May 11, 2020
Dear Rowe Families,
We hope everyone enjoyed the weekend and Mother’s Day on Sunday! It was certainly surprising to see snow falling on Saturday. This has been the year of unexpected events!
Placement
We have started the placement process for the 2020-21 school year. Much time and thought have already gone into the process and we will continue working on it over the next couple of weeks. We appreciate your patience as we work to plan the end of year closure for the student’s current classes and determine what the welcome and step-up days will look like for the new 2020-21 classes.
Summer Reading Program
I recently met with the Merrill Memorial Library staff to discuss their plans for a summer reading program. They have been brainstorming ways to do this safely and creatively. More information will follow soon, but there will definitely be a summer reading opportunity for students and ways to access books throughout the summer!
Website
Speaking of books, I want to share a site with you called Brightly. It has great resources for book recommendations and activities from birth to age 13+ The link will take you to an article on rereading texts and why it is important for children to hear the same books a number of times. If you go to the Ages and Stages drop-down menu in the right top corner, it will take you to books and resources for specific age groups. If you like it, it may be helpful to bookmark it to use as a summer resource. Please follow the link.
https://www.readbrightly.com/why-reading-the-same-book-repeatedly-is-good-for-kids/
Virtual Art Showcase
Are you an inspiring young artist (K-12) living in Yarmouth? Do you have a message to help us get through this coronavirus pandemic and stay healthy? Or, maybe you have a message for our front-line health care workers, local businesses, or a loved one. The Yarmouth Community Coronavirus Task Force is sponsoring a virtual art showcase for students. Student artwork will be displayed on our school websites and other social media. All participating students will be entered into a raffle for gift cards to local businesses, including Royal River Books, Handyʻs, Island Treasure Toys, and Otto. For more information please see the Attachment.
Lastly, we want to express our appreciation as a school staff for all of your work at home. We miss the children and want nothing more than to be back at school in our regular routines. We know this has not been easy on families and we can’t thank you enough for all that you are doing to support your children’s learning during this strange and difficult period. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to assist you. Some of you have reached out with questions and concerns. We are happy to offer any help or suggestions that we can. We check email regularly so that is the best way to contact us for now.
Sincerely,
Susan Lobel,
Rowe School Principal