NELC/Northern PTA Board

President: Kathy Murphy

Vice President: Lisa Santilli

2nd Vice Presidents: School Principals,

Linda Cliff and Monique Latessa

Treasurer: Jackie Benbenek

Secretary: Jen L’Esperance

mini-grants approved

§ $400.00 to the 4^th Grade trip to the Haffenreffer Museum.

§ $442.50 to the 2^nd Grade trip to Plimoth Plantations.

§ $234.00 to the Kindergarten classes for their trip to Jaswell Farm.

“The Worldwide Multiplication Challenge”

Students of grades 4, 5, and 6 will participate in “The Great Multiplication Challenge” on November 6^th. They will participate with students from the United States and other countries by completing a 100 problem timed test. Each teacher will administer the test, which has been sent to him or her via the Internet. Once the teacher grades the tests, the class average will be e-mailed to the coordinator in Canada. Winning results and data regarding the number of participants will be posted on the Internet at a later date.

Parents, please help us by drilling the multiplication facts with your child. We want to be proud of the results for Saylesville School!

PTA President’s Highlights

§ Thank you to all in our school community who participated in the PTA sponsored Fall fundraisers! The PTA recognizes the following students as the top cookie dough sellers in each grade level:
Pre-Kindergarten: Ryan Brooks Kindergarten: Alexia Epps
Grade 1: Jack Walsh Grade 2: Haley Omar
Grade 3: Kathryn Packard Grade 4: Lily Booth
Grade 5: Corey Murphy

§ Sincere thanks to Mrs. Mel Akay and the many committee members and volunteers who helped organize and execute the recent book fair. Their planning and hard work ensured that our book fair was very successful!

§ Another very special ‘thank you’ is extended to Mrs. Sue Pepper, School Librarian, and her assistants for pitching in when additional help was needed to ensure the success of the book fair! We couldn’t have done it without you!

§ The ‘Mad Science’ before school program is of for a marvelous start. The participating students are learning scientific principles and are enjoying experiments. We hope to continue this program in the Spring of 2008.

§ The PTA thanks Carol McCourt, Chairperson of the Holiday Store, and the volunteers, all of whom spent hours putting this event together.

§ Finally, the PTA Board and I wish students, families, faculty, staff and administration a safe and happy holiday season!

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO BE SURE THAT YOUR CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY CONTACT INFO. ARE CURRENT!

WINTER WEATHER

Please be sure that your student(s) is sent to school in warm winter attire (including a winter coat, hat, gloves or mittens) all labeled with their name. We attempt to hold outdoor recess when the weather is clear and above 32 F; pupils not in appropriate outerwear may not be permitted to attend outdoor recess. If your family needs assistance with obtaining these items, please don’t hesitate to call the school.

WE CAN HELP!
NOBODY SHOULD GO COLD THIS WINTER

PTA COMMMITTEE SIGN-UPS

A few of the Committee sign-up sheets have been misplaced, including BOYS’ NIGHT OUT; PASTA SUPPER & THE 5^TH GRADE EVENT.

If you’d like to be on any of these committees, please contact Lisa Santilli at 475-5746, or Lsantilli@cox.net. If you’ve already responded to the flyer that recently went home with students, you do not need to add your name again. Thank you, and know that your help is both needed and greatly appreciated!!

WISHING YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A SAFE VACATION!

Submissions for the PTA Newsletter are always welcome and may be forwarded to PTANEWS@cox.net.

A SPECIAL BOOK FAIR
Message from Mrs. Mel Akay

• Special thanks to Kathy Murphy for her generous donation of goodies, which were raffled off to the students on the final day of the Book Fair.
• Through the generosity of so many families, classroom teachers had many of their book ‘wish lists’ granted. Thank you!
• The ‘Mad Science’ Family Night event on 11/27 during the week of the Book Fair was a big hit!
• Mark your calendar for the final Book Fair of this academic year to be held in April!
• HELP WANTED: Chairperson for the 2008-2009 Book Fair Committee. Please contact Kathy Murphy or me, if you would like further information.

Calendar of Events

December 10: 5^th Grade Committee Meeting @ 6:30 in the School Library

December 11: Monthly PTA Meeting @ 6:30 in the School Library

December 11: Yankee Candle Fundraiser Pick-Up from 6:30 – 8:30 PM

December 20: Last Day of School Before Winter Holiday

Dec. 21 – Jan. 1: NO SCHOOL — Winter Vacation

January 2: RETRUN TO SCHOOL

January 8: Monthly PTA Meeting @ 6:30 in the School Library

January 24: Speaking of Kids” Lecture: Managing Behavior in Kids, presented by
Christine Low, PhD. Series sponsored by CVS/Pharmacy, Bradley and Hasbro hospitals. 6:30 – 8:30 PM.

Questions? Call Lifespan Health Connection @444-4800 or 800-927-1230.

A Message to Parents,

This year your child will once again play an important role in a very important program, helping to better the lives of others – helping to make a better world.

This program – the Feinstein “I Can Make a Difference” Program – was developed to open the hearts and the minds of youngsters to what a difference they can make in the world through simple deeds of kindness, caring and compassion. This, especially today, is what the world needs so badly – young people doing good for others, having a positive impact on their school, home and community, and on their own futures as well.

