[Spofford Times] November 17, 2008

Dear Spofford Pond Community,

I am very excited to announce a new Spofford Pond website. Special thanks to Candyce Wainwright for coordinating the total revision of the site. The new website can be found at www.boxfordschools.org. Please check it out.

As part of our efforts to ensure a safe and secure school, we will be conducting a lockdown drill on December 17. All students will practice with their teachers and then we will hold the drill in conjunction with the Boxford Police.

I encourage each of you to read the Spofford Pond School Improvement Plan (http://boxfordschools.org/pdf/SpoffordSIP0809.pdf). The overall long term goal of our SIP is to establish a culture of data based decision making with a focus on
continuous school improvement. We are doing this in two main areas: student achievement and school culture.

We use data to measure student achievement after the fact through unit tests, projects, MCAS and the like. These summative assessments give us a good idea as to how much students have learned. We use the data from other assessments, called formative assessments, to help us decide what instruction should come next. Teachers administer the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) twice during the school year. Our own writing prompt and math interim assessments tell us in just what areas a child needs to improve. At the upcoming Parent Conference (December 9 & 11), many teachers will use the assessments to share information about your child.

We are also using data to examine and improve our school culture. I the spring we conducted a survey of the parents focusing on school culture. The Site Council has just about finished our report on the June 2008 Parent Survey. Next week, I will post the report and the data. I have surveyed the staff as well. During the mock election, we asked a ballot question of the students: Do you like school? In a few weeks, I may have a brief report analyzing that ballot question ready to distribute. Finally, the Student Council has begun meeting and will elect officers. The student council officers will, among other things, be invited to a regular meeting with me to discuss their perceptions of the culture at Spofford Pond School.

If you have any questions or comments about the School Improvement Plan, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Have a great week.

Sincerely,

Larry Fliegelman
Principal
lfliegelman@boxfordschools.org

Some reminders...

Deliveries to School
For items that are delivered to school for students, we will set up a table next to the main office. We will get a message to the teacher (who can then let the child know about the delivery). We will only interrupt classes at the end of the day for items left unclaimed.

Spofford Pond Calendar Online.
Just click here (also in the Quick Links box on the left).

Publication Notes
There will be no issue of the Spofford Times on Monday, December 1.

The Spofford Times will be published each Monday for the entire school year. There may be special editions as warranted. If you would like your school related messages included in future issues of the Spofford Times, please email me by 5pm on Thursdays. Plain text in the body of an email is the simplest. I reserved the right to edit or deny publication of any submissions.

As always, if you need to unsubscribe from the Spofford Times, please click on the SafeUnsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.

From the 5th Grade

News from the 5th Grade

Spofford Pond's fifth grade students are currently learning about energy in science. This involves studying various forms of energy including nuclear, chemical, heat, electromagnetic, and mechanical. To learn about nuclear energy first-hand, the students traveled to the Seabrook Station in Seabrook, New Hampshire on Wednesday and Thursday this past week.

The students were treated to many enriching hands-on experiences at the nuclear power plant's education center. One highlight was the simulation of an elevator ride below the earth's surface to the cooling tunnels. Another was the bicycle that, when pedaled, demonstrated the amount of energy needed to power household appliances. The students also met Chilly Willy, a rare blue lobster, among other creature in the tidal touch tank. The trip ended with a one mile walk along a nature trail through the marsh and estuary, which is home to magnificent ospreys. The students are looking forward to seeing solar panels installed on our school's roof top as our next major energy experience right here at Spofford Pond.

From the Health Office

Beginning the week of December 1st, the Health Office will be conducting Vision and Hearing screenings. If your child wears glasses please make sure he or she brings them to school.

Parents frequently ask when they should keep their children home from school. Children should be kept home if they have a severe cold, a persistent cough, a sore throat accompanied by a fever, an undiagnosed rash, earache, red eyes or drainage from the eye, lice, vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours ,or a fever in the past 24 hours. Children with illnesses requiring antibiotics such as strep or conjunctivitis should be on the antibiotic for a full 24 hours before returning to school.

When calling in an absence because of an illness please state the reason. A nurse reviews the illnesses daily and may send a note home based on a pattern in a certain classroom.

Please update the Health Office for any new medical information including fractures, new diagnosis, medications and allergies.

