March 2016

Next month we will begin the process of creating classes for the 2016-17 school year. As a staff we understand how important a task this is and we approach it in a thoughtful and strategic manner. We consider the strengths and needs of every student and strive to balance a variety of factors to create what we hope is an ideal fit for your child. Some of the following factors are taken into consideration when placing students: gender balance, personalities, learning styles, social dynamics, and needs related to special education or English language acquisition. We also recognize that some students contribute to their friends’ learning, while others can interfere. Your children’s current teachers will take an active role in the creation of next year’s classes. Their knowledge of their current students’ strengths, needs, personalities, and peer groups will be invaluable to the process.

As parents/guardians, you may have additional information and insights you would like us to consider as we engage in this process. I invite any parent/guardian who wishes to share information with the placement team to do so, in writing, no later than Monday April 25th 2016. Letters should be sent to the main office and should include specific information related to your child such as areas of concern for learning or observations of the type of classroom environment you feel would best suit your child’s needs. Requests for specific teachers should not be made and such requests are not honored. Staffing for the 2016-17 school year has not been finalized. I ask for your cooperation with adhering to this policy to assure a fair and credible process is in place for all Thoreau students.

Please know that it is my goal that placements for next year will meet the academic and emotional needs of all students. As always, contact me with any questions or concerns. Your cooperation in keeping to the April 25th deadline is greatly appreciated.

Warmly,
Mrs. Charles

New Staff:
Please join me in welcoming special education assistant Hannah Adley to the Thoreau community. Ms. Adley has joined the team in Mrs. Ellis’s kindergarten class.

Upcoming Events:
3/9 Teen Buddies
3/12 Cake Walk, 1:00PM
3/13 Daylight Savings
3/16 PTG Meeting, Cafeteria, 9:00AM
3/18 Bingo Night, Cafeteria, 6:30PM
3/23 Teen Buddies
3/25 Good Friday: No School
3/29 Early Release Tuesday
Kindergarten Registration, Cafeteria, 1:00PM
4/5 Kindergarten Registration, Cafeteria, 1:00PM
4/6 Coffee with the Principal, Main Office, 9:30AM

Forgotten Lunches, Instruments, Homework, Books, Sneakers, Etc.:
In an effort to keep interruptions to learning to a minimum, we seek your support in reducing the number of students who need to leave class to call home to request that items be brought to school. Please help students learn to be responsible (especially in our upper grades) by reminding them to check to be sure they leave home with any necessary items. If it is absolutely necessary to drop something off, please leave it in the main office.

Changes to Dismissal Plans:
Please send in a note to your child’s teacher if you need to change his/her dismissal plans for that day. If possible, all play dates should be arranged prior to your child’s arrival at school. If you need to change your child’s dismissal plan unexpectedly, please notify the office by 2:30 PM. Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

Kindergarten Registration:
On March 29th and April 5th, from 1-2 PM, we welcome families to register their incoming kindergarten students for school. We have mailed letters to families with children eligible for kindergarten in the fall inviting them to attend. If you have a child who will be 5 years of age by August 31, 2016 and did not receive a letter, please contact the main office.

Dismissal Parking:
During dismissal, please be sure not to block the crosswalk or fire lanes. Because the back parking lot is reserved for faculty, parents are encouraged to park along both sides of West Street and on the right side of Pleasant Street or Chase Road. If it’s not raining or snowing, parents picking up their students should meet them behind the building near the basketball court. In the case of inclement weather, pick up is in the cafeteria. Thank you!

PARCC Assessment Dates:
Students in grades 3-5 are scheduled to participate in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test between April 25thand June 6th. The Thoreau-specific PARCC Schedule for Spring 2016 can be found here: http://goo.gl/rSY9rP. The homeroom teacher’s initials indicate which class is testing on a particular day. Please see below for general information about test session at each grade level.

PARCC Unit Testing Times
Grade 3
ELA Unit Times
Unit 1: 90 min
Unit 2: 75 min
Unit 3: 90 min

Math Unit Times
Unit 1: 60 min
Unit 2: 60 min
Unit 3: 60 min
Unit 4: 60 min

Grades 4-5
ELA Unit Times
Unit 1: 90 min
Unit 2: 90 min
Unit 3: 90 min
Math Unit Times
Unit 1: 60 min
Unit 2: 60 min
Unit 3: 60 min
Unit 4: 60 min

For more information about the PARCC:
http://parcconline.org/resources/parent-resources
http://www.doe.mass.edu/parcc/