Pelham Press Vol. 19,  No. 7    October 9, 2008 http://www.arps.org./pe/

Monday,  October 13                                                                No School

Wednesday,  October 15                                                            1st Grade Field Trip

                                                                                                3^rd Grade Field Trip

Thursday,  October 16                                                                Second Grade Stream Study

                                                                                                Pelham School Committee, 7 PM

Monday,  October 20                                                                  Principal Open Office Hour, 5 – 6 PM

     Tuesday, October 21, Wednesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 23     1:20 Dismissal

From the Principal:

SAFETY FIRST!!   Families, we need your help!  The most dangerous times of day at Pelham School are arrival and dismissal times, and in order to keep everyone safe, please follow the following procedures:

1. Dropping Off Students:  Parents, please note that there is NO PARKING in the parent drop off lane near the Kindergarten and 1^st Grade Entrance.  If you must park and come into the building, please park in a designated parking space in the school parking lot, the library parking lot, or the fire station parking lot.  Parking spaces will be at a premium during the three parent conference days, so please leave some extra time to find a designated parking space.  Also, if you are parking and walking into the building with your child, please make sure that your child walks carefully and safely with you.

 

2. Pick Up Time:  Please be on time to pick up students at the end of the day.  Mrs. Glucksman is usually in the cafeteria for parent check out a little after 3 PM (1:20 on Wednesday), and she brings students who have not been picked up to the school office by 3:15 PM (1:30 on Wednesday).  There may be no one to answer the phone in the school office during dismissal time, so please leave a message if you are stuck in traffic or have some other emergency. 

 

3. Drive Slowly and Carefully in the School Zone and Parking Lots:  Pelham staff work very hard all day to keep students safe at school, but every parent knows that it only takes a moment for a child to bolt across a parking lot for a ball or to say good-bye to mom or dad.  Please watch carefully for adults and children in the parking lots. 

 

A BETTER CHANCE FALL FOLIAGE WALK OCTOBER 18, 2008

The Amherst A Better Chance Fall Foliage Walk will return this year on Saturday, October 18th with all of the fitness fun it has provided for the past 40 years, but with a new, accessible 5K Anniversary route.  A tradition in Amherst, the Walk is the ABC program’s most important fundraiser.  People of all ages and from all parts of the community come out to support the scholars who are seeking better educational opportunities at Amherst Regional High School.  Registration will begin at the Amherst Town Common at 10 AM and ends with an After Walk Party on the Common at noon featuring the Charles Neville Quartet. It’s OK if you don’t do the whole Walk; even if you can’t walk at ALL on that day you CAN still participate by seeking pledges for an alternative activity.  Pledge forms will be available to Pelham students and families from Meg Gallagher after permission slips go home.  To learn more about the A.B.C. Program, go to amherstabetterchance.org or to the national website, abetterchance.org. 

 

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Savings Makes Sense will continue every Wednesday for the rest of the year.  It is not too late to sign up.

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REMINDER:  IMPORTANT CALENDAR CHANGE:  Parents, please note that there has been a major calendar change at the elementary level.  Students will be dismissed at 1:20 PM on October 21, October 22, and October 23, so teachers can hold their fall parent teacher conferences. 

Please let us know your dismissal plans for your child by checking off and returning the following slip to the Pelham School Office:

 

______  My child will take the bus home at 1:20 PM on Tuesday, October 21, Wednesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 23

 

_____ I will pick up my child at Pelham School at 1:20 PM on Tuesday, October 21, Wednesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 23

 

____  Other dismissal plans:  ______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

	Enchanted Forest Creatures of the Forest
The Hitchcock Center, Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25, 5:00 – 8:30 Don’t miss the Hitchcock Center’s Enchanted Forest!  This non-scary Halloween family event takes place Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25 from 5-8:30p.m.  Adults and children of all ages will enjoy meeting our magical “Creatures of the Forest” as you are guided along the pumpkin-lit trail.  Walks leave the Center every 15 minutes and last 45 minutes.  Enjoy crafts, games, and snacks for sale.  Pre-registration required. Register early as this event fills fast!  Call 413-256-6006.

 

 

 

 

 

News from Mrs. Jacque’s Kindergarten

 

 

     This morning the children came in all excited because there was ‘snow’ on the ground.  We had quite a discussion about frost and what causes frost to appear first thing in the morning.  We also received our very own pumpkins yesterday from Graham and his family.  We are reading many stories about pumpkins and the season of  Fall.  We will be painting our pumpkins later in the week.  Next week we will be studying Fall leaves and discover why they change colors.  This study of  the season Fall is part of our district science program.

 

     We are finishing with our first Investigations math unit this week.  ‘Who is in School this Today?’ is a unit that helps us form a mathematical community within our classroom.  During this unit we have learned the processes, structures, and materials that will use all year.  We have developed language to describe attributes, quantity and position, and the unit has given us an introduction to sorting.

