Kids Care Club
 
Our next Kids Care Club meeting will be Friday, January 29 for our "Souper Bowl of Caring" meeting. Kids will be making posters to promote our Soup and Crackers collection which runs February 1-5 for Person-to-Person as well as a guest speaker from P2P who will explain about their program and how we can help. We will assign each classroom one of the Super Bowl teams and have a friendly school wide competition and whichever team donates the most Soup and Crackers for P2P will receive extra recess. P2P will pick up the donations on Friday, February 5 after school.

Please RSVP to Rosemary Jordan at rosiemcjordan@yahoo.com if your child would like to attend the meeting on January 29.

School Budget Process

Budget season is almost upon us, and this year there will be important changes in the budget process.  There will be a public hearing regarding the budget on February 2 at 7:00 p.m., followed by the BOE approving the budget on February 9 at 7:30 p.m.  A detailed calendar is attached here. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Holmes CDSP reps, Wendy Ward  wendybward@gmail.com or Melissa Williams  mewilliams37@me.com.

General PTO Meeting

Thursday, February 11 at 9:15 am in the Common Room
Linda Johnson, Elementary Mathematics and Science Coordinator will speak about our science and math curriculum.

International Cultures Committee

The International Cultures Committee invites every Holmes student in grades K - 5 to participate in an optional, at-home creative project that explores, in a personal way, the concept of culture.
  
Participating students will select a topic, from a predefined list, to write, draw, or collage about. Submitted pieces will be publically showcased at school and published in a Holmes School e-book. Participating students also will be recognized at a special Holmes School event on March 3rd.
  
Please encourage your child to participate, help guide them on this journey of self-discovery, and experience the pride they'll feel sharing their unique stories and traditions with the greater Holmes community!
  
The initiative commences January 11th. Submissions are due Tuesday, February 9th.

Holmes School Literary Magazine
 
It is that time of year!  We are looking for submissions for the Holmes School Literary Magazine.   *New for 2015-2016*
  • Students will no longer write pieces at home in an effort to make the magazine more authentic and a reflection of the writing done in school.
  • Students can pick a piece they created at school.
  •  Participation is voluntary.
  • Students are limited to submitting one entry.   
Student's work must be 300 words or less (can be an excerpt of a longer piece) and should be revised and edited to the best of the student's ability.  All work must be submitted by Wednesday, March 16th.  Magazines will be available for purchase in the late spring.

Thank You for your support!
 
Kim Paladino and Rachel Satter
Literary Magazine Coordinators

Kindergarten Registration
 
Kindergarten registration will take place in Darien elementary schools in late January and early February 2016.  In order to be eligible to attend kindergarten in 2016-2017, children must be five years of age on or before January 1, 2017.
 
Registration is scheduled for two days in each of the elementary schools, as follows:
 
Ox Ridge
January 19 & 20
Tokeneke 
January 27 & 28
Royle 
January 21 & 22
Holmes 
January 29 & Feb 1
Hindley 
January 25 & 26
 
 
In order to facilitate the registration process, parents should follow the schedule below:
 
DAY       LAST NAMES                        TIME
1                     A-G             9:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
                       H-M             1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
 
2                     N-S              9:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
                       T-Z               1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
 
If it is not possible for you to register your child on the scheduled day or at the scheduled time, please call the school secretary at the appropriate number below, then press "0" for the main office, to schedule a different time.
 
Hindley School     - 655-1323
Royle School         - 655-0044
Holmes School     - 353-4371
Tokeneke School  - 655-9666
Ox Ridge School  - 655-2579
 
 
Please bring the following completed forms with you at time of registration: 
·         Registration Form                                 
·         K Release Form
·         Parent Input Form
·         Directory Information Form
 
In addition, you must present the following at time of registration:
·         Birth certificate and
·         Proof of residency (picture ID such as driver's license or passport AND either a
recent utility bill or lease agreement)
 
Children need not be present at registration.

SEPAC January Meeting

SEPAC January Meeting: District Priorities and Initiatives for 2016-17. Shirley Klein, Assistant Superintendent of SESS and Scott R. McCarthy, PhD, Program Director, SESS will provide an overview of current special education initiatives and explain district priorities for the coming school year. Topics include literacy, professional development and administration reorganization. As planning will continue during this year, a follow-up meeting on district priorities will be scheduled for later in the Spring as well.
Wednesday, January 27, 1:00pm. Board of Education Meeting Room, 35 Leroy Ave.
Please RSVP and send preliminary questions to:

Tip of the Week:
 
"Does my child know how to say no?" As parents, one of the most important things we can teach our children is resistance skills. It is equally important to teach them the values that support why they would take a stand on an issue. Model and role-play resistance skills at home with your family. Talk with your child about what was easy and what was difficult. Learn about people who stood up for their values and resisted the pressure of those around them, (such as Rosa Parks or Ghandi). Discuss why they were able to do so.

