Four Seasons Newsletter

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Four S
Sharon Ferralli, Principal
August
23-25
24-25
26&29
29
30
30
31
August 2011
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
A Message from the Principal…
ECI, & Pre-K Conferences
K Conferences
Staggered Entrance for Kindergarten
First Day for ECI Students
First Day Kindergarten Students
Back-To-School Night 6:30 p.m.
First day for Pre– Kindergarten
September
5
ALL SCHOOLS CLOSED- Labor Day
14
Professional Development- 1:15 dismissal
16
Fall Pictures
29
ALL SCHOOLS CLOSED- Rosh Hashanah
30
Federal Survey Cards go home
Some of Our Good News to Share…
→Eight of ten intermediate classrooms will have access to
new technology including SmartBoards and Student Response
systems.
→Mrs. Baran (Reading) won a full size SmartBoard at a
summer conference while Ms. Zorc was the lucky winner of a
classroom set of Student Response system.
→Ceiling mounted projectors were installed in the Art Room,
Media Center, and Large Conference Room over the summer.
→A Special Education grant provided us with 10 more
wireless laptops for student use.
→We are piloting a new online Reading Diagnostic program
called iStation. More details are coming!
Excitement reigns at Four Seasons...phase 1 of our wall enclosure
project is complete! In a matter of two months contractors managed to
enclose our kindergarten, first and second grade classrooms and install
state-of-the-art technology. Custodial personnel worked day and night to
clean the building in a matter of weeks. Teachers assembled new
classrooms in a matter of days. What we have today was the result of
amazing teamwork. Everyone chipped in to make Four Seasons ready
for student learning on the first day. And…we are ready to repeat the
stellar performance next summer for our students in grades 3, 4, 5,
Pre-Kindergarten and ECI! When you see the results, I think you will be
very pleased for your children and our school community.
Today we opened our doors to more than 540 students in
prekindergarten through fifth! We have 27 homeroom classes and a few
new teachers and staff members in addition to our newest crew of Johns
Hopkins University interns. Introductions include:
Lauren Wilburn, First grade teacher
KC McKew, Fifth grade teacher
Amy Innerbichler, SLP
Reeni Rider, SLP
Sarah Daniels, ESOL – returning
Linda Grierson, RN - returning
Janet Vereneau, Cafeteria Manager
Jennette Waksmonski, Custodian
Vicente Angulo, Custodian
Robyn Roogow, JHU intern – Grade 2
Jordie Shapiro, JHU intern – Grade 2
Rosanna Baek, JHU intern – Grade 3
Caitlin Hartog, JHU intern – Grade 4
Anna Lessa, JHU intern – Grade 5
A Special Thank You to…
Eric Amman and Baltimore Contractors for completing
phase 1 in a timely manner.
Louis, Laurice, Jennette, Vicente, Wayne, Lawson, and
others for their help in cleaning non-stop and moving
hundreds of pieces of furniture.
Diana Clutz and Mr. Louis for planting out front.
Mr. Perry (Ms. Perry’s Dad) and numerous parent
volunteers for maintaining our Green School garden over the
summer.
Mike Parrott for his help in rearranging the Media Center.
Sharon Doda for managing technology installation, and
Countless others who contributed to our successful school
opening!
Welcome to our many new students and their families. We will do
our best to earn your respect and live up to your expectations. Your
child’s education is important to us and we are committed to meeting
his/her needs.
You will have the opportunity to interface with your child’s teacher
and learn about Four Seasons at our Back-to-School Night on Tuesday,
August 30th. Teachers will share curriculum information and more.
Please join us for one of our two consecutive sessions at 6:30 or 7:00
p.m. A volunteer orientation will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Media.
We look forward to a wonderful year of opportunity and success
for all. Your support will make our school and your child’s education
stronger. Working together our youngsters will be well prepared for
the challenges of the 21st century!
Sharon Ferralli, Principal
SCHOOL HOURS
8:30 a.m.
8:45 a.m.
8:50 a.m.
