October 23, 2009
Dear Parents,
Here’s the latest news on upcoming events at Holy Family School:
· Thanks to Kate Conron for chairing the Halloween Float Committee, the Keators for allowing us to work on it at Norwich Beverage, and all the volunteers (old and young alike) who planned and worked on the “Thriller” float. Don’t miss the parade on Saturday, October 24th beginning at 2pm. If you are a float participant or would like to walk next to our float, please meet at Francis Ave. at 1:40pm. Your support will be greatly appreciated!
· Thanks to Melissa Tworkowsky, Sarah Stroh, Stephanie Coggins, Stacey Russell and the entire PTO Committee for planning and organizing this Friday’s Harvest Dinner at St. Bart’s from 5-7pm. This was definitely a team effort with parents baking pies, children and parents bringing in food items for the dinner, and the work force of parents, students and staff.
· Thanks to Eric Diefenbacher, our science teacher and the rest of our staff for organizing last Friday’s trip to Howe Caverns. Our 2nd graders and students in grades 4 through 7 attended the field trip. Many of our parents joined us on this field trip. The feedback was fantastic! The children and parents loved it and the Howe Caverns personnel raved about how polite, respectful and inquisitive our students were. It’s nice to hear compliments like this about our students!
· Our kindergarten through third graders just returned from a fun day at Critz Farms, located outside of Cazenovia. They went on hay rides, picked their own pumpkins and even ventured out into a corn maze! I believe these experiences are so important in the total educational program. While public schools have been cutting or reducing these types of experiences, we’re fortunate at HFS to be able to continue providing these types of experiences. Believe it or not, the Box Tops that you send in help to pay for the cost of bus transportation to these field trips. Last year we raised $991 from Box Tops. We’re off to a good start this year, with the 4th grade slightly ahead of the 2nd grade. It’s good to see our older students in grades 5-7 also pitching in. They’re currently in 4th place.
· Thanks to Dianne Fiorina for organizing the bowling field trip to Plaza Lanes in Norwich. Our 5-7 graders will be bowling during four afternoons as part of their physical education program. Many have shared with me stories of their experiences and good times while bowling. Thanks also go out to Belinda Keator for helping to transport our students and all the parents for changing their schedules to pick up their children at a later time.
· Health items to put on your calendar:
November 5th: All students in grades K-7 will have their eyes
and ears checked
November 16-18th: Students in grades K, 1, 4 and 7 and all new
students who have not had their annual physical will receive them on this date.
· Please note that the Norwich School calendar is incorrect. On Friday, November 5th, we have a full day of school at Holy Family.
Please remember not to leave children unattended in your cars when you
drop off or pick up your children at school.
Hopefully you have noticed that I have begun sending parents individual emails when I need to share information. If you haven’t given us your email address, please do so as soon as possible. If we have a snow day, you will receive an email stating that school is closed.
Please be on the lookout for the consent form and letter concerning the H1N1 Vaccine Clinic. I’m hoping that they will arrive this week. Have a great weekend!
God Bless,
Gene
Friday, October 23, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
October 16, 2009
Dear Parents,
An issue has been brought to my attention that I would like to address. I, of course, was oblivious to it. Long ago I chose to look at life in a positive manner. I try to always say hello to people and walk around with a smile on my face. As a result, I wasn’t aware that some of our parents weren’t doing the same. We always seem to be in a rush and have many things weighing on our minds that we sometimes miss the obvious. I hope we realize that as parents, we have the greatest impact on our children. They learn from us, not only from what we tell them, but from our actions as well. Is there any better way to teach common courtesy than by our own actions? Let them see us saying hello and good morning (or afternoon) to people we see when we enter HFS. Putting a smile on our face can also make a world of difference. Yes, we all have personal issues that we face every day, but walking around with a smile helps us to put those issues aside, at least for the time being. I would hope that one of the reasons we send our children to HFS is because of the friendly, welcoming environment. Let’s be great role models for all our children and show them by example how we should treat each other. Perhaps we can borrow from the phrase “This is a smoke-free campus” and make our motto, “This is a friendly campus, saying hello and smiling are required.”
Yesterday I mailed out information concerning the intranasal spray for H1N1. We were originally informed that this was the only vaccine available at this time. Last night I received a phone call from Public Health with exciting news. They will be receiving a shipment of both the intranasal as well as the shot administered vaccine. Parents who choose to have their children receive the vaccine will be able to choose which vaccine they want their children to receive. I’m hoping the clinic will be set up in the near future for our students. I will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available. Please continue to read the articles we are posting on Edline. I have also decided to take several precautions at our First Friday masses with the flu season upon us. We will not hold hands while we recite the Our Father and we will verbally wish each other “peace” rather than shaking hands.
Due to the change in weather and the flu season upon us, I have decided not to wait until November 1st to allow girls in grades K – 4 to wear navy blue slacks (no cargo slacks), except on Mass days. Girls in grades 5-8 may still wear either khaki or navy blue slacks or skirts (no cargo slacks), except on Mass days.
