Principal's Corner

May, 2013

Dear Sargent Families,

I hope you are all doing well this spring. At this writing we seem to be enjoying some well deserved good weather after a rather nasty winter. Recently, we completed a very successful Art Fair/Social! A very special thank you to Mr. Ruzicka, the students, teachers, volunteer parents and PTO for putting together a fabulous event. How very talented the Sargent School students are in the arts! Very impressive! Also, on behalf of the Sargent Staff and myself, a big thank you to the students, parents and PTO who put together a fabulous week of teacher appreciation events. We are all very appreciative of your thoughts and gifts. Additionally thank you to the PTO and volunteers for participating in the annual Sargent Clean up day on May 6th. The grounds look great! Also in the area of volunteering, our grade 5 students, along with other grade 5 students in North Andover participated in a very success collection drive to help area organzations. Way to go grade 5! During the upcoming months, be on the look out for our grade level curriclum nights. It a time for our students, and teachers, to "show off" some of the wonderful skills the kids have developed this past year. Additionally, MCAS will be occuring for our grade 3, 4 and 5 students from 5/6 and 5/17. Please see schedule below for details. Finally, during these last two months of school A LOT will be going on as we creep closer to summer. Please see the calendar below for details and check this calendar often for changes.

We have continued our school-wide initiatives this year to help create a warm, inviting school climate for all. This year, the Sargent School has continued its efforts to promote the values of R.A.I.S.E. In its second school year of the “Catch Me Doing Something Good” Program, the Sargent School students and staff are recognized weekly for practicing one of the R.A.I.S.E. principles in front of a staff member. A R.A.I.S.E. bulletin board located near the main office displays pictures of those who have been recognized each week for “doing something good” related to R.A.I.S.E. The Sargent School also has continued the implementation of the R.A.I.S.E. blocks. During these weekly blocks, specialists meet with a grade level to review and expand upon the principles of R.A.I.S.E.

Additionally this year we have focused on a different R.A.I.S.E. value for each month. During the year, there have been monthly assemblies with a special guest speaker. The special guest speaker discusses that month’s R.A.I.S.E principle with the students. In addition to the guest speakers, we built a R.A.I.S.E. display on a wall in the gym. The display is made up of R.A.I.S.E. reflection sheets that students and staff fill out and post to the wall. Students and staff will complete a reflection sheet when they witness or experience an example of the particular value for the month. R.A.I.S.E is certainly alive and well at the Sargent school!

Your child’s academic, social, emotional and physical well being is of utmost importance to us. It is why we are here. I believe that we (staff and parents) can work together to ensure that your child’s elementary experience is the best it can be. Please contact your child’s teacher, the school counselor, nurse or myself if you have any questions or concerns. No problem is too big or small.

Below are a few other items of note.

SCHOOL COUNCIL: This year's school council members are Ms. Chris Farr (parent), Ms. Natalie Howard (parent), Ms. Kelley Papa (parent), Ms. Karen Gildea (grade 3 teacher), Ms. Lori Stalteri (librarian) and myself. Our next meeting  is tentative. It is scheduled to be Tuesday June 4th @ 3:20 PM in the Sargent Library.

SECURITY PROCEDURES: As you may know, the school and district are in continuous process of revisiting, reviewing and tweaking our procedures (crisis and otherwise) to best ensure that our children are safe. Please be reminded of the following school rules for all visitors (parents):

1. The only door used for visitor entry at the Sargent School during the school day (8:10 AM - 3:30 PM) is the front door. All other doors will be locked all day and into the evening. For the Kids' Stop after school program and associated community program after school activities, visitors/parents should enter using the back "cafe" doors.
2. ALL visitors during the school day MUST report to and sign in at the office upon arrival.
3. All visitors during the school day must wear an identification badge/label issued at the office.
4. If you are dismissing your child during the school day, student dismissal can occur at the OFFICE ONLY. Students will be called in their classrooms and report to the office to meet parents. NO STUDENT WILL BE DISMISSED TO PARENTS FROM HOMEROOMS OR FROM THE LIBRARY.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation with these rules and others to ensure the Sargent School is as safe an environment as possible.

INTERNET SAFETY: Parents, we have recently had an uptick of some student-to-student conflicts (in the upper grades, 4 & 5) with on-line postings, texting, etc., etc. There has not been a lot but more than you would think with elementary-aged students. These are different times we live in from when we were growing up. Please be aware of your child's access and "doings" on line. We will be looking more into more formalized Internet safety information for students and parents next school year.  

DROP OFF/PICK UP: Everyone working together during drop off and pick up makes a big difference as we safely and efficiently welcome and dismiss over 560 students daily. Thank you all in advance for your efforts. A couple of points to remember:

• During DROP OFF please remember these three rules:
  • The drop off time is 8:10 AM. Please do not drop students off before 8:10 AM as there is no supervision at that time.
  • Pull your car all the way up as far as you can go (i.e., to the cone or directly behind cars lining up at the cone) before you drop off your child.
  • DO NOT PASS cars in line at drop off. Please wait until the car in front of you moves before you do.
• During PICK UP please remember these two rules:
  • Pull your car all the way up as far as you can go (i.e., to the last cone or directly behind cars lining up at the cone) before you pick up your child.
  • Please drive cautiously as students are entering their cars regularly.

WALKERS: If your child is a walker, please remind him/her to always stay on the sidewalks when walking to or from school. We remind them regularly at school but getting the message from you too at home will help. During both arrival and dismissal times traffic can be brisk and we want to ensure student get to and from home/school safely.

MCAS: The MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) results for last year’s grade 3, 4, and 5 students have been reported. Thank you to those parents who attended my MCAS Information Night in October. Now, grade 3, 4 and 5 teachers and students are working very hard in their classrooms as students attend their studies, learn the grade level curriculum and begin to prepare for this year’s MCAS.

The Sargent teachers and I are meeting throughout the year and reviewing the mountains of the results data from last year’s test, discovering strength and weakness trends as indicated by the data, and developing interventions to address weakness trends while maintaining strength trends. Additionally, soon students will also be visiting our new computer lab to utilize some of the curriculum enhancement programs related to the MCAS. Finally, a curriculum enhancement/MCAS preparation after school class will be offered to grade 3, 4 and 5 students after the winter and February breaks.

If you have any questions regarding the MCAS and/or your child’s scores, please contact your child’s teacher or me at the school.

For 2012-2013, the remaining MCAS testing dates are as follows. THIS IS THE REVISED FINAL SCHEDULE AS OF 3-18-13:

All testing begins promptly at 8:45 AM on specified dates. All grade third, fourth and fifth grade parents are asked to please refrain from scheduling doctor’s appointments, family vacations, etc. during MCAS testing periods. Thank you for your support.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Calendar is as of 5-1-13 and is subject to change. Please check Sargent Website regularly for updates.

Thank you for your continued support.

Respectfully,

Ed Foster, Annie L. Sargent Principal