Center School Chronicle

Upon our return from break, we will kick-off the final stretch of the school year with a Kindness Week, sponsored by the Lions and supported by the EHEPTO. We have a full week of events and activities that will set the tone of kindness and empathy, and challenge our students to become leaders. Students and staff look forward to choosing kindness!

Along with daily kindness challenges, please see below for some of our key events across the week:

From chrispoulos.com:

Chris is a world champion athlete, youth motivational speaker, and aspiring author who shares powerful life lessons as he demonstrates amazing bicycle stunts. He specializes in core values, anti-bullying, and character education.

Themes Chris will focus on during his exciting presentation include empathy, tolerance, leadership, and kindness. Center School looks forward to kicking off the week with this exciting assembly and carrying forward these values with our peers and within ourselves.

Students are asked to wear their Lion Pride Kindness Bracelet. Students will trade bracelets with each other based on the values presented in the Chris Poulos assembly. The goal is for each student to make one trade and recognize the kindness, empathy, and leadership in peers.

Students will fill out a sticky note with a message of kindness or an inspiring quote and place the sticky note on a random locker. Each student will be challenged to embody the message placed on the locker and carry this with them for the day and beyond.

Each student will fill out Personalized Center School Post Card . Students will write a note of appreciation to a family member, community member, or peer. When mailed, we hope the postcards' “public” nature will spread positive messages throughout the community.

Mix It Up at Lunch Day is a national campaign that encourages students to cross social boundaries, disregard stereotypes and shut down cliques by sitting with someone new at lunch. Cafeterias are prone to self-segregation among students, which makes them a prime location for promoting inclusion and appreciation for differences. Center School students will look to create a new connection, and hopefully build a lasting friendship, all by mixing it up!

Join us in recognizing our military-connected children this April during the Month of the Military Child (MOMC). The life of a military kid is a blend of unique adventures and challenges. It’s important to keep in mind that they serve our country too, as part of a military family… not just in April, but all year long.

On Friday, wear purple to celebrate military kids! Purple references the joint environment of the military, encompassing all service branches, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and Veterans. Purple combines each branch’s colors into one: the Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard all use shades of blue, the Army uses green, and the Marines use red. MOMC celebrates Purple Up this year on April 19th.

Check out the time table below to prepare for Monday's eclipse, and educational resources provided by NASA.

Dear Center School Families,

As we move through the final trimester of the school year, we are looking forward to all that spring will provide. In the final weeks of the school year, we will reflect with our students on their growth, both personally and academically. We have seen our students persist, persevere, and accomplish so much this year. In the coming weeks, we will also measure student performance formally through the Smarter Balanced Assessment in Mathematics and Literacy.

Students have had regular exposure throughout the school year to the content and skills specific to grade-level standards measured by the assessments, to the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills embedded in the assessments, and to the technology and assessment platform on which they will be assessed. Assessment schedules are structured to limit the amount of time students are assessed on any given day, and students are given all of the

time they need to complete the assessment to their satisfaction. As a result, testing schedules are flexible and responsive to students.

Center School students will begin their Smarter Balanced Assessments on April 3rd. Students will not assess for longer than an hour at a time and complete only three assessments - reading, math, and a math performance task. In addition, 5th graders will complete the Next Generation Science Standards assessment on April 23rd and 24th.

We anticipate that both the preparation for the assessment and the assessment schedule will help students feel comfortable and allow them to perform at their best. Their overall school day is not heavily impacted as we assess in the morning and continue our regular routines and activities. We encourage strong attendance during the testing windows and healthy habits, including appropriate rest and daily breakfast.

This assessment information is only one measure of our students and their impressive efforts this year. We consider multiple data points when considering student progress and planning for instruction. This is a critical tool for this ongoing work, and we appreciate your partnership as we gather information about our students at the conclusion of such an incredible school year. As always, please contact me with any questions regarding this process.

Thank you,

Chris

While we recognize the convenience and utility of these devices, we also want to emphasize the importance of responsible usage, particularly within the school environment.

Smart watches and phones have become increasingly prevalent among students, offering a wide range of features and functionalities. However, at our level, their use during instructional time is disruptive and detract from the learning experience. Therefore, we kindly ask for your cooperation in adhering to the following guidelines:

• Cellphones should remain off and secure in backpacks when in school.
• Smart Watches should be placed in a mode that allows for distraction-free learning, most models have a School Mode or Schooltime feature.

As most staff can attest to, service is very spotty in our building. Any urgent messaging from/to students should be communicated through our office. We appreciate your partnership in providing both your child and our staff distraction free learning.

If a student has four unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in a year they are classified as truant. If a child misses 18 or more days in a school year – excused or unexcused absences – the student is classified as chronically absent.

Access to the East Hampton attendance policy is available HERE

If you have any questions, feel free to call Melissa at Center School or email: GelineM@chc1.com

Click below for an updated flyer if you are interested in this service.

If you need to contact the nurse, please call 860-365-4050 ext. 3 or email jmorehouse@easthamptonct.org.

As temperatures drop, please dress accordingly. We will be outdoors if the 'feels like' temperature is 30 degrees and above. If there is snow on the ground, students with appropriate gear are able to enjoy playing in the snow.

Email: csullivan@easthamptonct.org
Website: https://www.easthamptonps.org/o/center-school
Location: 7 Summit Street, East Hampton, CT, USA
Phone: (860) 365-4050

Please visit www.ehepto.com - Twitter: @ehepto

Facebook: PTO East Hampton Elementary

April 8-12 Spring Recess

April 15 Chris Poulos Kindness Assembly 9:30 AM

April 15 PTO Meeting 5:30 PM

April 18 Student Council Meeting

April 19 Bus Driver Appreciation Day

April 24 Administrative Assistant Appreciation Day

April 25 Center School Play Performance 7:00 PM

April 26 Center School Play Performance 7:00 PM

April 27 Center School Play Performance 12:00 pm and 5:00 PM

School breakfast is a great way for students to start their school day and its FREE to everyone!

Please review your student(s)’s available balance for any lunch purchases at our secure “e-Funds for Schools” portal: https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/56523 Funds should be added on an as needed basis to ensure the account balance covers all purchases.

Communications to families about your meal account come directly from the payment portal. Please be alert to these emails and remove from your “junk” status the following addresses:

easthampton@mealmagic.cloud

easthampton@Familyportal.cloud

Student, 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