Principal's Notes

Dear Families,

What a beautiful November week we had! The weather was spectacular and made it hard to believe we are headed toward winter.

Thank you to all of our families who were able to participate in Parent-Teacher Conferences. It makes such a difference when we partner together to support our students and ensure that the home-school connection is strong. We encourage you to reach out to your child's teacher whenever you have questions or need ideas on how to support your child's learning at home.

Looking ahead, we have another busy week:

Tuesday, November 10th – Picture Retake Day: If your child needs their picture retaken, please be prepared to have that done on Tuesday.

Wednesday, November 11th – No School (Veterans Day): Students will not have school as we take time to remember all of the veterans across our country, and especially in our very own community, who have served. We send our heartfelt thanks to all who have served.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support!

Best,

Tiffany

Two of our second-grade students had a very special day last week while serving as Principal and Assistant Principal for the Day, thanks to a CEEF raffle win!

Miss Ella and Miss Wanda jumped right into their leadership roles, complete with their own official staff badges! They helped with morning announcements, visited classrooms, supported lunch in the cafeteria, supervised arrival and dismissal, and handed out a surprise to every student. They also enjoyed a delicious lunch from C-Salt!

Both did a wonderful job, impressed everyone, and brought smiles to students and adults alike. It was a fun day for our entire school community, and we are so proud of our amazing student leaders!

Hello Families,

Our featured article this week from PBS KIDS for Parents, Raising Includers: 5 Tips to Help Your Kids Be Kind and Compassionate, offers practical strategies for helping children recognize when others feel left out and take steps to make everyone feel welcome. It's a wonderful reminder that inclusion starts with small, everyday actions and that we can teach our children to be the ones who reach out, invite others in, and help everyone feel they belong.

Happy reading!

Sarah Forrey-Pettit

The CESD Digital Literacy and Well-being tip of the month is on Artificial Intelligence and Social-Emotional Well-being. Regarding young children, AI is now being integrated into some toys coming onto the market. Healthy development depends on human-to-human relationships, rather than products designed to substitute for personal interaction. Additionally, in some cases, the content served by AI-enabled toys can be unsafe for children. For what to watch for, learn more in this Parents' Ultimate Guide to AI Toys | Common Sense Media.

Principal for the Day: Principal for the Day, Miss Ella, lends a helping hand in the office as a kindergarten friend picks out her special birthday sticker and book!

This week, some kindergarten clasess teamed up with fourth-grade classes for a special story-sharing session! Both grades wrapped up their Personal Narrative writing units and celebrated by coming together to read their final pieces to one another.

Check out the photos below of our young authors and attentive listeners in action. Everyone did a fantastic job—we are so proud of their hard work and creativity!

Students in Mrs. Norton’s classroom have been busy collaborating to transform their dramatic play area into a vibrant frog pond. This hands-on project is part of their current study in K for ME Unit 2: Animals and Habitats.

Throughout this 10-week unit, students explore animals that live both near and far, focusing specifically on frogs, owls, wolves, and salmon. Through three distinct studies—fish and frogs, owls, and wolves—children dive into investigation and research while engaging in author and illustrator studies.

More than just learning facts about wildlife, the unit emphasizes caring for living things. Students actively explore key values including care and safety, responsibility, courage, and respect.

The learning journey will conclude with a class-wide Showcase of Learning, organized by the students and teachers to display artifacts and projects created across the entire unit.

Tuesday, November 10

• Picture Retake Day

Wednesday, November 11th

• No School, Veterans Day

Upcoming Dates:

Thanksgiving Break: Wednesday, November 25th through November 27

Early Release Day for Teacher Professional Development: Wednesday, December 9

Winter Break: Wednesday, December 23 - Sunday, January 3

The PCPA is planning some great community gatherings this year, but we need your help to turn these ideas into reality! We are looking for volunteer event coordinators to help organize them—whether you have experience or just enthusiasm, we’d love to have you on board. If you'd like to lend a hand and bring our community together, visit our Winter Volunteer Opportunities page to learn more and sign up!

Main Office: pcoffice@capeelizabethschools.org

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Website: Pond Cove Elementary School

12 Scott Dyer Road

Cape Elizabeth, Maine 04107

(207) 799 - 7339