January 2, 2022
Dear Rowe Families,
We hope you all enjoyed a restful break and that you found some time to relax and have fun. Happy 2022 to all! It would have been nice to have more snow to play in for some of us, but overall the time away was great! We are excited to welcome everyone back.
There were some special events in December before the break. Kindergarten children decorated gingerbread houses in their classrooms. First-grade students had the opportunity to visit other classrooms at their grade levels to participate in some learning and hands-on projects. The focus of their projects was on the winter solstice, learning about animal prints and making a bird feeder, setting a goal for something new to try in 2022, building Stonehenge structures out of blocks, making snowflakes, and painting sun ornaments.
Pajama Day is rescheduled to Monday, January 3rd!
We will be having a school-wide Pajama Day on Monday, January 3 since Wednesday, December 22 was a storm day. This means children and adults who work here can wear their pajamas to school if they wish. We ask that children bring their usual footwear such as sneakers or shoes for indoors and boots for outside but no slippers, please.
Vaccination status
If your child has been vaccinated and you are willing to share that information with the school, we would greatly appreciate it. Some of you have already done this. Our nurse will devise a system for collecting the information and we will be in touch. Thanks!
Change in nursing staff
Our school nurse, Jen Chadwick, is going to be leaving us this month. We have hired her replacement. Her name is Pam Christensen and she comes to us with many years of nursing experience in both the hospital and school settings. Her first day will be Monday, January 10th. Pam and Jen will have an opportunity to meet and to work together to allow for a smooth transition. We are very sorry to see Jen leave, but the good news is that she will have some availability to sub in our schools as those needs arise.
Toys at school
We ask that all toys and other collectibles be left at home. The only exception is for special times such as pajama days (on Monday, January 3rd) when children are invited to bring in a small stuffed animal that will fit in their backpacks. Items like Pokemon cards are sometimes lost, causing upset feelings. Thanks in advance for the help!
**Reminder regarding snow days sent previously from Dr. Dolloff, YSD Superintendent**
School Closure days due to inclement weather
This option will be used on the first two days for which travel throughout the day is not advisable. All school day activities will be canceled. One instructional day will be added to the end of the school year to make up for each storm day. We used one storm day on December 22nd. This leaves us with one more typical snow day.
Remote Learning Day
After two snow days are expended, this option will be used on days when travel is not advisable and power and internet services are not significantly impacted. This will provide for continuity of instruction and minimize the likelihood of the school year extending beyond mid-June.
To reiterate this point: The first two days on which traveling is expected to be dangerous throughout the day, we will close schools and call the traditional snow day. Once we have used two snow days, the remaining storm days will be remote learning days unless power outages prohibit such a decision. This will allow students to enjoy a couple of snow days during the winter months, without prolonging the school year too far into June.
On remote learning days, students will access the remote schedule provided by the classroom teachers. The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) has issued guidance to schools selecting this option, which we will follow in order for the day to be considered countable toward the State of Maine minimum of 175 student days.
PTO - Parent Education Presenter
While this presentation is geared more toward parents of older students, some families may find it useful for the future.
SOCIAL MEDIA 101 FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS:
Tuesday, January 25, 2022, 6 pm EST via Zoom Led by Kristi Bush, National Education Consultant
At what age should I give my kid a phone? How can I keep my kids and teens safe online? Which apps and games pose the most danger to my teen’s safety? The Yarmouth PTO is offering a free Zoom presentation by Kristi Bush on navigating the current social media landscape. Kristi will also discuss how to set up monitoring systems and what online resources are available for support. Additionally, texting and sexting codes, predator activity, sex offender status, how to order drugs online, how your child is using hashtags, inappropriate picture distribution, and cyber-bullying laws will be discussed. You will be given numerous tips and tools to help navigate the social media landscape. There will be time for Q&A at the end. Please note that children are not allowed for this presentation due to the sensitive nature of the topic.
To join the presentation please enter your email here. You will receive the Zoom link via email as well as handouts after the presentation. We are looking forward to learning with you! To find out more about Kristi Bush visit her website at https://www.knbcommunications.com.
Dates to note:
- Monday, January 3rd - School-wide Pajama Day rescheduled from 12/22!
- Monday, January 17th - No School in observance of Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday
- Monday, February 21st - Friday, February 25th - No School, Winter break
- Friday, April 15th - Friday, April 22nd - No School- Spring break
Sincerely,
Susan Lobel, Rowe School Principal
