Cheetah Pride Press

Families,

This week’s message is all about gratitude. Firstly, I am grateful that all of our students and staff are safe and home with their families this weekend. Secondly, I am grateful for the MANY, MANY individuals who went above and beyond to support our school community this week. Those people include, but are not limited to: our amazing staff of professionals for prioritizing the needs of our learners above all else; neighboring police departments for supporting us on Tuesday; the EH Police Department for not only coming to our aid on Tuesday but for being present at Memorial School throughout the week, counseling teams from our own district, as well as community agencies, for providing a listening ear and coping strategies; the EHEPTO for an over the top breakfast that filled our staff’s bellies and lifted our spirits; Sweet Jean’s Café for their generous donation of breakfast items; and each of you for trusting us with your most precious gifts each and every day.

May you all have a restful weekend. We look forward to another week of learning and growing together.

Thank you for your partnership,

Joey and Andrea

The safety of our students and staff is our top priority; and the bus lane is a particularly vulnerable area. It is critically important that students and families use the crosswalk when walking from the building to the front parking lot. PLEASE DO NOT CROSS BETWEEN BUSES. It is difficult for drivers to see pedestrians who are squeezing between parked vehicles. The drivers sit high above the bus lane, and their eyes are watching the bus in front of them to determine when to move up in the lane. If someone were to step in front of a bus as the driver was removing their foot from the break, the pedestrian(s) would be sandwiched between the buses. Thank you for walking to the crosswalk when returning to your cars.

Congratulations to all of the students who met the Summer Reading and/or Math Challenge! These students were treated to some extra outdoor fun and popsicles. We’re so proud of you for flexing your reading and numeracy muscles all summer long!

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.

Ms. Butler is an interventionist at memorial School. She is flexible and always willing to help with any task. She is a compassionate educator. Her positivity is truly appreciated!

Hi Cheetah families!

It has been a busy month in the Memorial School library! Students have been practicing their library skills each week and are becoming more independent library users.

See below for grade level classroom expectations.

• PreK students are enjoying a variety of read alouds and songs with the themes of fall, apples, and pumpkins. We have also practiced some songs, reinforcing colors, the same and different, and practiced counting together.

• Kindergarten is working on discussing the role of the author and the illustrator. We have read This is My Book and More Bears and have done several sorts and songs to aid in this discussion.

• First grade is learning about the elements of a story (characters, setting, problem/solution) and practicing making predictions when we are reading and then revising those predictions as we read. Over the past few weeks we have read The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy, Give Me Back My Book by Ethan Long, and Nannette’s Baguette by Mo Willems.

• Second grade has been practicing using the library catalog independently and attempting to locate their book based on the call number. They have also been introduced to Typing Club which they will have access to over the next couple of years to develop their keyboarding skills. Towards the end of the month we will begin our unit on digital citizenship. All classes have also been introduced to their first Nutmeg Nominee (our CT state book award), Aven Green Sleuthing Machine by Dusti Bowling.

• Third grade has been practicing using the library catalog independently and attempting to locate their book based on the call number. They have also been introduced to Typing Club which they will have access to over the next couple of years to develop their keyboarding skills.

For more information and updates, make sure to check out the library website at https://sites.google.com/site/centermemoriallibrary.

Mrs. Flannery and Ms. Sawyer

School Meals are a great value to our students! Prepayment is expected for all cafeteria purchases. Families eligible for free and reduced meals may qualify by completing an application online on [easthampton.familyportal.cloud]Easthampton.familyportal.cloud or by paper application here: Application for Free and Reduced School Meals(also available in the school’s Main Office). Families with children enrolled in HUSKY or Temporary Family Assistance programs will have their status transmitted directly by the State of Connecticut to the District.

To deposit funds on your child’s account, please visit [easthampton.familyportal.cloud]Easthampton.familyportal.cloud . Our Cafeterias also accept checks made payable to “East Hampton Cafeteria Fund”.

In September, students can enjoy fresh apples from Beckett Farms of South Glastonbury and carrots from Cold Spring Farm of Colchester. Keep an eye out for upcoming celebrations!

