Nantucket Elementary School

Dear Families,

Happy April to all of you!! What is that expression? March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb? Well based on boat cancellations over the last two weeks, I would say March is still roaring like a lion right into this first week of April. We would like to ask that children not have umbrellas at school. These have been challenging for them to navigate. We have noticed an uptick in a few student behaviors recently, and we know this is attributable to the students not being able to get outside each day with all of the rain. Next week looks better for sure!!

Speaking of which, there will be a solar eclipse next week! Our chances to see this incredible scientific event (the next one won't happen for 20 years) are greater in this part of the US. Our best chances to see this will be from 2:30 - 4:30 pm. We are so excited to share that we will be giving each student a pair of eclipse glasses to protect their eyes, but also, these will allow the students to witness this incredible event safely. Know that we will have plenty of adult coverage to support the club walkers at 2:20. We have spent this whole week in our Science lab classes talking about the eclipse, as well as discussing this in our classrooms.

Our March Trimester 2 Report Cards were shared with you in Aspen's student portals on Monday, 4/1. Teachers put the envelopes which held the hard copies of report cards, IEP progress reports, ELL reports, and interventionists reports into student backpacks on Friday, 3/29 or Monday, 4/1. As I mentioned last month, it is very important for you to review this document and talk with your child about it. The goal that we hope all children strive for and attain is to have 3's and S's in all categories. This means they are performing on grade level. When you talk with your children about their grades, celebrate their efforts and successes and make a plan to improve the scores that need to go up. If you have difficulty understanding anything on the report card, please reach out to your child's teacher. Kim Albertson and I are also more than willing to help you understand these documents.

LIP SYNC is coming quickly!! Participant tickets were on sale this week and the general admission tickets go on sale on Monday, 4/8. You can purchase these at the NES front desk. Tickets are $10.00 per person. The dress rehearsal will be on Wednesday, 4/26 from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm in the MPW Auditorium. Our final show will be on Friday, 4/26 at 6:00 pm in the MPW auditorium. We will also have a surprise finale this year.

There is a lot here. Be sure to read the updates from our grade level teams and departments shared below. Lots of great things are happening!!

Finally, there are multiple signs in English and Spanish that say and show - NO STUDENT DROP OFF in the First Way Lot. Remember you are modeling and teaching your students to not follow rules when you are dropping off in the back.

Thank you in advance for reading this and supporting our school!!

Best,

Kim Kubisch and Kim Albertson

Meri Lepore's Nurse's Corner

Now is a great time to start spending more time outdoors and less time in front of a screen for both children and adults. National Screen- Free week is May 6-12th. Below is a link to screen free week resources for families and individuals. They have some great ideas of books to read and activities to do instead of watching a television, ipad, phone or other screen.https://www.screenfree.org/resources-for-families-individuals/

The average school aged child spends 6-9 hours per day on screens, this is more than any other activity except sleep! Let's change this and keep our Nantucket children healthy!

As the weather gets warmer it is important to get into the habit of daily tick checks. We are all spending more time outside and the ticks are out there. Not only do we have deer ticks but also the lone star tick has been found on Nantucket. A bite from the lone star tick can cause an anaphylactic allergy to red meat in addition to other tick borne illnesses. Please be sure to do daily tick checks on your children.

We are seeing a spike in Strep Throat, Conjuntivitis (pink eye) and coughs lately. If your student has strep throat or conjunctivitis, they have to be home for 24 hours on medication and be fever free without fever reducing medication prior to returning to school.

Meri Lepore RN, FNP-BC

School Nurse

Nantucket Elementary School

leporem@npsk.org

This email was sent from the Superintendent's office last week:

Dear Nantucket Public School Families and Staff,

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has reviewed the CDC’s new guidance

regarding respiratory virus isolation strategies. MDPH has updated its recommendations for the

general public to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. These recommendations will change

our Covid-19 isolation policy. There will no longer be a 5 day isolation period for Covid.

Instead you may return to school once your symptoms have improved and you have been fever

free for 24 hours without any fever reducing medication. Although it is not mandatory, it is

recommended that you wear a mask when indoors around others for the first 5 days after

resuming normal activities. Here is the link for further details. Respiratory Virus Isolation

On another note, we would like to make you aware that there is an uptick of measles cases

across the United States. Fortunately, it has not affected Massachusetts yet. You can protect

yourself and your families by making sure your measles vaccination (MMR) is up to date.

MDPH requires students to have 2 measles vaccines before starting kindergarten. However,

with the pandemic some students’ schedules for vaccines were interrupted. Please make sure

your student is up to date with all of their vaccines. For adults, if you are unsure of your

measles immunity, you may obtain a blood test from your doctor to determine if you need a

booster vaccine. Please reach out to your school nurse if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Kelsey Perkins, NHS Nurse

Camilla Woodley, CPS Nurse

Nancy Small, NIS Nurse

Meredith Lepore, NES Nurse

Counselor's Corner

This month the counseling team continues to reinforce and teach the Problem-Solving Steps during our SEL lessons. These steps help students become skilled problem solvers which can result in fewer conflicts with peers. We are noticing that your children are really enjoying singing and dancing to the Problem Solving Song (attached below)! We encourage you to listen to this song with your child and we guarantee you will love it too!

