CH School News & More - 12.3.24

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

As we stood out in the circle ready to welcome our students back yesterday, the 20 degree temperatures quickly reminded us that it is December and winter weather is officially here! Please know that our students go out to recess, often twice a day, all winter long. Please help your child to select clothes that make sense for the season. While we acknowledge that some kids just run hot, being outside for 15-20 minutes when not dressed for the weather can be uncomfortable. We want recess to be a joyful time for all students and we want their attention to be focused on having fun with friends versus enduring the cold.

Yesterday was the 60th day of school. That means we are ⅓ the way through the school year. This is a good time to pause and reflect on the year so far. By this time we hope all caregivers have had a chance to conference with our Claypit educators. Our hope is that the conference gave you a good picture of your child’s progress and that you understand the things that you can be doing at home to support your child’s learning. It is also a good time to think about attendance. Does your child have 6 or more absences? If so, and the pattern continues, your child will be considered chronically absent by the end of the year. The good news is that there is still plenty of time to correct these trends. Please prioritize healthful lifestyles by truly limiting screen time, especially during the school week, encouraging as much outdoor play as possible, providing the most nutritious diet you can, and encouraging good sleep habits. We love the work we do educating your children and we are happiest when they are healthy and attending school. Please reach out if we can do anything to help support good attendance.

On the whole, attendance has slightly improved at Claypit this year. However, if you look at the data, we have a REAL problem with tardiness. As you may know, our school hours begin at 7:55 a.m.. Ideally, students are in their classrooms and settling in by 7:55. Students are considered tardy when they arrive after 8:00 a.m.. During the drop off window, which has been from 7:45 -8:00, the volume of cars varies with the peak occurring between 7:55-8:00. For the next month, at least, we are going to try unloading cars beginning at 7:40 or as soon as the buses clear the circle. During the first 5 minutes, only administrators will be available to greet students, so we won’t use the turn around until 7:45. We are optimistic that by increasing the arrival window by five minutes, we’ll help to efficiently welcome students into school in the mornings, allowing more students to be on time. Please continue to do your part by helping your child to unload quickly once you enter the drop off zone.

To summarize: School hours officially begin at 7:55. Students are considered tardy when they arrive after 8:00 a.m. You can now drop your child off between 7:40 and 8:00.

Finally, tomorrow is a SUPER WEDNESDAY. It is a very early release with dismissal beginning shortly after 11:15 a.m.

Thank you for all you are doing to support your child’s education!

Sincerely,

Marie, Kate and Naomi

Help us fill the few remaining slots on our wishlist!

Claypit Hill’s PTO will once again coordinate a holiday gift drive for foster children, partnering with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) Framingham office. This is a wonderful opportunity to share the gift of giving with your own children while bringing joy to a child in need.

How can you and your family participate? See the remaining childrens’ wish lists and add your family name and email to the first two columns to sponsor a child. Families are welcome to team up and participate together! Once you have signed up, you can refer back to your row at any time on the 2nd tab labeled Fulfilled. The spreadsheet also includes opportunities to provide Visa gift cards ($25 denominations appreciated) to help us fill any gaps in wish lists, and you can also contribute gift wrapping supplies from the store or our Amazon Wish List.

If you've signed up to participate, please be sure to review the email reminder with details on where to drop gifts before this Sunday, December 8. Unwrapped and labeled gifts must be dropped off between Dec 1st-8th.

Involve your children! Shop in person or online to fulfill the wish of the child(ren) you signed up to sponsor. This year we are encouraging families to add a hand drawn picture or two to your gift bundle bringing - include a generic holiday or winter-season message and if you choose to sign your name, please include first names only.

Questions? Contact claypitholidaydrive@gmail.com, and thank you for helping to share the gift of giving with your own children while bringing joy to a child in need!