Cheetah Pride Press!

Families,

This week we were thrilled to welcome Memorial families into the building for parent/teacher conferences. Our learners have already grown so much, and it was a treat to be able to share that progress with our students’ caregivers. Just in time for the holiday season, our Scholastic book fair was up and running this week as well. Our elementary library media specialist, Rebecca Flannery, has been busy over the last few weeks setting up a schedule of volunteers which helped facilitate a smooth shopping experience. Students browsed during their scheduled library/media classes, and families were able to shop while visiting Memorial for their scheduled conferences. A special thank you to all the Book Fair volunteers! Your assistance made the experience go smoothly for all involved! As always, thank you to Mrs. Flannery and Mrs. Hill for facilitating this event!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Joey and Andrea

The week before Thanksgiving was filled with spirited events.

His teacher is Ms. James.

He likes to play travel basketball.

He loves to hang out with his friends.

He joined Cheetah Council to make the school a better place.

He loves that everyone at Memorial makes him feel welcome.

Memorial Models are chosen weekly by their teacher. These students have excelled all week in taking care of themselves, others, and things. The recipients will dine at a VIP table during lunch every Friday!

A PAWsitive office referral is submitted when a staff member recognizes a student who is going above and beyond to exemplify one of our three school rules - taking care of others, taking care of self, & taking care of things.

Hi Cheetah families!

It has been another busy month in the Memorial School library. Thank you for all your support with the fall book fair!

• PreK students are enjoying a variety of read alouds and songs with the themes of thankfulness, kindness, and winter. We have also practiced some fun rhymes and songs.

• Kindergarten has worked on different story elements within our monthly theme, empathy. We listened to Strictly No Elephants and identified the setting and characters, plus the sequence of events. During early December we are learning all about caribou and practicing sorting facts versus opinions.

• First grade has also worked with different story elements. We listened to Cold Turkey to identify setting, characters, and sequence of events. We also identified the big idea of the story and identified ways we can show empathy at home and at school. In early December, we are practicing using our school database, PebbleGo to do some research on caribou.

• Second grade has finished their unit on digital citizenship by watching the Cyber 5 video and playing the game Interland, to review rules for online safety. In early December we will be starting our coding unity with Code Monkey. Students are also listening to Wind Rider, Rescue on Turtle Beach.

• Third grade has finished the work started in November using the Common Sense Media digital citizenship lessons in the website, Nearpod. In early December, we will be creating winter themed stop motion animation using Google Slides. Students are also listening to Melonhead.

For more information and updates, make sure to check out the library website at https://sites.google.com/site/centermemoriallibrary/ and follow us on Twitter @EHk5libraries! Questions, please contact Mrs. Flannery at rflannery@easthamptonct.org.

Mrs. Flannery and Mrs. Hill

November Art News!

During the month of November, students began exploring various elements and principles of art and design! Balance, Shape and Pattern were big focuses in different grades, as well as Symmetry. Learning that art can also connect with other subjects in school is an exciting thing that we discussed as well! Here are some of the amazing works of art that students created during the month of November!

Prek and Kindergarten:

Students in Prek and Kindergarten learned all about geometric (2D) SHAPES! We focused on identifying and creating a variety of shapes. We observed and discussed the different features each shape has, and how we can make them using scissors and scrap paper. We learned about: squares, triangles, trapezoids, rhombuses (diamonds), rectangles, ovals, and circles. In prek, students selected and arranged shapes to make their very own buildings! In Kindergarten, students independently designed, cut and arranged their very own shapes to create buildings!! We learned how to open and close an elmers glue bottle, and apply the glue using “a little dot is a lot!” and “a little line is fine”. The students have gotten so careful with applying glue, and making sure to use the best amount for the shape and size of their pieces of paper. The buildings they created range from realistic hotels, to imaginary tree houses, to real places in our community, like the library, fire station, and even farms. I am so amazed with how they learned how to make a COLLAGE, using cut paper and glue, even for the tiniest of details!

1st grade:

Students in first grade have been learning all about the Wamponoag tribe of Native Americans. We are learning that art has been made by different people for different reasons, and sometimes for very special reasons. We discussed that the Wamponoag children had a special job to do, long ago,right here where we live today. Those children collected special shells from the shores of Connecticut and Massachusetts. It was one of their important jobs for their tribe. Those shells were so special, and the adult women of the tribe would crush and shape them into beautiful beads. Then those beads were woven and sewn together to create “Wampum Belts”. Wampum belts were traditionally used as a sign of peace, offered from one tribes chief to another. The way the belts showed peace was through the use of the beads, organized into elaborate patterns and symbols. During art class, the 1st graders became experts at making their own patterns, and being able to identify what type, such as “AB, ABA, ABB, ABBA, ABC, AAB”.. Designing a belt, perfectly fashionable for a 1st grader was so exciting and fun, and our patterns were so creative and complex! We will be wearing our “Wampum”inspired belts home next week after we have our own fashion show to present them!

