It's hard to believe October is here. Thank you for all of your support during the first few weeks of school. During the month of September, we practiced safety drills, including a lock down drill. I was very proud of students and staff as they handled each drill very responsibly and followed our procedures.

North Scituate teachers have completed our Fall benchmarking and initial assessment for all students. Interventionists, Mrs. Scucces (math), Mrs. Beaupre (reading), and Mrs. Hamill (speech/language) will begin to reach out to families if your child will receive their support.

We look forward to partnering with all families throughout the school year to ensure your child has a successful year at school.

Kaitlin M. Soccio, Principal

Kaitlin.Soccio@ScituateSchoolsRI.net

Contact Mrs. Soccio with questions or concerns.

• If your child is gong to absent or late to school, please call 647-4110 or email the school secretary.
• Please date notes that are sent to school with students. If you are writing a note about dismissal, please write the full name of the person picking up your child.
• Clearly mark water bottles, lunch boxes, etc. with student's name.
• District Policy requires all parents and school volunteers to maintain a current BCI check and to RENEW all BCI checks yearly prior to volunteering in classrooms/school or field trip activities. Please contact the school office if you are in need of a form and this will be available at Open House.

In early September, Mrs. Soccio held a community meeting for all students to discuss our new PBIS system of the three R's- Respectful, Responsible, Ready to Learn! Help us reiterate these three R's at home!

I hope everyone has had a nice transition back to school. Getting a new school year off to a good start can influence children’s attitude, confidence, and academic performance. The transition from summer to school can be difficult for both children and parents. Here are a few suggestions to help ease the transition and promote a successful school experience.

• Reestablish bedtimes and school routines. This will help students from becoming overtired or overwhelmed by schoolwork and activities.

• Select a spot to keep backpacks and lunch boxes. Designate a spot for your children to place their school belongings as well as a place to put important notices and information sent home for you to see.

• Make lunches the night before school. Older children can help or make their own lunches.

• Set alarm clocks. Have school-age children set their own alarm clocks to get up in the morning.

• Leave plenty of extra time. Make sure your children have plenty of time to get up, eat breakfast and get to school on time.

• Prepare for after school. Review with your children how they will be getting home after school either pick up or bus and review who will be home when they get off the bus.

• Let your child know you care. If your child is anxious about school, send a little note in their lunch box or backpack. Let them know it is natural to be a little nervous anytime they start something new. Reassure them that they will be fine. Young children in particular may experience separation anxiety. If you drop them off, try not to linger. Reassure them that they are safe and will be okay. Tell them you will think about them during the day and will be back. Remain calm and positive.

Give your child time to adjust to their new teachers and classmates. If your child appears to be having difficulty adjusting as time goes on, please feel free to contact me.

Mrs. Schiappa, MA, CAGS

School Psychologist

*Information provided by the National Association of School Psychologists. (2017). Back-to-School transitions: Tips for parents. Bethesda, MD K. Cowan & T. Feinberg, EdD, NCSP

As we start this upcoming school year, we would like to hear from parents about topics that you would like us to cover in upcoming newsletters. In previous newsletters, we’ve talked about topics such as: kindness, safe internet use, self-care, supporting transitions and more.

Please complete this google form when you have a moment, to let us know some topics you’d like use to cover in this year’s newsletters ⬇️

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9Jy-TrEC6eJnEOERLeLy-2NZinfmbCiZT5u5MJ1aMPNIleQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

We are excited to start this school year and look forward to your feedback!

During the month of October students will participate in activities to educate all children and raise awareness about bullying. North Scituate School will participate in Unity Day on October 16th by wearing orange - showing that we are together against bullying and united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

**Parents are encouraged to contact North Scituate teachers or Mrs. Soccio directly with any concerns related to bullying. Your child's safety and well-being is a top priority for all North Scituate staff members. Educating students, parents, and staff members, open communication, and solution-focused intent are key to combating bullying! Please see the link below for more resources.

On Friday, October 25th will be a district PINK OUT to support Breast Cancer Awareness. Students are encouraged to wear PINK and bring in a small donation to donate to the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

This past summer, students were challenged to complete one of three options that involved ELA and Math subjects. I am pleased to announce that 92 students completed one of the three options. Those students enjoyed extra recess and selected a book of their choice from Scholastic. Amazing work boys and girls! I am very proud of you.

Thank you to all of our North Scituate Families who supported any amount of summer learning with their children.

Here are some photos below of students enjoying their extra recess. Huge thank you to Mrs. Scucces for her facilitating these rewards and organizing the challenges.

Students can receive these awards given by a faculty or staff member for EXEMPLARY behavior in the following categories: Growth Mindset, Problem Solving, Managing Emotions, Effort, Kindness, and Goal Setting. These categories align with our Social Emotional Curriculum- Second Step.

Each public school is required by the State of RI to hold 15 specific drills, including fire, evacuation, shelter-in-place and lockdown drills.

During a fire drill, the alarm will sound and teachers will escort their children out of the building to a safe, predetermined location. When complete, a signal is given by the principal indicating everyone may re-enter the building.

During an evacuation drill, the principal will announce the drill over the intercom and direct the teachers to escort their children to a safe, specified location. When complete, a signal is given by the principal indicating everyone may re-enter the Building.

A shelter-in-place may occur in the event of an environmental hazard; students would be moved to a safe interior location in order to limit their exposure to the hazard. During a shelter-in-place drill, the principal will announce the drill over the intercom and direct the teachers to escort their children to a safe, specified location within the building. When complete, a signal is given by the principal indicating everyone may return to their classrooms.

