West Kingston Elementary School

Weekly Newsletter for October 31, 2007
IMPORTANT DATES… Nov 2 – Student Recognition Assembly Nov 7 – End 1st Quarter Nov 7 – Dental Screening Nov 12 – Holiday, NO SCHOOL Nov 22 & 23 – Thanksgiving, NO SCHOOL Nov. 26 –Report Cards Go Home Nov 28 – Parent/Teacher Conferences Dec 1 – Holiday Fair/Vendor Day EMERGENCY DRILLS… What great students and staff we have at West Kingston School. On Monday we conducted our first Lockdown Drill and everyone did an excellent job. Sargeant Heeley and I walked through very empty and silent hallways where all of the doors were locked, windows were covered and lights were turned off – just as they should have been. It is comforting to know that if there were ever a need to lock down the building, everyone knows what to do and will do it. On this Friday we will be practicing an “Evacuation”. This involves everyone exiting the building quietly and orderly and walking first to one of the two driveway exits, where we will regroup to be certain everyone is out of the building. From there we will walk to Camp Hoffman. (For the drill, it will depend on the weather as to whether we go to the camp or only to the driveway.) Please be certain your children have on shoes that they can walk comfortably with. Everyone must participate! STANDARDIZED REPORT CARDS… Grades K-2 have been using the Standards Based report cards, and this year grades 3-5 will also be using them. The standards based report card will be looking at a student’s progress as they master their Grade Level Expectations. For more information on the Grade Level Expectations, visit http://www.ridoe.net/Instruction/gle.aspx. The grade level expectations are the skills and concepts that students at a given grade must master. Report cards will reflect student progress towards those standards /GLE’s. The level students might obtain are: 4 – Exceeds end of the year standards The student consistently exceeds the standards. 3 – Meets end of the year standards The student meets the standards. 2 – Making adequate progress toward end of the year standards The student is making adequate progress. The student grasps and applies the key concepts and skills for the grade level. 1 – Not making adequate progress/requires help The student is performing below the standards. The student demonstrates limited skills in grasping and applying key concepts and skills for the grade level. You will not see the “traditional” A, B, C grades, but rather, numbers that will indicate their current level of proficiency. Most children are just beginning to learn the current grade level GLE’s. If they are making adequate progress towards their GLE’s and have begun to grasp and apply these new skills/concepts, you would expect to see a 2 indicating they are doing fine. If they continue to work at this same rate, they should meet the standards by June. All report cards will be computer generated this year, and will be printed out on paper, versus cardstock as in the past. MUSIC NEWS… Those students who ordered a recorder will receive it next week during music class. If anyone who did not order one wishes to purchase one, there are some extras available. Just bring in $6. The 3rd and 4th grade music classes will be playing the recorder during music class, so bring your instruments in next week. PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES… Letters are going home this Friday with the times that you have signed up for. If you have not signed up for a conference, please call the school at 360-1130. Thanks! PBIS… The following students were recognized for our Positive Behavior Intervention Support program. Congratulations to: Sam P., Jake B., Nicole M., Isabelle F., Gabriel B., Noah C., Claire S., Ryan K., Rachel C., Elissa A., Emma L., Sean R., Lily R., Ian B., Matthew K., Katelyn A., Tim S ., Josh P., Briana M. and Kelsey S. Great job! On Fridays, we pull names of all those students who were recognized for the week and they are then able to pick a prize from our prize box. They were: Yejin K., Kyron W., Josh P., Kelsey S., and Emma L. Congratulations!!! PTO NEWS… COMING UP SOON… November: Hawk Gear Sales Gift Card Sales December: Vendor Day If anyone is interested in renting a table for Vendor Day, please contact Tricia Angeli at 783-7889 or email at triciaangeli@cox.net (There will be more information for these events as the dates approach.) Gift Cards… Look for the gift card fundraiser packet in your child’s backpack this week. Hawk-a-Thon! Many thanks to all of the volunteers who came out to support their children and the school for the big event. This event was enjoyed by everyone and luckily the weather behaved! A huge thanks to Nancy Santucci for organizing this event. What a great job! Event Photos If anyone has any pictures from any school events that they would like to be considered for the yearbook, please send a hard copy to the school in an envelope addressed to the PTO via backpack, or email pictures to mcromack1@cox.net. Box Tops Don’t forget to send in those Box Tops. Even though they may seem small, they can make a difference! Babysitting Needed We are in need of babysitters for the afternoon PTO meetings every other month. If you have someone or know someone in need of volunteer hours or community service, please contact Tricia Angeli at 783-7889. Coats for Kids It’s time to dig out your children’s old coats, mittens, boots, etc… We are collecting these items as well as new hats to donate to the Jonnycake Center in Peace Dale. If you would like to donate any items, there is a box in the main office area until November 21st. If you have any questions, please contact the school nurse, Debi Vannoy. Thanks for your support! Holiday Fair/Vendor Day Calling All Crafters! The WKES PTO is excited to schedule our Holiday Fair/Vendor Day to be held on Saturday, December 1st at the school. The 26 tables will be rented for $35 and will be reserved on a first come, first served basis. Our vendors will be asked to donate one item of their work/goods to the PTO for a raffle. We are offering the tables to our WK families until Nov. 6th. We will then open it up to crafters and vendors in our community. This day will be a great opportunity for you and your friends to come and buy some unique gifts or something special for yourself while supporting our local vendors. We will have fun activities for the children to make this a great family event, so save the date! If you are interested in renting a table or have questions, please contact Tricia Angeli at triciaangeli@cox.net or 783-7889. HAWK-A-THON… Our 2nd annual Hawk-A-Thon was held on Friday. The students did an outstanding job jogging for a grand total of 6,564 laps, which equaled 872 miles. That is like jogging from West Kingston School to Charleston, South Carolina. Amazing!!!! Many thanks to Mrs. Shumate, PE teacher, for a terrific job in motivating the students, preparing the schedule, preparing the track and for her enthusiasm for this healthy fundraiser! Thanks to our faculty and staff for setting a great example for our kids by walking/jogging along. Thanks, also, to Ms. Janice Causey, art teacher, for her time and talent in helping to create a beautiful jungle theme banner for each of our 17 classes. Our sincerest thanks to our custodian, John Gould, for his assistance throughout the day! Congratulations to 193 students who earned the 1st Responsibility Award of a piggy key chain donated by Citizen’s Bank. This award was for those students who turned in their pledge sheet whether it had pledges or not!! Please return all donations and pledge envelopes to school by Tuesday, November 6th. Checks should be made payable to “WKES PTO”. All students who return their pledges by Tuesday, November 6th, will earn a 2nd Responsibility Award – a water bottle donated by APC. Again, you can turn in the pledge sheet whether it has pledges or not and receive a Responsibility Award.
· West Kingston Elementary School · 3119 Ministerial Rd · West Kingston RI 02892 · (401) 360-1130 ·