On Monday, we will be mailing home the reading assessment results for our children. These will be discussed in further detail during parent conferences in November.
Our Harvest Dinner at St. Bart’s Parish Center is Friday, October 23rd from 5-7pm. We need volunteers to help out with this fundraising event. Please consider helping out if you can. Contact Melissa Tworkowsky via email (miggy@roadrunner.com) if you can assist us.
The final request concerns stuffed animals. Valley View Nursing Home residents play bingo each week and the residents love winning gently used stuffed animals. If you have any that need a new home, please have your child bring them to Mrs. Hose. We will make sure the nursing home receives them. On this note of giving, our students will be performing two community service projects for the Thanksgiving Season. We will be conducting a canned food drive and a gently used clothing drive for the Domestic Abuse Center. We will be looking for women’s coats, slacks, blouses and children’s coats, boots, gloves, scarves, jeans and shirts. If you have time this weekend, please begin to collect any items you wish to donate.
My last word of advice is to get the snow tires ready! It’s inevitable!
God Bless,
Gene
Dear Parents,
An issue has been brought to my attention that I would like to address. I, of course, was oblivious to it. Long ago I chose to look at life in a positive manner. I try to always say hello to people and walk around with a smile on my face. As a result, I wasn’t aware that some of our parents weren’t doing the same. We always seem to be in a rush and have many things weighing on our minds that we sometimes miss the obvious. I hope we realize that as parents, we have the greatest impact on our children. They learn from us, not only from what we tell them, but from our actions as well. Is there any better way to teach common courtesy than by our own actions? Let them see us saying hello and good morning (or afternoon) to people we see when we enter HFS. Putting a smile on our face can also make a world of difference. Yes, we all have personal issues that we face every day, but walking around with a smile helps us to put those issues aside, at least for the time being. I would hope that one of the reasons we send our children to HFS is because of the friendly, welcoming environment. Let’s be great role models for all our children and show them by example how we should treat each other. Perhaps we can borrow from the phrase “This is a smoke-free campus” and make our motto, “This is a friendly campus, saying hello and smiling are required.”
Yesterday I mailed out information concerning the intranasal spray for H1N1. We were originally informed that this was the only vaccine available at this time. Last night I received a phone call from Public Health with exciting news. They will be receiving a shipment of both the intranasal as well as the shot administered vaccine. Parents who choose to have their children receive the vaccine will be able to choose which vaccine they want their children to receive. I’m hoping the clinic will be set up in the near future for our students. I will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available. Please continue to read the articles we are posting on Edline. I have also decided to take several precautions at our First Friday masses with the flu season upon us. We will not hold hands while we recite the Our Father and we will verbally wish each other “peace” rather than shaking hands.
Due to the change in weather and the flu season upon us, I have decided not to wait until November 1st to allow girls in grades K – 4 to wear navy blue slacks (no cargo slacks), except on Mass days. Girls in grades 5-8 may still wear either khaki or navy blue slacks or skirts (no cargo slacks), except on Mass days.
On Monday, we will be mailing home the reading assessment results for our children. These will be discussed in further detail during parent conferences in November.
Our Harvest Dinner at St. Bart’s Parish Center is Friday, October 23rd from 5-7pm. We need volunteers to help out with this fundraising event. Please consider helping out if you can. Contact Melissa Tworkowsky via email (miggy@roadrunner.com) if you can assist us.
The final request concerns stuffed animals. Valley View Nursing Home residents play bingo each week and the residents love winning gently used stuffed animals. If you have any that need a new home, please have your child bring them to Mrs. Hose. We will make sure the nursing home receives them. On this note of giving, our students will be performing two community service projects for the Thanksgiving Season. We will be conducting a canned food drive and a gently used clothing drive for the Domestic Abuse Center. We will be looking for women’s coats, slacks, blouses and children’s coats, boots, gloves, scarves, jeans and shirts. If you have time this weekend, please begin to collect any items you wish to donate.
My last word of advice is to get the snow tires ready! It’s inevitable!
God Bless,
Gene
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
October 9, 2009
October 9, 2009
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone is enjoying the fall weather and landscape. This week I will be listing some of the exciting upcoming events at Holy Family School. Please call or stop in if you have any questions.
