Our amazing SHARKS are two weeks into the latest school-wide academic challenge, Gobble Up A Good Book. This challenge centers on reading and tracking reading steps.

Each student who meets their weekly independent reading goal earns a feather for their class turkey. The class with the highest percentage of earned feathers will choose a spirit day for the entire school.

We emphasize the importance of independent reading because according to the National Council of English Teachers:

Independent reading leads to an increased volume of reading. The more one reads, the better one reads. The more one reads, the more knowledge of words and language one acquires. The more one reads, the more fluent one becomes as a reader. The more one reads, the easier it becomes to sustain the mental effort necessary to comprehend complex texts. The more one reads, the more one learns about the people and happenings of our world. This increased volume of reading is essential (Allington, 2014).

On Wednesday, November 8th CES was proud to welcome several veterans from our community to our annual Veterans Day Assembly. The 3rd and 4th Grade Chorus began our assembly with a beautiful rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. Mrs. Laub's 2nd-Grade Class then presented about what Veterans Day means.

Both 1st-Grade classrooms recited poems. Mrs. Melanson's Class shared, Poppy, and Mrs. Hanson's Class shared, Proud of Our Nation. Some of our 4th-Grade students read their gratitude letters to our veterans. Next, our Veterans Day Video Slideshow was shown. The assembly ended with Mr. Toppa and the 4th-Grade trumpet players rendition of Taps.

It was a wonderful display of gratitude and community. Please keep an eye on our YouTube page for the premier of the video capturing the entire assembly. The Veterans Day slideshow video can be accessed by clicking the link below.

There is so much to be grateful for at Chatham Elementary School and our school community is eager to celebrate our SHARK pride next Wednesday at the Chatham Bars Inn.

CBI generously hosts a Thanksgiving luncheon for the students and staff at CES. There will be two luncheons - Grade K , 1, and 2L will be going to the first luncheon. Our students and staff are treated to a delicious Thanksgiving lunch in the absolutely stunning dining room overlooking the water. Mr. Toppa leads our students in singing their thanks to the staff at CBI and then they board buses to return to school where the second group of students Grade 3, 4, and 2H will board the buses for CBI and their luncheon.

Many of our students and staff dress for this very special day. Be on the lookout for photos from this wonderful day!

"It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful." ~David Steindl-Rast

Our school's Occupational Therapist, Ms. Basso, recently installed a fin-tastic tool for the students and staff at CES. Throughout the building there are a number of Breathing Stations. Each station includes activities encouraged to calm and center.

Students and staff are able to walk the course and stop at each of the stations when they are in need of a break, time to focus, or calm themselves. Ms. Basso also changes the activities with each season. The Sensory Circuit has been a great addition to our school and just another example of how our school is providing a variety of tools to meet the varied needs of each member of our community.

The students in Mrs. King's Kindergarten class were all smiles during their pizza party on Monday with Sgt. Massey. Mrs. King's class earned an amazing 1,428 tickets earned during the month of October.

Students earn tickets at CES for exhibiting SHARK expectations in the areas of safety, honesty, acceptance, respect, kindness, and success. Sgt. Massey rewards the class that earns the most tickets each month with a special pizza lunch.

Thank you Sgt. Massey and keep up the great work SHARKS!!

Our SHARKS continue to be Safe, Honest, Accepting, Respectful, Kind, and Successful. Congratulations to all of this week's raffle winners:

KJD: Angelica C.

KK: Skylar S.

1H: Will H.

1M: Eli T.

2L: Gavin G.

2H: Cayden L.

3T: Brian F.

4A: Russell C.

4G: Finn E.

Keep up the FIN-TASTIC work SHARKS!!

Bay Cove Human Services offers Mobile Crisis Intervention (MCI) for young people who experience a behavioral health crisis. They can be reached at 833-BAY-COVE (833-229-2683) 24 hours a day.

MCI provides short-term service that is a therapeutic response to youth and family/caregivers experiencing a behavioral health crisis. MCI evaluates the situation, identifies the challenges, involved, assesses the needs, and begins to treat and stabilize the situation, reducing the immediate risk of danger to the youth or to others. MCI then provides up to 7-days of intervention and services post the initial encounter. Learn more about Bay Cove Mobile Crisis HERE.

Contact the Monomoy Family Resource Coordinator, Lucy Gilmore, lgilmore@monomoy.edu / 508-430-7216

for assistance and information regarding any of the following:

➢ Child Development Assessment Tool (Ages and Stages)

➢ Early Education Tuition Assistance Scholarships

➢ Support groups

➢ Free Parent / Child Playgroups and Family Activities

➢ Free Parent Education Classes

➢ Free Books, Diapers, and gently used infant and toddler Clothing

Fall 2023 Programming Schedules:

English

Spanish

Portuguese

WIC is a nutrition program that provides nutrition and health care education, healthy food, and other services free of charge to Massachusetts families who qualify. WIC is for all kinds of families: married and single parents, working or not working. If you are a father, mother, grandparent, foster parent, or legal guardian of a child under the age of five, you can apply for WIC for your child.

Learn more about WIC at the following links:

WIC Brochure English

WIC Brochure Spanish

WIC Brochure Brazillian Portuguese

WIC Brochure Russian

WIC Brochure Vietnamese

We're excited to welcome back volunteers at Chatham Elementary School and across the district with a variety of opportunities!

All potential volunteers need to complete the Volunteer Registration Form and have a current CORI on file in order to volunteer in our schools or at school-sanctioned events.

Information can be found at: https://ces.monomoy.edu/parent-caregiver-resources/volunteering

If you have child(ren) receiving special education services or want information about special education, check out the Monomoy SEPAC website and Facebook page for meeting and event information. The SEPAC is currently looking to build capacity and membership to support special education in Monomoy Schools. If you would like to be on their mailing list email sepac@monomoy.edu

The Dr. Florence Family Support Program funds pre-school expenses for residents of Chatham. Families are eligible for $10,000 annually for children age 4 and $5,000 annually for children age 3. Please see the link for more information regarding this program for Chatham families.

Application and information can be found: HERE