Blue four toe paw print

WOOLWICH CENTRAL SCHOOL

www.woolwich.rsu1.org

February 12, 2021

The Woolwich Way

Respect • Responsibility • Honesty • Compassion • Courtesy • Quality 

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

2/15 - 2/19 - February Break - No School

2/22 - RSU1 School Board Meeting 6:00 PM

3/25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences  

3/25 & 3/26 - HALF DAYS OF SCHOOL (both days)

CELEBRATIONS!

Great things are happening at WCS!

  • Eat the Rainbow week was a colorful success! Students coordinated the color of their outfits with lunchtime fruit and veggies and we learned all sorts of facts about the colors that we eat! Ask your kids what their favorite color was to eat or if they tried something new!

  • We had several winners of the PTA Masked Reader Challenge. The readers were Day 1: Ms. Moran, Day 2: Mrs. Babcock, Day 3: Mrs. Pratt and Day 4: Mrs. Morin! 

NOTE FROM MR. HUTCHINGS

Hello Parents!  I wanted to share some exciting opportunities coming to WCS for our students.  


Elementary (K-5)-  I am looking to get outdoors for some sledding in PE class after the break.  I will make sure you know when your student's PE week is so we can assure they have the necessary gear to do so!  

Also for K-5, starting after April Vacation, I will be offering a running club to our students.  There will be much more info to come with details, but I wanted to get it on your radar now.  This will involve your child staying after school a couple of days a week to get important exercise and to obtain a pure love for running.  Stay tuned!  

Middle School Students-  Starting March 8th, we will be doing intramural dodgeball afterschool.  This will be in smaller groups than we are used to and on cohort days, but we will have more details coming out the week after the break!  Start thinking about your teams! 

HEALTHY HIGHLIGHTS

COVID Update: Travel restrictions are still very real, as well as quarantine after travel so if you plan to do any travel over vacation please check the CDC website and follow those guidelines.  I will need a copy of the PCR Negative test after inter-state travel (excluding Vermont and New Hampshire) on each student BEFORE they can return to school.

Masks: I wanted to share that wearing a well-fitting mask to school is the responsibility of each student and their family.   We do have masks here at school but they are supplied as extra not as routine.  Your student’s masks should be fitted to cover both their nose and their mouth.  Each cloth mask should be washed routinely.  If a mask becomes wet or soiled, I may have an extra they can use in an emergency, but they should have an extra in their bag for back up.

Vaccines: Many Mainers are getting vaccinated against COVID each day, but it is clear it will take some time to vaccinate all who wish it in our state.  Do your part and be informed about the vaccine and share that information with your family members.  

Child Vaccines: I will routinely be sharing about regular (NOT FLU OR COVID) vaccines this year that are mandatory for all.  No exemptions will be allowed for religious or philosophical objections and the only exception would be if your doctor says it is contraindicated for your child to have one. This information must be supplied to the school in writing before they can attend next September. This means that students will only be allowed to come to school next year if ALL vaccines are up to date. If you have questions, ask now, so you have time to schedule an appointment with your doctor to get the necessary vaccines. As always contact me with questions or concerns. ~Roberta Sherwood, R.N., BSN, M.Ed

 

A NOTE FROM MRS. DIMBLEBY

As we all know, this year has been unprecedented.  Like all schools throughout Maine, we had to adapt our learning environments and styles to do our part to keep our community healthy.  This year, learning at WCS has been remote, hybrid, and fully in-person (PK-5).  Our students continue to rise to the challenge and show that they are resilient and flexible.  We couldn’t be prouder of all of our Wildcats! 

I want to continue to urge students to be in school every day that they are well enough to be. Whether your child is scheduled for an in-person day or a distance learning (aka “at home”) day, participation is incredibly important.  In the first trimester, 51% of our students had 100% attendance.  That means that they attended school on all of their in-person days and participated during all of their distance learning days.  That is certainly something to celebrate!  

Below are some tips from Attendance Works, an organization whose mission is to enhance student success and help close equity gaps by reducing chronic absenteeism:  

Make School Attendance a Priority

• Establish routines for bedtime, waking up, and showing up for class. 

• Identify a quiet place for your child to do school work. If you have multiple children, make a schedule. Or ask your school or community agencies if they have created places for distance learning, or if noise-canceling headsets are available for students.

 • Develop back-up plans for getting your child to school or logging in to the computer if you can’t be there to help. Find a family member, neighbor, or older child who can help over the phone or who can help while wearing a mask and maintaining physical distance. Community-based organizations might also be able to help.

 • When school is in session, avoid extended family trips and non-urgent medical appointments. 

• Ask your child’s teacher about attendance and tell the teacher any concerns you have.

For more information from Attendance works please click on the links below:

Elementary handout

Middle School handout 

I hope you all have a wonderful, restful, and healthy February break!  

Warmly, 

Mrs. Dimbleby 

 

IT’S VACATION WEEK!

Enjoy your break next week! We’ll see you back here on Monday, 2/22/21!

In accordance with School Board policy, the following promotional announcements have been included at the request of the sponsoring organization because they may be of interest to students and their families. These activities are not sponsored by the school, and inclusion of these announcements does not constitute endorsement of the organizations or activities by the school.