A Message from Mrs. Hennessey
Thank you to our families for your partnership and support this fall. The Memorial School staff is so impressed with the enthusiasm our students have for learning! As we get into the routines of learning, we welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please let us know what is going well and areas that deserve attention. We greatly appreciate your ongoing communication.
Let’s learn and grow together this year! Please visit our website for updates. Please feel free to contact me directly at ahennessey@sad15.org or by phone at 926-4322.
Seesaw
Memorial School utilizes the Seesaw platform to communicate with families. We also will use this platform should students need to access remote work at any time during the school year. Students will receive training on Seesaw in the first few weeks of school. Parents can download the “Seesaw Family” application to their tablet or smartphone and stay connected!
Fall Picture Day
Say Cheese! Our Fall Picture Day is scheduled for Wednesday, September 20th. Pictures will be taken in classroom groupings beginning at 9 a.m. and concluding just prior to lunchtime. More information was provided in last week’s Totes.
Counselor’s Corner with Mrs. Dwyer
Welcome back to school! We are so excited to have the students back and see all their smiling faces! We are off to a great start! I am Becky Dwyer, your child’s school counselor. This is my third year here at Memorial. I will be teaching weekly guidance classes, offering small groups, and helping students with the transition back to the school routine.
This month in Guidance, we will focus on our school-wide expectations: Be Respectful, Be Kind, Be Responsible, and Be Safe!
Last week, students learned what respect looks like, sounds like, and feels like, as well as what it means to respect people, places, and things. This week, students will learn how to be responsible at school. Each school expectation correlates with our school Star Chips that are given to students who demonstrate one or more of these behaviors. When students receive these star chips, we want them to understand what behavior was demonstrated- their guidance lessons this month should help them gain understanding in this area.
Kindergarten classes will be starting the We Thinkers! Social Explorers curriculum this month. Social learning is all about thoughts and feelings. The ability to think about others, play collaboratively, and establish friendships is all about thoughts; knowing our own, sharing them with others, and taking others’ thoughts into account as we act and react. We will build on their awareness, concepts, and social vocabulary each week.
Throughout the school year, I will be using the Second Step curriculum- weekly home links will be posted on Seesaw so you are able to reinforce lesson skills and concepts at home. Let’s make this a great school year!
Memorial School Schedule
Memorial School students, who are dropped off by their parents, should arrive between 8:40 and 8:50 a.m.. (This is a slight change from last year.) Bus arrival will begin shortly thereafter. The official start of school is 9:10 a.m. (Students will be marked tardy if arriving after 9:10 a.m.) Student dismissal will begin at 3:20 p.m. for both bus riders and students being picked up by their parents.
School Improvement Team
The first meeting of our Memorial School Improvement Team (SIT) will be held on Thursday, September 21st from 4:30-5:30 via Zoom. The SIT will work to review data on Memorial School, set goals for the year that are aligned with our SAD 15 Strategic Plan, and review/adapt those goals as necessary throughout the school year. The SIT is composed of the Memorial School principal, teacher leaders, and parents. We will meet once a month for an hour. Please consider joining the team! If you would like more information or would like to sign up, please email Mrs. Hennessey at ahennessey@sad15.org or call the Memorial School Office at 926-4322.
Peanut-Safe School
There are several students attending Memorial School who have life-threatening allergies to peanuts and peanut products. Allergic reactions to peanuts can occur from smells in the air and oil residues left on surfaces in the school and not just through digestion. In order to provide the safest environment possible, we request your assistance in providing a Peanut-Safe School environment. If possible, we ask that all families refrain from sending in peanut products in lunchboxes or backpacks. If this creates a challenge for your family, please reach out to the Nurse’s Office or Mrs. Hennessey to discuss options.
Please note that some classrooms will be entirely peanut-safe. Those classroom teachers will be in touch about specific circumstances. We greatly appreciate our school community’s efforts to ensure that Memorial School is a peanut-safe environment for all our students!
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures for Drop-Offs & Pick-Ups
We will have a drive-in drop-off and pick-up routine for parents wishing to drive their child(ren) to or from school. This plan is subject to change in the next few weeks as we ‘kick the tires’ on our new arrival and dismissal routines.
Arrival: Parents should plan to drive into the Memorial Bus Loop (closest to the building) between 8:40 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. Please do not enter the loop after 8:50 as buses will be unloading between 8:50 and 9:00. Please be sure to drive 5mph once entering the Memorial School lot to ensure student and staff safety. Once in the loop, parents should pull up toward the main entrance. A staff member will approach your vehicle. When the staff member approaches, students should get out of the car and proceed to the sidewalk in front of the school and into the building. We ask that parents stay in the vehicle to keep the process moving along for the families waiting to unload. If you arrive after 8:50, and when buses are in the yard, we ask that you park and walk your child to the sidewalk in front of the school. A staff member will greet you and escort your child into the school.
Dismissal: Parents should plan to drive into the Memorial Campus between 3:20 and 3:30. Please be sure to drive 5mph once entering the Memorial School lot to ensure student and staff safety. Once in the lot, parents should drive around the school building by entering the one-way alley that goes between the playground and the building (K wing). Please proceed at 5mph and use extra caution when you turn left at the end of the playground.
Please drive behind the school and stop at the door that is across from the shed.
Once stopped, please roll down your window and a staff member will approach your vehicle. Once the staff member approaches, please inform her of which child you are picking up. Please be prepared to show a picture ID to our staff.
We will only release students to parents/guardians unless we have been contacted in advance to set up an alternate arrangement. You can call 926-4322 to let us know of alternate pick-up arrangements, or you can email Miss Lisa at lhaughey@sad15.org. Please call or email prior to noon with any changes to your dismissal plan. Once we have identified which child(ren) you will pick up, we will bring the child(ren) to the car, and the child(ren) can climb in. We ask that parents stay in the car (if possible) to keep the process moving along for the families waiting. After your child is loaded, please proceed with caution toward Intervale Road and the front parking lot. Please stop your car at the corner of the building to check for bus traffic, and then proceed toward Intervale Road when buses are not in the lane and their lights are not flashing.
Breakfast & Lunch
Breakfast and lunch are available to students at no cost this school year! Breakfast will be provided to students when they arrive in the morning. Breakfast will be eaten in the classroom. Lunch will be served in the cafeteria by grade level. There are lunch choices each day: a daily offering, a yogurt choice, or a sun butter sandwich choice. If students choose to have milk only at lunch, there is a $.65 charge.
Sincerely,
Amanda G. Hennessey, Principal of Memorial School
Updated September 15, 2023