October 28, 2012

Greetings Delaney School Families!


This week, Laprade Studios visited the Delaney School to take student photos.  Thanks to their flexibility and the help of our PTO volunteers; Jill Gould, Lisa DeFlaminis, Mary Jo Ali, Danielle Berry, Diane Wistran, and Marianne O'Brien, the day was a great success.  Picture packages should be delivered to our school in late November to early December. At that time, a retake date will be available for those students who were absent or whose families desire a new photograph.



On Tuesday, October 30th, students from King Philip High School will be meeting with some of our Kindergarten and Grade One students to discuss Halloween Safety.  We are fortunate to be part of this continuing program and greatly anticipate their visit.




On Friday, November 2nd, 3rd grade students will have the opportunity to participate in a mock election along with 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from the Roderick School. We can't wait to see the Gibbons Gym as it will be set up to simulate election day.  Be on the lookout for the results in the next blog post.

As a connection to our mission statement (Opportunities will be provided for students to make connections between their actions and the world around them.), students at the Wrentham Public Schools will be joining the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and participating in a community service program.  Beginning on Monday, November 5th, the Wrentham Public Schools will be assisting Cradles to Crayons in gathering items for local families.  Students at the Wrentham Public Schools will be collecting new or like-new winter essentials such as coats, clothing, footwear, hats, gloves, and mittens.  Families who would like to donate to our community service project can send in items between Monday, November 5th and Tuesday, November 20th.  Cardboard bins, provided by the Patriots, will be located in the both the Delaney and Annex lobbies for collections.    



If you haven't had the opportunity to do so, please consider signing up to follow this blog via email.  Simply enter your email address and you will be automatically notified when there are updates.

Thanks for reading.  Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Dr. Melissa D. Peterson

October 19, 2012

Dear Delaney Families,

We have had a fantastic week at the Delaney.  Please enjoy reading all about it!

The PTO Scholastic Book Fair was a huge success!  Thanks to the PTO, Chair Diana Zeller, and the numerous volunteers who helped make this event possible.

On Thursday, October 18th, KPHS students visited the Delaney Cafeteria to invite students in K-3 to attend the Halloween Spooktacular on Thursday, October 25th. The high school seniors (some of whom were former Wrentham students) spent the lunch period chatting with the kids and answering any questions that they may have had.

Our Kindergarten classes continued to visit the Fire Station this week.  Here are a few more photos from this exciting trip!

Congratulations to this week's Positive Referral recipient who was recognized for making great choices throughout the school day.  Fantastic job!!!

A Collection of Collections...

Displayed in the showcases in the Annex lobby, several of our third grade students have their special collections available for viewing.  Stop by and take a look - they are wonderful!

Mark your Calendars!!!

Delaney School Picture Day - October 25th

No School - November 6th - Election Day

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

Dr. Melissa D. Peterson

October 12, 2012

Dear Delaney Families,

It was a quick, but very busy week at the Delaney School! 

• On Wednesday afternoon, the entire student body gathered in the Gibbons Gym for the "closing ceremonies" of the Summer Reading Olympics.  We shared the total number of participants, by grade, in Kindergarten through Grade 6 and announced that all students who reached the goal would be rewarded with an extra recess on Thursday or Friday. 

         

Sixty seven percent of Delaney School students reached their goal!  Great job everyone!

Gold Medalists Per Grade...

Kindergarten - 54

Grade One - 119

Grade Two - 91

Grade Three - 127

Thanks to everyone who supported the program and helped to make our first year a great success.  I would like to especially thank Mrs. Swartzendruber, Mrs. Burke, Ms. Fuller, and Mrs. Ward for spearheading the program and for doing such an amazing job.  We are looking forward to having even more readers join us next summer!

• Several Kindergarten classes visited the Wrentham Fire Department to discuss Fire Prevention and Safety.  Thank you to the firefighters who shared their time with us!  We loved it!

• Title I Coordinator, Marie Garozzo, and Reading Specialists, Meredith Lamb and Sunita Stocking, presented information to parents on Thursday evening reading our Title I reading program in the Delaney School. For anyone who was unable to attend or for those who would like to know more about the Title I program, here are some general details about the services that students who quality for Title I support receive. 

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What is Title I?

Title I is a federal program that provides funding to our school based on Wrentham census data.  The goal of the program is to fund supplemental instructional services that support students in meeting state academic standards.

How do students qualify for Title I?

