Just a reminder that updated information can always be found at our website: https://colrain.mohawktrailschools.org/ and our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/colraincentral

• Safety Reminder: If you transport children to school, please stay in your car in the drop off line. Staff will come to your car to help your child exit the car safely and be able to walk inside without the danger of an accident in the parking lot. The drop off line can be a little crazy and if people do not follow the safety procedures, someone could get hurt. I know that it can take a while sometimes, but our main objective is to get everyone into school safely, even if it takes a few minutes longer. Thank you for your help!
• A Student Leadership Team comprised of 5th and 6th graders is being developed. This week I visited both classrooms to share the idea with students and provide applications to any students who might be interested. This team will work closely with me to understand and learn about leadership, help increase student involvement in school-wide activities and decision making for the benefit of the staff, students and community. Students who wish to be considered for the team must demonstrate: leadership ability (participate in class, communicate effectively, be creative), good citizenship and have positive relationships with others, a strong work ethic, excellent attendance, and ability to follow through. Those who are chosen for the team must maintain positive work habits and behavior and keep up with their schoolwork. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 28th.
• This afternoon, students MCAS scores from last year will be sent home. Please be sure to check your child's backpack for them.
• Just a reminder that family conferences are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, November 3rd and 4th. If you are not sure when your conference is scheduled for, or if you need to reschedule, please contact Ms. White in the front office.
• Can you help our library? We want to get hundreds of new books ready for the library shelves and we need your help! You can take part in the Library L.U.V. Takeout Project. Email Ms. Miller (tamiller@mtrsd.org) and she will send your child home with a small bag of books for you to prepare at home. Send your bag back within a week and together we will get this project finished on no time! All supplies and directs are included in the bag. Thanks!
• On Wednesday, October 19th, we will be having Jay Mankita from https://www.playfulengineers.com/ here to bring some hands-on workshops to students. We are excited to be able to have him come back again and thank the Colrain Cultural Council for making it possible.
• School Picture Day is scheduled for Tuesday, October 25th.
• We will be holding an All-School Hike/Nature Day on Wednesday, October 26th. More details coming soon.

How to Help Your Child Build Phonological Awareness Skills, a Key to Successful Reading

As the Reading Specialist here at Colrain Central, parents sometimes ask me what they can do to support their young children’s reading development. One way to do this is to help them improve their phonological awareness skills. Phonological and phonemic awareness are important pre-reading skills, related to the ability to hear, identify, and play with the sounds in spoken language — including rhymes, syllables, and the smallest units of sound (phonemes). Children with strong phonological awareness skills are ready to become readers. Here are some ways you can help your children develop these skills at home:

• play silly rhyming games- come up with a wacky rhyming word to something obvious, and have your child “correct” what you’re trying to say

• read books and/or poems with rhyming words- have your child supply the rhymes. Dr. Seuss is great for this

• play “I spy” games where your child has to find something that starts with certain sounds (not letters- phonological awareness does not involve knowing letters yet)

• play “super slow-mo”-- say words very slowly, stretching out each sound. Get silly! Act like you’re moving in super slow-motion. Once your child says the word at regular speed, you’re “released” from super slo-mo. Try short words at first (in, at, run, sip).

• play “robot-talk”- like super slo-mo, except you emphasize each separate sound in a word as you make jerky robotic movements. Your child will enjoy figuring out what the “robot” is trying to say!!

Enjoy playing these games with your children, and know that you are helping to lay the groundwork for them to become successful readers! For more information, watch this video from readingrockets.org: https://youtu.be/CPderfCMNEo

The new CCS beanies, t-shirts, and sweatshirts are now available for purchase. If you did not purchase anything at Open House and would like to, please email us at colrainpto@gmail.com and we'll be happy to get you set up with some new apparel!

Coming soon: Original Artworks....stay tuned!

The next PTO meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8th at 3:30. All are welcome.

10/19: Jay Mankita from Playful Engineers visits

10/25: School Picture Day

10/26: All school hike day

October early release dates:

1:50 dismissals: 10/19, 10/26

Join us on Halloween Eve for the Ookie Spooky Bridge drive through event.
This is a fun event for the whole family, located in Colrain, Massachusetts.

Drive across the Arthur A. Smith covered bridge while enjoying the spooky scenes and Jack-O-Lanterns created by town residents.

The bridge will be one way that evening, with entrance approaching from Foundry Village road and exit on Lyonsville road to RT 112.

Visit their Facebook page as the date gets closer for any updates!