Happy New Year and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

Honoring the Whole Child

When we asked for your feedback last year in helping us design a new award system for our Metcalf students, we couldn't have been more pleased with the number of responses and the thoughtfulness that was evident in those we received.  We took this valuable information from students, parents, and teachers and used it to come up with a wide range of Metcalf Mustang Awards that would enable us to recognize academic success,  as well as honor and promote such attributes as kindness, perseverance, and even special talents.  It has been heartwarming to officially honor so many different and important attributes in our students this year.  The children have been absolutely delighted to be recognized themselves, or to see their classmates honored in such a comprehensive way.  All students will be honored at least once throughout the school year, as we believe that all students have that "something special" that may just need to be coaxed out into the open.

We also realized we needed to expand the experiences of our students so they could discover some of their hidden talents for themselves.  We have done this through our very successful Elective Rotations that take place for each grade level one time per week.  Students participate in electives that focus on literature, computer programming, health & fitness, the arts, and chorus. In doing so, students and teachers have had endless positive and creative experiences during this time!  Thank you to the Metcalf faculty and staff for stepping outside the box and working so hard to make the elective rotations be so successful for our students! I invite all families to join us for the Grade 5 & 6 Chorus Concert this Thursday night at Metcalf at 7:00.  There are sure to be a few "hidden talents" that we have uncovered thus far!  :)

English Language Arts & Social Studies at Metcalf

Teachers have been working very hard to develop Units of Study that blend novel studies, non-fiction literature, history, and English Language Arts & Social Studies skills, concepts, and content together at each grade level. This is a complex process that requires a commitment to student learning, high expectations, differentiation, and understanding curriculum design.  I am happy to say there is no shortage of any of these attributes in our faculty at Metcalf! Teachers have focused on what students should know and be able to do, designed interesting lessons, researched and purchased necessary resources, and have begun to implement these units with great success!  Students are learning about many past and present cultural events and experiences through literature, research, and deep discussions in the classroom. The children are visibly excited and enjoying this approach.  I thank our faculty for creating such rich experiences for our students to engage in as they explore the history of the world, our nation, and even Little Rhody itself!

Grade Configuration for 2017-2018

As you may have heard, grade 2 will be moving to Metcalf next year to help ease the space issues at Wawaloam.  This means Metcalf will house grades 2-6 next year!  Luckily, we have the room and couldn't be more excited to have our little friends join us.  We are already painting rooms and reorganizing things so they will all feel welcome on their first day with us.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding the new grade configurations.

Regular Attendance

I recently participated in a workshop with other EWG administrators to learn the relationship between school attendance and academic success from kindergarten through grade twelve. Chronic absenteeism from school is a national crisis, and Exeter-West Greenwich is no different. While we do not experience the same high levels of chronic absenteeism as some other districts in our state and nation, the fact is that many of our children have developed patterns of regular non-attendance that are of significant concern.

Chronic absenteeism from school is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year (18 or more days for a 180-day school year). This amounts to an average of just 2 days or more per month.... and while that statistic does not appear to be alarming, reputable national studies indicate otherwise.

Studies show that students with just one year of chronic absenteeism in grades 1 through 5 were 5.9 times more likely to be chronically absent in grade 6. Students with two years of chronic absenteeism in grades 1 through 5 were 7.8 times more likely to be chronically absent in grade 6. And students who were chronically absent three times in grades 1 through 5 were 18.0 times more likely to be chronically absent in grade 6. Patterns of good attendance are established early in a child's educational career... and it matters a lot!  

The data shows that students that are chronically absent in the lower grades preform lower on assessments, fail to develop good study habits, continue to be chronically absent through high school, and are more likely to drop out of high school. Not only that...we miss them immensely if they are not in school!  

To that end, in EWG we are taking a close look at our attendance rates at all levels, and our graduation rates and drop-out rates at the high school level. The trend is concerning. Although addressing the issue will require a multi-faceted approach, attendance at school is one of the variables that everyone can help us to improve.  If you haven't already done so, please see Superintendent Erinake's Blog for specific EWG data and statistics at: http://erinakes.blogspot.com/  

Metcalf Family Mid-Year Feedback

It is important for us to get feedback from the Metcalf community to help make informed decisions regarding programming for our students, communication methods, etc.  To that end, I will be sending out an anonymous, and short,  survey for families to take this week.  I thank you in advance for your participation. 

Community Announcements & Upcoming Events:
Grade 5 & 6 Chorus Concert:  Thursday, January 19th @ 7:00, Metcalf cafeteria
PTA BJ's Fundraiser - January 23rd
PTA Bowling Event - Sunday, Jan. 29th
Dental Screening @ Metcalf - Friday, Feb. 10th
Jump Rope for Heart - Friday, Feb. 17th: Parent Letter, Jump Rope for Heart
Kindergarten Registration information: Kindergarten Registration
EWG Girls Softball Winter Clinic Registration:  EWG Girls Softball Clinic

We're all in this together...

so let's work together to make it work!