Melville Message Community Update

In partnership with families and community, the mission of Melville Elementary School is to provide all students with a strong academic foundation through diverse and challenging instruction in a safe and nurturing environment enabling them to achieve their greatest potential while developing self-confidence, respect, responsibility, compassion and a love of learning.

Please make note that there is no school on Wednesday October 5th.

To support the new playground in Portsmouth we had a Principal for the Day. Please meet Principal Alan who led Melville with me on Monday.

Please take a moment to read our Unified Arts Newsletter to hear about all the great things happening in Unified Arts classes.

At School Committee on Tuesday evening we recognized our new teachers. To watch the full meeting please click here.

This week we planted our Kindness Tree and we will fill it with all the great things our students are doing to be kind!

Here is an email we received from the Feinstein Foundation,

"What a great kindness tree! It brings us joy to see Jr. Scholars and their school communities rallying around kindness! Please give our best to your Jr. Scholars, we are very proud of them.

And thank you for helping make our program possible with your students. Best wishes, The Feinstein Foundation"

• During Dismissal children must walk with their caregivers while in the parking lot. For the safety of our children, please do not allow your children to run/walk ahead of you...this is a very busy time in our parking lot and we all need to do our part to keep things safe.
• If your child arrives at school after 8:45, then the caregiver must come into the Main Office to sign them into school.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe.

To provide the best possible care we need your support. if your child(ren) have experienced a recent significant injury or had surgery, then please connect with Nurse Trianor. This includes but is not limited to, surgeries, injuries that result in your child needing crutches, sling, cast etc..

You can reach the nurse by emailing trainora@portsmouthschoolsri.org

The Melville Parent Teacher Group needs your help!

Pleas consider attending the Fall Festival Committee Meeting.

The next meeting is Thursday, October 6th at 6:00PM in the Melville Library.

Sign up here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F094CA5AB2CABF85-2022 to help make this the best year ever!

In order to publish a yearbook, then we have to have parents parent support. We currently have an incredible yearbook coordinator, but this is her last year. We need a parent or parents of children K-3 who would be able to mentor this year and lead next year!

Having a yearbook mean so much to the students-please consider lending a hand.

We want our families to be partners in all we do. Please complete this Melville Committee Work Volunteer Form to join our teams.

Dear Families,

After a careful review process, Melville Elementary and the Portsmouth School District are excited to offer a rich and robust reading and language arts curriculum for your child for the 2022–2023 school year!

Wonders, a McGraw Hill product, is designed to help students meet high academic standards and prepare them for future success. Teachers will use Wonders to help your child

• Master foundational skills of phonics, vocabulary, spelling, and word study

• Engage in close reading of complex text and find text evidence

• Become proficient in academic writing

• Take part in daily academic conversations with peers

• Develop ownership of their own learning

What will your child experience in class?

In class, your child will be close reading, writing analytically, and practicing foundational skills using Wonders books and support materials.

Your child’s teacher will use a gradual release of responsibility learning approach. First, the teacher will clearly explain and model the week’s skills and strategies, then provide guided practice opportunities before prompting children to either work independently or to collaborate with their classmates.

Students will read and reread short, complex texts in the Reading/Writing Companion. They will learn to take notes, ask and answer text-dependent questions, and cite text evidence. Then, students will apply what they have learned as they read and reread the longer Anchor Texts and Leveled Readers. Throughout the lessons, student self-evaluate and monitor their own progress.

What will your child experience at home?

You and your child can access Wonders digital content online from home. Your child will receive an online account that will give you access to

• A weekly letter outlining what your child will be learning

• Messages from your child’s teacher

• Homework assignments

• Digital copies of all Wonders resources

• Time for Kids® articles, games, and word and spelling list activities to do at home

Your child’s teacher will provide more information about Wonders as we begin the school year.

Thank you, as always, for your involvement!

Sincerely,

Danielle Laurie

***Click here for a help video on how to access the weekly Wonders Letter

2022-2023 School Calendar

If you are interested in volunteering or chaperoning this school year, then you will need to complete the volunteer approval process. Mrs. McEvoy in our office is a notary and can be of any assistance, so please do not hesitate to reach out!

