October, 2024
Welcome Fall!
Dear CES Parents/Guardians,
I hope you and your family are doing well and are enjoying the beautiful fall weather. It is hard to believe that we are already into our seventh week of school. I have been able to see first-hand the amazing activities, instruction and connections that your child is participating in during my classroom visits. I am looking forward to visiting each classroom many times throughout the school year and learning about how we can better support our students. Please reach out to any member of the staff if there is anything that we can do to support you or your child.
In closing, I want to thank you again for your support and for partnership with Charlton Elementary School. We are blessed to have such an amazing group of parents. I wish you and your family a healthy and safe Fall season.
Sincerely,
Laura Ramos
Principal
The week of October 21st, staff and students of CES will participate in a lockdown drill. All teachers will be preparing students on the necessary steps to take in such an event. The lockdown drill is always a "soft" drill and it is not meant to stress students out or cause anxiety. There is an expectation that these drills will take place 3 times throughout this school year. Again, ALL FAMILIES will be notified of any lockdown drills.
October is National Children’s Health Month.
Follow the link for activities to promote child health. EPA.gov Children's Health Month
Now that school is in full swing the Health Office will begin screenings for BMI, Vision, and Hearing. If you wish to opt out of screening and have yet to do so, now is the time Screening OPT OUT form. Please ensure that your student has their glasses with them for vision screening November 8-16th.
Students should have brought home an over the counter medication consent form. This is a written consent to administer non prescription medication at school. In case it was misplaced or you did not receive one here is a copy, please fill out and return. CES copy of DCRSD Parent Consent for OTC Medications MASTER (English)
Please keep in mind that it is the cold and flu season. If your child is displaying signs of illness please consider keeping them home. Students should stay home for at least 24 hours once ailment has resolved, without medication, when they have a fever, vomiting or diarrhea.
Dear CES Families:
It's that time of year when the National Honor Society (NHS) at Shepherd Hill works hard to make sure families in our district do not go without a special meal for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you need help providing a Thanksgiving meal for your household, please send an email to our School Adjustment Counselor, Kathy Garrity, at kgarrity@dcrsd.org by Friday, November 1st at 12PM.
If you request help this Thanksgiving, you will be contacted by someone at Shepherd Hill to confirm your need for a meal. All coordination and delivery of the meals are completed by the NHS. If you your financial situation changes after Friday, November 1st, please contact Ms. Garrity directly.
Dear CES Families:
The school year is well underway and the holidays are approaching quickly. We understand these times can be very difficult, both emotionally and financially for families. Each year, we work with local schools, companies, and organizations to help ease some of the financial burdens for those most in need by helping to provide holiday gifts for children.
If you need help providing some unwrapped gifts to your child(ren) this holiday season, please complete this form, Holiday Gift Help, by Monday November 11th.
This information is kept confidential; community members who sponsor your child(ren) are given no identifying information. If you have any questions or your financial situation changes after Friday, November 8th, please contact Ms. Garrity directly.
Zones Of Regulation
This year, we will be utilizing the Zones of Regulation curriculum to support the social emotional needs of our students. As we have begun to roll out this tool throughout the s, students are learning about the fundamental principles of this model. In the Zones of Regulation, feelings are broken down into 4 separate colors: Blue (Sad/Tired), Green (Happy/Calm),Yellow (Nervous/Scares), and Red (Angry/Mad). Currently our students are working on learning what feel is associated with each color. This will allow the students to pick the color that represents what they are feeling at a given time and communicate their feelings to others. Although these 4 colors are not associated with any specific character, we have chosen to represent each color with a character from the Disney movie Inside Out.
Stay tuned for exciting updates in our monthly school newsletter
as our students continue to learn about and practice the Zones of Regulation
On January 3, 2023, the Commonwealth launched the new Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) and established 25 Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs). As part of the Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform, these programs are increasing access to mental health and substance treatment for people across Massachusetts, and offer insurance-blind behavioral health crisis services to anyone in the state.
Additionally, the Commonwealth has created a Behavioral Health Roadmap Toolkit, which includes pre-made public awareness and informational materials (including social media graphics, fact sheets, flyers, and more).
The Charlton Elementary School Council has been formed! I would like to thank the following individuals who have volunteered their time to work with me. Our 2024-2025 school council members are:
Gianna Gentilucci, Parent
Anthony Aube, Parent
Felisha Martin, Parent
Madison Prescott, Parent
Holly Provost, PK Teacher
Jennifer Houghton, Occupational Therapist
All meetings will be held virtually starting at 3:30pm. School Council will be meeting the following days:
- Tuesday, October 22, 2024- Welcome, Climate/Culture
- Tuesday, January 21, 2025- Budget
- Tuesday, March 18, 2025- School Improvement Plan
- Tuesday, May 20, 2025-Handbook/Building Policies
You will receive a google calendar invite for all meetings. If you can not attend, please let me know.
In June, school council members will be invited to the DCRSD School Committee where our school improvement plan will be presented.
