News from the Office of the Principal

October 16, 2009

Hello Sunderland School families:

Tater Tuesday
This week we concluded our second Farm to Table initiative. Three hundred pounds of potatoes were donated by DeWitt Thomson. Our children scrubbed and sorted the tasty tots and our cafeteria staff baked them to a delicious crisp. We were pleased to host members of the SOS organization who have worked so hard to support many of the programs that we reduced or cut during the recent months. We also hosted a handful of donors who have contributed to that effort. Many of the staff remarked at how pleased the students were to have adults in the lunch room eating alongside of them. This prompts me to invite families to consider stopping by on occasion and having lunch with their students. If that is something you would like to do, just let me know with a day’s notice and we will include you in that day’s lunch count.

A big thanks to Sylvia Maes-Polan from our PTO, who once again spearheaded this effort to teach our children about the value of local farms and local produce. I’m paraphrasing ELL Instructor Matt Howell who remarked that the spuds tasted so good because they were prepared with care and love. I think we could all taste it with every bite. I hope we can continue to find ways to celebrate the products of our community here in your center of education.

The Sounds of Music
On Friday October 16 we hosted members of the Valley Light Opera. They performed selections from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. We are pleased to bring cultural opportunities like this to the school whenever we can. Don’t hesitate to suggest other events that you think would be appropriate to bring to our students.

On Campus
The days are getting shorter, we can’t deny it. Please take notice and exercise caution as you move through the driveways in and around the school on those afternoons and early evenings when you are visiting the school. Daylight savings in close by too. Many of us take that opportunity to change out the batteries in our smoke alarms. It’s an easy thing to do on that weekend when you are setting your clocks back one hour.

A Change in Our Dismissal Protocol
We have instituted a new end of the day protocol for dismissal. In a pinch, we are dismissing out of school participants and walkers first. Walkers and those catching rides are exiting out by the library. Parents picking up their children have been instructed to meet them on the building side of the front drive for pick ups. S1 and S2 bus riders are then instructed to line up in the hallway to prepare for dismissal. When the busses arrive, the S1 and S2 students are dismissed. The Kindergarten students are continuing to exit out of the main entrance with their instructors. We instituted this protocol in order to provide a safer environment in and around the building at the close of school.  

Schedule Update
All students are receiving two full blocks of Physical Education instruction. Students in Grades 3-6 are receiving standard PE instructions. Students in our PK-2 are receiving one standard block of PE and an extended block of our Obstacle Course instruction.

All students are receiving Music and Art instruction at least once a week. In addition to this we have also instituted some music electives including a combined Grade 5/6 Chorus, Grade 4 Recorders, among other selections. In Art, Nancy Stahelek is working with classroom teachers to integrate Art into the classroom units of instruction at each grade level. We are very excited to be able to offer these innovative and creative chunks of instruction for all of our students.

Students continue to use the library with their classmates each week. A master schedule was developed with the help of all of the staff and slots have been assigned to each classroom teacher to use at their discretion. We understand how important it is to provide ongoing opportunities each week for all of our students to explore the power of the printed word and the power of technology.

We are committed to making certain that this continues.