2nd grade:

Students have been learning all about a very special type of bird! We have been making connections in art class with science, and discussed Canada Geese! We learned that Canada Geese are quite amazing and intelligent creatures. We discovered that they have a natural ability to know which way is north or south, and can navigate and migrate to different places without getting lost. We then compared how humans navigate nowadays, using GPS. This came from a long history of using a compass, and on maps, artists used to draw “compass rose” symbols, in order to help orient themselves and stay on course. We viewed and responded to different paintings of Canada Geese, as well as different artistic designs of a compass rose. Students began their next big project, to tell a story with their beautiful drawings of Canada Geese. Some students included goslings, a flock, Goose and Gander, and even different settings that Geese may be migrating through. These drawings were finished off with the students' very own drawing of a Compass Rose. The combination of the two in a work of art is so unique and special. We can’t wait to finish these beautiful and inspiring nature drawings!

3rd Grade:

Students in third grade continue to work through their choice art projects. This month, the Kiln was filled!! I am so excited that in December, students who have been working in clay will begin bringing their fired pieces home. Keep an eye out for any fragile ceramic works of art and please help your child to find a special place to display their sculptures! Students also have been exploring a variety of different art media, including collage, marker, paintings, pastel, digital art designs, and even sculptures made of fabric, wood, or cardboard! They are learning how to discuss art using mature artist centered vocabulary. Students have been practicing dictating, writing, and presenting their artwork using specific vocabulary to enrich their understanding of how artists communicate about their work. We will continue throughout the year to focus on and refine our abilities to speak and listen and define artistic subjects and processes as the year goes on. When we speak and describe our artistic experiences in this way, we show that our work is meaningful, intentional, and important, no matter what we are creating!

Dear Families of Memorial Elementary Students,

We are asking for your assistance in helping keep our school healthy and safe. We have been experiencing an uptick in lots of coughing, strep throat, pink eye and fevers as well as covid cases. Please consider the following guidelines, provided by the school nurse, for sending students to school:

Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

• Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
• Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
• Mild headache and/or stomachache
• Fatigue

Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms and remember the 24 hour rule:

• Fever (greater than 100 degrees. May return to school after 24 hours of no fever WITHOUT fever reducing medications)
• Vomiting (Even once. Must wait 24 hours after last vomit episode to return to school)
• Diarrhea (Must wait 24 hours after last episode to return to school)
• Chills
• General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness, and/or muscle aches
• Frequent congested, wet, or croupy cough

• Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose

• redness and discharge from one or both eyes

To help prevent the flu and other colds, please remind your child(ren) about good hygiene habits:

• Wash hands frequently
• Do not touch eyes, nose, or mouth
• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing/coughing and then wash hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick

Often when a child awakens with vague complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to bring them to school. Your child should be physically able to participate in all school activities on returning to school. Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom. We use our nursing assessment and judgment when students come into the nurse office and make calls home as we deem necessary. Thank you in advance for helping to make this year at school as healthy as possible.

*Please also update emergency contact information! In case of an emergency or in instances where your child needs to be dismissed from school, it is extremely important that we be able to reach someone on the contact list. We have also been having trouble with parent voicemail boxes that are full and we are unable to leave a message.

Please also make sure to have a spare change of seasonally appropriate clothing for your child to keep in their cubbies!!

Remember to notify the nurse's office if your child has been diagnosed with any illness (or injury). The nurse tracks illnesses and will send a note home to the class if there are 2 or more cases in the classroom. If your child has an injury that has activity restrictions, please share with the nurse's office so we are aware and can notify appropriate staff members. We want to keep our students healthy and safe and your cooperation is needed to do so. We appreciate your assistance.

Kindly,

The Health Office Team,

Nurse Katie and Miss Michelle

Please contact your child’s pediatrician first. If unable to be seen, here is a list of

local walk in/urgent care locations if unable to be seen by pediatrician:

CVS Minute Clinic, East Hampton 866-389-2727

ProHealth Extended Hours, Glastonbury 657-5940

Middlesex Health Urgent Care, Middletown 860-358-4170

Colchester Urgent Care 860-531-9749

12/8- Nation Lost and Found Day

12/8-PJ For The Kids- Wear Your PJs and Donate $1.00

12/11- BOE Meeting

12/15 Cheetah Pride Assembly- Spirit Day

12/22- TWAS The Night Before Winter Break Day and Early Dismissal

12/23-1/1- Winter Break

1/2- Return From Winter Break

The East Hampton Board of Education and the school community as a whole promote a secure and productive school climate, conducive to teaching and learning that is free from threat, harassment, and any type of bullying behavior. Therefore it shall be the policy of the Board that bullying and/or teen dating violence committed against a student by another student is prohibited. The Board believes that a school environment in which students feel safe, supported, engaged and helpfully challenged is optimal for learning and healthy development. The Board seeks an environment in which students and adults feel socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically safe; an environment that is free of harassment, intimidation, teen dating violence and bullying. Our website provides links to various policies and reporting forms including our Safe School Climate Plan. Hard copies are also available in our main office. If at any point you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to building administration for further assistance.

When considering the number of absences your student has accrued, keep in mind that a student must be present for 195 minutes in order for the day to count! When bringing your student in late, or signing them out early if they have not been in school for a 195 minutes the day will be recorded as an absence.

Memorial School Attendance email:

memorial_attendance@easthamptonct.org * there is an _ between memorial and attendance!

Students, parents, and community members have access to an anonymous tip line on the front page of the school district website to report self-concerns, mental health concerns of a friend, or concerns of violence. Simply click here or view on the website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/.

Email: jbauer@easthamptonct.org
Website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/o/memorial-school
Location: 20 Smith Street, East Hampton, CT, USA
Phone: 860-365-4020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ehmemorialschool