Each student will be given a free keepsake journal in which they record their good deeds during school and then take home at the end of the year. When they complete their journal, they become members of the “33 Plus” Club and receive special gold membership cards showing that they did at least 33 good deeds this year. This card will be valuable in the future when they apply for Feinstein or other scholarships.

Sincerely,

Alan Shawn Feinstien

Greetings Parents,

It’s December and we are all looking forward to the holiday festivities that await us. The PTA sponsored Book Fair was a great success. All of our classroom teachers received books from their book ‘wish lists’ thanks to your generosity. December is filled with lots of excitement and can be a time of anxiety for parents and students alike, likely with lots of schedule changes. Keeping your student(s) on a regular routine is of the utmost importance both now and after the holidays to maintain and improve their achievements and successes.

The first quarter of this academic year is now closed and I want to thank you for a successful first quarter. Parent teacher conferences have been held and the faculty and administration hope that you left the conferences with a better understanding of the expectations at each grade level, and the individual strengths of your student(s). It is also our hope that your questions and/or concerns about the program for your child have been clarified. Your questions and comments are always welcome throughout the school year. Open lines of communication between families and the school community are important to us because they provide an opportunity to help each student at NELC achieve their highest potential. Parental involvement is the key to success in school. I commend all of you for your dedication to your children and for helping NELC maintain its ‘High Performing School’ status. We cannot do this without all of you.

We await the reports of the recent statewide testing results so that we can analyze our performance. Please keep in mind that we want to provide both the academic skills that our students must acquire, and to provide a school environment that also fosters the social, developmental and emotional skills we want for our children.

With the holiday season upon us, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to all of the parents and community members who continue to support our school. It is an honor to be part of such a giving and dedicated community. The entire faculty and staff at NELC wish all of you a wonderful holiday season!

Sincerely,
Monique Latessa

FROM MRS. LATESSA, PRINCIPAL @ NELC

FROM MRS. CLIFF, PRINCIPAL @ NORTHERN

Happy holidays, everyone!

With the snow so does the cold weather, snow days and early dismissals, when absolutely necessary.

§ COLD WEATHER: Please be sure your student(s) are dressed warmly. See further information in this newsletter.

§ SNOW DAYS: If it is necessary to close school due to snow or inclement weather, kindly check with the local TV and radio stations. Please do not call the school because there will not be any staff present to receive those calls. The faculty and staff often learn of school cancellations from radio and TV also. Check with local stations to see if they offer a call-to-you service when there is a delay or cancellation.

§ EARLY DISMISSAL: Please make sure that you review your plans for early dismissal with your student(s). WE CANNOT PLACE INDIVIDUAL CALLS TO FAMILIES IN THE EVENT OF AN EARLY DISMISSAL. Unless otherwise notified, ALL CHILDREN WILL GO HOME ON THEIR BUS. ALL STUDENTS WHO ATTEND THE YMCA after school program will take the bus to McColl field. Kindly note that the buses are generally delayed on such days because we must wait for them to finish the bus runs for LMS and LHS. Take the time today to be sure that your emergency contact information is current.

It is my hope that all of you have the best of holiday seasons, enjoy the upcoming vacation, and have a happy and healthy new year!

Sincerely, Linda Cliff

GRADE 2, continued

§ Starting our ‘Scientists’ Notebooks.’ The 1^st unit is called “Pebbled, Sand, and Silt.” The science unit was introduced through reading of Matthew Wheelock’s Wall, marked the start of our “READING ROCKS!” wall. Students made 3-D pictures depicting stone walls of NE. Our new science program, ‘The Full Option Science Program,’ engages and encourages children to explore the world by making predictions, collecting data, making claims and finding evidence.

§ We appreciated your attendance & support at conferences!

GRADE 4

§ 4th & 5th graders raised over $340.00 during the UNICEF Trick-or-Treat program.

§ Math: Unit 4, which covers decimals & their relation to fractions, whole numbers and money. Students continue to learn about the metric system. Please remember to practice together at home.

§ SCIENCE: Magnets & Electricity unit magnets, magnetic force & magnetic attraction.

§ Reading &Writing: Still recording ‘small moments’ in writers’ notebooks.

GRADE 5

§ Science Kit: Landforms.

§ Math Unit 4: Division students must practice basic facts at home.

§ Every Friday is ‘Quarterback’ Friday: on these days students may make a voluntary contribution to benefit the Tomorrow Fund at Hasbro Children’s hospital. Super!

§ All 5^th grades have filled a ROAR chart for stellar behavior!

GRade 2

§ We’ve completed our Social Studies unit focusing on Eastern Woodland Native Americans. Our field trip to Plimoth Plantations’ Wampanoag Village really brought the unit to life! We thank the PTA for their financial support in making this trip possible for our students. Thanks, also, to the many adults who chaperoned this trip; many adults made for a safe and fun learning experience!

KINDERGARTEN: Ms. Spizziri, Mrs. Brochu, Ms. Andrews, Mrs. Bush

§ We all enjoyed meeting with you at the recent Parent/Teacher conferences. Please contact us if there is anything else you would like to discuss about your student’s progress.

§ All of the Kindergarten students enjoyed the field trip earlier this Fall to Jaswell’s Farm. The children enjoyed the hayride, educational movie, and especially picking their very own pumpkin to take home to share with their families. We thank the PTA for helping support this wonderful field trip.

§ We are continuing with Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop. Please be sure to read to your child everyday and record this special time in your student’s reading log.