Dear WRS families,
I’m truly looking forward to a great school year at W.R.S.! Mr. Stephen Parsons our custodian has been working very hard to get the school ready to receive our students! The library and the music rooms were painted and they look great. The teachers have been in to begin to get their teaching spaces ready too. We are all very excited to welcome returning staff and newly hired staff members to W.R.S. after so many retired last June. As I’ve written in previous newsletters the following people were hired:
Mrs. Micki Bouthillier, school secretary: bouthillierm@hartfordschools.net
Mrs. Jessica Christian, grade 2: christianj@hartfordschools.net
Ms. Michelle Farrell, grade 2: farrellm@hartfordschools.net
Mrs. Laura Maggiolo, grade 3: maggiollol@hartfordschools.net (pronounced Majolo)
Ms. Julia Pinkava, special ed: pinkavaj@hartfordschools.net
Mrs. Krista Cook, special ed: cookk@hartfordschools.net
Mrs. Shirley Adams, para
Mrs. Fabiola Hammond, para
The family handbook will go home on the first day of school. Please refer to it for a list of other staff at W.R.S..
Please bring a photo i.d. With you when picking up your child at school. This is a safety measure to help us protect our students and your beloved child! This is especially important with a new school secretary and with so many new staff who don’t know our school community members yet. If you are sending someone to pick up your child, he/she must have a photo i.d. Also, we won’t release your child without the adult proving that he/she is the intended person picking up.
Here are some critical dates/times to keep in mind:
7:45-8:15: Students arrive by bus or should be dropped off. We have morning recess at this time so be sure that your child is prepared for the weather. We use the gym when it is less than 10 degrees or raining.
8:15-2:50: Regular school day hours. Students arriving after 8:20 will be marked tardy!
2:50-3:20: Dismissal window. Parents who are picking up should arrive at 2:50. We have a staggered dismissal since the buses do not arrive at the same time.
Thurs., August 23rd: 8:30-9:30: Kindergarten Meet & Greet and screening (for students who did not attend the W.R.S. pre-k last year)
Tues., August 28th: The first day of school for students in grades 1-5 (full day)
Wed., August 29th @ 8:30-9:30: Kindergarten Open House
@10:00: Pre-k morning session Open House
@1:00: Pre-k afternoon session Open House
September 3rd: Labor Day, no school
September 20th: 5:30 p.m.: All school open house and hot dog dinner
Recesses: In addition to the early morning recess, our students will have two other recesses built into his/her day. Students need the mental and physical break to run, play and practice social skills. Please make sure your child has on shoes that allow for healthy, safe play. Flip-flops are fun, but we don’t allow them at W.R.S. due to the number of stairs that students use daily and so that they can be safe in P.E. class and on the playground. I strongly encourage parents of students in pre-k through grade 1 to always send a change of clothing. Accidents happen often especially in the first weeks of schools when students are figuring out bathroom routines. Also, recess can be so exciting that some kids find it hard to leave the playground when their body tells them to!
Bus Routes and Safety Videos:
The bus routes for the HSD were published Friday. You can find the lists of bus routes by following this link to the HSD website
If your child has been at W.R.S. in past years you are most likely aware that I dedicate time to teaching students how to be safe while waiting for the bus, riding the bus and departing the bus. In September I will host an all school assembly and invite bus drivers and Andy Thorburn from Butler’s Bus Company to help me teach our students what is expected of them in order to keep everyone safe. We will also practice an emergency bus evacuation. I found the videos listed below and I encourage you to watch these short videos with your child to help reinforce these safety routines. As you might imagine, the buses tend to be behind schedule in the first weeks of school. Please be 5-10 minutes early in the morning and expect delays in the afternoon. VERY IMPORTANT: GUARDIANS OF KINDERGARTNERS MUST BE AT THE BUS STOP IN THE AFTERNOON. THE BUS DRIVERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE KINDERGARTNERS UNATTENDED AT BUS STOPS AND IF A GUARDIAN IS NOT THERE AT DROP OFF, THE CHILD WILL BE RETURNED TO SCHOOL AND THE PARENT/GUARDIAN WILL HAVE TO COME TO W.R.S. TO PICK UP THE CHILD.
Meals and Snacks served at W.R.S.:
Breakfast is served daily between 8:00-8:30 a.m. If your child qualifies for free/reduced lunch, she or he also qualifies for free breakfast.
We are fortunate to have received a grant that allows us to provide fresh fruit or vegetables as a snack for students at W.R.S.. This program will begin just after Labor Day on September 4th. I encourage you to send in a healthy snack each day, some teachers give two snack breaks. You should also send in a non-breakable water bottle labeled with your child’s name on it. We have water fill stations on each floor at W.R.S. and we encourage our students to drink water and not sugar filled drinks.
Unfortunately, the cost of meal prices has increased slightly. The prices for breakfast, lunch and snack milk:
Paid Student Lunches $3.10
Adult Lunches $3.70
Paid Student Breakfast $1.60
Adult Breakfast $2.50
Reduced Lunch-no charge
Snack Milk: .60 (Please note that we are not allowed to let children “charge” snack milk. Students who receive free/reduced lunch must pay for snack milk if they want it.)
Our school staff will be in Monday, August 20-August 24 for teacher inservice time. If you wish to connect with your child’s teacher please email her/him and/or call the school to arrange a time to speak.
I’m very much looking forward to collaborating with you to make sure your child has a successful year that includes enjoyable learning opportunities, developing their sense of curiosity and increasing communication and problem solving skills both socially and academically. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I’ll see you at the bus loop!
Best regards,
Sheila Powers