Scotty Updates

Scotty Updates has been created to provide families and staff with information regarding upcoming events, happenings, and programs at Scotland Elementary School. Please take time each Monday to review our newsletter.

Dear parents/guardians of current kindergarten through fourth-grade students:

At the end of each academic year, all schools meticulously engage in the process of class placement for each of our students. This process is a sensitive and complex endeavor for teachers, parents and building administration. Each year, grade-level teams, special education teachers, special area teachers and the school psychologists work closely together to create class groupings that meet the following criteria:

• a balanced range of achievement and ability levels in each class

• a balanced number of students in each class receiving special services and additional supports

• a balanced number of students and genders

• balanced inter-relationships of various combinations of students, including behavioral, social and emotional considerations

Each of the above factors are given careful consideration and discussed by each team. As always, parents are welcome to communicate any unique information or perspectives in terms of notable peer groupings, strengths, or areas of focus for their child to me via email at jkatkocin@ridgefieldps.net by Friday, April 12, 2024. This is completely optional and in no way required, but is the best avenue for parents to connect with me directly about any special situations. Please note that requests must be made on a yearly basis. Previously written letters are not considered during current class placement as many factors can change over the course of a year or more. Letters written in the spring of 2023 will not be considered during the 2024 placement process.

It is important to note that as a placement team, we will consider each request received, but it is not always possible to accommodate every single request. Additionally, we ask that you please do not make specific teacher requests. While we are greatly receptive to parental input regarding your child’s needs, it is not possible or appropriate to accommodate parental requests for specific teachers. The assignment of a teacher is the final part of the class placement process, and is not made with the current classroom teachers present. It is important to also understand grade level staffing can change throughout the summer and a teacher may need to move grade levels. Placement changes will not be made despite this occasional occurrence.

Our goal is to balance classes to support academic, social and emotional equity. This multifaceted process takes a number of meetings at each grade level throughout the spring and we will not make changes after the deadline. Your input will be taken very seriously as each team goes through the placement process and we appreciate you entrusting us to make the best placement decision for your child next year. Please ensure that your requests are shared in writing with me, no later than Friday, April 12, 2024.

Thank you for your support and continued partnership.

Kind regards,

Jill

Kindergarten Registration is coming soon. If you have a child turning 5 before September 1, 2024 please contact the main office at (203) 894-5825. If you have a child who will be turning 5 between September 1, 2024-January 1, 2025 and you are interested in enrolling them in kindergarten for this fall, please reach out to the main office for more information. Additional information about kindergarten registration and mini-kindergarten will be forthcoming. Please ensure if you have an incoming kindergarten student, you have enrolled your child in kindergarten. Thank you!

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A reminder about dismissal. The cutoff in School Dismissal Manager is 12PM daily, and any changes need to be made prior to that time. We truly appreciate your help!

Congratulations to our students for raising $3,111.66 with Scotland's recent Kids Heart Challenge! A huge thank you to Mr. Truchsess for organizing this event! What an amazing accomplishment, congratulations!

Our parent-teacher conferences will take place on April 11th and 12th, both of which will be early release days for students. We will also have an evening option for conferences on April 11th. Spring conferences will be scheduled for fifteen-minute sessions.

If a teacher is requesting a conference they will do so by March 14th. If you wish to request a conference, please do so by March 21st. Conference schedules are intended to be finalized by April 4th.

A note for parents of 5th-grade students: Please note that math placement data will not be available during spring conferences. As shared in January, math placement decisions will be finalized and sent to families in May.

We appreciate our partnership with parents and if a conference is not necessary, you should always feel free to reach out to our Scotland Faculty with questions or concerns!

Monday, March 25th:

• F Day

Tuesday, March 26th:

• A Day

Wednesday, March 27th:

• B Day

Thursday, March 28th:

• C Day

Friday, March 29th:

• No school - Good Friday

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Upcoming Events:

Friday, March 29th:

• No school - Good Friday

Thursday, April 11th-Friday, April 12th:

• Parent Teacher Conferences
• Early dismissal for students - 11:40AM

Monday, April 15-Friday, April 19th:

• No school, Spring Recess

Tuesday, April 30th:

• 5th Grade Musical - 5:30PM

Summer Bridge Registration Now Open

The elementary program is device-free and includes multiple opportunities for outdoor time with peers, creativity, an emphasis on social-emotional support, and thematic project-based sessions.

Register Here

RPS distribution flyers for outside groups via a Digital Backpack.

Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion in the digital backpack. Please help us in our effort to go green by checking students' Digital Backpacks Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion to cmelagrano@ridgefieldps.net. Thank you!

Head lice: They’re the words no parent wants to hear. Head lice can be acquired by anyone, but it is most common in kids ages 5-12. According to the CDC every year as many as 6-12 million children are affected by head lice. Our own community has just experienced our first few reported cases. The good news is that head lice are not harmful and can be treated. To detect, treat and prevent head lice, it helps to know more about them.

Below I have included a link to an article titled Head Lice: What Parents Needs to Know (Healthychildren.org/AAP). Please take a few minutes to read the article. It provides parents with a good source of information about head lice detection, management, and treatment.

