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South Row's Home Link

Week of: March 27th, 2023

South Row'sHome Link Week of: March 27th, 2023

Message from Mrs. Gilbert & Mr. Ramalho

Hello Families,


It's hard to believe we are already entering the last week of March. Spring has sprung and the longer sunny days are a welcome change.


We look forward to our Student Grade Level meetings on Monday with a theme of being a friend. Our nutrition theme continue through Try it Tuesdays. Our first one was a big success. Student Council members delivered samples of cantaloupe to classrooms and students were able to try it if they chose. Many, many students tried our first selection. We have other Try it Tuesdays scheduled in the coming weeks and months.


Our Multicultural Festival is coming up quick on April 1st. We hope to see you there! We will complement this event with a multicultural school spirit day on Friday March 31st.


We will be running a Spring clothing drive to benefit Cradles to Crayons organized by Nora Williamson, a South Row alum, through her work with project 351. Please see below for more information. A donation box will be outside the main door through March 31st.


Respectfully,

Terri and Jayson

Week at a Glance: March 27th, 2023

Monday, March 27th

  • Multicultural Festival REGISTRATION closing today!


Tuesday, March 28th

  • SEL Survey - grade 3 and 4


Wednesday, March 29th

  • Maths Amazing Enrichment Program (Grade 4)
  • Multicultural Festival Committee Meeting, 3:45pm, Conference Room


Friday, March 31st

  • Multicultural School Spirit Day
  • Reminder: Family Input in the Placement Process is due today (click here to access information. It was also sent out in a separate cover on 3/20). Please note this is for students rising in grades 1-4 ONLY. The google form to provide input will be closed today, 3/31/23.


Saturday, April 1st

  • Multicultural Festival (formally named International Festival), 1-3:30PM @ South Row

Looking ahead...

Monday, April 3rd

  • Kindness Matters Day - students and staff encouraged to wear kindness shirts or complete a kind act
  • Student Grade Level Meetings w/ Mrs. Gilbert & Mr. Ramalho
  • Student Council Group B Meeting, 3:30pm, Ms. Semenza's Room
  • School Council Meeting, 5:30pm, Conference Room
  • PTO Board Meeting, 6:30pm, Conference Room
  • PTO Meeting, 7:00pm, Cafeteria


Tuesday, April 4th

  • Early Release Day - Students dismissed at 11:45am

  • Reminders for Early Release Days:

    • Students are dismissed at 11:45am
    • Car dismissals should adhere to the following times
    1. Last names A-G- 11:40-11:45am
    2. Last names H-N- 11:45-11:50am
    3. Last names O-Z- 11:50-11:55am
    • Please communicate any changes to your child's dismissal plans to their respective teacher, Mrs. O'Neill (oneilld@chelmsford.k12.ma.us) and Mrs. Sepe (sepek@chelmsford.k12.ma.us). Be sure to also discuss with your child.
    • Lunch is available for take home ONLY through online ordering
    • Students will either have specials or recess (rotates every half day).
    • Snack time may be adjusted and/or not occur depending on your child(ren)'s schedule.
    • Extended Day will be open until 6:00 pm for students signed up on TUESDAY. Please provide your child a lunch.
    • Please anticipate possible delays with buses as they navigate an early release schedule


Wednesday, April 5th

  • Walk to School Day - Its Spring!
  • Food Play Whole Enrichment Program (K-4)


Thursday, April 6th

  • 4th Grade Photo in the Cafeteria
  • Freshstart Planting in the Courtyard (Grade 1)


Friday, April 7th

  • No School - Good Friday


Monday, April 10th

  • Grade 3 ELA MCAS
  • Curious Creatures Enrichment Program, 9:15AM, Richman/Sbordy
  • Curious Creatures Enrichment Program, 10:10AM, Rigby/Patriquin


Tuesday, April 11th

  • Grade 3 ELA MCAS


Wednesday, April 12th

  • Grade 4 ELA MCAS


Thursday, April 13th

  • Grade 4 ELA MCAS
  • Wingmasters Enrichment Program (Gr. 2)


Friday, April 14th

  • MCAS Make Up


Monday, April 17th- Friday, April 21st

  • No School - April Vacation


Monday, April 24th

  • School Resumes


Wednesday, April 26th

  • Happy Administrative Professionals Day - Thank you Mrs. O'Neill and Mrs. Sepe!


