Thursday, April 17, 2014

Week 31 (April 14-17)

Greetings Delaney Families,

On behalf of the entire Delaney Staff, I would like to thank all who were able to attend parent-teacher conferences this week.  We are so appreciative of the ongoing support that you continue to show day in and day out.  We love working with your children and that partnership is greatly valued.  We hope that you all have a wonderful and relaxing April Vacation.  Please remember that there is no school tomorrow, Friday, April 18th (Good Friday).  We look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday, April 28th!
 
 
 
 
Author David A Kelly visited the entire second grade yesterday as a result of a generous grant from WEST.  Mr. Kelly writes the popular Ballpark Mysteries series (www.ballparkmysteries.com) that so many of the students enjoy.  David spoke about the importance of reading and shared his own experiences as an author.  Today when I visited a few of the classroom, the kids were sharing their favorite take-aways from yesterday's presentation.  They spoke about the importance of including details in your writing, preserving through several drafts, capturing the audience's attention from the start and working hard to achieve your goals.
 
It was a wonderful presentation and we are so thankful that David was able to join us!















 
Our JDRF fundraiser concluded yesterday with a celebratory walk around the bus circle.  We are still waiting for the final tally to be reported, but the initial indication is that the fundraiser was an enormous success.  Thank you to all for your support and be on the lookout for our grand total!









Miss Williams, Kindergarten teacher, is running the Boston Marathon on Monday for the second year in a row to raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes.  We wish her all the best and know that she'll be amazing!






Have a wonderful weekend and a great vacation!
Thank you for reading.

Sincerely


Melissa D. Peterson, Principal

Friday, April 11, 2014

Week 30 (April 7-11)

Greetings Delaney Families,
I hope that you all had a wonderful week.  We certainly did! 
The PTO book fair was amazing and we would like to thank all of the wonderful volunteers who made it possible.  There was such a wide selection of literature it was difficult to decide what to purchase.  A special thank you to Lisa Munn for organizing the event.  We can't wait until next fall to do it all again!
 





 
 

The JDRF fundraiser is in full swing and the hallways of the Delaney are filling up with sneakers.  Please remember that you can send in sneakers each and every day up until April 16th.  If you need additional ones, please contact the office or let you child's teacher know and we will send more home.  The final day of the fundraiser is Wednesday, April 16th.  Donation envelopes should be turned in on that day.  The students will be participating in a celebratory walk around the bus loop at the start of each recess period.  Thank you in advance for supporting this important cause that impacts so many of our Wrentham children.



 
Be on the lookout for your child's report card.  They were sent home in backpacks on Friday, April 11th.
 



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Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled for next week on Tuesday, April 15th (evening) and Thursday, April 17th (afternoon).  The Wrentham Public Schools believe one of the best means of establishing effective home – school relationships is the parent – teacher conference.  During the spring conference, parents are encouraged to discuss their child’s progress for the current school year.  We suggest and encourage parents to inquire about what learning style and what learning environment best suits their child.  While we do recognize that many parents may be tempted to discuss specific placements during their conference, please understand that staff members will not discuss individual teachers.  Our staff looks forward to discussing your child’s educational experiences over the past school year.
 
 
 
Attention Half-Day Kindergarten Parents!
Due to parent-teacher conferences, on Tuesday, April 15th and Thursday, April 17th students who regularly attend a.m. kindergarten will not have school.  Instead, students who normally attend p.m. kindergarten will come to school during the morning hours on those two days.  The purpose of this change is to try to minimize the number of days that our afternoon students miss as a result of noon dismissals. 
 
A letter was sent home on Tuesday with all half-day kindergarten students outlining the specifics for these two days and notifying parents of any changes in bus routes, times or numbers. 
 
Please call the Delaney Office with any questions:  508-384-5430.
 
 
 
Parental Input Letters 
The Wrentham Public Schools continues to highly value parent input.  We consider this as one of the many essential components in student placement.  Parents have an opportunity to develop a one-page narrative that should provide pertinent information to assist in our placement procedure.  Specifics regarding this procedure will be sent home immediately following April vacation.  Should you have any questions after receiving this form, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

 
We Love the Vogel Science Lab!
 
On Monday, Mrs. Beausoleil's kindergarten class visited the science lab to make recycled paper and participate in other fun science experiments. 
 

 
















 
 
 
At a Faculty Meeting on Monday, Delaney and Roderick teachers met to learn more about Writer's Workshop strategies.  Holly McMakin, a Needham reading specialist, modeled mini-lessons and conferencing strategies for the staff. 

 

 
 
 
Thank you to all of the Project Blossom preschool families who completed and returned the NAEYC family survey.  Results will be tabulated and used as part of the re-accreditation process. 
 
Project Blossom is currently in year four of a five year accreditation period.  We have applied to renew our accreditation for the 2015-2020 and will be looking forward to our site visit in the fall.
 
 
 
As you may have heard, at the end of June I will be leaving the Wrentham Public Schools after 18 years.  I am including the letter that was sent home to parent/guardians on Tuesday afternoon in the event that you may have missed it.
 
Dear Parents,
It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I have been offered a principalship in the Medfield Public Schools for the 2014-2015 school year.   I was offered the position after completing a process that included two rounds of interviews, a site visit at the Memorial School in Medfield, and a site visit in Wrentham. 

I have been in Wrentham for the past 18 years and will be forever grateful to have worked in such an outstanding community where education is so highly valued.  The children, families, staff, and community members are truly an exceptional group and I greatly valued the relationships that have been formed.
It will be a new challenge working in a larger school district (PreK-12) and one that I look forward to as I take this next step in my career.   I am also looking forward to once again working under the leadership of Medfield Superintendent, Dr. Marsden.
At the School Committee meeting on Tuesday evening, Dr. Martes, the School Committee and Dr. Cameron began a discussion of searching for a new principal.  Applications are currently being accepted and a search committee formed.

Please know that I remain fully committed to the Delaney School and the many things that will be happening over the next few months.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,
Missy Peterson


As always, thank you for reading this week's edition of the Delaney Blog.

Have a fabulous weekend and enjoy the warmer temperatures!

Sincerely,

Melissa D. Peterson, Principal