Lice information

Joining the PTA helps you stay connected with the school community. You will receive information about family events, before & after school programs, school events, parties and much more! Get to know teachers & staff better with informational sessions throughout the year!

To join, visit our website: www.scotlandpta.org

The new PTA registration form is now live on the website, click here!

Volunteers in the Library Learning Commons:

We are looking for volunteers in the LLC! We would love to have you come in and help out! Please click below on the grade level in which you would like to volunteer. Our updated volunteer calendar starts January 19 - May 31.

Thank you so much!

-Mrs. Gonillo

First Grade- https://signup.com/go/cGNYUCe

Second Grade - https://signup.com/go/xFXYUMj

Third Grade- https://signup.com/go/CKryWTj

Fourth Grade- https://signup.com/go/kmPMRMp

Fifth Grade- https://signup.com/go/rfRZAkM

Playdates and Riding the Bus:

We know how fun it is for our students to get together after school and enjoy time together! Due to safety and limited space on the buses, we are asking that students have no more than 2 guest riders with them at a time. Anytime there is a need for more than 2 additional students to ride, families will need to make arrangements for parent pick up that day. Thank you for understanding!

Hats & Hoodies:

Over the last several years there was no standard hat/hood procedure in the elementary schools, likely related to Covid, when classroom windows were kept open for air circulation and there was the potential for it to be cold in classrooms.

As we have started the 23-24 school year with a typical school opening, we will return to only permitting hats to be worn outside the school building. Students may choose to wear a hat, but will be reminded to remove it upon entering the school building. Students will be permitted to wear hats for outdoor recess. Teachers have discussed this with students and I will remind our school community during the morning announcements on Tuesday.

On special occasions/spirit days, hats may be permitted and this will be communicated to students and families.

• Each class will have one 45 minute essential per day (Art, Library, Music, or P.E.)
• We will continue to follow the six day A-F day schedule
• Please find the essentials rotation below

We will follow a similar drop off / pick up procedure that we did last year.

Arrival

• Drop off begins at 8:30am. Please do not drop off your child prior to 8:30am as there will be no supervision at this time.
• After 8:45am, you will need to walk your child into school, as they are late. You will need to sign them in with security. Please do not drop your child off without adult supervision.

Dismissal

• Pick up will begin at 3:25pm.
• Each day, please have your child(ren)’s first and last name displayed on your passenger visor, and have it remain visible until your child is in the car. This needs to be bold and large enough to be visible at a distance. This is a very important step to ensure we have your child ready when you arrive.

• For the safety of both students and staff, proceed carefully and slowly through the lot.
• Please have your child exit/enter the vehicle when your gear is in the park position and is one of the cars at the front of the line designated for drop off.
• Students must exit the vehicle on the passenger side (building side) of the vehicle. Multiple children must exit on the passenger side. It is dangerous to exit/enter on the driver's side of the vehicle!

• Students need to have all of their items ready in hand and will then exit the car immediately.
• Parents, please stay in your vehicle at all times so that the process will prevent backups on Barlow Mountain Road.
• If you miss the drop off time (after 8:45 a.m.), please park in the front lot and walk your child across the designated crosswalk to the main entrance of the building. If you arrive after the drop off window and must park in the parking lot, we kindly ask that you use the crosswalk.

• For information on this year's Chromebook distribution and policies click here to watch a short video
• If you have further questions or concerns email: helpdesk@ridgefieldps.net

School lunch will be available from the first day of school. Aramark is the new District-wide food service provider. The school lunch menu is available online on the RPS website; click Departments and click on Food Service. For all students, we have transitioned away from LunchTime software to MySchoolBucks for families to fund student lunches.

MySchoolBucks is available via the PowerSchool Parent Portal, and communication was sent to families in early August regarding adding funds for lunch. Any balances have been rolled over from LunchTime to MySchoolBucks. Additionally, the district sent a communication in early August regarding Reduced Lunch for eligible students.

Snacks for Purchase in the Cafeteria:

Students in grades 2-5 are permitted to purchase snacks during lunch (last 10 minutes). Please be sure you have set up MySchoolBucks if you would like your student to be able to purchase a snack.

• In short, students eligible for reduced lunch will be provided free lunches in grades K-8 for the 2023-24 school year.
• Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the Free School Meals for Children grant, please do not hesitate to contact us or the District Business Office.
• Questions in regard to school MySchoolBucks can be directed to Eric Nickelson, RPS Food Service Director at 203-894-5550 x2143 or enickelson@ridgefieldps.net

Website to set up an account.

MySchoolBucks

Some Support Links for Troubleshooting:

Updating Your Payment Method | MySchoolBucks

Setting up Automatic Payments | MySchoolBucks

Adding a New Student | MySchoolBucks

Setting Up Low Balance Alerts | MySchoolBucks

Reset Your Password Using Your Mobile Phone Number

Reset Your Password Using Your Email Address/Username

We will continue to use School Dismissal Manager this year at Scotland. Please click below for information regarding this system. This system will be available to families in late August. A welcome letter will be emailed to families when the system is available. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us!

Email: jkatkocin@ridgefieldps.net
Website: https://ses.ridgefield.org/
Location: 111 Barlow Mountain Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: 203-894-5825
Twitter: @Scotland_Elem