Friday, September 18, 2015

September 18, 2015


Welcome back! As a reminder, the superintendent's blog is posted at least once every two weeks to highlight major events, share important information, and recognize outstanding members of our school community.

Star of the Week

This week I am recognizing Mrs. Lerner, one of our new kindergarten teachers at Wawaloam Elementary School. Mrs. Lerner taught previously in Burrilville after completing her student teaching requirement right here in EWG. In the picture, she is reviewing the classroom birthday chart with some of her friends - including a discussion about the months of the year.

Mrs. Lerner has created a welcoming environment filled with music and structured play for her young students. She has taught her students procedures to ensure safety in the classroom and in the school. She maintains a consistent focus on recognizing positive behaviors, encouraging respect and responsibility, and providing an engaging atmosphere for learning. When I stopped by her classroom this week, she told me that "all of her children deserve to be loved and appreciated." We are so fortunate to welcome you back to Exeter-West Greenwich!
Additional Information
In my previous blog, I reported that Mrs. LaFrenaye was named the 2015 district teacher of the year at our orientation day ceremonies on August 24th. Today, I am happy to report that she has also been named the 2015 Rhode Island Art Education Association Elementary Art Educator of the Year. She will be recognized for this accomplishment at the September 22nd School Committee meeting at 6:00 pm in the JSHS library. Another well-deserved honor!

If you did not have the opportunity to read about the new mentoring program that will be introduced to a group of lucky sixth graders from Metcalf Elementary School in the local paper, then you missed this extraordinary announcement! In partnership with Amgen and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of RI, about 20-25 Metcalf sixth grade students will be paired with a mentor from Amgen to learn about science and career opportunities in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) field. This will be a year-long pilot with plans to expand the program in the 2016-17 school year and beyond. Thank you to these organizations for supporting and funding the entire program. What a terrific opportunity to connect some of our community partners with our district students!

Check out our new tennis courts! This photo was taken yesterday, and shows that the final touches are being added to the surface - scarlet red courts with green trim. Nets will be added and the courts will be ready for action today. This has been a long process, but the end result is another incredible athletic playing area to add to our facility.

The district will be hosting its second round of training in Youth Mental Health on September 29th and September 30th. We conducted this same session last year for a group of 25 staff and community members and it was very well received. This training provides participants with the skills necessary to identify and respond appropriately to children in crisis. Look for additional information that will be sent out by Monday - the participant list will be finalized next week, and if there continues to be a need for further training sessions we will schedule them. This activity is consistent with our strategic plan focus areas (Responsive Student/Family Support and Intervention and School Safety, Security and Wellness).

Have a wonderful weekend!


















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