Securly Home is an app that allows parents to monitor their child’s Chromebook activity at home and add rules for home use. Please take some time to review the slideshow and recording of the parent meeting that took place on 9/16.

We encourage you to sign up now for Securly Home!

Google Slideshow

How to use AmazonSmile on a web browser:

1. Visit smile.amazon.com
2. Sign in with the same account you use for Amazon.com
3. Select your charity Melville Parent Teacher Group
4. Start shopping! Remember to checkout at smile.amazon.com to generate donations for your chosen charity.
   Tip: Add a bookmark to make it easier to shop at smile.amazon.com.

In keeping with the spirit of giving, our Feinstein Jr. Scholars are excited to start an in-school food pantry that our students and families can donate to and access when needed.

Please help us as we continue to support our community by sending in food items with your child from time to time. Please email

Mrs. Powell: powelld@portsmouthschoolsri.org or

Mrs. Pascoe: pascoen@portsmouthschoolsri.org

if you would like to access our food pantry during the school year.

Portsmouth Enrichment is pleased to offer Spanish language classes (Levels 1, 2, and 3) to Melville Elementary students (grades 1-4) BEFORE SCHOOL, VIA DISTANCE LEARNING ONLY.

We are very excited to have Señora Michelle Leonard return to teach beginning Spanish to our Melville and Hathaway students this year! Señora Leonard has been an anchor for the Portsmouth Enrichment Program from the beginning, now entering her 18th year in this position. She teaches the same curriculum to both the Melville and PMS students, thus providing a uniform base for all as they move up to eighth grade Spanish at PMS. The dialect matches both those taught at PMS and PHS.

The Melville Elementary program fee is $180 and includes all materials. Classes will meet once per week, before school (see schedule below), via distance learning. All classes will commence the week of OCTOBER 17, 2022 and will run until April/May 2023. Class size is limited and space is available on a first-come/first-serve basis. Please note: Space is limited to only 10 STUDENTS in Spanish 1 class.

Please submit your registration and payment online by Friday, September 30, 2022.

Spanish Enrichment webpage: www.portsmouthenrichment.org

Please email any questions to melvillespanish@gmail.com.

Thank you!

October

5th-Yom Kippur (No School)

10th-Columbus Day (No School)

12th-MPTG Meeting 6:00 PM

14th-Corn Maze at Escobar Farm

19th-Early Release for Students (PD for Staff)

22nd-Fall Festival10AM-2PM

31st-Schoolwide Character Day

November

1st-School Picture Day

8th-Staff PD Day (No School)

9th-MPTG Meeting 6:00 PM

11th-Veterans’ Day (No School)

23rd - 25th-Thanksgiving Recess (No School)

30th-Ornament Night

December

14th-Early Release for Students (PD for Staff

14th-MPTG Meeting 6:00 PM

23rd - 31st-Holiday Recess (No School)

January

2nd-New Year’s Observance (No School)

11th-Early Release for students (PD for Staff)

11th-MPTG Meeting 6:00 PM

16th-Martin Luther King Day (No School)

February

–In School Book Fair

8th-Early Release for Students (PD for Staff)

8th--MPTG Meeting 6:00 PM

20th - 24th-Winter Recess (No School)

March

8th-MPTG Meeting 6:00 PM

13th-Statewide PD Day-Distance Learning Day

April

7th-Good Friday (No School)

12th--MPTG Meeting 6:00 PM

10th-14th – Spring Recess (No School)

26th-Early Release for Students (PD for Staff)

May

10th--MPTG Meeting 6:00 PM

23rd-Melville Fun Run

26th-Staff PD Day (No School)

29th-Memorial Day (No School)

June

7th-Early Release for Students (PD for Staff)

9th – PHS Graduation (Tentative Date)

14th-MPTG Meeting-Volunteer Appreciation 6:00PM

19th – Juneteenth (No School) 20 or 180th day

Email: lauried@portsmouthschoolsri.org
Website: https://www.portsmouthschoolsri.org/Domain/11
Location: 1351 West Main Road, Portsmouth, RI, USA
Phone: 4016831650
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009159177892
Twitter: @MelvilleSchool