December
Dear CES Families,
As we welcome the final month of the year, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for our incredible school community. December is a time for reflection, connection, and celebration, and I’m proud of the joy, kindness, and learning that fills our school every day.
This month, our students will be busy with exciting activities and opportunities to give back to our community. Whether it’s through classroom projects, holiday performances, or acts of kindness, we are focusing on the spirit of togetherness and generosity.
Please take a moment to review the calendar for upcoming events, including the CES Winter Concert, Holiday Spectacular show and winter break dates. We look forward to seeing you and sharing in these moments of joy.
As winter break approaches, I encourage you to take time to rest, recharge, and enjoy meaningful moments with your loved ones. Thank you for your continued partnership and support in making our school a place where every child feels valued and inspired to learn.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
Warm regards,
Laura Ramos
Principal
As we work together to ensure a positive and supportive learning environment for all our students, I want to remind you of the importance of notifying the school if your child will be absent.
If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, please inform us as soon as possible by:
- Calling the school office at 508-248-7774, or
- Sending an email to the teacher/Mrs. Durant
When reporting an absence, please provide the following information:
- Your child’s name and grade level
- The reason for the absence
- The expected duration of the absence, if known
Timely communication helps us accurately track attendance and ensure the safety of all our students. If we do not receive notification of your child’s absence, our office will reach out to confirm their whereabouts.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your ongoing partnership in supporting your child's education. Please feel free to contact the school office with any questions or concerns.
Please use this link to access the Coordinators Corner.
December is National Influenza Vaccination month and this week is National Handwashing week. These are two of the best ways in preventing the flu and other illnesses. If you haven't gotten your annual influenza vaccine now is a good time. Protect yourself and your loved ones from influenza. Hand washing is something that should be practiced with your children. We want to wet our hands, suds up with soap and scrub all surfaces of our hands for at least 15-20 seconds. Rinse and dry hands. Handwashing should be performed several times a day especially before eating, after using the bathroom, and after sneezing, blowing nose or coughing.
Please make sure students come to school prepared for the cold winter weather. We will be having outdoor recess most days. Students should be outfitted in winter coats, gloves and hats. When the snow is on the ground students must have boots and snow pants to play in the snow. If your child is in need of any of the above items I would be happy to assist in acquiring them.
As always, please keep students who are sick home and call or email the nurse regarding illness Jmarinelli@dcrsd.org this will assist us in tracking illness throughout the school so we can better prepare and prevent it when able.
The foundational target of the Zones of Regulation curriculum framework focuses on teaching children different strategies to regulate their bodies. In other words, we are working with our students to learn strategies to move from the Yellow Zone, Blue Zone, or Red Zone and return to the Green Zone. We have continued to reinforce to our students that our goal is to be in the Green Zone as this is where we are able to show Expected Behaviors and we are ready to learn.
This month we read the book Calm-Down Corner, Here I Come! by Danielle Walker Ed.S. The story was about an elementary student who was experiencing a series of overwhelming feelings and used a calm down corner as a tool to regulate her emotions. Our students participated in a follow up activity in each classroom where some students identified the calm corner in their classrooms and other students described the calm corner they have in their own home. We talked about the difference between various items that may be used in a calm corner and whether a given item was a tool (items that calm your body) or a toy (items that make your body feel more excited). Our students did a great job identifying which items were a tool or a toy and how to use it appropriately.
If you are working with your child to set up a calm corner of their own in your home, I would highly recommend reading this story with you child. It is a great tool to use together to identify your child’s preferred tools and design a unique space of their own.
On January 3, 2023, the Commonwealth launched the new Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) and established 25 Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs). As part of the Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform, these programs are increasing access to mental health and substance treatment for people across Massachusetts, and offer insurance-blind behavioral health crisis services to anyone in the state.
Additionally, the Commonwealth has created a Behavioral Health Roadmap Toolkit, which includes pre-made public awareness and informational materials (including social media graphics, fact sheets, flyers, and more).
As we all know, the weather in New England is VERY inconsistent. One day we are enjoying a beautiful 70 degree day and then the next we are finding frost on our cars in the morning. When the weather permits, the goal is to get all students outside for some fresh air and time to run around. We ask that they are prepared with appropriate clothing. This includes the kind of shoes they wear and coats. Hats and mittens are always encouraged in the cold weather. We would never hold a child inside but we are limited on the amount of extra coats we have available to share. Your attention and support to this request is extremely appreciated.