· Mon, Oct. 12th No School – Columbus Day Kids’ Zone & EC Closed
· Wed, Oct. 14th 6pm Commission Meeting
· Wed, Oct. 14th 7pm PTO Meeting
· Fri, Oct. 16th Howe Caverns Field Trip Grades 2,4,5,6, and 7
· Friday, Oct. 23rd Critz Farm Field Trip Grades K, 1, 2 and 3
· Friday Oct. 23 5-7pm Harvest Dinner St. Bart’s Parish Ctr. PTO Fundraiser
· Friday, Oct. 30th Afternoon Classroom Halloween Parties
· Sun, Nov. 1st 2am Daylight Savings Time
· Mon, Nov. 2nd Individual/Class Portraits
· Fri, Nov. 6th 9am Children’s Mass: 3rd Grade
· Fri, Nov. 6th-19th Scholastic Book Fair: Library
· Tues, Nov. 10th 7pm PTO Meeting
· Wed, Nov. 11th No School – Veterans’ Day Kids’ Zone & EC Closed
· Th & F, Nov. 12 & 13 Early Dismissal 11am. Kids’ Zone & EC open all day
· Th & F, Nov. 12 & 13 Parent Conferences
· Thurs, Nov. 19th 10am Thanksgiving Children’s Mass
· Thurs, Nov. 19th Family Thanksgiving Dinner
Grades EC – 1 11am – Noon
Grades 2 – 7 12:15pm – 1:15pm
· Fri, Nov. 20th Non-Uniform Day
· Nov. 25-29 No School: Thanksgiving Vacation
· Wed, Nov. 25th Kids’ Zone & EC open all day
· Th & F, Nov. 26 & 27 Kids’ Zone & EC closed
Now that school is open, I’d like to remind parents about parking lot safety. Our rule is that when dropping off or picking up your children, please walk them to the door and pick them up at the door. I know this may not be convenient in cold weather, but the safety of our children is our first priority. Also, please shut off your car for safety purposes when leaving it. Thank you in advance for adhering to these safety precautions.
We have been working with Public Health concerning the H1N1 virus. When the vaccine becomes available, we will be conducting a clinic at school for our children. I will let you know as soon as this information is available.
Although it is only the first week of October, we are already planning for our Family Thanksgiving Dinner. Students buying lunch will be charged the normal amount. We are required to do this to meet State and Federal guidelines. A free-will offering will be taken for adult lunches. We are in need of some adult assistance in preparing and serving the food. If you can help out, we would greatly appreciate it. Please let me know if you are able to volunteer.
Please make note: There have been a couple of changes in the October lunch menu. October 14th will be pancakes, scrambled eggs, applesauce, o.j. and milk (instead of french toast).
October 20th will be turkey casserole instead of chicken casserole.
Have a great weekend!
God Bless,
Gene
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone is enjoying the fall weather and landscape. This week I will be listing some of the exciting upcoming events at Holy Family School. Please call or stop in if you have any questions.
· Mon, Oct. 12th No School – Columbus Day Kids’ Zone & EC Closed
· Wed, Oct. 14th 6pm Commission Meeting
· Wed, Oct. 14th 7pm PTO Meeting
· Fri, Oct. 16th Howe Caverns Field Trip Grades 2,4,5,6, and 7
· Friday, Oct. 23rd Critz Farm Field Trip Grades K, 1, 2 and 3
· Friday Oct. 23 5-7pm Harvest Dinner St. Bart’s Parish Ctr. PTO Fundraiser
· Friday, Oct. 30th Afternoon Classroom Halloween Parties
· Sun, Nov. 1st 2am Daylight Savings Time
· Mon, Nov. 2nd Individual/Class Portraits
· Fri, Nov. 6th 9am Children’s Mass: 3rd Grade
· Fri, Nov. 6th-19th Scholastic Book Fair: Library
· Tues, Nov. 10th 7pm PTO Meeting
· Wed, Nov. 11th No School – Veterans’ Day Kids’ Zone & EC Closed
· Th & F, Nov. 12 & 13 Early Dismissal 11am. Kids’ Zone & EC open all day
· Th & F, Nov. 12 & 13 Parent Conferences
· Thurs, Nov. 19th 10am Thanksgiving Children’s Mass
· Thurs, Nov. 19th Family Thanksgiving Dinner
Grades EC – 1 11am – Noon
Grades 2 – 7 12:15pm – 1:15pm
· Fri, Nov. 20th Non-Uniform Day
· Nov. 25-29 No School: Thanksgiving Vacation
· Wed, Nov. 25th Kids’ Zone & EC open all day
· Th & F, Nov. 26 & 27 Kids’ Zone & EC closed
Now that school is open, I’d like to remind parents about parking lot safety. Our rule is that when dropping off or picking up your children, please walk them to the door and pick them up at the door. I know this may not be convenient in cold weather, but the safety of our children is our first priority. Also, please shut off your car for safety purposes when leaving it. Thank you in advance for adhering to these safety precautions.
We have been working with Public Health concerning the H1N1 virus. When the vaccine becomes available, we will be conducting a clinic at school for our children. I will let you know as soon as this information is available.
Although it is only the first week of October, we are already planning for our Family Thanksgiving Dinner. Students buying lunch will be charged the normal amount. We are required to do this to meet State and Federal guidelines. A free-will offering will be taken for adult lunches. We are in need of some adult assistance in preparing and serving the food. If you can help out, we would greatly appreciate it. Please let me know if you are able to volunteer.
Please make note: There have been a couple of changes in the October lunch menu. October 14th will be pancakes, scrambled eggs, applesauce, o.j. and milk (instead of french toast).
October 20th will be turkey casserole instead of chicken casserole.
Have a great weekend!
