FES Points of P.R.I.D.E. Newsletter

Francestown Elementary School students had an amazing week! Included in their busy week was a quick yoga class directed by our special FES substitute teacher, Mrs. Mack! Not only did she spend time practicing the art of yoga with our students, but she incorporated the movement activities into the wellness work Mr. LeGraw teaches us in P.E. Thank you, Mrs. Mack, for all you do for our students!

Assessment week #1 has ended, and students have done a wonderful job concentrating on the assessments and working hard to show their learning. We are so proud of your children! Next week, we will tackle round 2!

WINTER GEAR - Please remember the weather can be extremely cold, and we need students to come to morning drop-off prepared for the weather at 8:20 am! Students need snow pants, mittens/gloves, hats, and warm coats. We do have some extras to spare, although we run out quickly. Thanks so much!

We will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 19, and there will be no school that day. Take care of yourselves and your families.

Warmest regards,

Kathie

All students across the ConVal School District will continue their winter assessments next week. These assessments include the NWEA/MAP Reading and Math assessments (Grades 1-4), as well as the Dyslexia Screener (Grades K-3). Additional screening will be conducted with students who score below the 40th percentile in these assessments. This additional diagnostic screening will help us determine the specific instruction needed to target your child's individual needs. If you have questions, please reach out to your child's teacher.

• No School Monday 1/19 MLK Jr. / Civil Rights Day
• Next Week's Special: Music with Mrs. Neilsson
• 1/12-1/23 Assessments - NWEA & MAPS (1-4) & Dyslexia Screener (K-3)
• 1/22 Harris Center Visits with 2nd 3rd and 4th grades
• 1/26-1/30 Special of the week is PE / Wellness with Mr. LeGraw
• 1/30 P.R.I.D.E. Meeting / Community Lunch starting at 11:30am (K-1 Class presents!)

Shadow Fun in Ms. Flanagan's Class!

No sun, no problem! Students used flashlights to demonstrate that the sun moves to create shadows. In Writing we are continuing to focus on letter formation and informational writing. In Math, 1st grade is moving onto addition and subtraction within 20. Kindergarten is working on addition and subtraction within 10. In Reading, both grade levels are working on retelling a story.

Our Grade 1 and 2 students with Mrs. Morocco are taking pride and ownership over their growth mindset and goal setting. Check out this picture of the students' goal-setting bulletin board! They are working very hard to build stamina, take on individual challenges, and work to their highest potential. Recent work in literacy by our First Graders has been focused on learning about character traits, the setting of a story, and the basic plot. Second Graders are deepening their understanding and, through literature discussions, are learning how and why characters respond to major events, and using information gained through the text to demonstrate this understanding. We have had a lot of fun with the same story in both grades!

Math is moving on fast! Students are using a rotation chart and working at both grade levels on activities, independent work, and meeting with me for core instruction. All the students are curious and excited to see how they did on their NWEA Math assessment. Next, we take on reading! What amazing students they are!

Third graders wrapped up a division quiz and began exploring how multiplication and division share the same parts and how they are opposite operations. Fourth graders worked on comparing numbers all the way up to the hundred thousands place, strengthening their place value skills. On Wednesday, the class enjoyed reading the poem, "Casey at the Bat" and collaborated to summarize each stanza to better understand the poem. Students celebrated the final Cooking Club by putting their skills together to make a delicious apple crisp.

This week in PE, students started their basketball unit! We have also been working hard on our fitness and learning the importance of building strength. It was a great week!

As the winter months approach, we anticipate an increase in seasonal illnesses, including colds, flu and stomach viruses. By working together, we can minimize the spread of illness and help all of our students, staff, and community thrive this winter.

Stay home if: Your child has a fever of 100.0°F (37.8°C) or higher. Return to school when: Your child has been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use

of fever-reducing medication (e.g., Tylenol or Motrin). Please do not administer fever-reducing medication before school and send your child in. As soon as the medicine wears off, the fever will likely return, and your child will have exposed others to their illness.

Other reasons to keep your child home: In addition to a fever, please keep your child home for at least 24 hours after these symptoms have resolved: Vomiting or diarrhea

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our school healthy.

Lindsay Pino, R.N. (School Nurse)

For medical diagnosis, consult your child’s primary care provider.