Aiken Update

Dear Aiken Families,

The school year is off to a great start! Students are already beginning to build new friendships and establish strong relationships with their teachers. It has been wonderful to meet our new kindergarten and ELC students and the 28 new students in grades 1-5 that have joined the Aiken community.

Please take a minute to click on the button below and watch the welcome back video that was created by the Aiken staff. I have watched it at least a dozen times and it makes me smile every single time. The video is set to the song "Live Your Story," by Auli'i Cravalho. The lyrics in the song include, "Dream, see, write, live your story. Every day it keeps unfolding, unfolding. Make it your own. The power is all yours. Dream, see, write, live your story. Dream big and live your story." This year we want to open our students to new experiences, both academic and social and remind them to dream big, persevere and have confidence in their abilities.

A huge thank you to second grade teacher Keegan Scelia for being the visionary behind the video and to her son Troy for putting it all together. Thank you to the staff for their creative ideas and enthusiasm. I hope that you have as much fun watching it as we did filming!

Enjoy the long weekend,

Shannon

• There is NO SCHOOL on Monday due to Labor Day.
• Please remember to have your child bring a water bottle to school each day.
• Especially for our younger students, it is very helpful if lunch boxes and water bottles are labeled with your child's name.
• We ask that dogs are not walked or carried onto school property during arrival or dismissal. With such large crowds, even the most well mannered dogs can get over excited and we do not want any animals to get loose and run in front of cars or buses.
• Please note that our Aiken classrooms are Peanut/Nut Free. Students can eat nut and peanut products in the cafeteria.

This year curriculum night will be Thursday, September 19th. This in an event for parents and caregivers.

The schedule will be as follows:

• 6:00-6:40 - Grades 3-5

• 6:50-7:30 - ELC - Grade 2

• 6:30-7:10 - Special Area Teachers, Support Staff, Pupil Services

Welcome Back!! I am so excited to see everyone during their library classes! Just a reminder to please have your child return their summer reading logs to school. They can turn them into their classroom teacher. If you have misplaced your sheet, not a problem, you can print another one right here. Another option would be to send me an email with the list of titles or have your child write them down on a piece of paper. If you turned in your child’s sheet into the public library, that information will be given to me. I can’t wait to see how many books we read as a school this summer!

Thank you so much!

Jessica Tamaccio

jessica_tamaccio@whps.org

We have received guidance from the state of Connecticut regarding breakfast and lunch for the 2024 -2025 school year. Breakfast and Lunch is FREE for any student who qualifies for Reduced-Price meals.

Important reminders:

• Meals are available for purchase at the following prices:
  • Breakfast
    $1.50 Elementary
    
  • Lunch
    $3.25 Elementary
    
• A la carte items are also available for purchase.
• We will continue to collect free and reduced-price meal applications, as it is important that we do so in order to ensure families receive proper benefits. A new application must be filled out every school year.
• Please click below on the Free and Reduced Lunch button for more information about the Free & Reduced-Price Meal program including the application. You may also request an application from any one of the school offices or the Nutrition Services Office.
• School lunches can be paid for with an online account through PayPams. Please click the button below for more information on how to load your child's PayPams account.

Please take a moment to review the arrival and dismissal procedures for the 2024-2025 school year.

Aiken School Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Would you like to help a new family feel welcome at Aiken? Then sign up to be a part of the Welcome Wagon, a Buddy Family program that pairs new families with veteran families to help ease the transition for both students and families new to our school.

We are looking for a few families to help be a part of this great program aimed at creating new friendships and helping new parents and students understand the ins and outs of Aiken (and all of West Hartford).

Responsibilities include: sending out an introductory email to introduce yourself and your child to the new family you’ve been paired with; asking your child to include the new student in recess games; inviting the new family to meet you at Aiken events (Fall Festival, Pizza Bingo, etc); answering any questions the new family may have (or helping to guide them on where to find answers).

If you are interested in being a Buddy Family email Abiah Ruel at abiahruel@gmail.com. In the email, please include the name and grade level of your child. We will work to match families with a new child in their class.

Email: Shannon_Mlodzinski@whps.org
Website: http://aiken.whps.org
Location: 212 King Philip Drive, West Hartford, CT, USA
Phone: 860-233-6994