The Buzz at Leeds
September 20, 2021
Message from Principal Wenz
We have messages from our Superintendent.
- The first letter is the COVID Recovery ESSERS grant. Dr. Provost is asking for your input for this grant. There is a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, 9/22 at 6:30pm for caregivers. Here is a link to the letter. Aquí está el enlace a la versión en español. We will also be having an All School Council ESSERS Zoom meeting regarding this grant on Monday, 9/27 at 4:00pm.
- The second letter is regarding Open Houses. Our Open House is scheduled for October 13th at 6:00pm. The Open House will be virtual. Here is a link to the letter. Aquí está el enlace a la versión en español.
We are looking for some of our missing chrome books. If you still have a chrome book at home from last year, we could use it back at school for our students this year.
We are looking for 2 recess monitors to assist in supervising students from 10:00-12:05. If you know anyone, please have them contact Principal Wenz at (413) 587-1530 or cwenz@northampton-k12.us
This month's focus is on being kind. Below is a picture of the bulletin board about Kindness that is in our hallway across from the Leeds Library/Bibliotech.
Stay safe and be well,
Chris Wenz, Principal
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Absences & Tardies
Students are marked tardy after 8:05. If your child is tardy for school, please remind them to stop at the office to let us know they are at school. Please try to have your child to school on time as this will help them with their morning routines.
Arrival
Students may arrive at school no earlier than 7:45. School for students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 will begin at 8:00. In order for our arrival time to run smoothly in the upper loop, please have your child ready for school before they get out of the car. Back packs ready and masks on would be tremendously helpful. Do not worry if you forgot a mask, we have some in the upper loop. However, your child should have an extra mask in their back pack.Additionally, we are trying to develop independent skills. Please try to say your good-byes in the car. Please share with anyone who may drop off your child. Thank you for pulling up as far as you can. This also assists in moving our drop off line along.
School Council
Get involved in the LES School Council
Our School Council will meet tomorrow night, 9/21 at 6:15pm via Zoom. Here are the Zoom details:
ID: 87345423753
Passcode: rqM8Vuu8
Learn about how Leeds Elementary School operates, and help the school to grow and improve.
Officially, school councils are to assist principals in:
- Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards
- Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school
- Reviewing the annual school building budget
- Formulating a school improvement plan
Beyond that, a School Council’s identity is determined by the members working in tandem with the Principal. It can entail many things. The council the last few years focused on community and engagement. As a result, we created the Class Representative program, the parent survey, Literacy Night and Technology Night, Math Night, the World Cafe, social justice projects, and the all-school read.
What’s the difference between the School Council and the PTO? At LES, the PTO runs fundraising and social events, whereas the School Council is involved more with curriculum and school priorities - though the two groups occasionally work together.
How do I become an elected member of the School Council? Contact Jean Monska, PTO President at Jean@leedspto.org. There are currently one or two open caregiver positions on the council. If more than two people are interested in serving as official council members, we’ll have an election in October.
If I don’t become an elected member of the School Council, can I still come to meetings? Yes. You are welcome at any/all meetings, and you can help out on projects and sub- committees, if you want. Much of the time, there’s little difference between the roles of elected and unelected members. The meetings are friendly and relaxed, so feel free to drop in on one.
How much work is involved? We meet approximately six times a year. Meetings generally last 60-90 minutes. Outside of meetings, you may choose to work on some of the Council’s initiatives, like the Class Rep program. Or maybe you’ll bring something new to the group...
Leeds Equity & Inclusion Committee - A Subcommittee of our School Council
The Leeds Equity & Inclusion Committee wanted to relay the following message:
REAL (Racial Equity & Learning) Northampton is a group of Northampton public school teachers, staff, students, and caregivers who are building an anti-racist school district. Our vision is of a district where:
- Educators and administrators are racially diverse
- School curriculum, policies, and practices emphasize the voices and contributions of people of color
- Conflict resolution is about repairing and improving relationships among people, not punishing individuals
- Conversations about race and race equity are integral to school culture
- People value their interconnectedness with one another, and all people feel they belong
Attend our annual open meeting October 27
Every fall we hold an open meeting for people to connect and learn more about REAL. This year's meeting will be Wednesday, October 27, from 7:30 to 8:30. Save the date and contact Jenny Bender for the zoom link.
Check out our website & follow us on social
Learn about our specific initiatives to date. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Join our listserv
Anyone with a connection to Northampton public schools is invited to join our email listserv to be kept in the loop about our work: just email us to be added.
Leeds PTO
There are many ways to be part of our Leeds PTO. If you would like to help in any way, please contact Jean Monska, our PTO president via email jean@leedspto.org
If you would like to subscribe to the PTO email list, please click http://eepurl.com/2HJRv
Join our PTO on Facebook..... Leeds Elementary School PTO
Early Bird / Late Bird
Late Bird - 2:10-5:15 (Please send your child with a snack from home.)
Thank you everyone for being patient with the new systems in place. Here is the link to our October sign up form. This form will send you an email of the dates and times you have selected. Please be thoughtful of your needs when selecting dates and times, as we need to staff accordingly.
Online payment instructions: I know some of you had difficulty with our online payment system, so we have created a document with instructions. Here is the link.
BEHAVIOR POLICY: All staff and students will adhere to the Northampton Code of Conduct found at http://www.northamptonschools.org/project/code-of-conduct/
We are still in the hiring process for the full-time Coordinator.
We are also looking for staff to be part of our program from 2:00 - 4:15 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. If you know someone, please have them contact Principal Wenz.
COVID NEWS
Daily Self-Checklist
We are continuing to do Self Checks in the morning. Here is a link to the checklist. We are sending a paper copy home in your child's red folder.
Recess
On 9/10, Dr. Provost sent a message about the Northampton School Committee revising the district Face Covering Policy. Under the new policy, the Northampton Public Schools requires students to wear face coverings at recess.
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Calendar of Events
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Contact us:
(sharondewitt@northampton-k12.us)
Laura Ziomek, Administrative Assistant
Chris Wenz, Principal
Email: sharondewitt@northampton-k12.us
Website: http://www.northamptonschools.org/project/leeds-elementary-school/
Location: 20 Florence Street, Leeds, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 587-1530