Friday, February 16, 2018

Winter Chill

Jump Rope For Heart!
Thank you to all our students, families, and faculty members for supporting this "heartwarming" fundraising activity again this year!  A special thanks goes out to Mrs. Unsworth and Mrs. Allen for planning and organizing the event, as well as all our specialists for additional support and participation jumping with our students all day! :)
Check out all the pictures from our fun day today@ Jump Rope for Heart - 2018

Grade 2 creatively celebrated the 100th Day of School!
Mrs. Geyer's Class

 Mrs. Murdock's Class

Mrs. Bucacci's Class

 Mrs. Millar's Class

Mrs. Levett's Class

Mrs. Millard's Class

Mrs. Varga's Class

GREAT JOB GRADE TWO!!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Children and adults honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his ideals in many different ways at Metcalf.  Acceptance of others and equality for all are the highlighted themes throughout Metcalf to not only to honor Dr. King, but also as a focus for our school community for the entire the school year. Teaching, practicing, and celebrating tolerance, understanding, and good character in our students is something we take very seriously each and every day and blend nicely with the Social - Emotional Learning initiative we are focusing on district wide.

Just click the following link to see the beautiful job Mrs. Wilke's class did while exploring the meaning of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.   I Have A Dream

As a faculty, we recognize how important it is for children to know they are part of a strong and accepting community in order to come to school ready to learn each day. As such, we have focused on Social - Emotional Learning and community building in our classrooms, grade levels, and school-wide.  Many teachers have implemented morning meetings, special welcomes, and student lead discussion sessions to share ideas on how to improve our learning environment for all children at Metcalf. These are all components of a program/philosophy called, Responsive Classroom which we will continue to explore throughout the school year.

Social Studies Comes Alive in Grade Three!
Mrs. Gammond's class had lots of fun learning about Gaspee Day!  Check out their project at the following link!   Gaspee Day in Mrs. Gammond's Class

Report Cards & the Parent Portal
Report cards were published to the Parent Portal in December. This allows the first contact person listed for your child to log in and view and/or print the report card for your records.  A parent survey regarding the Parent Portal and report cards was sent home in January with all students.  Thank you to everyone for sending these back in a timely manner so we can answer questions and problem solve any issues related to the Parent Portal and report cards. Below you will find answers to the "Frequently Asked Questions" from our families.

1.  What is Aspen and how/why does EWG use this system?
Aspen is the EWG Student Information System. All districts are required by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) to utilize a data management system to report demographics, grades, attendance rates, etc. to RIDE.  This system also affords teachers a way to track student progress and identify strengths and needs in a timely manner. Additionally, the Aspen system includes a Parent Portal and Report Card component. As students progress through the EWG school system, the Parent Portal becomes more and more valuable to students, parents, and teachers.  It allows parents access to student information, grades, and progress.  It also becomes an important tool for students when creating and managing school schedules in the upper grades.

2.  Why are report cards published to the Aspen Parent Portal instead of sending home hard copies?
The report card component of Aspen enables parents of students in grades 2-12 to access their child's grades at any time through the Parent Portal. With almost 1700 students in our district, and report cards totaling 4-5 pages in length, this has proven to be a huge money saver (on paper, ink, and envelopes) for our district.  Parents can decide to view the report card, and/or print it from home for their records. This has been an effective way to reduce tax payers costs while not impacting student programs...a win-win for all! 

3.  What happens if I have difficulty accessing the Parent Portal?
While this may be fairly new at the elementary level, the Parent Portal has been used for many years at the secondary level.  And as with anything new, it may be bumpy at first until we all settle into the new routines and become familiar with the necessary steps together.  Most families easily accessed their child's report card quickly and easily.  Some of the issues others encountered were very simple and able to be addressed almost immediately, i.e. different email in Aspen than the one a parent was trying to use, parents listed as the "2nd contact" needing to be added to the Parent Portal, etc. Julie Dionne, our District Data Manager and Student Information Systems Technician, is always happy to assist...and she's just a Help Ticket away!  :)  EWG-Helpdesk

4.  What if I don't have a Parent Portal account as of yet?
I am working with Mrs. Dionne to ensure any families that don't yet have a Parent Portal account will have one soon.   It is important that you use the email address that you provided to Metcalf on the Emergency Card in September, as this is the one listed in Aspen that will provide access to the Parent Portal once the account is up for you. You may also put in a Help Ticket at the following link.
EWG-Helpdesk

Reminder, it is important to review and discuss the report card with your child to highlight those areas that he/she is excelling in, as well as supporting him/her in the areas that are presenting your child with difficulties.  Please contact your child's teacher if you have any questions regarding your child's progress.  
  
Dress for the chill in the air!
Please make sure your child comes to school dressed for the winter weather.  We routinely go outside for recess even during the winter months so long as it's not stormy and the temperature isn't too frigid.  The children also have unannounced fire drills and chilly bus rides every day.  We have noted some children coming to school in shorts, short sleeved shirts, and/or only sweatshirts to keep them warm.  Remember, winter coats are a must, and hats, mittens, boots & snow pants are necessary if they want to play in the snow! Please let us know if anyone in your family is in need of winter gear.

Upcoming Events

Winter Break - February 18-24th...let's all rest, relax, and get healthy!
SIT Meeting - Wednesday, Feb. 28th, 3:15 at Metcalf, all are welcome.
Dental Screening - Grades 2 and 3
Early Release Day - March 15th, students are dismissed at 1:00 for faculty & staff professional development.
Scholastic Book Fair - each day from 9:00-11:00 during the week of March 5th
Title 1 Math Celebration - March 21, 5:30-6:00
Family Math Night - March 21, 6:00-7:15
Pennies For Patients - March 26th Kickoff event
Creative Arts Night! Save the Date! Thursday, March 29th- Metcalf, framed Student Art fundraiser, music performances, crafts, creative writing, family and photo booth activities, The Met “CafĂ©” and more! 
Good Friday - Friday, March 30th, no school

I hope your vacation week is filled 
with fun and relaxation with your family.