A warm thank you our PTO Staff Appreciation co-chairs Jenn Burgess and Courtney Olsen for putting together a lovely luncheon for our Holmes teachers and staff last Friday. It's a great way to end the year and the PTO is lucky to have committed volunteers - and we are all so fortunate to have such wonderful teachers and staff. Happy Holidays!
|
Dear Holmes Parents,
Starting on January 4th and extending through January 8th , The Holmes School Student Council is hosting a hat, scarf, mitten, glove, and coat drive.
This event will be called the Holmes School "Note in a Coat Drive." Students are encouraged to write a kind note to go with their donation or they can draw a picture. Please help by buying a coat or by giving clean, gently-used winter wear.
These winter items will be donated to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission. They are in dire need of coats, hats, gloves and scarves . Thank you for helping us to keep other children warm this winter.
All the best with warm regards,
Student Council
|
Budget season is almost upon us, and this year there will be important changes in the budget process. Dr. Brenner, the school superintendent, will present his proposed budget to the Board of Education on January 5 at 7:30 p.m. The school administration then will report on all Responsibility Centers (RCs) in one day, rather than over a number of weeks as in years past. The RC meeting is planned for Saturday, January 9, with a snow date of January 23.
Each school in town is considered its own RC, and spending and capital projects for each school will be discussed at the RC meeting. There will be a public hearing regarding the budget on February 2 at 8:00 p.m., followed by the BOE approving the budget on February 9 at 7:30 p.m. A detailed calendar is attached here.
|
At the Board of Education (BoE) meeting on 11/24, Dr. Brenner presented his world language plan for the upcoming school year. This plan recommends significantly increasing the minutes of world language instruction for sixth graders by switching to five days of instruction per week, rather than three Other aspects of the plan include reviewing professional development and creating a shared world language vision at all school levels within the district.
|
The Early Learning Program Applications are accepted from November 1, 2015 to January 6, 2016 for students who will be turning 3 and 4 years old during the 2016-2017 school year.
At this time, ELP does not have a preschool option for children who are 5 years old or who will be turning 5 years old.
A lottery drawing will be held and parents will be notified/emailed by January 16, 2016 regarding acceptance.
|
Please remember that as you come into the school from time to time, it's a great opportunity to check the Lost and Found tables as you go into the Common Room. There are many nice items there that should be claimed before they are donated to Person to Person after the holidays. Happy Hunting!
|
|
Mark your calendars for Darien Day with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers!
Join fellow Holmes families to watch the Sound Tigers take on the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday, January 23 at 7:30pm. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit the Holmes PTO. Tickets will be sold beginning the week after Winter Break.
The Holmes Chorus will be performing at the game, along with the choruses from all four other Darien Elementary Schools. Don't miss this great game!
|
|
Donate to the Reiss Fund today!
For over 50 years, the Reiss Fund has generously awarded scholarships to our teachers allowing them to further their studies over the summer in an area of interest, exploration or enrichment. The learning from these incredible experiences comes back to our children's classrooms, enriching the learning that goes on and elevating the enthusiasm with which it is delivered.
Just this past summer, Holmes teachers Erin Brown attended Teacher's College Institute to build stronger reading instruction skills and Kelly Soisson attended a six week program on mindfulness, learning techniques to help students manage stress, stay focused and develop positive states of mind.
A total of 17 teachers throughout the district took classes in sciences, the arts and music and literacy thanks to your generosity.
Our ability to offer this extraordinary scholarship program to our teachers sets our district apart in Fairfield County. Our ability to continue to support our teachers through Reiss Fund grants depends on you.
Please make a secure online donation today at www.reissfund.org, where you can also print out a mail-in a donation form to send in with your check.
Please join us in supporting the Reiss Fund.
Best, Kristen Barnard & Sara Franzese Holmes PTO Co-Chairs
|
Referral period: December 9th-January 9th
If you have a child in grades 1-8 that you believe may be gifted, you may refer him/her for evaluation to be placed in Darien's gifted and talented program. This referral period will identify children for placement beginning in September of the 2016-2017 school year. Before referring your child, please take a few minutes to review the following information on typical traits of gifted children here.
E-mail your child's assistant principal to begin the process and refer to the program's website for further information: www.ideaprogram.wordpress.com.
|
New this winter is a video game designers, cupcake club, painting masters and more! With options to suit many interests and grades each day, we hope you can join us this winter for FUN after school. General registration is open until 1/6/16, for the winter session running 1/11 through 4/8/16. See you after school!
|
A Community Fund initiative: Let's Get Talking - Thriving Youth.
|
