The Weekly Update #4

Dear Morse Street Families,

We hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to spend time with family and friends. We are grateful for all our students and families and the support we feel from our community. Before break we were able to donate a considerable amount of food to Freeport Community Services thanks to your generosity during our food drive. We think this was the most food we have ever collected!

One of our school goals this year is to increase opportunities for family Engagement. Research shows that family engagement leads to positive outcomes for students. This includes improved academic achievement, better attendance, stronger social-emotional development which in turn leads to high graduation rates. In order to meet our goal, we decided to offer a variety of opportunities for families to engage with learning at Morse Street. So far this year we have provided the following opportunities for families to engage in learning here at school:

• Hosted a meet and greet before school started so that families and students could meet their teacher and become families with expectations.

• Hosted an Open House/Curriculum Night for all grade levels, where students share their classroom community and teachers share expectations and learning for the year.

• Improved our consistency in our classroom newsletters to include specific information about ways to help at home.

• Principal’s newsletter has moved to monthly (first Friday of the month) to create more space for classroom newsletters. This newsletter focuses on providing information about our instructional practices and over arching practices here at Morse Street.

• Our Assistant Principal is opening our ‘doors’ and providing insight into learning at our school through our Social media - follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

• Two opportunities for Coffee and Conversation, where parents bring the topics that they would like to talk about in an informal setting with our support team. Raising children takes a village and this is a chance to share concerns, celebrations and struggles that go with the privilege of raising little ones.

• Pre-k Families have been invited to join PE and Music classes with their children.

• Kindergarten Families have been invited to join Library class.

• First Grade families have been invited to join STEM.

• Second grade families have been invited to join Art.

• First grade families have been to class to learn about the math games we play at school to practice skills.

• Second grade families are invited to join their child’s class to celebrate writing.

• Pre-k families are invited to join their child’s class to mark their birthday, they come and read to the class and celebrate their little one in any way they choose to share.

• There have been a variety of field trips where families have been invited to chaperone and join their child’s class for field work.

• Many family members are in classrooms regularly as volunteers who support the day to day learning that goes on in our busy classrooms.

As we head into the New year we will be planning more events and opportunities for families to engage in the work we do with your children. If you have suggestions for what you would like to see, please feel free to reach out and we will see what we can do.

Thank you so much for your continued support and engagement with the work we do,

Warmly,

Julie Nickerson

12/10: Freeport Elementary PTC Meeting, 6pm @MLS

12/12: Report Cards Go Home

12/23:12/31: December Vacation-No School

1/1: New Years Day-No School

1/20: Martin Luther King Jr., Day -No School.

1/23: Supporting Anxious Kids, Parent Night at MSS 6-7 pm,

2/5: Early Release. Students released at 11:50 am, NO PRE-K

2/6: Incoming Pre-K 2025-2026 Information Night, 6-7pm

2/10-2/14: Parent Teacher Conferences

2/13: Read-A-Thon

2/14: Pre-K Screening 2025-2026

2/17-2/21: February Vacation

Sleep is like a superpower for your body and mind! When you sleep, the body gets to rest and recharge and children have more energy to play, learn, and have fun. Sleep is so important for the body and brain to grow.

Creating a Sleepytime Routine

To get the best sleep, having a sleep routine is helpful. Here’s a simple example of a routine to follow:

1. Wind Down: Start by doing something calm, like drawing a picture.

2. Brush Teeth: Brush teeth before bed.

3. Get Cozy: Change into comfy pajamas and snuggle.

4. Bedtime Story: Read a story together.

5. Goodnight Hug: A hug is a nice way to end the day.

Facts About Sleep

• Children need about 10-12 hours of sleep each night to feel their best.

• Sleep helps to remember things that have been learned during the day.

• A regular bedtime: Going to bed at the same time every night helps your body to know it’s time to sleep.

• Avoid screens before bed: Avoid watching TV or playing with tablets right before bedtime, as it might make it harder to fall asleep.

• Create a sleepy space: Make the bedroom a calm, quiet, dark, and cozy place where you feel happy and relaxed.

It is that time of year again where the weather is changing. This is a reminder that students should come to school prepared for the weather. This means hats, mittens, coats, snow pants and boots. We go outside regardless of the weather and so it is important that students are prepared, and options at recess will be limited if students do not have gear.

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Reminder:

Messages about delays and cancellations due to the weather will be communicated via the Superintendent's office early in the morning.

1 hour delay - Bus pick up times and school starts one hour later than usual

2 hour delay - Bus Pick up times and school starts two hours later than usual

2 hour delay means no morning Pre-k - afternoon Pre-k attend.