We have had a busy, but great start to the 2022-2023 school year! The students and staff are settling in to our new schedule and new additions to our school.

Please take a moment to review this newsletter so that you are aware of some upcoming changes and helpful resources.

As always, do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or feedback. Thank you!

~Kelli Colarusso

September 12th - Washington School Board Meeting - 6:00pm

September 14th - Picture Day - Forms were sent home last week. You can send in a check or order online. All students will get their picture taken but there is no requirement to purchase.

September 19th - All first day packet forms and updates in Web2School due (but if they are ready earlier, we will certainly take them!)

September 28th - Early release for students; Dismissal starts at 1:05pm

October 10th - No School - Columbus Day

Just a reminder that our new dismissal schedule starts this week. Arrival will stay the same.

8:20am - Parent drop off

8:30am - Bus arrival

3:05pm - Bus 73 (Bus 1) dismissal

3:10pm - Parent pick up

3:10/3:15pm - Bus 74 (Bus 2) dismissal

The bus company asks that you arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes earlier than the scheduled time. Times can vary based on attendance and weather.

If your family is experiencing difficulties at home, we would like to provide additional support at school. We understand that you are not always able to give details and that's okay. If your student is coming to school after a difficult night, morning, or weekend, please feel free to send in a note that simply says "Handle with Care." This will let us know that your student may need a little extra time, patience, or help during the day.

Teachers will follow up with an update about how your student's day went but we do not need more information other than to know how your student is doing in the coming days. We hope that this helps bridge communication between the school and families in order to best support all children.

This year, students will be learning about the 7 Habits of Happy Kids, which we have named the 7 Habits of Wolf Leaders (HOWL). During our first whole school meeting, the teachers briefly explained each habit, students wrote what they thought they could be leaders in on a leaf for our tree in the hallway, and they danced to the song below. Click the link to watch the song on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYDCJR_ApEQ

This month, students are learning about Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind. Here are some kid-friendly statements for Habit 2:

• I know what is most important.
• I plan ahead.
• I set goals.
• I contribute to my class and family.
• I have a mission statement.

Be on the lookout for HOWLer awards brought home by your students. In recognition for following any of our 7 Habits, staff members will give out HOWLer awards at each whole school morning meeting on Fridays. These are great awards to hang on your fridge at home!

At the end of the month, all students who received a HOWLer award will be put into a drawing to have lunch with our local police officers. We are still working out the details but you can expect our first lunch award to be presented some time in October.

We hope this helps students understand that ANYONE can be a leader when they are following the 7 Habits of Wolf Leaders.

Please take a moment to look over our handbook. Changes are highlighted in blue on the table of contents. A handbook sign off and our Parent Compact will be sent home on the first day of school. Please return these as soon as possible. Thank you!

Unfortunately, our beautiful sign that was on Millen Pond Road rotted and was falling apart. Luckily, we were able to purchase a new sign. Due to production delays, the sign will not be ready until mid-September. We will also be getting an outside bulletin board to post school board and event notices instead of posting them on the foyer windows.

See the picture below for the general idea of what our new sign will look like come mid-September.

Our temporary sign is taking longer than anticipated as well but it is looking great and should be out this week! It looks so great that when we receive our new sign, we'll definitely find another spot for our "temporary" sign!

Please see below for some updated pictures of our playground upgrades! All the work that can be completed at this time is finished. We are waiting on the arrival of our new swing set and slide, which will hopefully be installed in the spring after the ground thaws and all the snow is gone!

School lunches can be PURCHASED this year for the following prices:

Breakfast: $1.50

Lunch: $2.60

Milk: $0.40

Reduced Breakfast: $0.00

Reduced Lunch: $0.40

We encourage ALL families to fill out the free and reduced lunch application. This application helps our school obtain federal grant money which funds our Early Learning program, special programs for students, and training for teachers. Without this funding, these programs would not be possible with our current budget. If you do not think you would qualify or you do not want to use the free/reduced lunch service, we understand but still ask that you fill out the application.

You can apply online here: https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ApplicationScreen.aspx

A paper application is attached and will be sent home on the first day of school.

How to Pay for Lunch:

Each week, Barbara Jackson will send home envelopes with your child's balance written on it. Please return the envelope with cash or check payable to Washington School District with enough money for that week's meals. Please also indicate which days your child will be getting lunch to help Barbara plan. Thank you!

Each month I will highlight a different community resource. If there is one that you think would be particularly helpful for WES families, please let me know! Previous resources will be linked below so that you always have access to learning more if you'd like to.

August's Highlight: West Central Behavioral Health

This month's highlight: 211 NH

From their website: 211 NH is the connection for New Hampshire residents to the most up to date resources they need from specially trained Information and Referral Specialists. 211 NH is available 24 hours, 365 days a year. Multilingual assistance and TDD access is also available. For those outside of New Hampshire, call 1.866.444.4211.

211 NH is an initiative of Granite United Way and relies on the generosity of donors and partners like Eversource, the State of New Hampshire, Volunteer NH and local United Ways.

You can think of 211 NH as a resource that "does the Googling" for you when it comes to finding resources to help. See below for a picture of a list of possible resources that 211 can help connect you with.

If you know of any new students in the area or incoming kindergarteners, please give them the information below about how to register. Our Early Learning Program currently has a waitlist but families can register to be added to the waitlist and to ensure they are on our list for next year.

If you need to reach the school for any reason, please call the main office at 495-3463. If someone does not answer, please leave a message. We check messages frequently throughout the day, but there is not always someone at the front desk, as we all wear many hats!

If there are changes to your child's dismissal routine, please make sure to leave a message on the office phone before 2:30pm, as opposed to emailing Dawn or the teacher. Our teachers often do not have time to check their emails throughout the day and may miss the message, so a phone call is best. Please do not leave messages about dismissal or absences on the school Facebook page or any staff member's personal Facebook page.

In the event that internet is down, our phones are also down. We do have one emergency phone to use if this happens. The number for that phone is 603-495-0187. There is no way to leave a message on this line. Please only use this number if you try the main line and it does not ring or gives you a busy signal.

If there's ever anything we can do to improve our communication, please let us know!

We are currently following the CDC's guidelines for schools and childcare centers.

NH DHHS also follows CDC's isolation and quarantine guidelines: https://www.covid19.nh.gov/resources/isolation-quarantine-information

Families should continue to keep their students home when they are sick. Students can return to school once their symptoms improve. We recommend seeking testing at home or at your provider's office, and we still have many tests available for families if you want some at home. We do not test at school.

If you ever have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I typically get to school by 7:45am, and I stay until about 4:30 (sometimes later!). I teach on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays so you may not reach me right away those days, but if you leave a message, I will give you a call when I am available. Email is also a great way to get a hold of me.

Email: kcolarusso@hdsd.org
Website: https://www.hdsd.org/Domain/200
Phone: 603-495-3463
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Washington-Elementary-School-110720773888378
Twitter: @MrsColarussoWES