Let's Get Talking - Thriving Youth/The Community Fund.
 
For more information visit:  www.thrivingyouthdarien.org 
A Community Fund initiative:  Let's Get Talking - Thriving Youth.  

In This Issue
Calendar of Events
  
January
21       Coffee w/Principal 9:15-10am
           CR  
21       Grade 3 Animal Embassy
23       Sound Tigers Game
26       H Factor Try-outs,4-6pm CR
27       K High Touch High Tech
   in class
27       SEPAC Meeting, 1pm 35 Leroy
28       H Factor Try-Outs, 4-6pm CR
29       K High Touch High Tech

February
2         BOE Public Hearing 8pm
           Town Hall
11       PTO Meeting, 9:15am CR
11       Kindergarten Valentine
           Share, 2:30pm CR
           (Snow Date 2/12 @ 2:30pm)
15-18  February Recess - No School
27       H Factor 3-5pm



 


 

Getting ready to pack lunches? Reusable food containers save the Earth, and they save you money! Please pack waste-free lunches! 
  
Any questions, email Susie at flahtsus622@yahoo.com!

THANK YOU!

  
 
Community News
 .
DARIEN ARTS CENTER - XOXO VALENTINE WORKSHOP, February 6th, from 2-3:30 p.m., DAC Visual Arts Studio. This crafty workshop is dedicated to the ones we love. Kids can express their desire to make art while creating Valentine-themed projects to take home or give as gifts. For ages 5 & up. $30 per person. Please enroll your loved one by Feb. 4 at darienarts.org or call the DAC at (203) 655-8683. The Darien Arts Center is located at 2 Renshaw Road, behind Darien Town Hall. 

***
Family Centers Presents "Active Parenting"
Develop better communication and empower your children to make safe choices in the future.  Classes will be held over four Wednesdays from 10:15-11:45am beginning on Wednesday, January 20th.  Click here for more information.

***
All are invited to a free concert by The Late Night Gospel Choir Feb. 2 at 7 pm
Darien Music for Youth is proud to present a free concert by the Late Night Gospel Choir (as seen on Late Night with David Letterman) at the DHS auditorium on Tuesday February 2nd at 7 pm

The Choir will be joined on stage by the Darien High School Tudor Singers and Concert Choir.  Darien Music for Youth works in conjunction with the Darien Music Department to enhance the district wide music curriculum.  This year the district's focus is the American Spiritual, and the Choir will be singing music that is being taught throughout the district.  Admission is free, but tickets are required.  Tickets are available from music teachers at each school as well as at Crescendo Music (351 Boston Post Road), Barrett Bookstore (314 Heights Road), at the main entrance message center at Darien High School and from Christy Guarino in the DHS Music Department Office 203-655-3981 x. 2250.  This will be a great night.  Bring the whole family!

***

The 2016 Darien Young Composers Concert
The Music Department of the Darien Public Schools would like to announce the 16th annual Darien Young Composers Concert. This special concert program will be held on Wednesday, April 6 at 6:30 p.m. for grades K-5 and at 7:30 p.m. for grades 6-12 in the Darien High School auditorium and will feature the works of student composers in the Darien Public Schools from the Elementary, Middle School and High School levels.  Click here for more information.  
***

Darien Little League Registration is Now Open!  
ATTENTION KINDERGARTEN PARENTS!
It may seem as though spring is a long ways off, but it is time to signup for Darien Little League.  Boys and girls in kindergarten are now eligible to join a T-Ball league in either the baseball or softball division. Practices start on April 23rd.  

T-Ball is an instructional league to introduce kindergartners to throwing, fielding and hitting a ball and the fun of playing on a team. Before every simulated game, children will work with their coaches on these basic fundamentals.  Players hit from a batting tee.

Softball T-Ball practices are Saturday mornings at Town Hall  from 9:15-10:15.
Baseball T-Ball practices are Saturday mornings at DHS (time TBA) on the High School baseball diamond.  

For more information and to register visit www.dybs.org.  Register by January 31st to avoid late feed.
 
***
 





 
Submission Guidelines:
Please send your submission in the text of your e-mail, single spaced and left adjusted, with "HTH Submission" in the subject line to holmes2home@gmail.com
Make sure you include a contact name and email or website in the text of your submission for questions.
We do not accept files or formatted text.
Please limit your submission to one paragraph. All text may be edited. Submission does not guarantee publication. 
Community submissions must be local, 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organizations and parent or child-related. We will not include advertisements for businesses. Submissions will run for two weeks.
The deadline for submission is Monday by 4pm; H2H is normally distributed on Wednesdays.

 

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Holmes to Home / Holmes School / Darien, Connecticut 06820 / (203) 353-4371