Weekly Newsletter for October 31, 2007

IMPORTANT DATES…
Nov 2 – Student Recognition Assembly
Nov 7 – End 1st Quarter
Nov 7 – Dental Screening
Nov 12 – Holiday, NO SCHOOL
Nov 22 & 23 – Thanksgiving, NO SCHOOL
Nov. 26 –Report Cards Go Home
Nov 28 – Parent/Teacher Conferences
Dec 1 – Holiday Fair/Vendor Day

EMERGENCY DRILLS…
    What great students and staff we have at West Kingston School. On Monday we conducted our first Lockdown Drill and everyone did an excellent job. Sargeant Heeley and I walked through very empty and silent hallways where all of the doors were locked, windows were covered and lights were turned off – just as they should have been.
    It is comforting to know that if there were ever a need to lock down the building, everyone knows what to do and will do it.
    On this Friday we will be practicing an “Evacuation”. This involves everyone exiting the building quietly and orderly and walking first to one of the two driveway exits, where we will regroup to be certain everyone is out of the building. From there we will walk to Camp Hoffman. (For the drill, it will depend on the weather as to whether we go to the camp or only to the driveway.) Please be certain your children have on shoes that they can walk comfortably with. Everyone must participate!

STANDARDIZED REPORT CARDS…
    Grades K-2 have been using the Standards Based report cards, and this year grades 3-5 will also be using them. The standards based report card will be looking at a student’s progress as they master their Grade Level Expectations. For more information on the Grade Level Expectations, visit http://www.ridoe.net/Instruction/gle.aspx.
    The grade level expectations are the skills and concepts that students at a given grade must master. Report cards will reflect student progress towards those standards /GLE’s. The level students might obtain are:
4 – Exceeds end of the year standards
      *The student consistently exceeds the
standards.
3 – Meets end of the year standards
      *The student meets the standards.
2 – Making adequate progress toward end of the year standards
      *The student is making adequate progress. The student grasps and applies the key concepts and skills for the grade level.
1 – Not making adequate progress/requires help
      *The student is performing below the standards. The student demonstrates limited skills in grasping and applying key concepts and skills for the grade level.
    You will not see the “traditional” A, B, C grades, but rather, numbers that will indicate their current level of proficiency. Most children are just beginning to learn the current grade level GLE’s.
    If they are making adequate progress towards their GLE’s and have begun to grasp and apply these new skills/concepts, you would expect to see a 2 indicating they are doing fine. If they continue to work at this same rate, they should meet the standards by June.
    All report cards will be computer generated this year, and will be printed out on paper, versus cardstock as in the past.