A lockdown may occur for a variety of reasons in order to limit staff and student movement within the building. During a lockdown drill, the principal will announce the drill over the intercom and give specific directions at that time. When complete, a signal is given by the principal indicating everyone may resume their activities.

We are so proud of everyone that ran for student council! Everyone did a fantastic job on their posters and speeches. Huge thank you to Ms. Augustine and Ms. Sloan for being co-advisors this year and for organizing the speeches today.

Our fourth grade classroom representatives are Robbie F, Rozlyn, Audrey F, Jameson B and Grace.

Fifth grade classroom representatives are Bryce H, Bruno, Kate, and Wyatt N.

We have a great group of fifth graders that will be the leaders of our student council this year!

Our director of communication is: Isabella C.

Our secretary is: Melanie B.

Our vice president is: Rocco H.

Our president is: Olivia Sl.

Mrs. Slaughter's students are having fun in math centers! They are building their number sentence skills using hands on activities.

Students in Ms. Murphy's class are playing "Guess the Letter". One students holds the Heggerty Phonics letter above their head (no peeking) and the rest make the sound so the person holding the car can guess it.

Students make a sunflower craft using different shapes. Then students count the number o shapes they used and write the number.

First graders in Mrs. Lancellotta's class tried to figure out which bird parent the baby bird belongs to. They were so excited as they had discussion about traits using Mystery Science. In the larger photo, first grade mathematicians worked hard to show their teacher how many numbers they could write!

First graders scientists create their won binoculars to take on their nature walk where they observed and recorded what they noticed on their clip boards. Looks like a fun adventure!

Mr. Sperry's 1st Grade class has been making new friends, learning new things, and planting in their classroom gardens. Awesome first month first graders!

Second graders in Mrs. Bettez' class share their first writing piece of the year "About Me" as their classmates listen in. What a great audience each student had!

Mrs. O'Grady's second grade Word Birds practice Red Words with partners!

Partners in math make learning fun. In the second photo students are trying to building 5 x10 array like they studied in math to see if they have 50 stars year for our PBIS monthly incentive!

In this lesson, students discover the basics of how their eyes work, and figure out some of the causes of vision problems using a Mystery Science lesson. In the activity, Eye Model, students develop a working model of a human eye. They use a magnifying lens as a model of the cornea to explore how the structure of this lens is related to the function of our eyes.

To celebrate Hispanic heritage month Miss Cuttle's class had a special guest, who brought in Spanish treats for students to try and rate. Our guest provided the class Spanish books to add to their classroom library and took time to teach us some words in Spanish. The students loved this guest and were eager to try new things!

Students in Fifth Grade played “What eats what” as part of our Mystery Science curriculum. This game has students organize producers and consumers in a food chain.

Grades 1-5
In Physical Education this month, students in grades 1-5 are revisiting familiar games. These activities are designed to reinforce important rules, routines, and procedures, while also establishing classroom expectations for the year. By engaging in games they already know, students can focus on practicing good sportsmanship, teamwork, and building upon their skills.

Kindergarten
The kindergartners are working hard to develop spatial awareness and understand the basics of Physical Education behavior. This includes learning how to move safely in the gym, following directions, and understanding the importance of listening during instructions. They are also learning the rules, routines, and procedures that will help them succeed throughout the year.

We’re off to a great start, and I look forward to watching the students continue to grow both physically and socially in PE!

Check out our school nurse's page for updates, information, and more. Please call 647-4110 or email Colleen.McCann@ScituateSchoolsRI.net with any questions or concerns.

UPCOMING PTO EVENTS & FUNDRAISERS

Last Day for Spirit Wear 9/27

https://myclassgear.com/northscituate/

Brick Fundraiser:

https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/3c424cd0-9422-47d6-9bd7-30ba54c8f0ca

Art Festival Bake Sale Saturday October 12th:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054DAEA723A1FA7-51211227-artfestival

Trunk or Treat Friday October 18th:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054DAEA723A1FA7-51211188-trunk

Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 16th 7:30pm Virtual (link will be sent out prior to meeting)

Please email NorthScituatePTO@gmail.com with any questions. We hope to see you there!

The Scituate School Committee will hold it's October meeting on Tuesday, October 1st. All members of the school community are encouraged to attend in person or virtually. The meetings begin at 7 p.m. For more information about meetings, click here.

• 10/05: Hay Ride Event at Cucumber Hill Farm (raindate 10/20- more details to come)
• 10/11: No School Students/ Faculty PD Day
• 10/12: Bake Sale at Art Festival
• 10/14: No School- Indigenous People Day
• 10/16: Unity Day (wear orange)
• 10/16: PTO Meeting 7:30pm
• 10/18: Trunk or Treat Event 6:00-7:30pm
• 10/23: Chelos Fundraiser Night
• 11/04: WALK A THON
• 11/05: No School- Election Day
• 11/11: No School- Veterans Day
• 11/18-22: Fall Scholastic Book Fair
• 11/20: PTO Meeting 7:30pm
• 11/27-29: No School- Thanksgiving Recess
• 12/13: Christmas in the Village Event
• 12/20: Holiday Store
• 12/23-31: No School- Holiday Recess
• 01/01: No School- New Year's Day
• 01/20: No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Email: kaitlin.soccio@scituateschoolri.net
Website: https://nses.scituateschoolsri.net/
Location: 46 Institute Lane, Scituate, RI, USA
Phone: 401-647-4110
Twitter: @NScituateSchool