October 5, 2020
Dear Families,
It is hard to believe we are already in October and fall is really upon us. I can’t tell you how proud we are of the children. They are doing very well overall with wearing their masks, keeping their distance from others, and washing their hands. They, of course, need reminders from time time to time but have done an amazing job of adjusting to the protocols we have put into place. The teachers have done an outstanding job of supporting the children in adjusting to their surroundings and establishing routines to build a positive classroom environment. Our remote students also seem to be thriving under the care and direction of our remote learning teacher, Mrs. Caron. These first six weeks of school are so important for our youngest learners in helping the year go smoothly..
Thanks for your patience as we have worked through our arrival and dismissal procedures. We have certainly had some issues to work out, but it seems to be going well overall. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time with questions as they arise in terms of our school routines and procedures.
Flu Clinic
Our flu clinic this past Saturday at Rowe was a huge success! Nearly 600 Yarmouth students and parents were vaccinated. Our wonderful school nurses were all involved in getting this set up for our schools. If you were not able to sign up in time, please consider getting one through your doctor or one of the local pharmacies. It is more important this year than ever for the majority of our students to be vaccinated.
Picture Day
We will be holding our School Picture Day on October 26th from 11:00-4:30 for Cohort 1, the Monday/Thursday group and all remote learning students. We have reserved October 27th from 11:00-3:00 for Cohort 2, the Tuesday/ Friday group. More information will be sent home soon.
Chewonki Foundation
Students will be receiving programming virtually from the Chewonki Foundation this year. Students in kindergarten will learn about Bats of the World on October 22nd and 23rd. First graders will receive a presentation on Owls of Maine on October 29th and 30th. Our fully remote learners will also be participating in these programs remotely from home. All other students will receive theirs on one of their in person days at school. The presentations will be streamed live. We will be providing more information through the teachers for those who will join in from home.
Message from Yarmouth Education Foundation (YEF):
The Yarmouth Education Foundation is a nonprofit group made up of parent and community volunteers. YEF funds innovative projects at all Yarmouth schools, impacting students and staff K-12.
YEF has awarded over $400,000 in grants in recent years, and we are pleased to support immediate student and staff needs during this extraordinary time.
To kick off the 2020-2021 school year, YEF is proud to share that we have awarded more than $30,000 in emergency COVID-19 related grants to our schools in September alone. This includes outdoor classroom space for our entire school community. Large tents and awnings have been placed outside all school buildings. We’ve also funded hemlock tree stumps and folding chairs for seating. These outdoor spaces have allowed for mask breaks, lunch breaks, and an innovative classroom setting for students K-12.
YEF has funded two other projects that will make an immediate difference at Rowe this year:
-COVID-19 restrictions mean cozy area rugs and harder-to-clean comfy chairs in classrooms are in storage for the time being. We’re happy to help. YEF is pleased to fund stadium chairs for every kindergarten and first grade student. These chairs are easy to carry and easy to clean. They can be used inside and outside, and they even have a fun pocket to hold favorite books. YEF is also funding fidget and sensory toys for our youngest learners. These items will help keep student hands and minds busy as they wait in line and practice social distancing. Thank you for applying for these grants, Amy Finnen and Kelly McFarland!
-Yarmouth educators are focused on innovative ways to connect with special needs students, even more so during this pandemic. This next YEF grant will be helpful, especially in remote learning settings. Story Champs is a language intervention program that will help teach students the skills needed for age-appropriate speaking, reading, and writing skills. It will help students who receive language-based intervention services such as speech/language, special education, or English Language Learner instruction. Unlike many language intervention programs, Story Champs utilizes stories and activities that are available for both remote and in-person learning. This program will be utilized by all K-4 students receiving speech-language intervention. Thanks for applying for this grant, Jenny DiRusso!
We will have more grant announcements to come throughout the year. You can donate and/or learn more about YEF at our website (YarmouthEducationFoundation.org). Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as well. We update social media on a regular basis so we can share the community impact that Yarmouth teachers, staff, and students are experiencing from YEF grants. Thank you for your support!
PTO NEWS:
- Boon Supply – Boon Supply has replaced Close Buy, which is no longer in business. We hope you’ll find Boon products perfect to give as gifts or keep for yourself. Delivery will be in time for the holidays, and 40% of your purchase goes directly to the PTO! Info coming home soon. Sale is officially October 7-28, but you can order online now.
- Hannaford Gift Card – Next two loads are October 6 & 27, Tuesday, by noon. Purchase a card, receive the full amount, and the PTO receives 5% of your card amount. Flyers will come home in your child’s folder.
- What we’ve funded this year, thanks to your donations!
- Simply Giving – If you want to just simply give to the PTO to support this year’s funding, you can write a check to Yarmouth K-8 PTO and send it to PO Box 262 in Yarmouth, or visit our website and click on the blue “Donate Now” button.
- Spirit Wear – We are taking orders until Oct 5 for spirit wear if you’d like to support your favorite Yarmouth student/team: https://www.pandpscreenprinting.com/yarmouth. This is not a fundraiser but a service we provide to our school families.
- Box Tops – The last submission for Box Tops (ever) is October 27, so please round them up and send them in with your student! Box Tops has gone digital, which is easier than cutting tops and sending them in. You can download the apps here:
· Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.generalmills.btfe
· Apple App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1150038564
- PTO Meeting – Please join us at our next virtual PTO meeting on October 15, 4 pm. Meetings alternate between 7 pm and 4 pm to make it easier for administration and staff to attend. Meeting sign-in info will be posted on social media, in our News to Use newsletter, and on our website closer to the date.
- Questions or Comments? Please contact Christy Hayashida or Jessica Raimy for any reason at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com.
Important dates to note:
Friday, October 9th - Teacher Inservice Day- No School
Monday, October 12th - Indigenous People’s Day- No School
Thursday, October 15th, 4 PM, virtual PTO meeting
Monday, October 26th and Tuesday, October 27th - School Picture Days
Wednesday, November 11th - Veteran’s Day holiday- No School
Wednesday November 25th - Friday, November 27th- Thanksgiving break- No School
Students return to school on Monday, December 1st.
Sincerely,
Susan Lobel, Rowe School Principal
