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.

There is no school on Friday May 26th or Monday May 29th.

When we raise...

$15,000 - Principal Laurie will color her hair BLUE!

$25,000 - We will PIE a teacher!

Click here to make a pledge! Please share this link with friends and relatives.

On Monday morning our incredible Anchored for Life team leaders presented to the Department of Defense Educators. This cohort then visited our Grade 3 teams who were engaged in outdoor learning. Both our students and our teachers did an incredible job.

Our Grade 4 students had the opportunity to debate important RI topics: The merits of a 4 day school week, fines for releasing helium filled balloons, and 15 additional windmills off the coast of Block Island with RI State Representative Terri Cortviend.

Our Grade 3 hosted a wax museum. It was a wonderful event and we are so grateful to our families for attending.

• ​​Due to limited space, we are encouraging you to invite ​i​mmediate family members only (2-4 guests per child). We have to be mindful of space so that all parents/guardians can access and enjoy the event. If there are special circumstances, then please reach out to Mrs. Laurie at lauried@portsmouthschoolsri.org.

• Guests should RSVP. If you RSVP, and are in our visitor system, then we will have the visitor pass pre-printed. If you RSVP, and are not currently in our system, then you will need to wait and be checked in. The visitor check in process for the safety of our students and staff-your patience is appreciated. We recommend that you stop by the Melville Office in advance of the event, to have your license scanned, so that we may more efficiently get visitors into the building on the day of the event

• ​To enter the building, ​all visitors must bring their license.

• On the day of the event, please arrive 20 minutes early.

• If families would like siblings to attend, then they must sign the sibling out with the Main Office and sign them back in with the Main Office.

• If you are interested in volunteering at FIELD DAY ON 6/13 and you are VIS approved, then please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DAAA72DAAFEC16-field
  

  
  

Going forward please use meloffice@portsmouthschoolsri.org to notify the main office of changes to your child's dismissal routine or of your child's absence.

A Shelter in Place is an alert to a school community that movement outside of classrooms is being restricted for a brief period of time. It is typically used when a student or staff member is requiring some sort of attention (sometimes medical) and the school is trying to keep that area clear and/or protect that person's privacy. If there were a serious safety concern the school would not issue a Shelter in Place.

A lockdown is an alert to a school community that students and staff should not leave the classroom and should gather in one area of the room until provided with further direction.

An evacuation requires all students and staff to exit the building and meet at a designated safe place.

We hosted a Parent Safety Forum in December, in conjunction with the Police and Fire Department, where we discussed our protocols and other initiatives in place around school safety. Below is some information that was sent out after that forum.

On Wednesday, December 14th, the Portsmouth School Department, in collaboration with Portsmouth Police and Fire, held a Parent Safety Forum. Thank you to all of the parents and guardians who came out that evening. Here is a link to the presentation that preceded the question and answer period. The P3 Sandy Hook Promise Anonymous Tipline is a resource that we encourage anyone to use if there is ever an immediate safety concern. Information on the Run, Hide, Fight FBI philosophy, which guides our safety training, was also provided.

If you would be interested in becoming a Paraprofessional, then consider taking the course now, so that come summer you would be ready to apply. Here is the link to the RIDE Teacher Assistant information page. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

We have had an incredible response to our enrichment programs this school year. To keep this energy going we need a parent volunteer to become our ENRICHMENT COORDINATOR. If you are interested in helping to make this magic happen, then please email the mptgpres@portsmouthschoolsri.org.

We love to celebrate our students. If they have special news that you would like us to share, e.g. State Wrestling or Cheerleading Championship accomplishments, then please email me at lauried@portsmouthschoolsri.org and we will be sure to include their recognition in our morning announcements.

If your child will NOT be attending the Portsmouth Public School System in the Fall of 2023, then please print and complete this FORM.

The 2023-24 Portsmouth Preschool Application is now available!! Apply using the Google Form link provided below or on our website under the Preschool/ Early Childhood page. Please contact Lauren Buress, buressl@portsmouthschoolsri.org at 401-683-1650 ext. 5039 with any questions. Link: 22-23 Preschool Application Link

The health office at Melville Elementary School encourages you to monitor your child for any signs or symptoms of head lice.