God Bless,
Gene
Friday, October 2, 2009
October 2, 2009
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone had a great week. Things are running smoothly at HFS. We had a great turnout for our Open House this week. 89% of our children’s parents attended. The parents were able to view the great work their children have been doing in school. The rooms came alive with student work. The hallways were also filled with student work, not only from their classroom, but also from their art and Spanish classes. Congratulations go to our great staff for working on their rooms over the summer. The compliments I heard from the parents and grandparents were well worth the time and effort the staff devoted to preparing their rooms for our students.
Last week I focused on the academic changes that were instituted for this school year. This week I’d like to focus on the physical changes that occurred over the summer months at HFS.
· Cleaning of Rooms: Pete Asma has done a wonderful job of thoroughly cleaning all of our classrooms. From cleaning the heaters, the blinds and windows, the walls, washing and waxing the floors, Pete has made the rooms look like new. Many thanks go to Pete for his hard work and dedication to HFS.
· New Classroom Tables: Several of the classrooms have new round and kidney shaped tables to facilitate instruction with their learning centers. The bright colors also lend themselves to a great atmosphere in the classroom
· Several Rooms Painted: Speaking of bright colors, several teachers painted their own classrooms this summer. The classroom landscape now includes multi-colored polka dots, clouds and the primary colors.
· Several Closets Renovated: The kindergarten and 1st grade classroom closets have been totally renovated to provide more storage space, mailboxes or cubbies for the students and bookcases. It gives the rooms a completely new look.
· Gym/Auditorium Entrance: The walls in the entrance hallway have been painted, a new drop ceiling installed and new fluorescent lighting installed. New drop ceilings in the boys’ and girls’ restrooms have also been installed.
· Energy Audit: An energy audit was conducted in June of 2008. We received the report this past May. Pete and myself reviewed the report and developed a plan to institute many of the recommendations in the report. The recommendations in the report that we took included:
- installing eight new fluorescent lighting fixtures to replace less energy efficient lighting
- shutting off and draining an old hot water heater that we weren’t using, but were heating the water in it. It was a remnant from when the locker rooms and showers were in existence at St. Paul’s.
- replacing the stairwell security lights with more efficient lighting
- removing 30 % of the fluorescent light fixtures in the cafeteria
- installing sensors in several areas of the school to shut off lights when the areas are not in use
Annual Asbestos Inspection: was conducted over the summer. Two minor suggestions, not involving asbestos, were made involving insulation that needed to be replaced on pipes in storage areas. This issue was addressed in August. No other issues or concerns were cited in the report.
Please remember the Christmas Concert is on Wednesday, December 16th at 6pm. Enjoy the beautiful fall colors!
God Bless,
Gene
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone had a great week. Things are running smoothly at HFS. We had a great turnout for our Open House this week. 89% of our children’s parents attended. The parents were able to view the great work their children have been doing in school. The rooms came alive with student work. The hallways were also filled with student work, not only from their classroom, but also from their art and Spanish classes. Congratulations go to our great staff for working on their rooms over the summer. The compliments I heard from the parents and grandparents were well worth the time and effort the staff devoted to preparing their rooms for our students.
Last week I focused on the academic changes that were instituted for this school year. This week I’d like to focus on the physical changes that occurred over the summer months at HFS.
· Cleaning of Rooms: Pete Asma has done a wonderful job of thoroughly cleaning all of our classrooms. From cleaning the heaters, the blinds and windows, the walls, washing and waxing the floors, Pete has made the rooms look like new. Many thanks go to Pete for his hard work and dedication to HFS.
· New Classroom Tables: Several of the classrooms have new round and kidney shaped tables to facilitate instruction with their learning centers. The bright colors also lend themselves to a great atmosphere in the classroom
· Several Rooms Painted: Speaking of bright colors, several teachers painted their own classrooms this summer. The classroom landscape now includes multi-colored polka dots, clouds and the primary colors.
· Several Closets Renovated: The kindergarten and 1st grade classroom closets have been totally renovated to provide more storage space, mailboxes or cubbies for the students and bookcases. It gives the rooms a completely new look.
· Gym/Auditorium Entrance: The walls in the entrance hallway have been painted, a new drop ceiling installed and new fluorescent lighting installed. New drop ceilings in the boys’ and girls’ restrooms have also been installed.
· Energy Audit: An energy audit was conducted in June of 2008. We received the report this past May. Pete and myself reviewed the report and developed a plan to institute many of the recommendations in the report. The recommendations in the report that we took included:
- installing eight new fluorescent lighting fixtures to replace less energy efficient lighting
- shutting off and draining an old hot water heater that we weren’t using, but were heating the water in it. It was a remnant from when the locker rooms and showers were in existence at St. Paul’s.
- replacing the stairwell security lights with more efficient lighting
- removing 30 % of the fluorescent light fixtures in the cafeteria
- installing sensors in several areas of the school to shut off lights when the areas are not in use
Annual Asbestos Inspection: was conducted over the summer. Two minor suggestions, not involving asbestos, were made involving insulation that needed to be replaced on pipes in storage areas. This issue was addressed in August. No other issues or concerns were cited in the report.
