A Message from the Principal… - West Hartford Public Schools

Jan. 8, 2015
A Message from the Principal…
was on vacation with my family. His name is
Myron Rolle. Myron and I struck up a conversation
on the bus that was taking us to a marina for an ecotour by boat. The fact that Myron didn’t share with
me that until recently he was an NFL safety for the
Pittsburgh Steelers and previously for the Tennessee
Titans was not only a testament of his humility but
 I am thrilled to report that our indoor climbing it also helped me to focus on the even more meanwall is now installed in the gym! This system will ingful aspects of Myron’s achievements, which he
enable us to provide a wide range of physically has already accomplished at just 28 years old. To
and mentally challenging experiences to our stu- describe all of these would require many pages and a
dents. As a reminder, the “climbs” will be con- lot of time. Thankfully, someone else has already
ducted horizontally, so students will never ven- written a fascinating biography about Mr. Rolle that
ture far above the protective
you can access below if you’re infloor mats.
terested. For my purpose, it suffic Our Bobcat Path committee
es to say that Myron’s decisions
has decided to proceed with
have led him to pursue a profesthe development of an outsion as a pediatric neurosurgeon
door meeting area that will eninstead of playing professional
able multiple classes at a time
football. He explained to me that
to gather in our wooded area
he feels he had a typical childhood
for instruction. The next phase
although his parents never waof the project will be to clear
vered in their emphasis of hard
the area and furnish log benches for seating. I
work and education as the vehicle to success. Acexpect this work to be completed by the begin- cording to Myron, his parents also impressed upon
ning of spring.
him a strong spiritual foundation and his responsi Just a reminder to consider joining us next
bility to give back to his community regardless of his
Wednesday, January 14 for our PTB meeting
economic status. Little did they know at the time
during which Dr. Paul Weigle, an adolescent
that his “community” would ultimately assume a
psychiatrist, will present information about the global scale. Myron’s work ethic is paying off for
increasingly common problem of Internet and
him (and, I imagine, to the delight of his parents.)
video game addiction in children. Dr. Weigle’s
He is one of only three Rhodes Scholars to ever play
presentation will be at 7:00-8:00 p.m. following in the NFL. He completed his pre-med work in a
our regular PTB business meeting at 6:00-7:00
little over half the time that it takes the majority of
p.m.
students. He has met with world dignitaries, served
on humanitarian projects, and has even established a
Every once in a while, I cross paths with someone
foundation “dedicated to the support of health,
who reminds me about the most important things in wellness, educational and other charitable initiatives
life. I encountered such a person last week while I
throughout the world that benefit children and families in need.”
Happy New Year, Braeburn families! Here’s hoping
that 2015 brings you good health and much happiness! I’d like to start this month’s message with a
few updates followed by a more personal description of an experience I had last week.
(CONTINUED)
I am honored to have had the opportunity to meet
this inspiring man. I would have invited Mr. Rolle
to come to Braeburn School to speak to our students but he is returning to school himself next
week. So who says that professional sports no
longer yields good role models?
If you’re interested in reading more about Myron
Rolle, here’s an article that describes his amazing
life in greater detail:
http://www.sbnation.com/
longform/2014/2/12/5401774/myron-rolleprofile-florida-state-football-nfl-rhodes-scholar
Sincerely,
Steven T. Woznicki, Principal
CURRICULUM CORNER
Homework Tips for the New Year
Homework! A dreaded word in most households with school aged children! Here are a few
tips to help families make the homework dilemma more manageable!
West Hartford Public Schools has developed guidelines to help you understand the general philosophy relating to homework for elementary school children. The policy can be found on pages 4 and 5 of the Elementary Handbook that was distributed to all families in September. In the primary grades, homework is
given primarily to review, refine, and reinforce existing skills presented in class. Assignments should take
10-30 minutes per night, depending upon the age and ability of the student. In grades 4 and 5 homework
should take between 30 and 60 minutes each night. Homework assignments for older students often include practice work in skill areas, long range reports or projects and completion of work not finished in
class. If your child plays a musical instrument, they are encouraged to practice a minimum of 15-30 minutes
per day. For specific examples of the types of homework that may be given out at each grade level, please
refer to the Elementary Handbook. This handbook can also be found on the district website at
www.whps.org.
Many research studies have been done relating to the topic of homework. The most frequently identified
reasons for giving homework include but are not limited to practice of basic skills, building student responsibility, perseverance, and time management skills, and to establish communication between parents and
children about school and learning. The teachers at Braeburn work hard to ensure that the homework given out is linked with effective instruction in school and explicitly tied to student learning.
The problems surrounding the topic of homework often relate to how much assistance parents should provide, and how families can accommodate participation in extra curricular activities such as dance, sports,
and music or religious instruction with homework completion. It is often a difficult balance to find. Attached to this edition of the Sunflower are some guidelines for helping your child with homework that were
found on the Love and Logic website (www.loveandlogic.com). I hope that you find these tips helpful and
that they help your family start the New Year off in a stress free manner!
Happy New Year to All! Please do not hesitate to call me with any questions or concerns that you may
have regarding the homework process.
