pm
• Friday, June 7: Early dismissal K-4:1:50pm; Pre-k am session hours: 8:45am-11:05am; Pre-k pm session hours: 11:45am-1:50pm
• Monday, June 10: Fourth Grade Step-Up 10:00am - more information to follow
• Monday, June 10: Early dismissal K-4:1:50pm; Pre-k am session hours: 8:45am-11:05am; Pre-k pm session hours: 11:45am-1:50pm
• Tuesday, June 11: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL; Early dismissal K-4:1:50pm; Pre-k am session hours: 8:45am-11:05am; Pre-k pm session hours: 11:45am-1:50pm

Our third and fourth grade students have started taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment this week. This assessment will continue during the weeks of May 6th, and May13th. Please make sure your child has a good night’s sleep and breakfast the morning of and is on time for school. If you know your child will be absent during any of these weeks, please contact the main office immediately as this will impact their testing schedule.

Our spring assessments, including the NWEA Assessment (K-2) and the DIBELS Assessment (K-4), will begin the week of May 6th. Here are some ways to help your child prepare for these assessments:

• Play educational games at home to encourage your child.
• Encourage your child to read as much as possible - and to increase vocabulary. Reading magazines, newspapers, and comics will also improve reading skills.
• Have your child teach you what he/she is learning in school.
• Practice math facts and have your child solve real world math problems.
• Please be sure your child has a good night's sleep and is on time for school.
• Encourage you child to relax and do his/her best.

Upcoming important Board of Alderman Meetings regarding next year's budget. Parent attendance and support is very important at these meeting.

• Tuesday, May 14, 2024 7:00pm - location: Shelton Intermediate School Auditorium- Public Hearing on Budget
• Thursday, May 23, 2024 5:30pm - location: City Hall - Special BoA Meeting to Adopt Budget

As the weather gets warmer, please make sure your child is dressed appropriately. According to the district’s student dress policy, students are not allowed to wear tank tops or sleeveless shirts. Students should be wearing appropriate footwear as they have outdoor recess and gym. If your child is not dressed appropriately, then a parent will be called to bring in appropriate clothing.

Our ABC’s Countdown to Summer Vacation will begin on Monday, May 6, 2024. We have many exciting ways that we will be counting down to the last day of school. A paper copy will be coming home this week. Below is an electronic version of the calendar.

Field Day for our Pre-K students is scheduled for Monday, May 20, 2024 and Field Day for all kindergarten-fourth grade students is scheduled for Friday, May 24, 2024. Look for more information about these fun events from Mr. Beloin, including volunteering opportunities.

Please note, parents/guardians are NOT permitted to walk around with their children on field day. All parents/guardians who attend field day must be a volunteer and assigned to an event.

Here are some field day tips from Mr. Beloin, our PE teacher:

• Have your child wear shorts or comfortable clothing and sneakers.
  
• Apply sunscreen at home. Sunscreen CAN NOT be reapplied at school.
  
• Students should have labelled water bottles.
  
• Students may wear hats while participating in events.
  
• Promote good sportsmanship and encourage your child to have fun and cheer on his/her classmates.

With several field trips occurring now through the end of the school year, it is imperative that students are at school on time. We can not wait for a tardy student. Buses will leave as scheduled and if your child arrives after the bus has left, your child will be placed in an alternate classroom until the class returns from the trip. Field trips are prepaid and money can not be refunded if your child misses the trip.

We will continue to register students for Kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year. Families wishing to register their child should contact the school at (203)-929-4077. Children must be aged five on or before September 1, 2024 to enter kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year. Find exemption information here:

http://www.sheltonpublicschools.org/kindergarten

Unsure which school you are assigned to? The School-by-Street listing can be found here:

http://www.sheltonpublicschools.org/transportation

According to Public Act 23-208, Section 1(a), students must turn 5 on or before September 1, 2024 to enter Kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year.