Children are allowed to bring in with them a few cough drops if they have a cough. Children are not allowed to share these. If they bring a larger supply of cough drops they will be left with the teacher or in the Health Office.

From the Math Office

Online Math League Reminder

The first Online Math League contest will meet on the following dates. The team will meet from 8:00 to 8:30 am in the art room at Spofford Pond. Email Ms.Yando at byando@boxfordschools.org if you have any questions.

Grade 5 Monday, Nov. 17th
Grade 4 Tuesday, Nov. 25th
Grade 3 Wednesday, Nov. 19th
Grade 6 Friday, Nov. 21st

After the first Online Math League contest has been completed go to www.academicleagues.com . Click on results and then choose the appropriate grade level for your child. You will be able to see how the grade level team performed, as well as your individual child. If you asked me to assign your child an ID number they will be given a sheet with their ID after completing the first contest.

All grade 3-6 students at Cole School are able to use the Online Math League practice area.

o Go to www.academicleagues.com
o Log in to gain access to the practice area which allows you to practice former contests.
o User Name: byando@boxfordschools.org

Password: math

Cole Preschool

Cole School Integrated Preschool Open House

On Wednesday, November 19, 2008 the Cole School Integrated Preschool will host an Open House from 12:30pm - 1:30 pm (children welcome) or 6:00-7:00 pm (parents only). Interested parents/guardians may pick up registration materials at the Open House for any Boxford child who will be three years of age by September 1st, 2009. Registration closes at 3 pm on Wednesday, December 3, 2008. The snow date for the Open House is Wednesday, December 3, 2008. Registration would then close on Wednesday, December 10, 2008.

A public lottery will be held on December 5th (or December 12th if snow date is used) at 1:30 pm in the Cole School Cafeteria. The lottery process establishes a fair method of assigning students a number which establishes the order of consideration for placement into our preschool classes.

A preschool screening will be held on Wednesday, February 4th for children between the ages of 3 and 5 (and not entering Kindergarten in the Fall of 2009). If you have concerns about your child's development, please call us to set up an appointment.

Please contact Cole School at 978-887-2856 if you have any questions.

School Closing Policy

2008/2009 TOPSFIELD/BOXFORD/MIDDLETON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSINGS/NO SCHOOL POLICY

It is our practice to have schools remain in session whenever possible. However, bad weather conditions or other emergency situations will occasionally require that schools be closed, be delayed opening or be dismissed early.

Announcements of no school, delayed openings or early dismissal are given to:

WBZ - TV Channel 4

WBZ - Radio 1030 AM

WCVB - TV Channel 5

WHDH - TV Channel 7

WFXT - TV Channel 25

The Superintendent of Schools will use the Connect-Ed Notification System to inform families of school closings or delayed openings no later than 6:00 a.m. A message will also be posted on the school district's website (www.tritownschoolunion.com).

All parents are urged to use their own judgement in sending their children to school during stormy weather. Even though school is in session, a parent may choose to keep his/her child at home because of neighborhood hazards or conditions. Any child who remains at home under these circumstances will be given full opportunity to make up any work and no penalty will be attached to such absences.

In those cases where it is necessary to close school earlier than the regular dismissal time for such reasons as weather conditions, power failure, or heating plant failure, announcements will be made to the same radio/T.V. stations listed above. The Connect-Ed Notification System will also be activated to communicate to all listed contacts.

Whenever a parent cannot be reached, the child will be kept at the school under the supervision of the building principal. No student will be dismissed unless we are confident they will be under the safe supervision of an adult once home.

TRANSPORTATION - SPECIAL WINTER CONDITIONS

The School Department, on a temporary basis, will provide additional bus stops on some existing routes if winter storms impact safety conditions due to excessive snow banks. Parents will be alerted when the additional stops will be activated until conditions improve.

Upcoming Events	Thu. 11/20 - PTO Spaghetti Supper Thu. & Fri. 11/27&28 - No School, Thanksgiving Holiday Thu. 12/4 - Winter Band Concert Mon. 12/8 - Term I Report Cards Distributed Tue. & Thu. 12/9&11 - Early Release, Parent Conferences Tue. 12/9 - Chorus Concert
Check out the complete Online Spofford Calendar - http://tinyurl.com/294h36