West Kingston Elementary School

Weekly Newsletter for March 26, 2008
IMPORTANT DATES… Mar 27 – Marionette Performance for grades 3, 4 & 5 Mar 28 – Chorus to perform at Providence Bruins Mar 28 – Spirit Day – USA Day Mar 28 – Student Recognition Assemblies Apr 8 – SK Performance Festival at BRMS Apr 8 – School Comm Mtg, HS Libr, 7 pm Apr 9 – 3rd Quarter Ends Apr 10 – Boys Night Out Bowling Apr 14-18 – Spring Recess, NO SCHOOL Apr 21 – Yearbook Mtg, 7:30 pm, in library Apr 22 – School Comm Mtg, HS Libr, 7 pm Apr 23 – PTO Mtg 3:15 pm in library Apr 23 – Report cards go home Apr 30 – Gr. 4 to Providence/State House SALT VISIT… By Nancy Nettik The visit by the SALT Team has been completed and the final report will soon be available to the public. The West Kingston School faculty, student body and PTO worked very hard to prepare for the visit and welcome the team for the week they were here. We will be using the information provided in the report to help us provide an even better education and learning environment for West Kingston School students. I want to take this opportunity to thank the many staff, parents and community members who worked to prepare for our visit. A special thank you to those listed below for all their work and dedication. Album Committee – Chairperson: Nancy Cordy; Sherril Whaley, Nancy Lenoce-Walsh, Louise Barney, Jane Stafford, Sheila Peckham Album Cover Photo Printing – John Keenan Design of the staff directory section of the album – Bob Gillette, WK parent and owner of Vertical Horizons Construction Company Printing of the staff directory and photos for the album – Greg Gonsalves, WK parent and owner of Creative Vision Design Company Student Shadowing – Mary Cowger and Nancy Nettik Self-study summary and all around assistance to Nancy Nettik in preparing for the visit – Debi Vannoy, Denise Colombino, and SIT SALT Team Room Preparation – Holly Harrington (a special thank you to Holly for giving up her room and working off a cart for the week), Susi Pendlebury, John Gould and Laurie Ricks Meal, snack and staff lounge preparation for the week and Wednesday’s dinner – Kris Shumate, Cindy Azza, Karen Patrick, Karen Toy, Holly Harrington, Nancy Nettik and parents, Tricia Angeli and Lisa DeMaria Preparation of the building and daily tidying of the Team Room – John Gould and Laurie Ricks Preparation and serving of the meals for the SALT Team – Maureen Page and Jeannette Wilson SIT Team – Karen McCurdy, Linda Forrester, Leslie Perrin, Melissa Berenberg, Laura Iverson, Kim Mather, Nancy Nettik STUDENT COUNCIL SPIRIT DAY… Student Council would like to announce that this Friday, March 28th, will be USA Day. Council members encourage everyone to show their school spirit and wear red, white and blue. They hope to see everyone in their favorite patriotic clothes. YEARBOOK PHOTOS… We are starting to assemble the yearbook, but really need more photos. Please send them in to school via backpack express in an envelope marked “YEARBOOK Veronica Thompson”. The scrapbook style yearbook that is being made requires lots of pictures and we would like to put as much as possible in there. The next Yearbook meeting will be April 21, 7:30 pm in the library. MUSIC NEWS… The Providence Bruins tickets will be distributed tomorrow (Thursday). PTO NEWS… PTO Meeting The next PTO meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23rd at 3:15 in the West Kingston library. Boys Night Out Bowling Thursday, April 10, 6-8 pm @ Old Mountain Lanes It will be a great night out with the adult of the boys’ choice and lots of fun bowling with classmates. Questions, call Deb Sprague at 792-9131. Art Club on Vacation Art Club will resume after April vacation. More information will follow. Comic Book Club will continue as scheduled. BROWNIE TROOP 418 NEWS… Girl Scouts of RI and the RI Donation Exchange Program are sponsoring the 13th annual Project Undercover. Brownie Troop 418 of West Kingston Elementary will be collecting packages of new socks, underwear, pjs and diapers from March 29-May 3. These items are given to RI families in need when tragedy or difficult times strike. You can help! Please send in your donation via backpack express to be placed in the collection box in the front office. Thank you!! PENNIES FOR PATIENTS… Thanks to all who contributed in the Pennies for Patients collection the past several weeks. The kids were excited to do this and were proud to know they were helping those with a terrible disease and less fortunate than they. The grand total collected was $722.60. Fantastic job!! PBIS… The following students were recognized for following the West Kingston Hawk’s Expectations. Congratulations to: Gabriel B., Michael M., Olivia P., Joseph S., Kyle N., Seth F., Scott D., Ezra G., Eli O., Kaitlyn D., Kyra N., Nathan S., Danielle R., Erin R., Abby L., Lily R., Erich L., Max D., Matthew F., and Katelyn L. Thank you for helping WK School be a respectful school. On Fridays we pull 5 names from all of those students who were recognized for the week and they are then able to pick a prize from our prize box. They were: Ezra G., Eli O., Dylan Q., Eric L., and James C. PARENT WORKSHOPS… Sargent Rehabilitation Center is offering a series of workshops in its “Links to Learning Parent Workshop Series”. All workshops are free, open to the public and are held at Sargent Rehabilitation Center at 800 Quaker Lane in Warwick. All programs are held from 7-8:30 pm. Seating is limited. Advance registration is requested by calling their Link Line at 886-6612. Workshops are geared specifically to parents, but arrangements can be made for professional presentations. Date Topic Apr 3 Sibling Issues: An Interactive Discussion For and With Parents When a child is diagnosed with an illness or developmental disability, everyone in the family is affected, including brothers and sisters. This evening will be a special opportunity for parents to focus on their “other children”, to share joys and concerns about their healthy kids, and to learn strategies for promoting good communica-tion and sibling adjustment. Parents are invited to come prepared to provide examples and share family and sibling experiences. May 15 Helping Children Manage Stress Children and adolescents face a number of challenges that they may find stressful. This presentation will help parents recognize when their children are feeling stressed and will orient parents to strategies that children and adolescents can use to manage stress. Demonstration of relaxation techniques will be included. May 29 Getting Beyond Bedtime Battles This presentation will focus on a practical approach to preventing and solving bedtime struggles and prolonged night wakings in young children. Emphasis will be placed on developing and maintaining healthy sleep habits in both typically developing and special needs children. The pros and cons of various behavioral treatment approaches for sleep disturbances will be discussed. June 12 Augmentative Communication: An Overview of the Options Augmentative communication is an intervention that is often suggested when teams are reviewing the needs of children with significant communication impairment. This presentation will review the options that are available to children – from low-tech to high tech approaches. The pros and cons of various options will be discussed, as well as information that will help parents to be active in the decision-making process.
· West Kingston Elementary School · 3119 Ministerial Rd · West Kingston RI 02892 · (401) 360-1130 ·

