December Newsletter 2021

December 1, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for attending your child’s Parent/Teacher conference last month. If you were not able to attend the conference, it is not too late! Please call the office at 874-8210 and schedule a conference time with your child’s teacher.

Productive Struggle

You may have heard your child’s teacher talking about productive struggle at the conference. This year, teachers at Talbot are focusing on the best way to help students work through problems in order to increase learning across subject areas. We often think of the word “struggle” when something is challenging or too difficult. Problem solving becomes valuable when the struggle is productive and leads to new learning. It’s not just about telling students to work hard and give their best effort. It’s about helping students understand that our brains and intelligence grows the harder we work to figure out a problem. At Talbot, we are empowering students to use problem solving skills to persevere as a way to boost achievement.

To promote productive struggle and increase learning, we are helping our students develop a growth mindset. When you have a fixed mindset, you give up easily and avoid challenges. However, when you have a growth mindset you don’t give up, you learn by persevering and from making mistakes. We praise students’ effort, persistence and creativity. In every subject we talk about how, through hard work and not giving up, we not only become better students, but, become better learners in all parts of our lives.

At home, you can remind your child that their brain is growing each and every time they try something new, and not to give up when something becomes difficult. It’s great to encourage your children to make mistakes because mistakes grow the brain! If they say it’s too hard, say, “You can’t do it yet, but keep trying!"

Attendance

At Talbot, we are working on improving our student attendance rates. Students fall behind when they miss school, whether the students are absent for excused or unexcused reasons. A few absences every month can add up to weeks of lost learning over the school year. Here are some quick attendance tips that may help improve your child’s attendance:

· Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.

· Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

· Only keep your child home when she/he is truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.

· If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school social workers, or other parents for advice on how to make him/her feel comfortable and excited about learning.

· Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.

· Please avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

· If your child has a doctor’s appointment, you are encouraged to bring them to school after the appointment so they only miss a portion of their learning time, rather than the whole school day.

Maine Law (20-A MRSA 5001- A) requires that children attend school. In cases of excessive unexcused absences (7 or more!) for which the parent is responsible, the school department may refer to the Department of Human Services and law enforcement. Therefore, it is extremely important to notify the office whenever your child is absent from school.

Also, the office has recently implemented the SafeArrival system for when students are absent from school. If your student is absent and you receive an automated phone call from Safe Arrival, you can conveniently report your child's absence by following the voice prompts provided on the Safe Arrival phone call. Thank you for supporting our attendance efforts. Please let us know if you need more help getting your child to school!

Outdoor Learning and Winter Clothing

Colder weather has arrived, and we know there will be many more cold days ahead. We urge you to do your best to send your children appropriately dressed for school during the winter months. Teachers will continue to take students outside for snack, recess and outdoor learning opportunities every day throughout the winter, unless the temperature drops below 13 degrees with wind chill. Students need jackets, hats, snow pants, boots and gloves/mittens in order to be safely protected from the cold and snow when they are outside. If you need help getting these items for your child, please contact the office at 874-8210. We are also continuing to accept donations of new or slightly used winter clothing, especially socks, mittens, and gloves for students in need. Thank you for your generous support!

Community Resource Fair

On November 18th, Talbot Community School held an outdoor resource fair during virtual conferences. In partnership with about 20 community organizations, we were able to provide the following resources to families:

· 18 child vaccines, 3 adult boosters, and 1 adult first dose as well as COVID testing

· 70+ pairs of gloves & mittens

· 50+ hats

· Tons of clothing, shoes, scarves, backpacks, and stuffed animals

· At least 50 winter jackets and pairs of boots... with more to come!

· Over 225 lbs. of food

· Lots of information from community partners on health, enrichment, housing, public assistance, legal services, and out of school care and programs.

Thanks to all of our partnering organizations and all those who attended and/or helped make the fair a success!

Covid Vaccine Clinic Rescheduled

Our Covid vaccine clinic has been rescheduled to Wednesday December 15th. The second doses will be given on January 5th. If you have already signed your child up for the clinic you do not need to redo any paperwork. If your child has received the vaccine elsewhere, please let the office or nurse know so we can ensure they are not on the list for the 15th and receive another dose by mistake. If you have not signed your child up for the clinic you can go to the following link to fill out the consent if you want your child to receive the vaccine at school: Talbot Covid Vaccine Sign Up

If your child accessed their first dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine at the Community Resource Fair on 11/18, we want to let you know that the pharmacist has scheduled to return to the school on 12/9 at 3:30. She will be giving the second doses outside again. We hope you are able to bring your child back to school on 12/9 at 3:30 in order for them to get the second dose. Please reach out to Sarah Beam if you have questions! Thank you, Sarah Beam

Special Reminder - December Break is coming. There is no school from Dec 23 - Jan 2nd. Classes resume Monday, January 2nd.

Update Contact Information

For communication purposes, it is important that parents make sure the office has your current email, phone number and address information and that if you are unsure whether or not we have the correct information, to please call the office to check

Upcoming Events

· Wednesday, December 1, Early Release, 1:10

· Thursday, December 2, PTO, 5:00 Virtual Meeting

· Wednesday, December 8, Early Release, 1:10

· Thursday, December 9, follow-up vaccine clinic at Talbot for those who received a first dose at the Community Resource Fair, 3:30

· Wednesday, December 15, Covid Clinic (2nd dose on January 5)

· Wednesday, December 15, Early Release, 1:10 dismissal

· Tuesday, December 21st-Last day of Drumbeat program for current participants

· Wednesday, December 22, Early Release, 1:10 dismissal

· Thursday, December 23-January 2 NO SCHOOL

· Monday, January 10, Picture Retake Day

As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about your child's educational experience at Talbot School.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Ann Hanna

Principal