Listwood Exchange
December 2022/January 2023
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Families:
I hope you and your family had a terrific Thanksgiving Break! As we approach winter, we notice that our students start to make tremendous gains in their academic and social skills. Teachers have strong routines in place that allow for monitoring student progress toward grade-level standards, and these practices ensure we can drive instruction accordingly in both whole- and small-group instruction.
We also are thankful for the different holiday traditions in our school and community. Our Winter Singalong is one way we celebrate them! This year it’s on Monday, December 19th. We are again happy to welcome you into our buildings to watch and will soon provide more details about that! Your children have been working very hard on the songs and are excited to share them. I look forward to seeing you!
There can be such wonder in a child’s eyes, and we are thankful to play our role in helping students one day realize their potential. Maybe they will become a veterinarian, a teacher, a nurse – or maybe all three! Anything is possible and we find joy in our collaborative commitment to nurture children’s dreams.
Thank YOU for preparing your children each day to learn. I am continually thankful for the relationships our school community holds with each other. I wish you and your family a very happy holiday season and a healthy New Year!
Sincerely,
Gayle Pavone
Principal
SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal: Gayle Pavone | gayle_pavone@westiron.monroe.edu
Twitter: @gpavone28
Secretary: Pamela Iannone pamela_iannone@westiron.monroe.edu
Website: https://www.westirondequoit.org/listwood_schoolLocation: 325 List Avenue, Irondequoit, NY, USA
Main office: 585-336-1640 | Fax: 585-336-1666
Health Office: 585-336-1648
- Nurse: Maria McCulloch maria_mcculloch@westiron.monroe.edu
- Clerk: Kelly Matteson kelly_matteson@westiron.monroe.edu
Transportation: 585-336-2992
District Office: 585-342-5500 | District website: westirondequoit.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
DECEMBER
- December 19 - Holiday Singalong - time TBA
- December 26-30 - NO SCHOOL – Holiday Recess
JANUARY
- January 2 - NO SCHOOL – Holiday Recess
- January 3 - School Resumes
- January 16 - SCHOOL – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
FEBRUARY
- February 3 - Report Card Day K-3
- February 10 - PTSA Bingo Night
- February 20 - 24 - NO SCHOOL - Winter Recess
- February 27 - School Resumes
CLICK here to view the Listwood calendar on our website.
Listwood School Reminders
ATTENDANCE
Please call the 24-hour school phone (336-1640) when your child will be absent. Please state your child's name, teacher and reason for the absence. You may also email your child's teacher or the school secretary at pamela_iannone@westiron.monroe.edu
TARDY
When your child will be late to school, we appreciate a call or email with that information as well.
LUNCH/TARDY
The daily lunch orders are placed at 9 AM. Please let us know if and what your child would like to order for lunch when you report the tardy so there is no disappointment at lunchtime! Thank you!
DISMISSAL CHANGES
Please send in a note when there is a day when your child's usual dismissal plan is changed.
During the school day, should a situation occur and you must change dismissal plans, we ask the you call the office before noon, if possible. This will prevent confusion and miscommunication at the very busy dismissal time. Thank you!
DISMISSAL PICK UP
Please note that if you are picking up your child at the end of the school day, dismissal is 2:30 p.m. Thank you for arriving in a timely manner.
CHANGING WEATHER
Please remember children need to be dressed appropriately for the changing weather. At recess, our children go outdoors when the temperature and/or wind chill is 20 degrees or above and it is not raining. Please label all belongings with your child’s name.
** Warm Coats ** Hats and Gloves ** Boots **
Your child’s participation and enjoyment during outdoor activities may be limited if he/she is not dressed appropriately. The school does not have extra outdoor gear to borrow. Thank you.
Using ongoing feedback from staff and in alignment with the Restorative Practices implementation guide, our district has focused on building a common vision of RP and our Social-Emotional work. We have developed the following definition:
“Restorative Practices are a set of skills and processes for building community and healthy relationships, as well as responding to challenging behaviors in schools.”