Weekly Newsletter for March 26, 2008

IMPORTANT DATES…
Mar 27 – Marionette Performance for grades
               3, 4 & 5
Mar 28 – Chorus to perform at Providence
                Bruins
Mar 28 – Spirit Day – USA Day
Mar 28 – Student Recognition Assemblies
Apr 8 – SK Performance Festival at BRMS
Apr 8 – School Comm Mtg, HS Libr, 7 pm
Apr 9 – 3rd Quarter Ends
Apr 10 – Boys Night Out Bowling
Apr 14-18 – Spring Recess, NO SCHOOL
Apr 21 – Yearbook Mtg, 7:30 pm, in library
Apr 22 – School Comm Mtg, HS Libr, 7 pm
Apr 23 – PTO Mtg 3:15 pm in library
Apr 23 – Report cards go home
Apr 30 – Gr. 4 to Providence/State House

SALT VISIT…
By Nancy Nettik
    The visit by the SALT Team has been completed and the final report will soon be available to the public. The West Kingston School faculty, student body and PTO worked very hard to prepare for the visit and welcome the team for the week they were here. We will be using the information provided in the report to help us provide an even better education and learning environment for West Kingston School students. I want to take this opportunity to thank the many staff, parents and community members who worked to prepare for our visit. A special thank you to those listed below for all their work and dedication.
Album Committee – Chairperson: Nancy Cordy; Sherril Whaley, Nancy Lenoce-Walsh, Louise Barney, Jane Stafford, Sheila Peckham
Album Cover Photo Printing – John Keenan
Design of the staff directory section of the album – Bob Gillette, WK parent and owner of Vertical Horizons Construction Company
Printing of the staff directory and photos for the album – Greg Gonsalves, WK parent and owner of Creative Vision Design Company
Student Shadowing – Mary Cowger and Nancy Nettik
Self-study summary and all around assistance to Nancy Nettik in preparing for the visit – Debi Vannoy, Denise Colombino, and SIT
SALT Team Room Preparation – Holly Harrington (a special thank you to Holly for giving up her room and working off a cart for the week), Susi Pendlebury, John Gould and Laurie Ricks
Meal, snack and staff lounge preparation for the week and Wednesday’s dinner – Kris Shumate, Cindy Azza, Karen Patrick, Karen Toy, Holly Harrington, Nancy Nettik and parents, Tricia Angeli and Lisa DeMaria
Preparation of the building and daily tidying of the Team Room – John Gould and Laurie Ricks
Preparation and serving of the meals for the SALT Team – Maureen Page and Jeannette Wilson
SIT Team – Karen McCurdy, Linda Forrester, Leslie Perrin, Melissa Berenberg, Laura Iverson, Kim Mather, Nancy Nettik

STUDENT COUNCIL SPIRIT DAY…
Student Council would like to announce that this Friday, March 28th, will be USA Day. Council members encourage everyone to show their school spirit and wear red, white and blue. They hope to see everyone in their favorite patriotic clothes.