3:15 p.m.
Students enter building
Morning announcements
Instruction begins
Dismissal
8:50—11:25 ECI and Pre-K a.m. hours
12:40—3:15 ECI and Pre-K p.m. hours
Office Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
**PARKING LOT SAFETY**
Please wait patiently in line as we make every effort to get
our students in/out of cars safely. Do not pass!
Bullying and cyber bullying, harassment and intimidation, hazing,
and/or bias behaviors are unsafe behaviors that do not reflect
respect for others as defined by the Code of Student Conduct. If
your child is a target of one of these behaviors, you can report this
using the Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form
that is available on the school website or from the main office or
the school counseling office. Students can also report directly to a
staff member. When a situation that involves any of these
behaviors is reported, staff members will respond quickly and will
provide a practical, private, and safe place to report.
How to Tell If Your Child/Student Is Being Bullied...
Change in school performance
Absenteeism
Truancy/drop out
Peer rejection
Fear of social situations
Alienation and loneliness
Poor self-esteem
Chronic illness
What Can You Do?
If the bullying is occurring at school, contact the teacher, school
counselor, and/or administrator. Ask your child’s teacher
questions about his or her interactions with other children.
Look for help from the school counselor with social skills,
assertiveness, or friendship skills training. If it is determined by
an administrator that bullying or cyber bullying, harassment,
Intimidation, hazing, and/or bias behaviors have occurred, the
students involved in these behaviors will receive support from a
school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, pupil
personnel worker, or school health staff person to be sure that
everyone involved in the incident feels safe and supported and
understands how to avoid these situations in the future.
FOUR SEASONS ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
OUR MISSION
Fostering a life long love of learning in a
Safe and orderly environment with
Excellent teachers facilitating
Students' active learning.
SCHOOL MEAL PRICES FOR 2011/12 HAVE CHANGED!
Breakfast
Breakfast (reduced)
Lunch
Lunch (reduced)
Milk
$ 1.35
$ .30
$ 2.60
$ .40
$ .55
Don’t forget to send the extra dime this year!
The office does not have a lunch fund. A cheese
sandwich will be offered to children with no lunch or
lunch money.
Clothing and Safety Concerns
Parents are encouraged to examine drawstrings on children’s
clothing. All drawstrings, whether at the neck, waist or thigh
levels have risks. Buttons at the end of the drawstrings are
particularly dangerous. In order to avoid potential injury at
school and on the bus if the drawstrings get stuck on railings
and other objects, we recommend that you cut or otherwise
remove them. Consider this issue when purchasing new
clothing.
Federal Impact Survey Forms
On Friday, September 30th, your child will bring home a
Federal Impact Aid Survey form. Please assist us by filling
out the information requested on the form and return to
Four Seasons. This is a multiple child form and will hold
up to three children’s names. Should you have more than
three children, please utilize a second form you can obtain
from the school or download from the AACPS website
under Students, Forms, available to download September
30. We will also be using our Connect-Ed Automated
Telephone Notification System to remind you about the
significance of completing and returning this survey. The
school
system receives approximately $3 million in
funding from the Federal government in support of our
children after the forms are processed. Thank you in
advance for your support and assistance. Should you have
any questions regarding this information, please contact
Ms. Donna Barker at 410-222-5200
The Parent Handbooks, (Parent Info Book), will be available
online again this year at
http://www.aacps.org/html/parents/parenthandbook.pdf
If you have any questions, contact Teresa Tudor at 410-222-5414
Attention Volunteers!
Teachers are eagerly awaiting the start of the volunteer program
at Four Seasons Elementary. Parents will have the opportunity to
sign up to volunteer at Back to School Night on August 31 st. A
Volunteer Orientation will be held for new volunteers at 7:00 pm
in the media center the evening of Back to School Night. All new
volunteers must view the DVD on Sexual Harassment and Child
Abuse. This DVD will be shown during the orientation. All fifth
grade parents planning to volunteer for Drown proofing must
also view this DVD. We are looking forward to another great
school year!