MUSIC NEWS…
Those students who ordered a recorder will receive it next week during music class. If anyone who did not order one wishes to purchase one, there are some extras available. Just bring in $6. The 3rd and 4th grade music classes will be playing the recorder during music class, so bring your instruments in next week.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES…
Letters are going home this Friday with the times that you have signed up for. If you have not signed up for a conference, please call the school at 360-1130. Thanks!

PBIS…
    The following students were recognized for our Positive Behavior Intervention Support program. Congratulations to: Sam P., Jake B., Nicole M., Isabelle F., Gabriel B., Noah C., Claire S., Ryan K., Rachel C., Elissa A., Emma L., Sean R., Lily R., Ian B., Matthew K., Katelyn A., Tim S ., Josh P., Briana M. and Kelsey S. Great job!
    On Fridays, we pull names of all those students who were recognized for the week and they are then able to pick a prize from our prize box. They were: Yejin K., Kyron W., Josh P., Kelsey S., and Emma L. Congratulations!!!

PTO NEWS…
COMING UP SOON…
November: Hawk Gear Sales
                 Gift Card Sales
December:   Vendor Day
If anyone is interested in renting a table for Vendor Day, please contact Tricia Angeli at 783-7889 or email at triciaangeli@cox.net
(There will be more information for these events as the dates approach.)

Gift Cards…
Look for the gift card fundraiser packet in your child’s backpack this week.

Hawk-a-Thon!
Many thanks to all of the volunteers who came out to support their children and the school for the big event. This event was enjoyed by everyone and luckily the weather behaved! A huge thanks to Nancy Santucci for organizing this event. What a great job!

Event Photos
If anyone has any pictures from any school events that they would like to be considered for the yearbook, please send a hard copy to the school in an envelope addressed to the PTO via backpack, or email pictures to mcromack1@cox.net.

Box Tops
Don’t forget to send in those Box Tops. Even though they may seem small, they can make a difference!

Babysitting Needed
We are in need of babysitters for the afternoon PTO meetings every other month. If you have someone or know someone in need of volunteer hours or community service, please contact Tricia Angeli at 783-7889.

Coats for Kids
    It’s time to dig out your children’s old coats, mittens, boots, etc… We are collecting these items as well as new hats to donate to the Jonnycake Center in Peace Dale.
    If you would like to donate any items, there is a box in the main office area until November 21st. If you have any questions, please contact the school nurse, Debi Vannoy. Thanks for your support!

Holiday Fair/Vendor Day
Calling All Crafters!
The WKES PTO is excited to schedule our Holiday Fair/Vendor Day to be held on Saturday, December 1st at the school. The 26 tables will be rented for $35 and will be reserved on a first come, first served basis. Our
vendors will be asked to donate one item of their
work/goods to the PTO for a raffle. We are offering the tables to our WK families until Nov. 6th. We will then open it up to crafters and vendors in our community. This day will be a great opportunity for you and your friends to come and buy some unique gifts or something special for yourself while supporting our local vendors. We will have fun activities for the children to make this a great family event, so save the date! If you are interested in renting a table or have questions, please contact Tricia Angeli at triciaangeli@cox.net or 783-7889.

HAWK-A-THON…
    Our 2nd annual Hawk-A-Thon was held on Friday. The students did an outstanding job jogging for a grand total of 6,564 laps, which equaled 872 miles. That is like jogging from West Kingston School to Charleston, South Carolina. Amazing!!!! Many thanks to Mrs. Shumate, PE teacher, for a terrific job in motivating the students, preparing the schedule, preparing the track and for her enthusiasm for this healthy fundraiser! Thanks to our faculty and staff for setting a great example for our kids by walking/jogging along. Thanks, also, to Ms. Janice Causey, art teacher, for her time and talent in helping to create a beautiful jungle theme banner for each of our 17 classes. Our sincerest thanks to our custodian, John Gould, for his assistance throughout the day!
    Congratulations to 193 students who earned the 1st Responsibility Award of a piggy key chain donated by Citizen’s Bank. This award was for those students who turned in their pledge sheet whether it had pledges or not!!
    Please return all donations and pledge envelopes to school by Tuesday, November 6th. Checks should be made payable to “WKES PTO”. All students who return their pledges by Tuesday, November 6th, will earn a 2nd Responsibility Award – a water bottle donated by APC. Again, you can turn in the pledge sheet whether it has pledges or not and receive a Responsibility Award.

· West Kingston Elementary School · 3119 Ministerial Rd · West Kingston RI 02892 · (401) 360-1130 ·