Cheetah Pride Press

Families,

Spring has sprung! Our last week of March will be short. There will be an early dismissal on Thursday so that staff may engage in an afternoon of professional learning, followed by a holiday on Friday. When we return the following week, it will be April 1st!! Can you believe it? May you all enjoy the first official spring weekend of 2024.

Best,

Joey and Andrea

Nancy is a dedicated, dependable, hard-working interventionist who always puts the needs of her learners first. As a member of the STEPS ABA team, she is often asked to comply with rapidly changing schedules and assignments, and she always does so without complaint. No matter what situation she’s facing, she remains calm and solutions oriented. Everyone - teacher and student alike, can count on a smile and positive attitude from Nancy. She knows her students very well and pushes them to reach their greatest potential while also providing a safe, nurturing rapport.

Memorial’s preschool-sponsored Touch-A-Truck event was a huge success last Saturday. There was a tremendous turnout, and it was a beautiful day! Thank you to all the community members who donated their time, and their vehicles, to such a wonderful cause. Donations will be used for future preschool enrichment events.

On Thursday, March 21st, Memorial School recognized World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD). WDSD celebrates the uniqueness and diversity of individuals with Down Syndrome.

This week we began our spring garden club with third grade members.

We checked on our garden to see what it looks like. We learned where our new plantings will be planted once the weather gets better.

Mrs Caselli started cucumber and summer squash plants from seeds. Today we transplanted them into bigger pots to allow them to grow bigger. We water them and they are in the sunlight to continue to grow.

Memorial Models are chosen weekly by their teacher. These students have excelled all week in taking care of themselves, others, and things. The recipients will dine at a VIP table during lunch every Friday!

A PAWsitive office referral is submitted when a staff member recognizes a student who is going above and beyond to exemplify one of our three school rules - taking care of others, taking care of self, & taking care of things.

Her teacher is Mrs. Hennessey.

She is special because she has been doing dance for 6 years.

One of her favorite things is dancing.

She wanted to be on cheetah council because she likes helping and doing special things.

She loves school because it is a clean and happy place.

Hello Memorial Families! Please find your student’s grade level below to see learning expectations for the past month in music.

Classroom Expectations:

Preschool: Students enjoyed vocal exploration, moving to music, and playing sticks. Students practiced following directions during stick tapping songs and also tried making letters with their sticks. A favorite song and activity this month was called “The Monkey Stomps His Feet”.

Kindergarten: This month, we continued to practice the concept of high and low, but we also began to notice short and long sounds. Students learned a song about an elevator and used movement to show when the music was high and when it was low. They also drew a design for their own special elevator as a connection to the song! Students are now expected to demonstrate a high or low voice when singing or speaking. Students practiced using “little taps” in their hands to tap the words of a song. Favorite songs and games included “Button You Must Wander” and “Cut the Cake”!

First Grade: Students started a xylophone unit this month, to accompany the song “Who’s in the Woods on this Snowy Day”. While using xylophones, they are expected to demonstrate appropriate technique with mallets and to play a specific pattern as a background part to the song. They also explored songs made up of only two notes - a high and a low note and are now expected to notice the difference between a high and low note.

Second Grade: This month, students practiced reading, writing, and singing our new solfege note, Do (pronounced “doh”). They found the note in known songs like “Knock the Cymbals”, “Bluebird”, and “Rocky Mountain” as well as a new song called “Mother Mother”. They also practiced singing and reading Do with games such as Post Office and Sol-la-mi. Through the post office game, they were expected to identify the correct melodic pattern out of a selection of different ones. Now, some classes started working on a new mystery note, which can be found in between Mi and Do!

Third Grade: Third graders worked hard to prepare for the District-Wide Step-Up Concert this month, and they did an amazing job! They learned to be confident performers and they were also expected to demonstrate good audience behavior when listening to the other groups. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the performance, it can be accessed on youtube by clicking here. They also continued working hard to earn “belts” in recorder karate! Students are expected to earn at least their “green belt” by the end of the school year. Starting with level 3, “orange belt”, students will be able to send in videos from home if they would rather do their recorder test that way. For more information, visit the recorder resources page on my music room website.

Please check out the music room website for more information about the music program. Feel free to reach out at any time by emailing smaldonado@easthamptonct.org.

Do you know the difference between fiction and fantasy? It is important to expose our learners to different genres in reading. Throughout the year, your child interacts with a variety of different text types and topics in the classroom. In order to support your child with their literacy skills at home, it is helpful to understand the different genres and which ones your student prefers. This can go a long way to support reading engagement outside of the classroom. Here is an article describing the various genres your child may experience on their literacy journey.

Do You Know Your Children's Book Genres?

Dear Families of Memorial Elementary Students,

This is an important update! We are asking for your assistance in helping keep our school healthy and safe. We have been experiencing a surge in stomach bug, coughing, strep throat, pink eye and fevers as well as several flu and covid cases. If your child tests positive for covid or any illness, please inform the nurse office asap as we track all contagious illnesses and send notes home to families if there are 2 or more cases in a class. ​*Positive covid cases may now return to normal activities as long as it has been 24 hours fever free without medication and improvement in symptoms. It is also encouraged to wear a mask while at school. *

We have also recently had several food items brought in to share in classrooms. Please be aware that non food treats are encouraged. If food items are brought into school for sharing, it needs to be store bought, prepackaged and made in a nut free facility and the school nurse must be notified at least 24 hours in advance.