Please remember the Christmas Concert is on Wednesday, December 16th at 6pm. Enjoy the beautiful fall colors!
God Bless,
Gene
Friday, September 25, 2009
September 25, 2009
Dear Parents,
School is in full swing now! It’s great to see all our children again. I can’t believe how much they grew, both physically and in terms of maturity, over the summer. Like our students, Holy Family School has also undergone many changes over the summer, both academically and physically.
This week I’d like to focus on the academic changes we have incorporated for this school year. In next week’s letter, I will discuss the physical changes.
Before I begin my list, I’d like to explain and reassure everyone that I believe these changes were necessary. In fact, I believe if we hadn’t begun this process last year, enrollment in Holy Family School would be extremely low. For years, the staff was told no to any requests. It’s still difficult to sometimes convince them that we must make these changes to improve the academic program at our school. Much of the credit for these changes needs to go to our dedicated staff. Listed below are these changes, in no particular order. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me either in person, email (gchilion@syrdiocese.org) or phone 337-2207 (school) or 965-8930 (home).
· Three new staff members: Suzanne Scafidi, Lisa Halsteter and Sarah Mahan.
Suzanne Scafidi is a former graduate of Holy Family School residing in Norwich. Suzanne will be teaching our Early Childhood Program. Suzanne is a NYS certified teacher for Early Childhood Education with a BA in Childhood Education and an MS in Education – Literacy Specialist from the State University College at Potsdam.
Lisa Halsteter will be our new 1st grade instructor. Lisa spent the past two years teaching 3rd grade at Oxford Central School. Lisa holds a NYS certificate in Childhood Education with a BA and MS in Education, Learning and Technology. She resides in Oxford with her husband and five children.
Sarah Mahan has been hired as our new art teacher for grades Early Childhood through 8th grade. Sarah has a BS in zoology, a BA in Studio Art and an MFA in Illustration. Besides working at HFS, Sarah stays busy by working at The Place in Norwich as the Teen Advantage After School Program Leader. Sarah also works at Laurens Central School as a NY Gear Up Tutor and teaches adult and continuing educations Fine Arts classes at the DCMO BOCES in Norwich. Sarah lives with her husband in Mt. Upton.
· ELA Initiative: I appointed Leslie Linfante ELA Coordinator last spring. Leslie met with the teachers throughout the spring to investigate and choose a comprehensive ELA Program for HFS. They chose the Fountas and Pinnell reading assessment program and the Pearson ELA series. We have already purchased and received the reading assessment program and have ordered the ELA series. The staff dedicated a lot of their time and effort into choosing this program and I am confident it will only enhance our already strong ELA program.
· Student Computer Centers: We have purchased sixteen (16) new computers with 19 inch monitors for student use in the classrooms. Many of the elementary teachers have created computer centers in their classrooms, as well as other learning centers. One main advantage of learning centers is that it enables teachers to easily differentiate instruction for the different learning styles and abilities of their students within the classroom.
· Reading Corners (Lofts): Several classrooms will have new reading lofts in them, while several other staff members have expressed an interest in creating one in their classrooms in the future. The purpose of the reading loft is to create an atmosphere and environment whereby students will want to go and read in a relaxed place. Hopefully this will help to instill a love of reading for our students.
· Early Childhood Program: Beginning this September, we instituted a year-round Early Childhood Program for 3-year olds with options for half-day or full day enrollment. The program is open on all weekdays, except holidays. My hope is that this program will grow and once parents see what we have to offer, they will want their children to remain at HFS. We currently have 11 students attending this program.
Our staff has worked hard to prepare their curriculum for this year. I encourage you to talk with your child’s teacher to see how you can compliment the program we have at HFS and assist your child in having a successful academic year. Our Open House will be on Tuesday, September 29th at 6pm. We will once again be sponsoring OM Teams for students in grades 4-7. At 5:45pm on September 29th, just prior to the Open House, there will be a required meeting for all parents and students who want to join the OM Team in Kate Conron’s room.
Before I close, I’d like to thank several people and organizations for their support of Holy Family during the 2008-09 school year. This list is in no particular order or importance and I apologize now if I inadvertently leave any name(s) off the list. The most important person, God, knows who you are and I’m certain your reward with Him will be great.
· The two anonymous supporters for donating the flooring for our main hallways and classrooms
· Camp Pharsalia inmates for installing the new flooring and painting the gym/auditorium
· Today, Tomorrow and Always donations from countless supporters for underwriting our new Science Initiative, purchasing the paint for the gym/auditorium, purchasing laptops for all our staff and several other projects
· Smith Foundation for underwriting our Tuition Assistance Program, purchasing our new Saxon math and religion books, and several Smartboards
· Dowdall Foundation for purchasing library books, classroom computers, and several Smartboards
· PTO for supporting many initiatives such as assisting in purchasing teacher supplies for the classrooms, student programs and assemblies, the annual Lenten Fish Fries, social events and fundraisers to support our school
· The Knights of Columbus for assisting several families with Tuition Assistance
· All the parents/grandparents who donate classroom items throughout the school year
· To the anonymous donor who paid for the computers in our computer lab
· George Carnrike for donating his services by installing the new elevator
Thank you to all of the above and many others that I haven’t mentioned here. May God bless you!