Friday, April 28th

  • South Row/Chelmsford School Spirit Day


Looking ahead...


Math MCAS –

  • May 15th and 16th - grade 4
  • May 17th and 18th - grade 3


ELA Make-ups – 4/14 and week of 4/24

Math Make-ups - 5/19 and week of 5/22

Reminders/ Updates

A Note from Mrs. Cooper in the Music Room:

For more than 30 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation.


The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music. Please be on the lookout on Twitter and Instagram for more MIOSM updates! @SouthRowMusic ~Mrs. Cooper


Grade 3 and 4 Students: We will be administering the spring SEL assessment to all students in grade 3 and 4 on March 28th. This follows our fall survey and will provide information about students' social emotional growth.


iReady Challenge: Below are our totals. The numbers below reflect the first two weeks of the challenge. We are extending the challenge for one more week. Our last day is now March 31st. Thank you for your participation and support.


Reading Total Minutes: 42,692

Math Total Minutes: 39,717


Grade one continues to be in the lead after two week in both Reading in Math with grade two as a close second in Reading and grade three a close second in Math.


K-12 Youth Art Month Exhibit at Chelmsford Public Library: We encourage you to visit the Library through the month of March to view the amazing artwork on display and join us in celebrating Youth Art Month. You can see our program for the exhibit HERE. A special thank you to our Fine Arts Department for executing this event!


Chelmsford MAEA Virtual Art Show: This is an online virtual show. Click on the link to see the artists featured.


Arriving by Car: If you are driving your student to school and arrive after the cones have been placed across the entrance, please proceed to the front of the school to drop off your child. Please DO NOT drive through the cones or drop your student at the end of the driveway.


Leaving by Car: When leaving the grounds at either arrival or dismissal, cars should NOT leave the car loop until directed by a staff member. Additionally, all cars must go through the loop, as indicated by the arrows on the pavement. You should NOT go out a different way and should follow cars through the loop.


Looking ahead (Early Release Day Change): Due to town elections, the school committee voted on a calendar change for the April early release day originally scheduled for Thursday, April 13th. This early release day has now been moved to Tuesday, April 4th. Please update your calendars accordingly. Click here for the updated district calendar.

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Crazy Crayons

Crayon Recycling Drive


Families, we have a chance to get rid of all unwanted crayons! The PTO has kindly supported a recycling initiative. You can simply send your unwanted crayons to school with your children. Each class will have a collection box to drop them off. Then, the crayons will be shipped to Crazy Crayons for recycling. We are collecting both standard crayons and crayon pencils (in plastic encasings). The drive will start on April Fool’s Day on April 1, and finish just after Earth Day on April 24.

Multicultural Festival Registration closing on Monday 3/27/23 - REGISTER NOW!


  • The Multicultural Festival was formally called the International Festival, and we look forward to this year's event, which will take place on April 1st from 1-3:30pm!
  • Take a peek at the save-the-date information for this year's event, Event Flyer, and Registration Form!

Nurses Corner

Dear South Row Families,


Here at South Row we are experiencing an increase in strep throat and GI illnesses. among our students. We have increased our cleaning and sanitation in affected classrooms and teachers are encouraging students to wash their hands frequently.


The CDC has great information on strep, you can find the link to the full article here. I have summarized the key points below.


What causes strep throat?


Strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by bacteria called group A Streptococcus (group A strep).


What are the symptoms?


Common symptoms may include:

  • Fever

  • Pain when swallowing

  • Sore throat that can start very quickly and may look red

  • Red and swollen tonsils

  • White patches or streaks of pus on the tonsils

  • Tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth, called petechiae (pronounced pi-TEE-kee-eye)

  • Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck

Small Children may experience:

How does it spread?

