Cheetah Pride Press

Families,

I am thrilled to share that Memorial School was recently identified as a School Of Distinction for High Performance, in the 2025-2026 school year, by the Connecticut State Department Of Education. This distinction is bestowed upon Connecticut public schools that are performing in the top 10% of elementary schools statewide. This is the second time in three years that that we have received this recognition. I am immensely proud of our entire school community, including our dedicated faculty and staff, our supportive families, and most importantly… our bright, conscientious young learners! Thank you for all you do to support our wonderful school system.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Joey and Jessica

After learning about Mr. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in the Wit & Wisdom module titled, “My Five Senses,” Kindergarten students learned how to tap dance! By placing coins on the bottoms of their shoes, teachers magically turned our learners’ everyday footwear into tap shoes!

After completing the Wit & Wisdom module titled, “My Five Senses,” Mrs. Pezzi’s class was treated to a wonderful presentation by author, and Kindergarten Parent, John Swasey. Mr. Swasey talked to the class about his role as an author and illustrator, read his books to the class, and provided a cartooning workshop for our young learners! Thank you, Mr. Swasey, for sharing your creativity and expertise with our school community!

On Friday morning, many brave third graders stood up in front of the entire grade level to read individual speeches about why they each feel they belong on the Cheetah Council. I was so VERY impressed with our cheetahs’ writing skills, their composure while speaking in front of so many people, and their earnest desire to contribute to our school community. They should all feel incredibly proud of themselves. Qualified applicants will be added to the applicant pool, and individuals will be drawn from the pool on Monday.

On Thursday evening, the EHEPTO hosted their annual Family Pasta Dinner and Raffle Night! The Memorial School cafeteria looked beautiful, the food was delicious, and families enjoyed being served by staff members. Additionally, many lucky winners took home amazing raffle baskets. Thank you to the EHEPTO for all you continue to do for our school community!

A PAWsitive office referral can be submitted to Mrs. Warner or Mrs. Bauer at any time when a staff member recognizes a student who has demonstrated a random act of kindness. These students earn a certificate, have their picture taken, and wear a pawprint sticker throughout the day so that everyone in the building knows they’ve earned a PAWsitive Office Referral.

Memorial Models are chosen on a weekly basis by their classroom teacher. These students have excelled All week long in taking care of themselves, others, and things. The recipients earn a certificate, a prize, and have their picture taken. Their pictures are hung in the front lobby for a full week.

Dakota Altieri is being recognized with this week’s Order Of The Cheetah. Ms. Altieri is an Interventionist who works in our RISE program. Her colleagues describe her as someone who has “the most positive attitude,” and who always goes above and beyond for her students. Thanks, Dakota, for taking care of others at Memorial School!

Hello Memorial Families! It has been an exciting month of learning in the music room.

Preschool: Students enjoyed some fall-themed songs and poems this month! We sang songs about pumpkins and Jack-o-lanterns! They also pretended to cook “Pumpkin Stew” and put all sorts of silly ingredients in while practicing the steady beat.

Kindergarten: Students are now expected to demonstrate four different voices at the beginning of each music class: Talking, Whispering, Calling, Singing! If asked, they should be able to tell you about the poem we use to practice these voices. When we practice our singing voice, students are learning to make a “perfect match” when it is their turn with the singing ball! They also explored the musical opposites fast and slow this month.

First Grade: Students worked on keeping a steady beat while singing or listening to music. They also learned about the concept of rhythm and contrasted it with steady beat. They learned that tapping the rhythm of the song matches the words while tapping the beat makes hands tap at the same speed through the whole song. Favorite songs and games this month included “Pumpkin Stew” and “Pass the Pumpkin”.

Second Grade: Students focused on their music listening skills! They enjoyed listening to Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and practiced analyzing and evaluating the song! They also got a chance to compare three different performances of the song: orchestra, voices, and electronic. Students also learned about a new rhythm that gets two beats, called a half note. They practiced reading and writing this rhythm throughout the month.

Third Grade: Third graders discovered the names of the two new notes on our solfege staircase: low sol and low la! They also discovered a new way to perform rhythms, by using numbers to count them! We made a fun connection to both fractions and pizza while learning this new skill! Now, when reading rhythmic patterns, students are expected to count the rhythms with numbers. We are getting all of our music literacy skills polished up so that we’re ready to begin our recorder unit soon!

New Choir! Third grade students have had the opportunity to try our new third grade choir by attending two open rehearsals over the past month. Next week, the students who have decided to officially sign up will attend rehearsal! I am looking forward to making music with these young musicians.

Please check out the music room website for more information about the music program, and reach out on parentsquare anytime!

Mrs. Maldonado

The dry winter air is not just an annoyance but has an impact on our student's overall

health. The ideal indoor relative humidity (RH) for human health and comfort is generally

30% to 50%. When the humidity drops below 30% it can cause dry skin, cracked lips,

nosebleeds, and increased vulnerability to infections. Many of us heat our homes with

wood burning stoves which reduces the overall moisture content in the home even more.

How to reduce the effects of dry air for your child include:

● Keep Nasal Passages Moist: Apply a thin layer of Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline),

antibiotic ointment, or nasal saline gel/spray inside the nostrils 2–3 times a day,

particularly before bed.

● Use a Humidifier: Run a cool-mist humidifier in your child’s room at night to

combat dry air, especially during winter months.

● Skin Care: Use thick moisturizers to prevent skin cracking.

● Hydration: Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

Students are allowed to have their own ChapStick in school

November 9th-Board Of Education, 6:30

November 11th-Veterans Day/School is Closed

November 16th- PTO at Memorial, 5:30

November 17th-Community Forum at Memorial, 6:30

November 23rd-Board of Education, 6:30

November 25th-Early Dismissal

November 26-27th-Closed for Thanksgiving

Week of November 30th Scholastic Book Fair

12/2 and 12/3- Early Release Parent Conferences

12/5 Hanukkah Begins

Link For Cheetah Gear: https://1361.edulnk.com/render/d4rgu/yZwIwB?__$u__

Please note

When considering the number of absences your student has accrued, keep in mind that a student must be present for 195 minutes in order for the day to count! When bringing your student in late, or signing them out early if they have not been in school for a 195 minutes the day will be recorded as an absence.

Board of Education Statement on School Safety: The East Hampton Board of Education is committed to a safe and secure learning environment that honors and celebrates the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. The Board of Education in partnership with the school community will not tolerate any threat of violence in the schools or any hate speech that targets any race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Each student is held to the highest standards of responsible decision making within a culture that is expected to foster compassion, caring, and empathy.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools: The school community of East Hampton is committed to the mission of honoring and celebrating the diversity of our students, our community, and our nation. We strive to guide our students to conscious, deliberate, individual and collective actions that cultivate the respect of all races, religions, and social backgrounds. Our school community endeavors to produce graduates who are equipped with a greater understanding of the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Nondiscrimination Statement of the East Hampton Public Schools: The East Hampton Board of Education, in compliance with federal and state law, affirms its policy of equal educational opportunity for all students and equal employment opportunity for all persons. It is the policy of the District to promote nondiscrimination and an environment free of harassment regardless of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability (including but not limited to, intellectual disability, past or present history of mental disorder, physical disability, or learning disability), genetic information, marital status, or age or because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, or age of any persons with whom the individual associates. The District shall provide to all students without discrimination, course offerings, counseling, assistance, employment, athletics, and extracurricular activities. The District shall provide equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The District shall make reasonable accommodations for identified physical and mental impairments that constitute disabilities, consistent with federal and state statutes and regulations.