God Bless,
Gene
Dear Parents,
School is in full swing now! It’s great to see all our children again. I can’t believe how much they grew, both physically and in terms of maturity, over the summer. Like our students, Holy Family School has also undergone many changes over the summer, both academically and physically.
This week I’d like to focus on the academic changes we have incorporated for this school year. In next week’s letter, I will discuss the physical changes.
Before I begin my list, I’d like to explain and reassure everyone that I believe these changes were necessary. In fact, I believe if we hadn’t begun this process last year, enrollment in Holy Family School would be extremely low. For years, the staff was told no to any requests. It’s still difficult to sometimes convince them that we must make these changes to improve the academic program at our school. Much of the credit for these changes needs to go to our dedicated staff. Listed below are these changes, in no particular order. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me either in person, email (gchilion@syrdiocese.org) or phone 337-2207 (school) or 965-8930 (home).
· Three new staff members: Suzanne Scafidi, Lisa Halsteter and Sarah Mahan.
Suzanne Scafidi is a former graduate of Holy Family School residing in Norwich. Suzanne will be teaching our Early Childhood Program. Suzanne is a NYS certified teacher for Early Childhood Education with a BA in Childhood Education and an MS in Education – Literacy Specialist from the State University College at Potsdam.
Lisa Halsteter will be our new 1st grade instructor. Lisa spent the past two years teaching 3rd grade at Oxford Central School. Lisa holds a NYS certificate in Childhood Education with a BA and MS in Education, Learning and Technology. She resides in Oxford with her husband and five children.
Sarah Mahan has been hired as our new art teacher for grades Early Childhood through 8th grade. Sarah has a BS in zoology, a BA in Studio Art and an MFA in Illustration. Besides working at HFS, Sarah stays busy by working at The Place in Norwich as the Teen Advantage After School Program Leader. Sarah also works at Laurens Central School as a NY Gear Up Tutor and teaches adult and continuing educations Fine Arts classes at the DCMO BOCES in Norwich. Sarah lives with her husband in Mt. Upton.
· ELA Initiative: I appointed Leslie Linfante ELA Coordinator last spring. Leslie met with the teachers throughout the spring to investigate and choose a comprehensive ELA Program for HFS. They chose the Fountas and Pinnell reading assessment program and the Pearson ELA series. We have already purchased and received the reading assessment program and have ordered the ELA series. The staff dedicated a lot of their time and effort into choosing this program and I am confident it will only enhance our already strong ELA program.
· Student Computer Centers: We have purchased sixteen (16) new computers with 19 inch monitors for student use in the classrooms. Many of the elementary teachers have created computer centers in their classrooms, as well as other learning centers. One main advantage of learning centers is that it enables teachers to easily differentiate instruction for the different learning styles and abilities of their students within the classroom.
· Reading Corners (Lofts): Several classrooms will have new reading lofts in them, while several other staff members have expressed an interest in creating one in their classrooms in the future. The purpose of the reading loft is to create an atmosphere and environment whereby students will want to go and read in a relaxed place. Hopefully this will help to instill a love of reading for our students.
· Early Childhood Program: Beginning this September, we instituted a year-round Early Childhood Program for 3-year olds with options for half-day or full day enrollment. The program is open on all weekdays, except holidays. My hope is that this program will grow and once parents see what we have to offer, they will want their children to remain at HFS. We currently have 11 students attending this program.
Our staff has worked hard to prepare their curriculum for this year. I encourage you to talk with your child’s teacher to see how you can compliment the program we have at HFS and assist your child in having a successful academic year. Our Open House will be on Tuesday, September 29th at 6pm. We will once again be sponsoring OM Teams for students in grades 4-7. At 5:45pm on September 29th, just prior to the Open House, there will be a required meeting for all parents and students who want to join the OM Team in Kate Conron’s room.
Before I close, I’d like to thank several people and organizations for their support of Holy Family during the 2008-09 school year. This list is in no particular order or importance and I apologize now if I inadvertently leave any name(s) off the list. The most important person, God, knows who you are and I’m certain your reward with Him will be great.
· The two anonymous supporters for donating the flooring for our main hallways and classrooms
· Camp Pharsalia inmates for installing the new flooring and painting the gym/auditorium
· Today, Tomorrow and Always donations from countless supporters for underwriting our new Science Initiative, purchasing the paint for the gym/auditorium, purchasing laptops for all our staff and several other projects
· Smith Foundation for underwriting our Tuition Assistance Program, purchasing our new Saxon math and religion books, and several Smartboards
· Dowdall Foundation for purchasing library books, classroom computers, and several Smartboards
· PTO for supporting many initiatives such as assisting in purchasing teacher supplies for the classrooms, student programs and assemblies, the annual Lenten Fish Fries, social events and fundraisers to support our school
· The Knights of Columbus for assisting several families with Tuition Assistance
· All the parents/grandparents who donate classroom items throughout the school year
· To the anonymous donor who paid for the computers in our computer lab
· George Carnrike for donating his services by installing the new elevator
Thank you to all of the above and many others that I haven’t mentioned here. May God bless you!
