Mary E. Silveira Elementary “STARS”
Principal’s Welcome Back Letter
August, 2017
Dear Mary E. Silveira Parents,
Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! I hope all of you enjoyed a summer vacation filled with warm weather and memorable events with family and friends. Our family recently returned from the picturesque country of Japan and safe to say, it was one of the most awe inspiring experiences and countries we have traveled to for so many reasons. We returned invigorated and I am ready for an exciting new year enriched with 400+ curious and smiling faces!
To begin, I am both grateful and honored to have served the families in our community for the last 7 years and embrace the opportunity to continue this educational journey alongside so many caring families and eager students. All signs point to another incredible and productive school year. Our skilled and energetic teaching team is already collaboratively planning and preparing for your children while our enthusiastic office team is registering new families, ordering needed materials and updating student files. Our hard working custodians have spent the entire summer thoroughly cleaning the facility and preparing rooms for your children and staff and our much-appreciated Home and School Team (MESHSA) is gearing up to welcome families, provide volunteer opportunities, and offer exciting events and programs to all of you!
While there are several contributing factors that support a successful year of learning, I believe “Partnership Development” lies at the core. This includes Teacher:Parent, Student:Teacher, Student:Student, and School:Community. Through open communication and instilling a collaborative spirit, almost anything is attainable. As such, I encourage all of you to invest time and energy into the fabric of our MES culture in whatever way you are able. Our Mary Silveira Home and School Association is filled with wildly creative, humorous and talented parents, so delving into how you can support that team through volunteer opportunities is the best place to start. Watch for the team’s communication letters.
This year we are eager to introduce a new K-5 Language Arts program: Wonders, McGraw Hill. Carefully vetted last year by our teaching teams at all 3 elementary schools, this program is in tandem with Common Core Standards and filled with exemplars, award-winners and other high-interest literary and informational texts that range across many genres, eras, and cultures. In addition to our academic focus, we are deeply invested in a balanced learning approach that includes Social Emotional support for all of our children. The continual and careful balancing act of Academics and Emotional Confidence is critical and the resources are ever shifting. Over the last 7 years we have explored several important programs ranging from Dave Nettle’s Cooperative Adventures, Counseling, Friendship Groups, Zones of Regulation, Solution Teams, Schoolwide Jobs, Kimochis, Mindfulness, Life Skills, and more. What we have come to understand is that there is no universal program that supports the needs as every child. Each child sees the world around them through a unique lens and how to reach and support each child is going to vary. This year we are delving into the theme “Kindness”, which we will share more about in the weeks ahead.
Finally, I want to extend a warm welcome to all of our new families joining us this year and encourage you to attend our New Parent Orientation on August 23rd from 10:00-11:00am in our Multi Purpose Room. Following this, all of our parents and children are encouraged to attend our Meet the Teacher event from 11:00-12:00 in your child’s classroom.
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions you have.
Sincerely,
Will Anderson
Principal
Mary Silveira Elementary School, K-5
Upcoming events not to miss!
New Parent Orientation: Wednesday, August 23rd, 10:00-11:00 in our Multi-Purpose Room. New families are provided information pertaining to the year: programs, events, and any unanswered questions you may have.
Meet your child’s teacher: Wednesday, August 23rd, 11:00-12:00 in your child’s classroom. You will have an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher. Please keep in mind this is not an occasion designated for conferencing as instructors are in the process of preparing rooms and programs. Please arrive promptly by 11:00am to gather the full breadth of your teacher’s program.
Kindergarten Picnic/Play Date: Wednesday, August 23rd, 12:00pm-2:00pm, Marinwood Park. This is our annual kindergarten welcoming celebration. Bring a picnic lunch and meet other incoming Silveira parents and children. Note, teachers do not attend this picnic as they are preparing classes but it is a wonderful opportunity to get to know families.
School Begins: Thursday, August 24th, 2017, 8:14am for all students. Remember, there is no parking in the circle in front of our school.
Meet the Principal and Parent Organization (MESHSA): Thursday morning, August 24th, 8:15-8:45. Please join us for coffee and breakfast snacks in the front of the school and learn more about our programs in a more intimate setting.
