Bryn Mawr Bulletin

Dear Families,

Thank you to families that have signed up to send in supplies for STEAM day on 10/31/24. Please send in all donations by Wednesday so teachers can distribute and organize materials for the hands-on activities for the day!

Teachers will be sending home a sign up for Parent-Teacher Conferences by November 1st. Please look for a sign up from your student's teacher. Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on November 19th.

Thank you for sharing your students with us every day!

Smile,
Mrs. Beverly

Bryn Mawr Principal

November 4- PTO Meeting 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Where: Hybrid: SWIS Auditorium or Zoom (ID: 721 298 1278, Password: 703160)

November 5 - No School - Teacher’s Professional Development Day

November 6 - Picture Retake Day

November 11 - No School - Veterans Day

November 19 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Half-day for students)

November 19- Scholastic Book Fair Open during conferences

November 20- Scholastic Book Fair student shopping day

November 27 - 29 - No School for Thanksgiving recess

If you recognize anything in lost and found, please come claim it by the end of the week, or we will be donating items. Lost and found is located in the front lobby outside of Mrs. Wheeler's office.

As caregivers, one of the most important jobs you have is instilling independence and responsibility in your children. This begins at a young age and is built upon day after day, year after year, and ultimately plays a key factor in the type of adult citizen your child becomes. Below are some tips and ideas to help you foster these qualities in your child.

Start Early: Building independence and responsibility begins at an early age. Encourage your child to take on small responsibilities, like dressing themselves, picking up their toys, feeding the pets, and helping with simple chores. Praise their efforts and make it a fun learning experience.

Be a Role Model: Children often learn by observing their caregivers. Demonstrate responsible behaviors in your daily life, such as managing money, maintaining cleanliness and chores, and fulfilling commitments. Your actions serve as powerful examples for your children!

Age-Appropriate Tasks: As your child grows, increase their responsibilities according to their age and maturity level. Assign age-appropriate tasks like setting the table, helping with laundry, or taking out the trash. Be patient, offer guidance, and celebrate their accomplishments!

Empower Decision-Making: Allow your child to make choices from a young age. Start with simple

choices, like choosing their outfit, deciding what snacks to have, or picking out a bedtime book, and then start letting them make bigger decisions for themselves. You could even help your child set a goal, then allow them to decide what things they need to do in order to achieve that goal.

Encourage Problem-Solving: When your child faces challenges or conflicts, resist the urge to solve

every problem for them. Instead, guide them through the process of finding solutions, encouraging

critical thinking and resilience. Sometimes children have to learn lessons or make mistakes in order to grow. As caregivers, it can be hard to sit back and watch, however, it is crucial that they learn how to problem-solve the small things so they are prepared for their future.

Space and Freedom: It can be hard to relinquish control, but gradually give your child freedom and

space to try things on their own and make their own choices. Knowing you are behind them and there if they make a mistake or need support makes the process easier for both children and parents. This might be as simple as letting them walk to the mailbox while you watch from the porch or letting them pay for their own items at the store.

Remember that every child is unique, and the speed at which they develop independence and

responsibility will vary. Be patient and flexible in your parenting approach, and always provide a supportive environment for their growth!

• Learning to zip their own coats and jackets as the season gets colder.
• Organizing their winter gear (hats, gloves) for outdoor play.
• Building responsibility with getting things ready for school each day.
• Learning to tie their shoes!
• Having your student help to pick up their toys or mess after an activity at home.
• Learning how to open their own snack packs and drinks.

Did you know that the PTO really needs the help from every family with their fundraising efforts so students can attend field trips, enrichment programs can be brought into school, and special classroom projects and materials can be funded. Please consider supporting this fundraiser, or making a direct donation to the PTO here: https://auburnmapto.ptboard.com/school/cm?mid=6584

Cold and flu season is upon us. The best way to prevent the spread of germs is through proper hand washing. Attached is a video to share with your children on how to properly wash their hands.

If your child has had a well visit, or there has been a change in their health, please send in the updated paperwork to keep our records up to date and so I can better serve your child while they are with us.

Halloween is around the corner. Here are some tips from the American Heart Association on how to have a healthy Halloween.

As a reminder, if your child is going to be absent please call the school 508-832-7733 or email jrobichaud@auburn.k12.ma.us and Lwheeler@auburn.k12.ma.us

Your Presence is Powerful!

DID YOU KNOW?

• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.

• Missing 10%, or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.

• Students can still fall behind if they miss just one or two days every few weeks.

• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.

• Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.

(attendanceworks.org)

This year Gov. Healy’s office launched a campaign called “Your Presence is Powerful” to highlight the importance of school attendance and to reduce chronic absenteeism. I learned about this campaign while watching the local news and the phrase “your presence is powerful” really stuck with me. When our students miss school, we truly miss them. We miss their smiles, their excitement for learning and their engagement in all the great things that happen every day at Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr staff have been working together with our families and students to address barriers that may impact a student's school attendance. If you would like more information on how to support your child’s attendance please reach out to me anytime at cmoriarty@auburn.k12.ma.us .

Want to get involved? The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is asking students, school staff, educators and families in Massachusetts public Pre-K-12 schools and adult learning classes to submit a creative piece of artwork, music, photography, videography or writing to express why they attend school. Submissions are due by December 20, 2024. Learn more about this project at https://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/attendance/.

Click the link below to watch a video about high frequency words and how to practice them with your child. This one is a little longer, but contains a lot of helpful information.

• The ability to PERSEVERE on difficult tasks is one of the best indicators of future success.

• Try fun little CHALLENGES to build your perseverance muscles! Practice until you succeed. (Balance a coin, flip a bottle, etc.)

• Pick something hard to learn and PRACTICE it regularly. (Learn an instrument, play chess, master an athletic skill, etc.)

• When you feel FRUSTRATION, it’s ok. It’s a chance to practice perseverance. STICK WITH IT!

• VISUALIZE yourself achieving a goal. What does it look like? What does it feel like? When you feel like giving up on your goal, try visualizing to help you persevere.

• Look for examples of people who show PERSEVERANCE in their daily lives. How do they handle failure and frustration?

Thank you for your help sending in pairs of kid's socks and underwear to donate to students effected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We are collecting donations until November 13th.

Book Fair November 19th and November 20th

The book fair will be open during parent-teacher conferences on November 19th, and during the day on November 20th for any student that has money in an eWallet or brought cash. Please note that all cash purchases will be “rounded up” and there is tax, as coins will not be returned at the register. The rounded up money will go towards the Share the Fair funds to get a few books for the school.

Families are encouraged to sign up for an eWallet so no cash is needed, and students can spend the balance that your family elects to put onto their account.