God Bless,
Gene
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Weekly Letter
September 18, 2009
Dear Parents,
We’re off and running after completing our first full week of school. We have finished practicing our eight mandatory fire drills. I would encourage all families to practice these at home, teaching your young children the different escape routes. As they say, it never hurts to be on the safe side.
This past summer we began two initiatives. I’d like to thank Eric Diefenbacher for all the time and effort he devoted to choosing, planning and making the arrangements for our four family science trips this past July. We visited the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, The Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, Rogers Conservation Center in Sherburne and Wolf Mountain in Smyrna. The trips were not only educational, but they provided families an opportunity to spend quality time with their children.
The MARS Program, Math and Reading Superstars, involved all students receiving a cloth MARS bag filled with a book, school pencil and age appropriate math problems. Students were challenged to read consistently over the summer. Those students that met this challenge were promised a surprise when they returned to school in September. On Friday, October 9th, all students that completed the challenge will receive a certificate and celebrate their accomplishment with an ice cream sundae and movie in the afternoon. Please return your reading validation sheet and completed math worksheets to your classroom teacher or Nikki Strano. Thanks go to Nikki for all her work on this project. Congratulations to all our students for participating in this worthwhile venture. Thanks go to all our staff for assisting in preparing the MARS bags and for all our parents for encouraging their children to read over the summer.
I’d like to remind parents to check our website for the updated dress code. I have tried to consolidate the code and make it more user-friendly. Students may wear uniform shorts until November 1st. Beginning November 1st, girls in grades K-6 may wear navy blue uniform slacks. A belt is recommended if the slacks have loops for a belt. Our next Mass is on Friday, October 2nd at 9am. Please review the dress code for Masses.
As you know, at the end of the last school year central New York had numerous cases of H1N1. While it is difficult to predict what will happen this school year, we need to be prepared to deal with the H1N1 and seasonal flu virus. Holy Family School has taken the following initial steps to reduce the risk:
· We encourage all students to bring their own water bottle to school each day.
· Cup dispensers have been ordered and once received, will be installed next to all water fountains.
· Desks, chairs, light switches, keyboards, mice and headphones are sanitized daily.
· All staff has been provided with Purell Sanitizing Hand Cleanser for student use when soap and water are unavailable.
· All staff were provided an opportunity to attend an immunization clinic for the seasonal flu.
I will continue to provide updated information regarding H1N1 and the seasonal flu as it becomes available.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
God Bless,
Gene
Dear Parents,
We’re off and running after completing our first full week of school. We have finished practicing our eight mandatory fire drills. I would encourage all families to practice these at home, teaching your young children the different escape routes. As they say, it never hurts to be on the safe side.
This past summer we began two initiatives. I’d like to thank Eric Diefenbacher for all the time and effort he devoted to choosing, planning and making the arrangements for our four family science trips this past July. We visited the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, The Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, Rogers Conservation Center in Sherburne and Wolf Mountain in Smyrna. The trips were not only educational, but they provided families an opportunity to spend quality time with their children.
The MARS Program, Math and Reading Superstars, involved all students receiving a cloth MARS bag filled with a book, school pencil and age appropriate math problems. Students were challenged to read consistently over the summer. Those students that met this challenge were promised a surprise when they returned to school in September. On Friday, October 9th, all students that completed the challenge will receive a certificate and celebrate their accomplishment with an ice cream sundae and movie in the afternoon. Please return your reading validation sheet and completed math worksheets to your classroom teacher or Nikki Strano. Thanks go to Nikki for all her work on this project. Congratulations to all our students for participating in this worthwhile venture. Thanks go to all our staff for assisting in preparing the MARS bags and for all our parents for encouraging their children to read over the summer.
I’d like to remind parents to check our website for the updated dress code. I have tried to consolidate the code and make it more user-friendly. Students may wear uniform shorts until November 1st. Beginning November 1st, girls in grades K-6 may wear navy blue uniform slacks. A belt is recommended if the slacks have loops for a belt. Our next Mass is on Friday, October 2nd at 9am. Please review the dress code for Masses.
As you know, at the end of the last school year central New York had numerous cases of H1N1. While it is difficult to predict what will happen this school year, we need to be prepared to deal with the H1N1 and seasonal flu virus. Holy Family School has taken the following initial steps to reduce the risk:
· We encourage all students to bring their own water bottle to school each day.
· Cup dispensers have been ordered and once received, will be installed next to all water fountains.
· Desks, chairs, light switches, keyboards, mice and headphones are sanitized daily.
· All staff has been provided with Purell Sanitizing Hand Cleanser for student use when soap and water are unavailable.
· All staff were provided an opportunity to attend an immunization clinic for the seasonal flu.