Problem Solving Song

Teaching students how to identify, name problems and apply different strategies to solve problems will help them be more successful inside and outside the classroom. In order to build upon these skills, we are teaching students how to use these steps when responding to playground exclusion, playing fairly on the playground, and handling name-calling. These are important lessons for your child because it will help them learn how to demonstrate assertiveness and generate solutions to problems.

As parents and teachers we can’t always be there to solve every problem for our children. In fact, it’s best that we encourage and teach them to solve problems by themselves. Students with effective problem-solving skills will be able to better manage their emotions and persevere when encountering challenges.

When students are in the Red Zone, and are having bigger feelings, it can be difficult to make good choices. The Zones of Regulation teaches the concept, STOP, OPT, and Go. This visual is similar to a stop light. We encourage students to STOP when they notice they are moving towards the Red Zone, just like they are at a red light. At the yellow light, students should slow down and think of as many possible options, OPT. Once they think of all the possible options, both good and bad, students should GO with the best choice.

We encourage you to discuss and practice these steps at home when you notice that your child has encountered a problem. Losing a toy or having a disagreement with a sibling can be a great opportunity for you to help your child say the problem and then come up with ideas to solve it. Check out the visuals below!

Warmly,

Heidi Smith

Elementary School Counselor

smithh@npsk.org

Jenny Williams

Elementary School Counselor

williamsje@npsk.org

Madeleine Sybert

Elementary School Social Worker

sybertm@npsk.org

Prek Update

March was a long month of school with only one day off and a half day. We sure had a busy month in preschool. We had Leprechauns visit as well as the Easter bunny which made for two very fun days. We came back from February vacation and practiced our basics, we also learned about rainbows, jungle animals and dinosaurs this month. We loved seeing all the families at math and literacy night.

Kindergarten Update

Kindergarten is working on writing how-to books in writing. Classrooms made pizza or peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and are writing out the steps across pages. We will soon move into animal research and a class focus to learn about a chosen animal. This spring kindergarteners are working hard each day to get better at their reading. When reading with a kindergartener, encourage them to read known sight words "in a snap" and to use phonics knowledge (letter sounds, vowel teams, etc) to "sound out" the words. In math, kindergarteners work to deepen their understanding of addition and subtraction. To practice at home, create math story problems with everyday things- snacks, groceries, etc. For example: There were 5 cookies on a plate. Two got eaten. How many cookies are there now? Reminder: Kindergarten has NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, May 8. It is the incoming students Getting to Know You Day. It is a half day for the rest of the district. Kindergarten's last day of school is Friday, June 14, 2024.

First Grade Update

This month in first grade we have been working on vowel teams in fundations. During math first graders have been working on adding double digit numbers and we will soon be working on double digit subtraction. First graders are hard at work writing their opinions with supporting details. Students have been exploring the upcoming solar eclipse! They will be provided with special glasses to view the eclipse safely!

Second Grade Update

Second graders have been very busy researching their family’s heritage. This is a big project for second graders. They use digital resources from Mr. Mulson’s library webpage as well as articles and books from the library and online to discover and learn about one country that their ancestors lived in. Through this research students will learn about the holidays, traditions, food, music, sports and much more. It’s an exciting time in our classrooms as the students are very interested in learning and sharing their new knowledge with peers and teachers. This is a great time to talk to your child about your family's traditions and special events. Also, encourage your child to ask questions when visiting grandparents or extended family about their lives as children. Here are some questions that they could ask to learn more about their relatives:

• What are the names of your brothers and sisters? Who is the oldest and youngest?

• What were your hobbies as a child? Your favorite games?

• Describe your childhood home and your hometown.

• What is your favorite childhood memory?

• Did your family have any special traditions growing up?

• What were your favorite and your most challenging subjects in school?

• What was your first job?

• Did you serve in the military? What were you trained to do? What do you remember most about your service?

• Are there some special family heirlooms that have been handed down to you?

• Where and how did you meet your nana/ grandpa?

• When and where did you get married? How old were each of you?

Specialists' Update

Although my youngest students are still learning my name and recently referred to me as “Mrs. P.E.,” and “Mrs. Gym,” they are becoming more comfortable learning the routines and expectations in physical education! I’m so proud of their participation and positive energy! My first and second graders are in the groove as well arriving to the gym with a smile ready to participate and do their best! We will be working on good form in underhand and overhand throwing along with throwing for accuracy and distance! Thank you for your continued support helping your child come to PE in sneakers, dressed comfortably in layers, and a water bottle!

Music this spring starts with second graders getting recorders in their hands. Using the resource “Recorder Monster” students will be learning how to make a beautiful sound on their instrument while slowly learning new pitches and practicing their rhythms. First graders are taking time to learn about different genres of music. We have already covered Jazz and are taking on Hip hop. Kindergarten is wrapping up their second section of First Steps in music and will begin the third section after Spring Break with even more challenging music and fun games.