 

     Now that we are familiar with  the names of the children in our classroom, we are practicing ways to be respectful, caring, and polite to one another.  The children understand how important it is to me for everyone to be caring and respectful of each other, just as I am caring and respectful of each one of them.  By modeling this kind of behavior, the children are quickly discovering how easy and how wonderful it feels to do something nice for someone, and to care about their feelings.  I am so proud of them all!

 

     I want to thank everyone for coming out to Open House.  It was so nice to see you all and be able to share your child’s work with you and share goals for this year.  I look forward to seeing all of you during parent conferences.  A reminder will go home a few days before your conference to help you remember the day and time.

 

How To Make Parent-Teacher Conferences Work for Your Child          You've been asked to attend a regularly scheduled "report card" conference with your child's teacher. Or you've gotten a special note from your child's teacher asking to see you. In either case, you might be a little nervous.  Well, relax. Teachers don't want to put parents on the spot. They just like to meet with parents from time to time to discuss how to help students do their best in school.   All children learn in different ways. They have their own individual personalities and their own listening and work habits. To help their students learn new knowledge and skills, teachers must know as much as they can about each child's likes and dislikes. No one knows more about these things than you, the parents. And no one has more influence over your children than you.  That's why teachers need your help to do a first-class job. Working together, you and the teacher can help your child have a successful school year.   Here Are Some Things To Keep in Mind Start the conference right: be there on time, and plan not to run over the amount of time that has been set aside,          usually about 30 minutes. If you are a working parent who can't arrange to meet during regular hours, make this clear to the teacher and try to          set up a time to meet that is good for both of you. The best conferences are those in which both teachers and parents stay calm and try hard to work together for one          purpose and one purpose only: to help your child do well. Arguing, or blaming each other for problems your child          is having, helps no one.   Getting Ready          Each teacher will probably come prepared with samples of your children's work and with ideas to help them do even better in school.  You should get ready for each conference, too.  Talk to your children before the conference. Find out what they think are their best subjects, and what subjects they like the least. Find out why. Also, ask your children if there is anything they would like you to talk about with their teachers. Make sure your children don't worry about the meeting. Help them understand that you and their teacher(s) are meeting together in order to help them. If your spouse can't attend the conference with you, ask for his or her concerns and questions Before you go to the school, write notes to yourself about: things about your child's life at home, personality, problems, habits, and hobbies you feel it's important for the teacher         to know your concerns about the school's programs or policies questions about your child's progress how you and the school can work together to help your child   The Conference    Some good questions to ask are these: Is my child in different groups for different subjects? Why? How well does my child get along with others? What are my child's best and worst subjects? Is my child working up to his or her ability? Does my child participate in class discussions and activities? Has my child missed any classes other than ones I contacted the school about? Have you noticed any sudden changes in the way my child acts? For example, have you noticed any squinting,    tiredness or moodiness that might be a sign of physical or other problems? What kinds of tests are being done? What do the tests tell about my child's progress? How does my child handle taking tests?      It's a good idea to ask your most important questions first, just in case time runs out before you and the teacher have a chance to discuss them all. Be sure to ask the teacher for specific suggestions on ways to help your child do better. This is the most important part of the meeting. It will become your action plan. If the teacher says something you don't quite understand, don't be shy about asking for an explanation. It's a good idea to end the conference by summing up decisions you've made together. If needed, ask to meet again.   After the Conference     Start immediately on the action plan you and the teacher worked out together. Discuss the plan with your child. Make sure he or she knows that you and the teacher care. To see if the action plan is working, watch your child's behavior and check your child's class work and homework.  Stay in regular touch with the teacher to discuss the progress your child is making. Meeting with your child's teachers should help build strong parent-teacher partnerships—partnerships that are needed if you and your child's teachers are to reach your common goal of helping your child get the best education possible.

 

Copyright © 1987 The National PTA, National Education Association of the United States, Stock No. 5174-2

 

 

 

 

UPCOMING PTO EVENTS  

 

 

Friday, October 31^st    HALLOWEEN PARTY !!!       

 

Pelham PTO sponsors an annual Halloween Party for all Pelham families.

 

The festivities begin at 5:30 PM. Parents/guardians bring their children to the school gym which has been transformed into an arcade. The children appear in their costumes and play a variety of games. 

 

The 6^th graders create a “Haunted House” on the stage – there is usually a ‘scary’ and ‘non scary’ way to go through it.

 

The PTO provides free cider and donuts. Pizza is on sale for $1 per slice.

 

Don’t forget your FLASHLIGHT!

After enjoying the games and activities families venture out to trick-or-treat together on the South Valley/Jones/Cadwell loop around the school.

 

Children in grades K-6 all love to participate.  A wide range of costumes are on display – from princesses (complete with gowns and crowns) to pirates (complete with swords) to superheroes (with their accessories).

 

It is wonderful to see all the children having fun and being kind to each other.

 

We look forward to seeing you all there!

 

 

Tuesday, November 4^th – Election Day BAKE SALE

 

Donate a baked good to support the 6^th Grade end-of-year trip to Cape Cod - while making voters happy! 

 

Simply bring your donation (home made or store bought) to the library on the day of voting. (You can just drop it off, and 5^th and 6^th grade representatives will sell the treats.)