I will continue to provide updated information regarding H1N1 and the seasonal flu as it becomes available.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
God Bless,
Gene
Friday, September 11, 2009
Welcome Back!!
September 11, 2009
Dear Parents,
It was great to see all the children once again! So many of them have grown over the summer. Now it’s our job to help them grow both academically and spiritually during the coming school year. To accomplish this, it must be a team effort involving our staff, the children and yes, their parents. If any of these team members falter, our children will suffer the consequences. As always, communication is a key to achieving the success we desire. On this note, if you try to access our Chalksite, you will notice that it no longer exists. Because of the many issues we and many of the other Diocesan schools encountered with this program last year, the Diocese has decided to stop supporting this program. We only received this news at the end of August. As a result, we are changing to Edline and GradeQuick to communicate with our parents. It will take a month to train our staff and allow them time to prepare their webpages and gradebooks. All parents will receive a brief overview of the new program at our Open House on Tuesday, September 29th, along with their passwords to access their children’s grades and the homework calendar. I apologize for the delay, but I believe it is important to provide our staff with some time to become familiar with this program before allowing parents access to it.
Holy Family School is trying to be proactive with the upcoming flu season and the possible outbreak of the H1N1 virus. I have encouraged all our staff to receive the regular flu vaccine at a staff only clinic we have set up at Holy Family School next week. In addition, a Commission member and I will be attending a conference on the H1N1 virus soon. After this conference, we will be taking steps to prepare ourselves for the upcoming flu season. I will be sharing some of these steps with you next week and in weeks to come. At this point, we will be instituting the following precautions:
· All students may bring their own water bottle to school. Please continuously remind your child not to share their water bottles with other students.
· We will be installing paper cup dispensers at our two water fountains for students to use. Too many germs are spread at water fountains by students putting their mouths on the water spouts.
· We will continue to encourage the use of the water dispenser in the cafeteria.
· Your child’s teachers will regularly review with their classes the proper techniques for washing hands and other healthy habits.
· At least once a week Dianne Fiorina, our PE instructor, will spend a few minutes in PE class reviewing healthy habits and techniques with all our students.
I would encourage parents to look at the following websites for further information:
www.flu.gov
www.ascd.org/research_a_topic/h1n1response.aspx
The playground for our young students is completed. The children love it! Stop by and look at it when you get an opportunity. Please remember the PTO Family Picnic scheduled for Friday, September 18th beginning at 5:30pm. All our families are invited to this fun event. A big thanks goes out to the PTO for the Yahoo and Boo Hoo breakfasts for our students on their first day of school. Enjoy Colorscape and the beginning of the beautiful fall foliage.
Dear Parents,
It was great to see all the children once again! So many of them have grown over the summer. Now it’s our job to help them grow both academically and spiritually during the coming school year. To accomplish this, it must be a team effort involving our staff, the children and yes, their parents. If any of these team members falter, our children will suffer the consequences. As always, communication is a key to achieving the success we desire. On this note, if you try to access our Chalksite, you will notice that it no longer exists. Because of the many issues we and many of the other Diocesan schools encountered with this program last year, the Diocese has decided to stop supporting this program. We only received this news at the end of August. As a result, we are changing to Edline and GradeQuick to communicate with our parents. It will take a month to train our staff and allow them time to prepare their webpages and gradebooks. All parents will receive a brief overview of the new program at our Open House on Tuesday, September 29th, along with their passwords to access their children’s grades and the homework calendar. I apologize for the delay, but I believe it is important to provide our staff with some time to become familiar with this program before allowing parents access to it.
Holy Family School is trying to be proactive with the upcoming flu season and the possible outbreak of the H1N1 virus. I have encouraged all our staff to receive the regular flu vaccine at a staff only clinic we have set up at Holy Family School next week. In addition, a Commission member and I will be attending a conference on the H1N1 virus soon. After this conference, we will be taking steps to prepare ourselves for the upcoming flu season. I will be sharing some of these steps with you next week and in weeks to come. At this point, we will be instituting the following precautions:
· All students may bring their own water bottle to school. Please continuously remind your child not to share their water bottles with other students.
· We will be installing paper cup dispensers at our two water fountains for students to use. Too many germs are spread at water fountains by students putting their mouths on the water spouts.
· We will continue to encourage the use of the water dispenser in the cafeteria.
· Your child’s teachers will regularly review with their classes the proper techniques for washing hands and other healthy habits.
· At least once a week Dianne Fiorina, our PE instructor, will spend a few minutes in PE class reviewing healthy habits and techniques with all our students.
I would encourage parents to look at the following websites for further information:
www.flu.gov
www.ascd.org/research_a_topic/h1n1response.aspx
The playground for our young students is completed. The children love it! Stop by and look at it when you get an opportunity. Please remember the PTO Family Picnic scheduled for Friday, September 18th beginning at 5:30pm. All our families are invited to this fun event. A big thanks goes out to the PTO for the Yahoo and Boo Hoo breakfasts for our students on their first day of school. Enjoy Colorscape and the beginning of the beautiful fall foliage.
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