Please take these precautions:

1. Check your child’s hair for eggs (also called nits).

2. If you suspect your child has head lice, ask your health care provider to diagnose the problem and recommend appropriate treatment.

3. Tell us if your child is diagnosed as having head lice.

4. If head lice are diagnosed, do not return your child to school until she or he has been treated.

For more information, you can click on the link below from the CDC website and of course, you may always contact our school nurse for assistance or guidance.

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/index.html

Now that we are approaching warmer temperatures here in Rhode Island, please be on the lookout for ticks. There are many transmittable diseases, including Lyme Disease, that ticks can pass along so it is very important to practice prevention techniques to prevent tick bites on you, your child(ren), and your pets.

Here are some simple steps to help protect yourself and your family from ticks:

• Avoid tick-infested areas and sitting directly on the ground. You can find ticks in various environments, but most often they are in, or near, wooded areas. They hide under leaves, in the grass, and on branches and right now, there are several leaves on the ground!

• Avoid sleeping with pets and allowing pets on your furniture.

• Perform an entire body (and clothing) check after being outdoors, even if you are just in your own yard.

• Remove ticks before they adhere to the skin as this prevents transmission of infection.

Please review the link below for more information about ticks. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our School Nurse at trainora@portsmouthschoolsri.org or please call (401) 683-1650, Option 2.

https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/toolkit/index.html

We have been seeing more students visit the health office with gastrointestinal concerns. Please be sure to monitor your child and please keep your child home if they have a fever greater than 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, please note that a child with vomiting and/or diarrhea should be kept at home until symptoms have resolved for approximately 12 hours and the child is able to keep down food and liquid. Consult your doctor if fever and stomach pains persist or if your child has poor oral intake and appears dehydrated (dry mouth, no tears, sunken eyes, urinates less than 4 times in 24 hours). Remember to wash hands frequently and as always, please do not hesitate to contact our school nurse with any questions or concerns.

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

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!

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.

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 from the informational parent meeting hosted for families.

We encourage you to sign up now for Securly Home!

Google Slideshow

May

29th-Memorial Day (No School)

June

2nd-Kindergarten End of the Year Event

6th-Grade 2 End of Year Celebration

7th-Pre K Graduation

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

8th-Kindergarten Field Trip

9th-PHS Graduation

13th-Field Day (VIS approved volunteers will be needed)

13th-Grade 4 Student Led Conferences 3:30-6:30

14th-Grade 1 End of Year Event

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

15th-Grade 1 Field Trip

16th-Grade 4 End of the Year Stepping Up Ceremony & Family Picnic

19th-Juneteenth (No School)

20th-In School Mad Science Performance

21st-In School Juggling Performance

21st-Last Day

August

28th-Kindergarten and students who are New to Melville Family Scavenger Hunts (TIME TBD)

29th - First Day of School for K

30th - First Day of School for 1-4

September

28th- Melville's Open House Pre K-4 4:30PM-6:00PM

October

9th – Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day (No School)

10th – Staff Professional Development Day (No School for Students)

26th - Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-6:30

17th- Community Vaccine Clinic (Covid 19 and Influenza) 4PM-7PM

November

2nd - Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-6:30

13th – Veterans’ Day Observance (No School)

22nd - 25th – Thanksgiving Recess (No School)

30th – End of Trimester 1

January

1st – New Year’s Observance (No School)

12th - Staff Professional Development Day (No School for Students)

15th – Martin Luther King Day (No School)

February

8th - Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-6:30

19th – Presidents’ Day

19th-23rd – Winter Recess (No School)

March

12th – End of Trimester 2

16th - Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-6:30

29th – Good Friday (No school)

April

15th-19th– Spring Recess (No School)

23rd – Staff Professional Development Day (No School for Students)

May

27th – Memorial Day (No School)

June

7th– PHS Graduation (Tentative Date)

14th- or 180th day – Last Day of School – All Students

17th,18th, 20th, 21st– Snow Makeup Days

19th – Juneteenth (No School)

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