Please consider the following guidelines, provided by the school nurse, for sending students to school:

Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

• Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
• Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
• Mild headache and/or stomachache
• Fatigue

Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms and remember the 24 hour rule:

• Covid, flu or strep diagnosis. 24 hour fever free without medication and on antibiotics for 24 hours for strep infections.

• Fever (100.4 degrees or higher. May return to school after 24 hours of no fever WITHOUT fever reducing medications)

• Vomiting (Even once. Must wait 24 hours after last vomit episode to return to school)
• Diarrhea (Must wait 24 hours after last episode to return to school)
• Chills
• General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness, and/or muscle aches
• Frequent congested, wet, or croupy cough
• Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
• redness and discharge from one or both eyes

To help prevent the flu and other colds, please remind your child(ren) about good hygiene habits:

• Wash hands frequently
• Do not touch eyes, nose, or mouth
• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing/coughing and then wash hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick

Often when a child awakens with vague complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to bring them to school. Your child should be physically able to participate in all school activities on returning to school. Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom. We use our nursing assessment and judgment when students come into the nurse office and make calls home as we deem necessary. Thank you in advance for helping to make this year at school as healthy as possible.

*Please also update emergency contact information! In case of an emergency or in instances where your child needs to be dismissed from school, it is extremely important that we be able to reach someone on the contact list. We have also been having trouble with parent voicemail boxes that are full and we are unable to leave a message.

Please also make sure to have a spare change of seasonally appropriate clothing for your child to keep in their cubbies!!

Remember to notify the nurse's office if your child has been diagnosed with any illness (or injury). The nurse tracks illnesses and will send a note home to the class if there are 2 or more cases in the classroom. If your child has an injury that has activity restrictions, please share with the nurse's office so we are aware and can notify appropriate staff members. We want to keep our students healthy and safe and your cooperation is needed to do so. We appreciate your assistance.

Kindly,

The Health Office Team,

Nurse Katie and Miss Michelle

Please contact your child’s pediatrician first. If unable to be seen, here is a list of

local walk in/urgent care locations if unable to be seen by pediatrician:

CVS Minute Clinic, East Hampton 866-389-2727

ProHealth Extended Hours, Glastonbury 657-5940

Middlesex Health Urgent Care, Middletown 860-358-4170

Colchester Urgent Care 860-531-9749

On April 8, 2024, there will be a total solar eclipse across North America. EHPS will be on spring break that week, but we encourage you to try and view it with your family. Click here for more information: Solar Eclipse 2024

March

3/25 - Board Of Education Meeting, 6:30 @ Town Hall

3/26- East Hampton Public Schools Art Show

3/27 - Cheetah Pride Day

3/28 - Early Dismissal - Professional Learning for Staff

3/29 - Good Friday/No School

April - School Library Month

Week of April 8th is Spring Break= No School

4/8- Solar Eclipse

Week of April 15th Lions Club sponsored Kindness Week

4/15- PTO Meeting 5:30pm at Center School

4/19- Month of the Military Child = Wear Purple!

4/19- Bus Driver Appreciate Day

Butterbraid and Cook Dough pick up will take place Tuesday March 26th from 430-6:30 at Memorial School. Items will be distributed from the side door (located behind the cafeteria where parent end of day pick up takes place). Please note that this is a location change. Please pull up to the entrance and a volunteer will come to your car. Items are frozen and can not be held.

The East Hampton Board of Education and the school community as a whole promote a secure and productive school climate, conducive to teaching and learning that is free from threat, harassment, and any type of bullying behavior. Therefore it shall be the policy of the Board that bullying and/or teen dating violence committed against a student by another student is prohibited. The Board believes that a school environment in which students feel safe, supported, engaged and helpfully challenged is optimal for learning and healthy development. The Board seeks an environment in which students and adults feel socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically safe; an environment that is free of harassment, intimidation, teen dating violence and bullying. Our website provides links to various policies and reporting forms including our Safe School Climate Plan. Hard copies are also available in our main office. If at any point you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to building administration for further assistance.

When considering the number of absences your student has accrued, keep in mind that a student must be present for 195 minutes in order for the day to count! When bringing your student in late, or signing them out early if they have not been in school for a 195 minutes the day will be recorded as an absence.

Memorial School Attendance email:

memorial_attendance@easthamptonct.org * there is an _ between memorial and attendance!

Students, parents, and community members have access to an anonymous tip line on the front page of the school district website to report self-concerns, mental health concerns of a friend, or concerns of violence. Simply click here or view on the website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/.

Email: jbauer@easthamptonct.org
Website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/o/memorial-school
Location: 20 Smith Street, East Hampton, CT, USA
Phone: 860-365-4020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ehmemorialschool