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Estabrook Connection
School News and Updates for the School Week ending February 11, 2022
Updates and Weekly "Wanderings" from Principal Martellone
Dear Estabrook Families,
We have had a busy week as we quickly move towards the February break. Students have been busy working in class with their teachers and the school has a continual "buzz" as our days go quickly by.
I realized that I may not have shared my schedule with families, so here are the "physical" times that I am present at Estabrook. As you know, I'm also the Director of Innovation and Instructional Technology for Lexington Public Schools, so I am splitting my time between the school and Central Office. I am always available to the school if they need be, in the event that I did not mention that previously.
Monday: AM-Central Office, PM-Estabrook
Tuesday: AM-Central Office, PM-Estabrook
Wednesday: AM-Estabrook, PM-Central Office
Thursday: Estabrook All Day
Friday:Estabrook All Day
I enjoy my time greeting students either in the morning or in the afternoon at dismissal. My goal is that they get a warm welcome from me as principal and a caring good bye at the end of the day. When I visit classrooms, I'll often ask students what they are reading, or ask questions about the work that they are doing as well.
It is hard to believe that I've already been at Estabrook for a month. I continue to enjoy the support of the Estabrook community and I am thankful that your children are in the care of our dedicated educators and staff!
Have a restful weekend and I hope that you've enjoyed the great weather today!
Best,
Mr. Martellone
Principal Meet and Greet Thank You!
I want to be sure to thank all of the parents that contributed questions to the Meet and Greet that was held on my behalf by the Estabrook PTO this week. Additionally, thank you to all the families that attended. I understand how busy families are, and I appreciate you taking the time to come to that meeting. There were approximately 20 questions generated prior to the meeting by parents and you can view the responses HERE.
As always, if you have a question or concern, please feel free to reach out to me and I'll do my best to answer whatever questions you may have!
Student COVID-19 At Home Antigen Testing Reminder
Don't forget that for the home antigen testing, it should be done either this coming Monday night or Tuesday morning before coming to school. The district has provided this form for families to use to report a POSITIVE students at home antigen test. You only need to report positive tests. It is preferable that you report the positive test by 9:00 AM on Tuesday mornings, so the nurses will check the form after that 9:00 AM deadline. This is only to report POSITIVE at home tests via the LPS At Home Testing Program; if your child tests positive at any other time during the week, please call the school nurses.
If you have not already opted in, this is the form to use to opt in to the at home antigen test program.
Absence Form
If your child will be absent for any reason, please complete the Estabrook Absence Form in addition to contacting the school nurse or office. If your child will be absent for a number of days in a row, it’s only necessary to complete the form once. It’s very important that we receive this information for our records. Thanks for your cooperation.
Smart Watches and Cell Phones
We would like to remind families of our school policy around smart watches and cell phones for students. Some families may wish for their child to have a cell phone or a smart watch for communication purposes. Our school policy is that any device with texting, calling or internet capability needs to be powered off during the school day. Any student with a cell phone or smart watch will be directed to keep the device powered off and store it in their locker or backpack. Please be sure to review the student Technology Contracts (Grades 2-3 Tech Contract; Grade 4-5 Tech contract) and ensure that your child understands the school's expectations for devices if they are brought to school.
Please Pull Forward!
For families who are dropping off or picking up by car, please be sure to pull as far forward as possible when driving in the traffic loop. Families should follow the directions of any staff assigned to traffic; these staff are wearing yellow vests and wave cars forward. It is important that the first car in each cycle pull all the way forward and stop just before the crosswalk; this will greatly improve our efficiency as we will be able to have many more students get into or out of cars simultaneously. Please pull all the way forward and your child will meet you at the car. Stopping suddenly in the middle of the traffic loop creates a safety hazard. Thank you for your attention to this; more information about the Driving Guidelines at Estabrook can be found here.
Parking Restrictions - Arrival and Dismissal
In recent weeks, we have observed many families entering our parking lot during Arrival drop off. We understand that this seems convenient, however, there are many days where not all of our staff can find parking. All parents must use the traffic loop to pick up or drop off students, unless there is a scheduled appointment with a staff member or there is a documented health or medical reason. Please take note that any parent who is observed to be entering our parking lot without an approved reason will be asked to exit the parking lot and re-enter the traffic loop to drop off their child.
Attention Inventors, Tinkerers and All-Around Creative Kids!
The Estabrook Maker Space Club is back! For those new to Estabrook, Maker Space is an open-ended creative space where kids get to make all kinds of creations, tinker with tools and recycled objects and even deconstruct old electronics to learn how they work. There is no structured lesson or project plan - they simply have access to a wide range of materials and then they're free to create!
The series will consist of 4 sessions on the following days:
Friday, March 18, 8:00-8:45 AM
Friday, March 25, 8:00-8:45 AM
April 1, 8:00-8:45 AM
April 8, 8:00-8:45 AM
Where: Mr. Taggart’s Class – Room 305
For safety and supervision reasons, participation will be limited to 12 students and is open to all grades. If past interest is any indication, it is quite possible that more than 12 students will sign up. If you are interested in having your child participate in this free activity AND are able to get them to school for 8AM each of the 4 Fridays in the series, Please sign up here before 8PM on February 17.
On February 18, 12 names will be randomly drawn from those who are interested. The families of all whose names are drawn will receive an email on February 18 confirming their selection. Your child is NOT confirmed until you receive a confirmation email from Mr. Taggart. If you participated in the first series, please DO NOT sign up again so that more students will have the opportunity to participate.
We still eagerly welcome donations for the Maker Space! If you have any materials to donate, we would greatly appreciate it. It could be old arts and crafts supplies, office supplies from a business that is closing, clean items from recycling bins, just about anything safe! Here is a PARTIAL list of some things we have received in the past. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Taggart.
The PTO Corner -- Friday, February 11, 2022
To join the PTO click:
Estabrook PTO - Home Page
Run of the Mill Post-Race Party Volunteers Needed!
Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who have signed up to help out with this year’s Run of the Mill, a beloved May Estabrook tradition that includes a Fun Run, 5K, and after-party! This year’s race will be held on Sunday, May 22nd.
We are looking for volunteers to help organize the post-race party for this year’s event. This role would entail planning and organizing the post-race party (including food), helping to set up and take down the party, and being on hand during the party to ensure things are running smoothly. Please note that if you are planning on running the race, this is not a good position to volunteer for.
If you are interested in helping out or learning more please email info@estabrookpto.org .
Principal Meet and Greet
Thank you to all of the parents and caregivers who joined us at last night’s virtual meet and greet with acting Estabrook principal, Tom Martellone! We hope you found the session helpful and informative. We will announce the winner of “Lunch with the Principal” next week! If your child was selected, you will be notified via email.
School Counselor Week
Happy School Counselor Week! Earlier this week we surprised our fabulous Estabrook counselors with a note of thanks and a mini succulent. Thank you to all the families who donated to the Staff Appreciation fund!
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