YEARBOOK PHOTOS…
We are starting to assemble the yearbook, but really need more photos. Please send them in to school via backpack express in an envelope marked “YEARBOOK Veronica Thompson”. The scrapbook style yearbook that is being made requires lots of pictures and we would like to put as much as possible in there.
The next Yearbook meeting will be April 21, 7:30 pm in the library.

MUSIC NEWS…
The Providence Bruins tickets will be distributed tomorrow (Thursday).

PTO NEWS…
PTO Meeting
The next PTO meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23rd at 3:15 in the West Kingston library.

Boys Night Out Bowling
Thursday, April 10, 6-8 pm @ Old Mountain Lanes
It will be a great night out with the adult of the boys’ choice and lots of fun bowling with classmates. Questions, call Deb Sprague at 792-9131.

Art Club on Vacation
Art Club will resume after April vacation. More information will follow. Comic Book Club will continue as scheduled.

BROWNIE TROOP 418 NEWS…
Girl Scouts of RI and the RI Donation Exchange Program are sponsoring the 13th annual Project Undercover. Brownie Troop 418 of West Kingston Elementary will be collecting packages of new socks, underwear, pjs and diapers from March 29-May 3. These items are given to RI families in need when tragedy or difficult times strike. You can help! Please send in your donation via backpack express to be placed in the collection box in the front office. Thank you!!

PENNIES FOR PATIENTS…
Thanks to all who contributed in the Pennies for Patients collection the past several weeks. The kids were excited to do this and were proud to know they were helping those with a terrible disease and less fortunate than they. The grand total collected was $722.60. Fantastic job!!

PBIS…
    The following students were recognized for following the West Kingston Hawk’s Expectations. Congratulations to: Gabriel B., Michael M., Olivia P., Joseph S., Kyle N., Seth F., Scott D., Ezra G., Eli O., Kaitlyn D., Kyra N., Nathan S., Danielle R., Erin R., Abby L., Lily R., Erich L., Max D., Matthew F., and Katelyn L. Thank you for helping WK School be a respectful school.
    On Fridays we pull 5 names from all of those students who were recognized for the week and they are then able to pick a prize from our prize box. They were: Ezra G., Eli O., Dylan Q., Eric L., and James C.

PARENT WORKSHOPS…
Sargent Rehabilitation Center is offering a series of workshops in its “Links to Learning Parent Workshop Series”. All workshops are free, open to the public and are held at Sargent Rehabilitation Center at 800 Quaker Lane in Warwick. All programs are held from 7-8:30 pm.
Seating is limited. Advance registration is requested by calling their Link Line at 886-6612.
Workshops are geared specifically to parents, but arrangements can be made for professional presentations.
Date    Topic
Apr 3   Sibling Issues: An Interactive Discussion For and With Parents
        When a child is diagnosed with an illness or developmental disability, everyone in the family is affected, including brothers and sisters. This evening will be a special opportunity for parents to focus on their “other children”, to share joys and concerns about their healthy kids, and to learn strategies for promoting good communica-tion and sibling adjustment. Parents are invited to come prepared to provide examples and share family and sibling experiences.
May 15 Helping Children Manage Stress
        Children and adolescents face a number of challenges that they may find stressful. This presentation will help parents recognize when their children are feeling stressed and will orient parents to strategies that children and adolescents can use to manage stress. Demonstration of relaxation techniques will be included.
May 29 Getting Beyond Bedtime Battles
        This presentation will focus on a practical approach to preventing and solving bedtime struggles and prolonged night wakings in young children. Emphasis will be placed on developing and maintaining healthy sleep habits in both typically developing and special needs children. The pros and cons of various behavioral treatment approaches for sleep disturbances will be discussed.
June 12 Augmentative Communication: An Overview of the Options
        Augmentative communication is an intervention that is often suggested when teams are reviewing the needs of children with significant communication impairment. This presentation will review the options that are available to children – from low-tech to high tech approaches. The pros and cons of various options will be discussed, as well as information that will help parents to be active in the decision-making process.

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