The Weekly Update #4

March has arrived, heralding the imminent arrival of spring! We have an array of exciting events lined up for the month of March, so please read on to ensure you don't miss out on any of the action.

During the week of March 4-8 we will be immersed in a series of engaging activities to celebrate Read Across America Week. You can find details about our plans by checking out the poster below.

Our Family Info. Math Night held on February 29th was a huge success. Thanks to those who were able to attend and support this important event. Special thanks to all the staff members who dedicated their time to making this event possible.

With MCAS looming on the horizon, we've included a schedule below for your reference. We kindly ask that you refrain from scheduling appointments for your child on their test days. Schedule can be found below on one of the green buttons.

Caregiver-teacher conferences are scheduled for March 27th and 28th. Details can be found below, and we'll open Pick-A-Time for appointment scheduling hopefully on March 11th. We will send out a reminder at the onset of that week. Please note that the caregiver-teacher conference days are a two hour early release time. Students will be dismissed at 1:15 p.m.

We are currently looking for a paraprofessional to work full-time until the end of the school year. If you think you might be interested please send me an email - elewis@asrsd.org.

Best,

Mrs. Lewis

Dr. Donaher

Mar. 1 - Author Visit - Ralph Fletcher

Mar. 1 Student of the Month School Wide Meet

Mar. 4- School Committee Meeting 7:00 HS

Mar. 1-8 - Read Across America Week click here for calendar of event.

Mar. 4-8 - Book Fair Open /Thursday Mar. 7th open 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Mar. 8 - Kindergarten Animal Adventures In-house field trip

Mar. 10 - Daylight Savings Time

Mar. 11 - Pick a Time open for caregivers to sign up

Mar. 12 - ASPTO meeting 7:00 p.m.

Mar. 14 - 90 Minute Release 1:45

Mar. 15 - Spirit Day Wear'n of the Green

Mar. 15 - Second Trimester Grades

Mar. 20 - 90 minute early release 1:45 4-9 p.m.

Mar. 20 -ASPTO Wendy's Restaurant Night - Ayer 4-9 pm..

Mar. 21 - National Down Syndrome Day - wear colorful socks

Mar. 22 - Spring Pictures

Mar. 25 - Report Cards Issued Tri II

Mar. 26 - PLT Meeting 3:30 -4:15

Mar. 27 and 28 - Conferences 2 hour release days

Mar. 27 School Committee Meeting

Mar. 29 MCAS Pep Rally

Thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Erica White, our School to Farm liaison, alongside Mrs. Kelly Spagnuolo and a dedicated group of caregivers from our school community, we're thrilled to announce the installation of two hydroponic stations in our café for plant cultivation. Presently, we're cultivating lettuce, providing students with the unique opportunity to sample the fresh harvest.

We extend our gratitude to Mr. Jay Mooney, our skilled grant writer, for securing the necessary funds through a Farm to School grant to initiate and sustain this exciting project.

Please go to the asrsd.org website to register your incoming kindergartener or preschooler for the school year 24-25 You can find the registration paper work on the website! Opened on Feb. 26th.

A Great Big Thank You to All Those Who Helped with the Winter Carnival!

The Winter Carnival was an outstanding success! We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the ASPTO for coordinating the parent volunteer sign-up sheet. A special thank you to all those who dedicated their time and tirelessly worked throughout the carnival on Friday.

We also want to express our gratitude to the Grade 4/5 PLT members who not only assisted with the organization but also actively participated in the carnival, aiding the younger students in navigating through each activity.

Lastly, we commend our students for their exemplary behavior, adhering to expectations throughout their time at the carnival. The event was filled with joy and excitement, and we eagerly anticipate continuing this tradition annually at LAW!

We will be sending out an electronic sign up on March 11th and letter explaining how to use "Pick a Time" to sign-up for conferences. Parent Teacher conference options: Zoom or in-person.

Conferences will take place on March. 27th and March 28th

Here are the guidelines for this year's conferences:

• The Pick-a-time sign-up is for those who want a remote conference only.
  

• If you wish to request an in-person conference you will need to email your child(ren)'s homeroom teacher to set up a time to meet. You can start reaching out once the conference sign-up information is sent out.

• UA will not be offered on Pick-a-time, If you would like to meet with a UA staff member, please email the teacher and set up an appointment. You may request a remote or in-person option. Due to the large number of students on the UA teachers' rosters, you should only meet with UA if you have a concern.

Research shows that students learn more, have higher grades, and have better school attendance when parents are involved in their child's education. That's why attending parent-teacher conferences is so important: it's a great way for parents to become involved and stay involved throughout the school year. Parent-Caregiver-Teacher conferences are a good way to meet your child’s teacher and learn about your child’s academic and behavioral performance. Keep in mind that you are an equal partner at the conference. If you have questions the conference is a good time to share them with the teacher. Don’t forget to share what you know about your child.