It has been very busy in the library media center. Kindergarteners have been working on both rhyming and alliteration with readings, videos, and application games that are linked to our website. We have also visited live cams at zoos on our website. 1st Graders are focused on making personal connections with readings and doing searches for books on our website. 2nd Graders, in addition to making personal connections with readings, are finding their own books on the website and beginning to locate them by call numbers in our library. In addition, we have continued work on Typing Club to enhance keyboard use and recently started finding locations both on and off island with Google Maps.

It's been an exciting week in science learning about the solar eclipse happening on Monday, April 8th! Maria Mitchell Association has been in our classroom teaching students about the solar eclipse and solar eclipse safety. Kindergarten has also started a new unit about force and motion and how things move. First grade has just started a unit about the plant life cycle and second grade is continuing to learn about landforms! A lot of fun experiments and activities are happening in our room!

Multilingual Learner Update

In our next unit, Kindergarten students will be learning all about our community, important places in our community and the jobs people do in our community. We will be exploring the essential question of "How are communities different?" to further develop the skill of comparing and contrasting.

First graders will be exploring the big question of "How do we get what we need?" in our next unit of study. We will also be exploring the roles of community helpers and expand on our language skills of identifying, describing and asking/answering questions.

Second graders will be exploring the essential question of "Why do people work together?" We will be learning about teamwork and cooperation with a language focus of stating opinions and supporting it with evidence.

Important Information - (Previously Shared)

Driving and Parking on the NES/NIS campus -

There are multiple signs in English and Spanish that say and show -NO STUDENT DROP OFF int eh First Way Lot. Remember you are modeling and teaching your students to not follow rules when you are dropping off in the back.

We have had several concerns shared regarding safety of students as they enter and exit the school recently. These concerns have been regarding parent drivers not following safety rules. These are listed below for your reference. We appreciate all of your anticipated efforts and required patience.

• NES will open in the morning at 7:35am. Students who are walking, biking or getting dropped off should go right to the doors (front one or the Kindergarten one) to come in and make their morning choice. Prek students line up outside in the front of the school.
• If parents wish to escort their child to the door, they must park their car in the Backus Lane parking lot ONLY.
• The parking lot off of First Way, behind the school is for staff only.
• All of the parking spots are assigned to staff or students at NHS.
• Parents and Guardians should not use that lot for any reason.
• This is a terrible place for students to be dropped off, this is not a drive through, and there is nowhere for any non permitted driver to park.
• Again, please stop driving in this lot. We are asking you to be a model for all children in the morning and the afternoon.
• Drive through drop off in the morning is permitted at the K and NES/NIS side entrances. This means parents stay in their car, and a staff member will open the passenger side door to help your child exit safely. Then, the car continues driving out the exit. This is for all students.
• Drive through pick up in the afternoon is permitted for all students grades 2-5 in the large circle between NES and NIS. This means parents stay in their car, and a staff member will oversee students entering cars. Then, the car continues driving out the exit.
• K and 1 students are met by parents at the back K entrance. Students will be standing in their assigned class lines.
• The circles and driveways on campus ARE NOT PARKING SPACES. An adult driver must stay in the car while waiting for students to exit or enter the car.
• At dismissal, all parents will continue to wait outside for students to dismiss from their teachers (kindergarten circle for kindergarten and first grade students, outside of the front door for second grade students).
• In the event of inclement weather (severe snow or rain), kindergarten and first grade students will be dismissed out the kindergarten and cafeteria doors to parents outside and second grade students will be dismissed out the gymnasium doors to parents outside.
• Drivers may not pull into the bus loop to pick-up their children EVER.

• Any visitors to our school need to share their identification with the front office staff in exchange for a visitor's badge. You will need to sign in as well.
• There will be no charge for lunches again this year. However, all families should complete the free and reduced lunch forms that were sent home with teacher assignment letters.
• There can be no changes to a child's dismissal plan after 1:00 pm. Be sure your children know what they are doing each day after school.

Attendance - we are starting to see some students with higher absence numbers. It is very important that you notify your child's teacher or call the front office if your child is going to be absent. You can send a message to your child's teacher through REMIND or call the front office to leave a message regarding your child's absence at (508) 228 - 7290 ext, 3. If your child needs to miss 5 or more consecutive days, you must make an appointment with the principal well in advance of upcoming absence. The NES Parent Handbook has been posted on the NES website (www.npsk.org, click on schools, click on Nantucket Elementary School). Please review the important section on attendance. Retention in the current grade level is a possibility if a child has excessive absences. Children being in school each day is a necessity.

Remind App is a wonderful tool for both educators and families! We know this. We know our teachers love being able to communicate with the whole class as well as individually. We know that you, the parents, love this tool too! It is wonderful that this tool allows us to communicate in multiple languages. One caution for us to share is that teachers may not be able to respond to messages you send during the school day. They are teaching and not hanging onto their phones. You may not get a reply until after school dismisses.

Website: www.npsk.org
Location: 30 Surfside Road, Nantucket, MA 02554, USA
Phone: 508 228 - 7290