In addition to providing professional development for all staff, we also worked to address how Restorative Discipline is similar and different from the typical definition of discipline, addressing misconceptions, and provided an overview of next steps for implementation. More recently, Grades 5-12 staff was able to engage in a two-hour training during Superintendent’s Conference Day on Nov. 10th, with different cohorts offered based on level of interest and understanding. The cohorts were as follows...
Community Building: Circle Overview – Review
This two-hour workshop reviewed and reinforced elements of a community-building circle (shared values and guidelines, talking pieces, center pieces, rounds, role of facilitator). Participants also experienced a community-building circle and shared their experience.
Cohort 2: Tier-2 Strategies (Active Listening, Affective Language and De-Escalation)
This workshop demonstrated how these strategies are used with students to teach self-expression, address conflict and engage students who are emotionally escalated. It also integrated our existing work with Therapeutic Crisis Intervention.
Cohort 3: Understanding Restorative Discipline
This workshop demonstrated how Restorative Discipline is similar and different from traditional discipline, providing an example of how it can be used to repair harm, and encourage participants to proactively build relationships to create a Restorative classroom environment.
We will continue to gather feedback from students, staff and the community, as well as collaborate with Partners in Restorative Initiatives (PIRI) and our RP Leadership Team to complete the following objectives and more:
Enhance professional development with community building and discipline
Leverage our teams to research and develop aligned expectations by grade-level band that can be embedded within School-Based Plans
K-12 implementation of common expectations and practices; as well as clearly defining and communicating them to students, staff and community members
Consistent use of data-inquiry and RP to build relationships and resolve conflict.
Please watch the video above by clicking on it there or via this link. If you have questions or concerns, reach out to Joe Jackson, Assistant Director of Counseling, Student Equity and Wellness at joseph_jackson@westiron.monroe.edu
HEALTH CARE GUIDELINES
Dear Families:
On behalf of our hard-working West Irondequoit nurses and to protect the health and wellness of student body and staff, we wanted to share a few reminders before we reach holiday week on Monday. Many sick students have been returning to school a bit sooner than they probably should. Please remember students should not come back to school after an illness until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. According to our medical consultants, a temperature of 100 or greater is considered a “fever.”
You can find helpful information on our website at THIS LINK Thank you!
UPCOMING EVENTS AT HELMER NATURE CENTER
Please click this link to read Helmer Nature Center’s latest newsletter and learn more about its upcoming winter events. Stay up to date on events at HNC, our school district's "outdoor classroom," via Facebook at facebook.com/HelmerNatureCenter or the district website.
The Lion King Jr. arrives at LIstwood!
Many thanks to Mr. Rob Line and Mr. Marc Falco for bringing this amazing cast to Listwood!!
Fun Times from Mrs. Shaughnessy's Kindergarten!
Hello from the Helmer Nature Center!
From Mrs. Traub's Kindergarten
Thank you St. Paul FD for your Safety Presentation
Fun days on our Helmer Nature Center Field Trip!!
Mrs. Wixson's class at the Helmer Nature Center!
Third Grade Recess Time with Friends!
LIBRARIAN HEADED TO IDITAROD IN FEBRUARY!
K-3 Librarian Juli Westrich is well into her yearlong role as Iditarod Teacher on the Trail! Last March she was selected as the educational ambassador for the famous dog sled race and she has been posting journal entries and lesson plans for teachers around the world to integrate Iditarod into their curriculum. In February, she'll return to Alaska for the start of the 2023 Iditarod and travel along the Iditarod Trail (by plane, not by dog sled) reporting on the race to West Irondequoit classrooms and educators everywhere! Here is the link to her Teacher on the Trail journal!
The West Irondequoit Central PTSA serves all 10 schools in our district. By its mission statement it unites home, school and community as advocates for the health, education and well-being of all children so that they may become productive citizens in tomorrow’s world. To find out about fundraising and events that benefit our community (see graphic above), see what’s going on in our schools or learn how to become a member, read the WICPTSA newsletter at this link.
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
Parents/Guardians,
Do you:
- Have a new cell phone number or email address?
- Have a new work phone number?
- Need to update your emergency contacts?
Be sure to keep your child's school informed of any changes to your phone numbers or emergency contact information. Update info directly on the Parent Portal, or send in a note with your child. Thank you!