Ice Cream Social: Tuesday evening, August 29th, 6:00pm-7:00pm, upper grade blacktop (back of the school), we are holding an ice cream social to begin the year. Bring your children and partake of Silberman’s delicious ice cream...FOR FREE! It goes pretty quickly so be there early! No better way to start the new year!
Back to School evening (parents only): You will have an opportunity to become familiar with our programs, meet your child’s teacher, and gather information about grade level curriculum, standards, specialists, and technology.
★ Grades K-2: Wednesday, September 6th, 6:00pm welcome in the MPR, 6:30-7:30 in your child’s classroom.
★ Grades 3-5: Thursday, September 7th, 6:00pm welcome in the MPR, 6:30-7:30 in your child’s classroom.
Student Portrait Day: Thursday, September 14th and Friday, September 15th. Make up Picture Day is September 21st.
Movie Under the Stars: Our 7th annual Movie Under the Stars takes place on September 15th at sundown! Come by and watch an award winning film and remember to bring your pillows, pajamas, low lying chairs, and blankets! Super fun! Super community event!
Our office needs these 7 packets returned
Please complete and return the following documents to your child’s teacher by Monday, August 28th, 2017
1. Emergency card. Keep the emergency card up-to-date throughout the school year.
2. Mary Silveira Home and School Association (MESHSA) form.
3. Photo release form.
4. Parent Rights form (Provided on first day of school)
5. Internet use agreement form (Provided on first day of school)
6. Free/reduced meals packet form (Provided on first day of school)
7. Students who need to take medication at school will need to pick up an “Authorization to Administer Medication” form from the office and have it signed by a physician. (Note: If you have medication in the office from last year, you need to have a new form on file.)
Parent Handbook: I encourage you to visit our www.marysilveira.org page and click School Resource at the top left of the page and then Parent Handbook. This little handbook is invaluable.
School Schedule: Grades 1-5: First 2 days of school, 8/24-8/25 are early dismissal days, 8:14-1:25.
Kindergarten: First 12 days of school, 8/24-9/8, are early release days, 8:14-11:50.
Regular daily schedule in grades 1-5: 8:14-2:35 (1:25 on Wednesdays).
Regular schedule day for Kindergarten: 8:14am-1:25pm, every day.
Class Assignments: Enclosed is your child’s teacher assignment. Your child has been placed with care using collaborative input from your child’s previous teacher, specialists, and support staff. We have attempted to provide the best educational setting possible for all children. Classes have been balanced with regard to boy/girl ratio, learning styles and abilities, academic and social needs, and equitable class size. It is our goal to ensure that each class contains a student mosaic of varying interests, needs, strengths, cultural backgrounds, and languages. Thank you in advance for helping your child understand that it is not possible to place all students with a preferred best friend or teacher. Our staff works hard to create a school that is positive for all. Sometimes it it can take a few weeks for a child to acclimate to a new grade, peer group, and teacher. No class changes are expected during the initial several weeks of school as students become familiar with class programs, teachers, and peers.
Certificated Instructional staff changes
★ Kindergarten: Welcome Mrs. Lisa Hooper, our newly hired Kindergarten teacher. With oodles of teaching experience both in the United States and England, she brings with her an energy and a sincere passion for working with children. We look forward to her immediate impact to our program. She will operate out of room 11 across from Mrs. Lum and Ms. Franklin in the K wing.
★ First grade: Welcome Mrs. Rossini, shifting from 2nd grade to 1st grade this year. She, too, will have an immediate impact on our instructional program and will operate out of room 13. She joins Mrs. Charton and Mrs. Ritscher, to complete our 1st grade trio.
★ Second grade: Ms. Van Deusen, Mrs. Jones, and Ms. Presson continue to anchor this team. Mrs. Jones will shift to room 1 behind the front office while Mrs. Presson will shift to room 10 in the Kindergarten wing.
★ Third grade: This team remains unchanged. Mrs. Case, Mrs. Hu, Ms. Digirolamo, and Ms. Palmer, continue to anchor our 3rd grade program and will operate out of their same rooms.
★ Fourth grade: Welcome Mrs. Madden, shifting from kindergarten to 4th grade this year. Her impact will be immediate as well as she joins Mr. Malaret and Mrs. Tanner to complete this 4th grade trio.