Ellen Cercone
Curriculum Specialist
BRAEBURN CALENDAR
EVENT
DATE
TIME
Thurs, Jan 8
12:45-1:45pm
6:30-7:30pm
Inter-El Band Auditions
Park Rd. Neighborhood Gathering at the Park Rd. Playhouse
Fri, Jan 9
9:00-9:30am
11:00-11:30am
PBIS Assembly, Gr. PK-2
PBIS Assembly, Gr. 3-5
Mon, Jan 12
9:00am-12:00pm
1:00-1:40pm
PK to Auer Farm
Inter-El Orchestra Auditions
Wed, Jan 14
6:00-7:00pm
7:00-8:00pm
PTB Meeting
Cafeteria
PTB Speaker Dr. Weigle “Electronic Addiction”
Fri, Jan 16
9:15-10:00am
Gr. 3-5, Bristow Concert
Mon, Jan 19
Wed, Jan 21
Auditorium
Auditorium
Auditorium
Martin Luther King Day-No School
6:00-7:30pm
Snuggle Up and Read (Snow Date 2/11)
Fri, Jan 30
Fitness Friday
Wed, Feb 4
6:30-7:30pm
Family Night-No Homework
Non-electronic Activities encouraged
PTB Family Game Night
7:45am
Student Council Meeting
Fri, Feb 6
LOCATION
Mon, Feb 16-Tues, Feb 17
Winter Recess-No School
Fri, Feb 20
DEAR (Beach Day)
Fri, Feb 27
Fitness Friday
Library
Room 136
Next Edition of The Sunflower will be the
Date Reminder Version:
Thursday, January 22
Snuggle Up and Read Family Night
The library is hosting the first annual Snuggle Up and Read
Family Night!
Who: Braeburn Families PK-5
What: Snuggle up with some good books, crafts and hot cocoa (Don’t forget to wear your pajamas!)
When: January 21, 2015
6:00-7:30 (Snow Date: February 11, 2015)
Where: Braeburn’s Library Media Center
Why: This is a great way for families to celebrate “Family Night,” read together, check out books as a
family, create a puppet show together, make a craft and enjoy some hot cocoa… all as a family.
Please mark your calendars and consider joining us. Wear your most comfortable pajamas and
snuggle up and read!
Claudine Lavoie
Library Media Specialist
A Note to School
All families were provided with “A
Note to School” pad in their First
Day Packet at the beginning of the
school year. Using the Notes to
School paper is the best way to notify classroom teachers and the school office of
important information. A Note to School
should always be used when there is a
change in your child’s regular dismissal plan.
Please let the school office know if you need an
additional Note to School pad.
For emergency changes to dismissal which occur after the start of the school day, you may
email the classroom teacher and “cc”
[email protected] in our school office.
For safety reasons, please do not use the emergency email system to arrange playdates.
Thank you.
Ms. Kaine and Ms. Piazza
Braeburn Office
Kindergarten
2015-2016
Calling All Children Eligible for
Kindergarten in the Fall
If you have a child who will be five years old on
or before January 1, 2016, please call the school
office at 860-561-2200 as soon as possible so that
we may add your child to our incoming Kindergarten list. If you know of a friend or neighbor
with an incoming Kindergarten student, please
have them give us a call as well!
Thank you.
Ms. Kaine and Ms. Piazza
Braeburn Office
Please call the School…...
An unverified absence occurs when a child is not
in school and we have not heard from a parent/
guardian. Every unverified absence raises a red
flag and requires steps to be taken to determine if
the child is missing or is safe. We interrupt instruction to find out if the teacher has information
about the absent child. Emergency phone calls are
made to all available phone numbers.
If a child is truly missing, there is an urgent need
to discover that as quickly as possible.
For safety’s sake, please call the school if your child
will be absent or more than a few minutes late because of an appointment or any other reason. You
can call anytime, day or night, and leave a message.
Our phone number is 860-561-2200. You can also
email the teacher and “cc” Susan Piazza
([email protected]).
Also, if you do receive the emergency phone call
from me, please respond as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Steven T. Woznicki
Principal
A Reminder…...
As we head into the winter months, please
remember to take extra care in the mornings and afternoons when dropping off/
picking up students. Snowbanks limit visibility and often constrict roads and walkways. Please give yourself extra time to
make sure that all of our students are safe.
Special Notice to 5th Grade Parents
Bristow Middle School Enrollment
Process
Bristow Middle School will be holding its
enrollment for the incoming 6th graders in
January. Bristow Middle School is a school of
choice, drawing its diverse population from all
neighborhoods in West Hartford. In the
2015-2016 school year, Bristow will enroll 420
students in grades 6 through 8.
All 5th graders who reside in West Hartford and
are attending West Hartford Public Schools are
automatically included in this process. Other
5th graders who reside in West Hartford and
attend a private, parochial or inter district
magnet school like The University of Hartford
Magnet School are also eligible, although they
need to apply to be included in the process and
verify they reside in West Hartford with our
Residency office.
Each 5th grader will receive a number randomly, which will establish the choice order. This
number will be mailed home to parents on
January 22, 2015. In order to help parents
make an informed choice, two informational
meetings will be held at Bristow Middle School
on Monday, March 2, 2015 and Thursday,
March 5, 2015 at 6:30 pm. Parents can choose
to attend either of these meetings as they are
both the same. Students are invited to attend
these meetings with their parents. We
recommend you attend one regardless of
the number your child receives so you are
prepared in case we get to your child’s
number.
For information about Bristow and full details
about how this enrollment process works,
please visit the Bristow website at
http://bristow.whps.org/. You can also call or
email the principal, Steven Cook, at
860-231-2100/ or [email protected].