Group A strep bacteria often live in the nose and throat. People who are infected spread the bacteria by talking, coughing, or sneezing, which creates respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria.

People can get sick if they:

  • Breathe in respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria

  • Touch something with those droplets on it and then touch their mouth or nose

  • Drink from the same glass or eat from the same plate as a person infected with group A strep bacteria

How can I prevent my child from getting strep?

The best way to keep from getting or spreading group A strep is to wash your hands often. This is especially important after coughing or sneezing and before preparing foods or eating.

To prevent group A strep infections, you should:

  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

  • Put your used tissue in the wastebasket.

  • Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands, if you don’t have a tissue.

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

  • Use an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available.

You should also wash glasses, utensils, and plates after someone who is sick uses them. These items are safe for others to use once washed.

How is strep throat treated?

Doctors treat strep throat with antibiotics. Benefits of antibiotics include:

  • Decreasing how long someone is sick

  • Decreasing symptoms (feeling better)

  • Preventing the bacteria from spreading to others

  • Preventing serious complications like rheumatic fever

Someone with strep throat should start feeling better in just a day or two after starting antibiotics. Call the doctor if you or your child are not feeling better after taking antibiotics for 48 hours.


Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.


Warmly,

Nurse V.


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PTO Corner


Excitement is gaining for our new event! Coming up on May 6 from 6-8pm we'll be hosting a Sunshine Dance and showcasing our ginormous raffle baskets. A huge thank you in advance to ALL the parents who are helping to make this fundraiser/event a success. We'll be learning more about it at our April 3rd PTO meeting so we hope you can join us!


We are already planning for the next year! If you enjoyed helping or supporting the PTO in anyway this year please consider joining the leadership board. Or do you have lots of amazing ideas? Please consider joining the board. We are in NEED of a PTO Secretary and would appreciate a co-president and co-treasurer. ANY parent/guardian is welcome to these positions.

Save the Date - April 5th Walk to School Day!

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Food Services Corner

Please find below:
  • Tentative Breakfast & Lunch Menu
  • Breakfast Sign Up Information
  • Early Release Day Lunch Sign Up Information
  • Direct Link to Food Services webpage

March Breakfast Menu - subject to change

March Lunch Menu - subject to change

NEW Online Breakfast Ordering Process

Set Up Your Account Now

Directions to set up your account and order:

  1. URL Link: family.onlineordering.linq.com
  2. Sign up now: Email, create password.
  3. School District: Chelmsford Public Schools
  4. Student ID: This can be found on x2- Child’s student ID number
  5. Last Name: (You can also search and add siblings/family members at this time). Once this is completed, student’s name should appear on page.

How to order meals

  1. School Menu-breakfast online ordering
  2. Scroll to day/week you are selecting breakfast (top right of page)
  3. Find date, select meal option
  4. Add item to cart/Select Add to order
  5. Click on shopping cart icon at top right of page
  6. Click Check out
  7. Select pick up location: Elementary pick-up location classroom
  8. Place order


If you are having difficulty setting up an account, please reach out to contacts below and we will gladly assist you.


Nancy Antolini, Director of Nutrition Services


Holley Ready, School Nutrition Office Manager

Online Ordering Form for Early Release Days & Information

Food Services Website

SOUTH ROW'S PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Try it Tuesday

Guest Reader & Book Buddies

More St. Patricks Day Fun!

Creativity in Art!

3D loves their new rug! =)

The iReady Challenge is still underway! 1 more week!!!

Care Solace - Are you in need of support?

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Contact the South Row Administrative Team!

Mrs. Terri Gilbert

Principal

gilbertt@chelmsford.k12.ma.us


Mr. Jayson Ramalho, M.Ed.

Assistant Principal

ramalhoj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Email: gilbertt@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us/Domain/15
Location: 250 Boston Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5177
Facebook: facebook.com/SouthRowElementary
Twitter: @CPSSouthRow

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Contact the Main Office Staff