September 3, 2014
Welcome Back Crocker Farm Families!
We are all excited to be working with your children and looking forward to a year full of discovery and learning opportunities.
Just a few reminders:
Student Drop Off/ Student Pick Up/ School Buses
Student Drop Off in the morning is at our Shays Street entrance. A staff member will meet students at that end of the playground. Our West Street entrance is for Buses only in the morning.
Student Pick Up / “Parent pick-up,” in the afternoon, is going smoothly at the Pre-School Entrance. Students are dismissed from classrooms at 3:10pm. Thank you so much for your patience as classroom teachers and students learn the end of the day routines.
Buses generally leave our school by 3:20pm in the afternoon. It could be later this first week as we work out schedules. Again, we thank families for their patience as we iron out the routes.
Teachers are getting to know your children in a variety of ways at the start of the year: socially, emotionally and academically. This week you may begin to hear your children talk about reading with an adult, taking beginning of year assessments in spelling, writing and math or taking the “Aimsweb”. AimsWeb assessments are brief assessments in reading and math which our district uses to monitor student progress. More information can be found at: www.aimsweb.com
We would like to clarify some events related to last week’s incident with a dog at Crocker Farm as there has been some inaccurate information about the incident in the local press. We first want to compliment the teachers, who acted with incredible poise and professionalism by taking care of their students in a stressful and unusual situation. The person who took hold of the dog was spoken to briefly by a staff member, before he left the premises. The person was identified by a Crocker Farm student who witnessed the event, and we shared that information with the police. We are hoping that with the community’s support, the police are able to track down further information about the person(s) responsible for the incident. We continue to be saddened by the incident, especially given the timing on the first day of school, and will continue to ensure that the students directly affected are supported to have a great school year at Crocker Farm.
We are fortunate to have air conditioning and it’s working hard! We are being cautious about outdoor recess if the heat index is high and are encouraging children to drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Please make sure to dress your child in weather appropriate clothing.
This Friday, we will have our Back to School Assembly for students and staff. This is a time to open the year together. There will be music, readings and poetry. We will also be sharing our school book this year: Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michele Markel which will help us all learn more about Empathy. (The “E” in “C.A.R.E.”).
As always, you can reach out to us to let us know of ideas, compliments or concerns that you might have to help us improve your child’s daily experience. We appreciate you sharing your children with us and your efforts to help us build a strong learning community.
With warm regards,
Derek Shea, Principal
Sharri Conklin, Assistant Principal
In the coming weeks look for information on:
Our School Wide Daily Schedule
When each class has Art, Music, P.E., Library and Computer
Details about Curriculum Night, Tuesday, September 30, 2014