However, children who turn 5 between September 2 and December 31, 2024 may be admitted:

(1) upon a written request by the parent or guardian of such child and
(2) following an assessment of such child, conducted by the building principal and an appropriate certified staff member of the school, to ensure that admitting such child is developmentally appropriate.

Please send your written request to Kristen Santilli at the Office of Teaching & Learning at ksantilli@sheltonpublicschools.org and complete the assessment below:

Kindergarten Assessment

Once the Office of Teaching & Learning has received your written request and you have completed the assessment, someone from the school where your child will be attending will contact you with further information on how to proceed.

If you have further questions, please call the Office of Teaching and Learning at 203-924-1023 x317.

The last day of school is now Tuesday, June 11, 2024 due to the two snow days. The last four days (currently Thursday, June 6; Friday, June 7; Monday, June 10; and Tuesday, June 11) are early dismissal days.

If you have plans to move before the start of the new school year, please email me at adaiuto@sheltonpublicschools.org This helps us in making class lists. The staff and I devote much time and thought when placing your child in a class. Parental requests for specific teacher placements will not be considered; however, if there are any special circumstances or consideration regarding class placement, please notify me via email.

Below is the 2024-2025 school year district calendar. The first day of school is Wednesday, August 28, 2024. This calendar is also located on the district's website under "District Information".

As the weather is getting warmer and more families are using the playground after school hours, please keep the following in mind:

• Students are expected to follow the same rules that they follow at recess and should play and act appropriately.
• Please actively monitor your child while he/she is playing on the playground equipment.

Please remember that the school day begins at 9:00am. Students can be dropped off at school beginning at 8:45am. Any student dropped off after 9:00am is considered tardy. STUDENTS SHOULD NEVER BE DROPPED OFF IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL. If you are dropping your student off after 9:00am, you MUST park in the parking lot, walk them to the front door, and buzz into the main office and wait for a staff member to come to the door. Please remember, our school day begins promptly at 9:00am and instruction begins shortly thereafter.

Any student who is dropped off and arrives after the 9:00am bell has rung is considered tardy.

Students with excessive tardies and absences will be referred to our youth outreach officer.

As stated in the school's Policies & Procedures:

For planned absences, such as vacation during the school year, teachers are NOT required to provide students or parents/guardians with advance work or assignments. It is the student’s and/or parent’s responsibility to get the work upon their return. Taking time from school to go on a vacation poses a risk to your child’s educational progress. Both students and parents must understand that when school is missed due to vacations, it is not the responsibility of the teachers to provide remedial instruction for the assignments/content that has been missed.

We are seeing an increase of students being absent for an extended period of time. When a child misses school for an extended period of time, he/she is missing important and imperative instruction and content and can pose a risk to his/her progress.

1. Welcome LHS PTO Executive Board 2024-25

• President - Niyati Rao
• Vice President - Jenn Marsan
• Secretary - Kendra Rojas
• Treasurer - Rashania Thompson

2. TAW - The week of May 6th – May 10th is marked as Teachers’ Appreciation Week. We will celebrate our teachers with PTO sponsored Lunch on May 7th and May 8th-10th will be various treat days. Sign up genius to donate treats coming soon.

3. May 9th and 10th will be Plant Sale. Sign up for volunteers and schedule will be shared along with the flyer in coming days.

4. May 10th is also Quassy Family Night. The flyers were already sent home. Last day to purchase tickets is May 2nd.

5. No frill fundraiser in progress. Last day May 12th. Donate with cash/ check or on cheddar up https://long-hill-school-pto-s-no-frills-fundraiser-copy-66369.cheddarup.com

6. End of the year event – May 31st – Bingo followed by Movie.

Address: 565 Long Hill Avenue, Shelton

Phone number: (203)-929-4077

Fax number: (203)-929-8250

Website: http://longhill.sheltonpublicschools.org/home_page

Twitter: @DAiutoAndrea

LHS Policies & Procedures: https://www.smore.com/674wn