1. Teachers discuss concerns about a student's reading skills with parents.
2. Teachers seek support from the Student Support Team (SST).
3. The Student Support Team provides suggestions for classroom interventions.  Teacher monitors progress.
4. Based on data, students may be assessed using specific reading tools to determine Title I eligibility.
5. Teachers document student's areas of strengths and need on criteria sheets.
6. Criteria sheets are scored and parents are notified in writing as to their child's eligibility.

How are services delivered?

Students receive support either through an inclusion model in a small group setting within the classroom or through a pull-out model in which students leave the classroom to work with the reading specialist.  Student need is the determining factor as to whether services are delivered in an inclusion or pull-out setting.

What if my child needs more or less instructional support?

Student progress is continually monitored and children are formally assessed three times throughout the school year.  The level and intensity of instructional services are adjusted based on the needs of the child.  Students can receive more or less support as needed and can also be released from the program as they acquire the necessary skills.  Students can also begin receiving services as they demonstrate need.

Upcoming Events...

Book Fair

The PTO Book Fair will be held in the Vogel Auditorium next week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Classroom teachers will be bringing their students to the fair at their designated time during the school day.  The Book Fair will also be open on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.  The theme for the fall fair is "Every Reader is a Star!". 

Delaney School Pictures

Delaney School pictures will be held on Thursday, October 25th.  Any preschool students who attend our Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes will be photographed on Friday, October 26th.  Laprade Studios will be sending additional photographers on Thursday in an attempt to get the majority of students photographed prior to lunch and recess.  Thank you in advance to them for providing this wonderful service to us.

Grandparent's/Special Person's Day 

Our school will host Grandparent's/Special Person's day on Thursday, November 8, 2012.  Buses will be available beginning at 8:30 AM from Luciano’s at Lake Pearl Park to the Delaney/ Roderick School bus circle.  Grandparents/Special People are welcome to visit classrooms between 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM.  We ask that all guests sign in with a PTO volunteer before moving throughout the buildings.  Buses will return visitors to Luciano’s at Lake Pearl Park starting at 10:30 AM.  Although there will be volunteers to assist on this day, it will be helpful for guests to know their school designation and child’s teacher’s name before arriving at the school. We hope that you can join us on this very special day.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Dr. Melissa D. Peterson

October 5, 2012

Hello Delaney Families,

Happy October! Where did September go?

As we reach the halfway point of the first term, I would like to thank the Delaney staff for their ongoing efforts to ensure that each and every day is filled with high quality learning opportunities for our children.  I would also like to thank our parents for their continued support of our school.  Having a strong home/school connection is essential to our students' success.  We are very fortunate to work with such an involved and dedicated community.  Thank you for all that you do.

***Please note, there is no school on Monday, October 8th or Tuesday, October 9th.  The school is closed on Monday for Columbus Day and on Tuesday, teachers will be involved in professional development activities throughout the day.***

This week at the Delaney...

Students in full day Kindergarten were provided with a free lunch on Friday thanks to Mrs. White and the Delaney Cafeteria staff. There were many happy faces and full tummies as the kids enjoyed school made pizza, fresh garden salad, apples, and carrot sticks.  YUM!

On Friday, Liz from Dental Associates of Walpole, visited the preschool classrooms as part of the Smart Smiles Program to discuss oral hygiene.

 

This week during Common Planning Time, teachers in grades K-3 met with Curriculum Coach, Mrs. Hanewich to continue their mathematics Common Core exploration. The Common Core standards require teachers and students to look at key concepts in depth.  In addition to solving problems, students will be asked to explain their thinking to demonstrate understanding.  At home, parents can support these efforts by asking children to "prove it" when practicing problem solving skills.

 Grade 3 teachers, Mrs. DeTrolio and Ms. Shaw

Last week, students in Kindergarten through Grade 6 participated in Bus Evacuation Safety drills.  Students practiced disembarking from school buses using emergency exits.  Bus evacuation drills are conducted 2-3 times per school year.

 

Feedback Requested

Do you have any ideas/suggestions that you would like to share?  We are always looking for ways to improve and are open to hearing your feedback.  Please feel free to post a comment or send an email to petersm@wrentham.k12.ma.us with your thoughts.  Thank you in advance.

 

Mark Your Calendars!

What:  Destination Imagination Informational Meeting for Third thru Sixth Grade Students and Parents

When:  Wednesday, October 10th - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Where:  Vogel Auditorium

Drop in and find more about this exciting after school enrichment program!

Please direct all questions to Linda DeVore, DI Coordinator

email: devorel@wrentham.k12.ma.us

phone: 508-789-4493

 

Coming Soon!

PTO Fall Scholastic Book Fair

October 16-18

Have a wonderful long weekend.  Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Dr. Melissa D. Peterson