★ Fifth grade: Mrs. Hutchens shifts from a combination class to a straight 5th grade class this year. She joins Mrs. Ramirez, and Mrs. Nichols to complete this 5th grade trio.
★ Resource and Speech: Ms. Wayne will operate out of room 27 this year. Speech will operate out of room 26.
★ Special Day Class: Mrs. Costello, Mrs. Birnbaum and Ms. Wilson will continue to operate out of room 18.
★ Opportunity Time: This daily instructional support class managed by Marian Previtali and Noel Olson will now operate out of room 20.
Can Do! Specialists: Please help me welcome back Gisele Clark, our lovely Art teacher (room 22), Will Mosley and Tim Wallen, our excellent PE teacher combination, and our recent addition to the team this year, Brett Edwards, K-2 Music Instructor (MPR Stage). Brett has a rich background in music and teaching and recently moved west from the Virginia Commonwealth. He will be serving MES (Monday, Wednesdays, Fridays) and Val (Tuesday and Thursdays).
Monthly Principal/Parent coffee gatherings: I am hosting several monthly “Community Chats” in front of our school on Friday mornings before each of our Life Skill assemblies. Look for times and dates in the parent weekly letter. Superb opportunity to ask questions, share thoughts and ideas, or simply to just get together and drink coffee and tea.
Can Do! Comes Through: We are once again eager to provide yearlong Art, Physical Education, Garden Adventures, Assemblies, Technology, and K-2 Music for our students! Thanks to your Family Giving contributions, $600 per child, we were able to incorporate these important educational programs to extend your child’s learning opportunities. Please take the time at the start of the year to make your contribution to our school’s most important programs so that we can once again offer them this year.
Crossing Guard update - Blackstone and Las Gallinas: Thanks to the efforts of our new new Superintendent, Dr. Yamashiro and Dixie Board President, and former Silveira parent, Brad Honsberger, we will have our crossing guard back for another year. In the same breath, we will still have to move into creative mode in order to financially support this endeavor for both this year and moving forward in the years ahead. This will be part of the work we will be doing with Site Council and MESHSA. Grateful we have another year of support though!
Continue to use caution on Windstone: Over the last few years, Windstone Drive has seen its share of drivers who make their way up and down the hill at unsafe speeds as well as passing through stop signs. To keep our students safe, I will be notifying our local law enforcement folks to stop by and keep an eye out from time to time. Please do your part if you are a resident in that area to slow down and be ever watchful of our little ones who enter Silveira through the back gate. Muchas Gracias!!
Campus Hours:
★ MES campus opens at 8:05 am every day. Wait for bell before entering campus
★ MES campus is closed and in session from 8:30-2:30 M/T/Th./F and 8:30-1:20 Wednesdays.
★ MES Campus is closed and in session until 11:45 for kindergarten families until 9/2.
★ MES campus must be cleared by 2:45 with the exception of our after school program. (1:40 on Wednesdays).
★ The closed campus during instructional hours has been created to ensure students safety while providing sound instructional start and end times.
★ If you arrive early, you may wait on the front parking lot sidewalk as well the lower field area in the back of campus. The black top, hallways, kindergarten yard, courtyard, classrooms, are closed during the above noted times.
Campus Visitors: All campus visitors must sign in at the school front office and obtain a blue or yellow lanyard.
Please go over these simple but important strategies with your children when walking to school
★ Walk together or with a friend when possible. Younger children should walk with an adult.
★ Pick a safe route to school; one that avoids dangers and stick to the route selected.
★ Don’t let friends talk your children into shortcuts that are more dangerous.
★ When on or near the street, don’t push, shove, or chase each other.
★ Never take rides from people not arranged through parents.
★ Share with parents and teacher any bullying that may happen during the walk.
★ Be seen! Remember, drivers may not be able to see you well.
★ Look for traffic and watch for cars and trucks at every driveway and intersection on the walk to school.
★ Look for drivers in driveways and in parked cars. They may be getting ready to move.
★ Cross streets safely.
★ Walk bikes across streets.
★ Stop at the curb or edge of the street and look left, right, left, behind you, and in front of you for traffic.
★ Wait until no traffic is coming and begin crossing. Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing.