ESTABROOK BUZZ

Dear Estabrook Community,

This has been such a joyful spring at Estabrook School! Concerts, assemblies, artists-in-residence, field day, big backyard walks, learning celebrations, field trips, ponding, and maker space time abounds! Estabrook is bursting with excitement everyday! It is gratifying to see our students culminate their school year in such special and memorable ways. We are proud of how our students have grown this year!

I would like to especially recognize and thank our incredible faculty and staff for their dedicated and expert teaching, and express my gratitude to the Estabrook PTO, parents and families for your tremendous volunteerism and support. The teachers, staff, parents and students are what makes the Estabrook School so special.

Please join me in warmly recognizing Mr. Jeffrey LaBroad, who has served as the assistant principal (2015-2016 and 2017-2018) and principal (2016-2017). He assumes the principalship of the Josiah Haynes Elementary School in Sudbury Public Schools on July 1, 2018 and we extend him our greatest gratitude and good wishes ahead. We will miss you Mr. LaBroad and thank you for all you have done!

As you are aware, Mr. Rick Rogers has been appointed the interim Estabrook principal for 2018-2019. Mr. Rogers possesses extensive principal leadership experience and looks forward to joining the Estabrook School community effective July 1, 2018. Ms. Christina Gavin has been appointed the new assistant principal. She joins us from Cambridge Public Schools where she has served as an inclusion specialist. Together, they will be an excellent leadership team for Estabrook School.

Last week, I began collaborating with Mr. Rogers on the transition plan for Estabrook School. Our collaboration will expand this week to include Mr. LaBroad, Ms. Beaulac and Ms. Gavin. Further collaboration will also take place with the faculty, staff and PTO leadership. Mr. Rogers will be in communication about meet and greet opportunities. He looks forward to getting to know the Estabrook community this spring and summer.

I will begin my new appointment as Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in Andover Public Schools on July 1, 2018. As you can imagine, this is a bittersweet transition for me. Lexington Public Schools and Estabrook School have been my professional family and beloved home for the last nine years. I have the great privilege of serving as the Estabrook principal from 2009-2016 and 2017-2018, when I returned from a leave of absence to serve as Special Assistant to the Superintendent (2016-2017).

Over these last 9 years in Lexington, we collaborated to mitigate PCB that was detected in the original Estabrook School (2010) and submitted an emergency statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for support for a new school, designed and built a state-of-the-art new school in a compressed 14 month timeframe, became a LEED Silver school and Model School for the state, twice received a state commendation for high academic growth, awarded the Massachusetts Gold Medal Wellness

Award by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, committed to being a "green" school and awarded the state's Safe Routes to School award (and this year commended again), designed and implemented a new homework system, incorporated numerous instructional initiatives, and expanded faculty and staffing in more ways than I can briefly outline here. I am enormously proud of the Estabrook School community.

With this, what I am most proud of is who we are and how we care about one another. Estabrook School is a family-oriented school, where everyone is important and valued for their individuality. Estabrook is who we are and where we are today, because of the sum of the school community, and this same spirit will continue as it has over the last 57 years of Estabrook School's history. It has been my honor and greatest privilege to serve as the Estabrook School principal. Thank you for all your support and so many fond memories. I wish you the joy of lifelong learning and happiness in all endeavors ahead. Please accept my warmest wishes for a restful and rejuvenating summer with family and loved ones. I will miss you all tremendously.

With my gratitude,

Principal Trach

Estabrook School will have 26 classrooms for 2018-2019, instead of 27 as we do now. This is due to the incoming kindergarten enrollment requiring 4 kindergarten classrooms, instead of 5 kindergarten classrooms as we have now. All class sizes will continue to be closely monitored throughout the summer.

2018-2019 Estabrook Classrooms

Kindergarten

Ms. Berenson

Ms. Linton

Ms. Moretti

Ms. O'Hare-Gibson

Grade One

Ms. Cahoon

Ms. Chartrand

Ms. Harris

Ms. Klotz

Ms. Quebec

Grade Two

Ms. Fenerlis

Ms. Garcia

Ms. Gordon

Ms. Gross

Grade Threee

Ms. Carlozzi

Ms. LaTronica

Ms. Lombardo

Ms. Sternfeld

Grade Four

Ms. Osgood

Ms. Taddeo

Mr. Taggart

Ms. Verity

Grade Five

Ms. Laicer

Mr. Richardson

Ms. Roscoe

Ms. Silberman

Ms. St. Onge

Please join us in congratulating:

• Katie Bourret, Grade 3 Teacher will become an ELL Teacher at Estabrook. Congratulations Ms. Bourret!
  
• Sharon Cantone, Literacy Specialist will increase from .5 to 1.0 full-time Literacy Specialist at Estabrook! Congratulations Ms. Cantone!
  
• Tamara Hayes, Kindergarten Assistant will become an Instructional Assistant at Estabrook. Congratulations Ms. Hayes!

Please welcome to Estabrook for 18-19:

• Katherine Costa, 1.0 (Full-Time) Resource Teacher
  
• Laura Cronin, (25 hours/week) Instructional Assistant
  
• Kayla McKay, (.5) Speech/Language Pathologist
  
• Alfredo Roldan-Flores, 1.0 (Full-Time) Occupational Therapist
  
• Nithya Subramanian, (5.) Math Specialist/Coach
  

Estabrook School will increase several staff positions for 18-19:

• Literacy Specialists increase from 1.5 teachers to 2.0 full-time teachers
• Math Specialists will increase from from 1.2 teachers to 1.5 teachers
• ELL teachers will increase from 3.0 to 3.5 teachers
• (3) 19.5 hour/week Instructional Assistants will each increase to 25 hour/week positions.

We are pleased to add this increased instructional teaching and staffing to Estabrook for 18-19.

Special thanks to the Estabrook parents for participating in the 2018 Parent Homework Survey! Below is a summary of parent respondent feedback. Student, staff and parent surveys will be further analyzed this summer and fall. Estabrook will continue the nightly independent reading homework program as designed, with special emphasis placed on home/school communication, strategic skills and concept practice for students at home, enrichment resources, and support for student independence and organization.

2016-2017: 411 parent respondents to the homework survey

2017-2018: 422 parent respondents to the homework survey

For the 2017-2018 homework survey parent responses:

• 79% of families reported that they feel their child's interest in reading become a lot better, better, or had not significant change as compared to 76% of families last year
• 83% of families reported their child's stress is a lot better, better, or had no significant change as compared to 82% of families last year
• 87% of families reported that their child has more time for family activities during the week compared to 61% of families last year
• 86% of families reported that the time their child engages in unstructured play is a lot better, better, or had no significant change compared to 85% of families last year
• 77.8% of families reported the amount of time their child reads throughout the week has increased a lot, increased some, or remained the same compared to 71% of families last year
• Families continue to report both years that in-person meetings and individual e-mails are the most helpful ways they received information from classroom teachers. Both years, families reported Twitter as a lower source of information.

All parent and guardian volunteers are invited to a Volunteer Breakfast on Wednesday, June 13, 8:45 a.m. in the Estabrook Cafeteria. We hope you can join us!

The Estabrook PTO will hold the PTO member meeting immediately following the breakfast. During the member meeting, the Estabook PTO will vote on the new slate of officers for 2018-2019. Also, next year’s budget will be available for viewing. We look forward to welcoming you!

On Friday, June 15, 6 -8:00 pm, the Estabrook PTO invites the 5th grade class and their families to celebrate friends, fun and Estabrook School! Enjoy dinner, dancing and socializing! All family members will need a ticket for the meal. Flyer sent home to all 5th grade families.

Parents and guardians of 5th grade students are invited to the Moving Up Ceremony on Wednesday, June 20, 9:00 a.m.

• Doors open at 8:15 a.m. for parent and guardian seating.
• 5th grade students should arrive and report to their classroom in the morning, as usual. Siblings attend school in their classrooms, as usual.
  
• The Moving Up Ceremony will begin at 9:00 a.m. and lasts approximately one hour.
  
• Following the ceremony, there will be a light reception when yearbooks are distributed and signed.
  
• Parents and guardians may choose to dismiss their child for a family lunch. Principal Trach will excuse 5th grade attendance for the afternoon of 6/20. 5th grade students are also welcome to stay in school for lunch and the afternoon, as usual.
  

We look forward to seeing you for this special day!

Parents and guardians will be able to view their child's report cards on the Aspen Family Portal on Friday, June 22, 2018 by 3:00 pm.

As a reminder, please try logging into your child's Aspen portal prior to June 22, just to be sure you can access the portal.

If you have any login issues, please send an email to: parentportal@lexingtonma.org.

Thank you to the Estabrook PTO for the beautiful faculty and staff luncheon for staff appreciation day! Special thanks to: Cindy Reuter, Joyce Dvorak and all the parent volunteers who helped at the lunch or brought food. We are so thankful to the Estabrook families.

Congratulations to Dr. Chhandomay Mandal for being elected to the Estabrook School Council position for 2018-2020! Thank you to our community for voting!

Please check the lost and found bin for lost clothing, lunch boxes, water bottles and other items. The lost and found is located on one side of the front entryway of the school. Items not collected by June 22 will be donated.

TUE. JUN. 12, 9:00-9:30 AM | KINDERGARTEN ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLY. Parents and guardians of kindergarten students are invited.

WED. JUN. 13, 8:45-9:30 AM | VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION BREAKFAST. Estabrook volunteers are invited to join us in the cafeteria for a light breakfast to recognize and thank you for your time, dedication & volunteerism to Estabrook School! A PTO meeting will immediately follow. We look forward to seeing you!

THUR. JUN. 14, 8:15-8:45 AM | JAM THE VAN. Flyer to be sent home.

WED. JUNE 20, 9:00 AM | MOVING UP CEREMONY FOR GRADE 5 STUDENTS. Parents, guardians and extended family members of grade 5 students are invited. Siblings remain in their classroom for the ceremony. A light reception and yearbook signing immediately follow. Grade 5 teachers will send home more information.

FRI. JUNE 22, 12:15 PM | LAST SCHOOL DAY. STUDENTS DISMISSED 12:15 PM.