If you have questions, please contact Director of Nutrition Services, Kate Caselli at kcaselli@easthamptonct.org or 860.316.7324.

Please allow me to share a little bit about myself with you. I know that outside of the home, the school is one of the most influential environments for our children. As a mom who has two children in elementary school, I know how this time of year can be overwhelming. You want everything to go right and smoothly for your little one(s), but most of all you wish you could attend the first days with them. We, at Memorial, all agree that it’s supposed to be a happy and exciting time as the new school year is upon us. As the nurse, I hope to offer you and your child(ren) some comfort and reassurance while they are with us for our 2024-2025 school year!

On behalf of the Memorial School staff I want to extend a warm welcome to every parent and student! Feel free to contact me by phone or, better yet, email with your questions and concerns. My goal is to collaborate with you and help make this school year a healthy and enjoyable one. I would like to offer a little guidance from the health office. Below you will find some answers to frequently asked questions.

Communications

If a student is seen by the nurse or nursing assistant, they will receive a “Nurse’s Pass” ( or Pink Slip) with a brief review of their visit. However, Parents/Guardians will receive a phone call in the following circumstances:

• The student needs to be picked up from school

• Follow-up at home is required or recommended (ie doctor visit, continued observation at home, or the such)

• Any significant injury to the head, new marks on face

• Further communication is needed regarding student Health Office visit

Please note that the above criteria are made with Registered Nurse assessment, observation, and judgment. If a parent would like calls for any nurse visit or in specific situations, please communicate that to the Health Office specifically and your child’s chart will be updated.

We are Pro-Communication!!! ☺ If you have any concern please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail us, but email or Parent Square is best, and please include both Ms. Michelle and I on your outreaches. We want the best for your child(ren) and we want you to feel secure in their health and safety at school.

Medications

Every medication that is brought into school requires a “Medication Authorization” form to be signed by the student’s doctor and parent/guardian and the medication in original packaging with prescription label is to be brought in by a parent/guardian, not in the child’s backpack. No child may carry their own medications at the Elementary level. Please use a large ziplock bag for the medication plus the medication order, and label the bag with your child’s name before dropping off. Any controlled medications will need to be counted and signed off with the RN and parent so please allow for a few extra minutes at drop off.

Please note: COUGH DROPS count as medications and are not allowed in school. All over-the-counter medications also need a medication order from your provider.

Food

We have several students with severe food allergies, therefore we highly recommend non food items to share for birthday celebrations. We ask for at least 48 hours advance notice. A great resource for allergy free snacks is the Safe Snack guide at https://snacksafely.com/safe-snack-guide/. We appreciate your assistance in keeping our school safe.

Health Concerns:

• If your child has a new health concern which you would like to speak to the nurse about e-mail kwilliams@easthamptonct.org and mlemire@easthamptonct.org at any time. Please let us know if your child is diagnosed with any illness or injury (such as strep, flu, pink eye, fracture/broken bone, etc.) as the nurse office tracks illnesses and sends notification letters home if there are 2 or more cases in a specific classroom.

• If you have any specific concerns that arise during the school year (such as stitches, concussions, broken bones/fractures, etc) it is best that you send in a doctor’s note with dates, guidelines and restrictions, so we can all be on the same page and keep your child safe.

Respectfully,

Katie Williams, RN

and Ms. Michelle Lemire

kwilliams@easthamptonct.org, mlemire@easthamptonct.org

Your Health Office Team

Memorial Elementary

Phone 860-365-4020

Fax 860-365-4024

7th-21st East Hampton Lions Coat Drive

9th- CT Grown For Kids Day- Dress Like a Farmer

10th- Hope Walk - 5:30-7:30 @ EHHS

11th- No School - Professional Day For Teachers

14th- Indigenous People Day- No School

16th PTO-Pie and Cookie Orders Close

21st- PTO Meeting at Center school 5:30pm

25th- Cheetah Pride Assembly- Wear Your Cheetah Gear!

30th- Picture Retakes

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!

Please Review This Important Information Below.

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