THE BUZZ.....

September 15, 2019

Dear Earth School Families,

Hope you all enjoyed the weekend after our first full week of school! We had our first Weekly Town Meeting, our school-wide gathering on Friday mornings from 8:40 – 9:10 a.m. in the Blue Play Space downstairs. Emmy emceed and asked students to share what they remember about rules we keep in mind when we come together for Weekly Town Meeting, and when we are at recess. Our Recess Guidelines were developed a couple of years ago to create more consistency and help students connect classroom expectations with recess expectations. Teachers have been reviewing them with students as the year begins, and we are attaching them to this Buzz so families can review and discuss them at home, too.

Our first Parents Association Meeting is this Tuesday, 9/17, 8:45-9:50 am in the 2nd Floor Library. Come learn about how to stay “in the loop” through PA's different communication channels, and find out about PA events and programming. Whether you’re interested in volunteering your time and skills, or want to know about and talk up family events to other parents in the community, all are welcome!

Our Class Potluck, Kickoff and Curriculum Night is this Thursday, 9/19, 5:30 – 7:30 pm This is an opportunity to spend time with other families in your child’s class, to meet the teachers, and to learn about the curriculum for the year. In order to ensure we have enough time for eating and meeting, potlucks will start at 5:30. At 6:15, we'll transition to the Classroom Kickoff and Curriculum portion of the evening, wrapping up at 7:30. Childcare will be available from 6:15. (If you prefer, you may keep your child(ren) with you during the curriculum portion of the evening, and for their own safety we ask that you not send them unescorted into the hallways.) A reminder for the Potluck that, in consideration of allergy safety and our peanut-free policy, we ask that community members take care if possible to not bring foods with peanuts, shellfish or strawberries. Labeling foods is also greatly appreciated!

Our first half day is this Friday! A reminder that the Earth School has half days for staff development that are not reflected on the DOE calendar. Our first one is this Friday, 9/20 (dismissal is at 11:55).

Clarifications: We wanted to be sure to highlight that the morning attendance procedure we described in last week’s Buzz (included again, below, in Back to School Basics) may reflect a change from what some families were accustomed to last year. Documenting accurate attendance in the morning is important in ensuring child safety--it is the means by which we confirm that children arrived at school (and the means by which a child’s whereabouts are confirmed in case of an emergency). Because attendance is recorded in the classroom and then submitted to the office, the school needs a consistent means to document when students are late (our start time is 8:30) but, in fact, present at school. Therefore, we are requiring students to have a late pass from the office if they will be arriving at their classroom after 8:35. (Caretakers may accompany their child to the office, or children may go to the office on their own, if preferred.) We appreciate your cooperation!

Have a wonderful week!

Claudia

THE BUZZ.....

September 8, 2019

Dear Earth School Families,

It was so wonderful to get to meet so many of you last week! Whether at the Meet and Greet, or the New Families Orientation, or at arrival and dismissal, it’s been great getting to chat with the parents and students who make the Earth School such a special place. Thanks, also, to parents from the Parents Association (PA), School Leadership Team (SLT), Representation Team, and the Diversity and Difference Study group who came to Orientation to help welcome new families to our community!

This is the time when the entire school is focused on establishing clear structures and routines for being together as a community. From where to keep one’s things, to “good listening,” or cleaning up after oneself, rules and routines are what make a school run smoothly. There are lots of factors we take into account to develop and establish rules and routines that support students--from their ages, to the lay-out of a classroom, and even the time of day. As the children become used to the consistency, these systems become harder to notice and start to feel "easy." At the beginning of the year, with adjustments to morning schedules, it can be a challenge to figure out how routines outside of school--bedtime, bath-time, morning wake-up, getting addressed etc.--should be established to help support a smooth transition into the school day. Additionally, as children grow, families sometimes find that the routines and responsibilities that worked well for their children last year might need to be adjusted. For any families who are interested in learning more about transitions and routines, a reminder that our Guidance Counselor, Shirley, will be hosting a workshop, “Have a Great Day!: Smooth Transitions and Relaxed Routines” tomorrow (9/9)!

Postponing Morning Recess Start Date - As we noted in last week’s Buzz, because of construction in the gym, we are using alternative spaces for the different elements of our movement/PE programming, including morning recess (aka “morning gym”). We’d hoped to be able to start morning recess tomorrow, but we need a bit more time to work out the logistics that will help ensure the new routine starts off as smoothly as possible. Our goal is to start sometime this week, and I will send out updated information once we have it.

Allergy Safety and Peanut-Free Policy Please indicate on your child’s emergency contact card and notify your classroom teacher of any student allergies or dietary restrictions, so that teachers can notify the classroom community, and families can plan accordingly. Teachers may also notify families of staff-member allergies to consider in their classrooms. To make our school-wide community safe for students with allergies, The Earth School strives to be a peanut-free environment, and we ask that families check labels carefully when sending lunches or snacks. Additionally, we have community members with life-threatening, air-borne allergies to shellfish and strawberries, so we ask that you take care whenever possible to not bring those food items to school where they might be in shared spaces, or at school events. One of our favorite traditions at The Earth School is sharing favorite family foods at potlucks, picnics, and class breakfasts. Labeling foods so others are aware of foods that contain nuts or other common allergens, which are gluten-free, or vegan is greatly appreciated. We appreciate your help in creating a safe environment for all!

Important Reminder: Please return BLUE FOLDER Back-to-School Paperwork to your classroom teacher by this Friday, September 13. These folders were sent home in the first days of school, and contain important forms that must be completed every year. The Family Income Inquiry form (previously called the School Meals Application or “Lunch Form”) can be completed online or by using the paper copy in the folder. Whichever way you choose, we need to collect one per family. The good news is that it only takes five minutes and it could lead to increased school funding!

Looking forward to another wonderful week!

Claudia

THE BUZZ.....

June 17, 2019

Dear Families,

The School Picnic was amazing!!! It was wonderful to watch children, families, and staff enjoying a day at the East River Park together. Thanks to all who were able to come, to the amazing cooks, and to everyone for their generous contributions. Seeing everyone together is a beautiful reminder of why we all work so hard to support and protect the Earth School’s values of community, inclusion, and respect for all. As we head into the end of the school year, we are preparing to say goodbye to our graduates and to welcome in a new batch of little ones. For our fifth graders, a new chapter in their school journey is about to begin. I wish them the best and am confident that they will continue to make us proud in their new school communities.

We are busy making plans for the new school year. We have selected Studio In a School, a reputable arts partner for the upcoming school year. Through this program, each class will work with a professional teaching artist in the visual arts. In addition, there will be family workshops, professional development for teachers, and a student exhibit. Teachers will collaborate with the artist to further integrate visual arts into their classrooms. The school has set aside funds to support most of the project. We have applied for a city grant to cover the remaining portion.

Narrative Report cards will be distributed on Friday. At the end of fourth grade, the Department of Education collects “grades” and attendance records for next year’s middle schools admissions. Since the Earth School does not issue grades and most families opt out of the standardized tests, we will upload the narratives into the new My Schools system. For further information, see our grading policy in the school handbook.

Happy Father and Father-figures Day!

All for now!
Abbe