Here are some questions you might ask during the conference:

• Does my child hand in classwork on time and is it complete?
• Is my child doing work at or above grade level?
• Does my child work better in groups or alone?
• How does my child get along with others? Adults? Children?
• Is there any concern about learning or behavior problems that I should know about?
• What can I do at home to help my child build on strengths and improve weaknesses?
• How can I keep in touch about my child’s progress?

Lura A. White Elementary School will be doing an annual Postural Screening for our 5th graders the first week of April (specific dates to be announced.) Postural screening is a mandated program. The purpose of this is to find early signs of possible spinal problems in children. It is not a diagnostic service but a program to identify young students who should have further medical evaluation. If your child has any unusual findings, you will be notified and asked to take the child to a physician as a precaution. The majority of students exhibit no findings.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recognizes the parental right to refuse screening services offered through a school health program. If a parent refuses to allow the school to posturally screen their child for reasons other than on religious grounds, it is recommended that the parent provide the school nurse with written documentation that their child has been posturally screened by the family physician. The documentation should include the date of the screening, the findings, and the signature of the physician. Female children are asked to bring a TWO-PIECE SWIMSUIT OR HALTER TOP AND SHORTS to school the day of the screening. This type of clothing permits more accurate observation of the back.

If you have any questions or would like to opt your child out of the screening please contact me at 978-772-8600 ext. 1103 or abarter@asrsd.org .

Sincerely,

Ashleigh Barter BSN, RN

Thanks to our PLT for helping out at the Winter Carnival and our "Souper" Bowl Can Drive! Members continue to work in grades K-2 during their recess. The next meeting will be on March 26th. PLT members will help plan the MCAS Rally and end of year events.

Each year our school invites community members to come to LAW and read to our students. We encourage our community readers to share the value of reading with our students and how it helped them become successful in their careers. The day begins with a brief gathering in the cafeteria along with some refreshments to welcome our guests. Community members are assigned a classroom and provided a book to share with the class. The students love having members of our community come to visit !

Anybody wishing to donate a breakfast finger food item for our guests please drop them off the morning of March 4th.

Students in grades 3-5 will be taking the MCAS state assessment during the month of April and May . Please find the attached MCAS schedule above to see when your child's grade level will participate. We would like to have an MCAS Rally prior to the start of testing. The rally is a good way to get students motivated to do their best and to offer students strategies to help them prepare for each test day in order to be successful.

During the rally we will remind students to make sure they are well rested, eat a good breakfast, take their time when answering the questions and other effective test strategies. These reminders seem to have a positive impact on students and test results.

The rally will take place on March 29th.

Hi, LAW Families--

Welcome Back from February Break and Happy March! During this past month, students continued to be briefed on all school expectations as they pertain to the school, classrooms, recess, bathrooms, and the bus. Students have been working hard to be great community members and have been earning green PAWS to use at the School Store.

In the month ahead, we will continue to educate and reinforce these expectations at our Friday Schoolwide Weekly Meetings. At home, please have a conversation with your student(s) about all school expectations including what it means to be a safe passenger on the school bus--this would be very helpful!

As always, I am here to help and support--please do not hesitate to reach out. I am looking forward to the month ahead. For now, I hope that you all have a safe, healthy, and enjoyable March!

Be You & Be Well,

We are beginning to plan for the end of the year Grade 5 "Moving Up" events.

Here are some of the preliminary ideas:

• We would like to hold a "Moving Up" ceremony for our fifth graders and their parents/caregivers to attend at the Middle School.
• During the "Moving Up" ceremony we would like to show a video presentation with a variety of pictures of our fifth graders from the time they started at LAW to the present. Please send any LAW photos (pre-k-Gr. 5) you may have of your fifth grader to this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ycBdwMLprMSUNoLq5
• In addition , we would like to hold a cookout for the students. We are looking for parents/caregivers to help run the cookout this year.
• Last year, we had an ice cream truck come at the end of the cookout and we would like to do that again this year.
• We are planning a grade 5 end of the year field trip to the Nashua River Watershed /Canoe Trip.
• A Grade 5 end of the year parade - "Send-off"
• Fifth Grade Tee-shirts as a keepsake.
• Anyone wishing to help out planning, setting up and working at the cookout please send me an email elewis@asrsd.org.

LAW Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mission Statement:

At the Lura A. White Elementary School we value diversity, equity, and inclusion. We celebrate the uniqueness of each individual, embrace diverse backgrounds and respect differing points of view to build a strong inclusive community. As we learn together, we draw on the differences in who we are.