February 2, 2023
Dear Rowe Families,
I discovered there were some recent technology issues that may have resulted in my January newsletter not getting delivered to families. I am sharing a bit of that same information as well as some new items for the coming month. I apologize for the issue and assure you it was discovered and rectified quickly.
Our Kindergarten students recently attended a play at the Maine Children’s Museum Theater in Portland. This opportunity was made possible by the generous support of our wonderful PTO! They fund a variety of enrichment opportunities throughout the year. Our next event is coming up on March 17th when Maine author Lynn Plourde will be visiting Rowe School to speak with students about being a writer and to share some of her books with them. If you are interested in purchasing any of her books, you can find them on Amazon or order them through Royal River books in Yarmouth.
Safety Exercise
The Safety Exercise that I wrote to you about before the holiday break was held on Monday, January 23rd. Teachers reviewed with students how they follow the teacher's directions when they have an unexpected event. Our focus and approach has been and will continue to be on following the teacher's directions at the elementary level. The new language introduced to students through the use of a short PowerPoint presentation was “Stop, Look, and Listen.” When a teacher uses this prompt, it is a signal to students that everyone needs to follow the directions that are given at that moment. In this learning exercise, we did not discuss specific scenarios but only what we would do if something unexpected were to happen in our school. As Dr. Dolloff shared in December, this work will continue to evolve and I will communicate with you throughout the process. If you have any questions, please reach out to me directly.
Share the Love Food Drive Monday, February 6th -Thursday, February 16th, 2023
We will be collecting food as a school community to donate to the Yarmouth Food Pantry. There will be a collection bin in the atrium of the school throughout the drive. All donations will be delivered to the pantry on Thursday, February 16th. That will be the last day we can accept food donations. I have included a link with a list of the most needed items. Thanks in advance for any donations you are able to make! Food Drive Information
Message from Mrs, Kenlan, Rowe Music teacher
Save the Date!
The First Grade Rowe School Rowe Show is on Wednesday, May 17th at 6:30!
We are very excited to be back to a live, in-person Rowe Show for first grade this spring! We will be having the performance in the YPAC at the high school. To complete the arts evening, the Rowe Art Show will be set up in the lobby to view before the performance. We are so excited to share the wonderful talent of the students at Rowe School. Please mark your calendars!
The Rowe Show has historically been designed for first graders and is the first live performance that students experience in their school years in Yarmouth. We do not begin live performances until first grade. More details will be sent as the date gets closer, but please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. <jessica_kenlan@yarmouthschools.org>
NWEA Assessment
We have been conducting an online district assessment this week called the NWEA that is given K-8. It is a normed assessment and has both a reading and math component. It is taken on the iPads in the classroom. Kindergarten children are taking it for the first time during this testing period. First graders took it in the fall and have just completed it for the second time. Both grade levels take it twice per year. Kindergarten will be assessed again sometime in May.
We will send scores home in a few weeks with a full letter of explanation once we have had a chance to get the reports printed and mailed. It is one assessment on a given day and is not the only way we look at student progress. We gather a lot of other information to assess learning and plan for the next steps. Please reach out to me directly if you have any questions. Please note: Pre-K students do not take this assessment.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences will be held this year beginning in late February and will go through the month of March. Individual teachers set up their own appointments, so the window of time when they are held is broad. Learning Profiles will go home on Friday, February 17th just before the winter break.
Kindergarten registration begins on March 1st
If you have a child who will be five on or before October 15, 2023, please visit our website at yarmouthschools.org. You can choose Rowe School from the drop down menu on the upper right of the screen. This will take you to a pre-registration form. Beginning on March 1st and once you have filled out the pre-registration, you will receive an email from our office with directions for completing the online registration forms and to sign your child up for a kindergarten screening appointment. Kindergarten screening will take place in the first week of May. If you have friends or neighbors who have a potential 2023-2024 kindergartener, please remind them to pre-register on our website, too. We will place an advertisement in the Forecaster and through YCS to spread the word.
PTO NEWS
Summer planning! Here is a link to our camp packet. http://bit.ly/PTOCampPacket It is brought to you by the Yarmouth K-8 PTO in an effort to familiarize families with local camp information. Please contact Becca Maltais at rebeccamaltais@yahoo.com with any questions or if you have additional camp information.
February PTO meeting is in the Y.E.S Library, Thursday, February 16 at 4 pm. All parents, guardians, children, and school community members are welcome!
Dates to Note:
Monday, February 6th - Thursday February 16th Rowe School Food Drive
Thursday, February 16th- PTO meeting in the YES library at 4:00 PM
Monday February 20th - Friday February 24th - Winter Break - No School
Friday, April 14th - Friday, April 21st - Spring Break - No School