Dear Families,

I hope that all of you are remaining safe and finding meaningful and engaging ways to spend your days during this uncertain time.  As you heard from Dr. Fleishman, we are providing you with resources that will provide continuity for our students while school is closed.  As you work to develop schedules and routines that work for your family, we encourage you to access the site below for grade-level appropriate activities that complement and reinforce our curriculum: www.newton.k12.ma.us/covid19.

We are committed to helping families that may need access to devices at home in order to engage in online learning opportunities.  If you do not have a web-capable device at home other than a cell phone (such as an iPad, Chromebook, PC, or Mac) please complete this request form: https://forms.gle/K3SgotNY38V1ncNe9  Our technology support team will be in touch with you to discuss next steps.

You can expect to hear from your child’s teacher on a weekly basis starting tomorrow, Monday, March 23 (end of day).  Each week, teachers will be reaching out with a personal message for students and specific recommendations for activities that students and families can complete.  These activities are grade-level appropriate and can be completed by students independently or with support from their family.  Special education staff, English language learning teachers, and counselors and other staff are also available to communicate with students and families through email.  Please understand that we are all doing our best to support our students, while, like you, adjusting to the realities of our current situation and supporting our own families.

Again, if you are in need of a device (such as a Chromebook) for your scholar to complete work at home, please use the link below to request one through the district:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3CfIZg8duH1Mh592zAmkKYv-tClngx3bj7fGb_fuTk3j6Og/viewform

Stay well!

Principal Morrissey

Dear families,

I hope everyone is staying healthy and enjoying time outside with your families as the weather has been in our favor so far.  I know it is an unsettling time right now and I plan to keep you updated with important district information as soon as it I receive it.

By now, you should have received a message from David Fleishman with updates about our school closure.  I’ve pasted the text of his letter below for your reference.  Thank you all for your messages of support and for reaching out with questions over the past few days.

The NPS Office of Teaching and Learning is assembling a collection of materials to provide enrichment and connectedness opportunities for your children during this unprecedented time of school closing.  The materials will provide educational opportunities and activities at grade level for your children while school is closed.  They are not intended to replace classroom instruction, or to substitute for instruction in any way.  Rather, they are supplemental — curated grade-level activities that are interesting and fun and encourage students to explore new topics on their own.

As David mentioned, parent/teacher conferences and other meetings and school activities have been postponed.  We’ll likely revise our schedule for report cards and progress reports once we resume normal school functioning.  I look forward to rescheduling other key events that we had to postpone this week and next.  

During these challenging and uncertain times, I am also aware that families may need food resources.  I wanted to share some local Newton and Boston resources for food.  There are three pantries in Newton:

Centre Street Food Pantry
11 Homer Street, Newton Center
www.centrestfoodpantry.org
617-340-9554

Newton Food Pantry
1000 Commonwealth Avenue (City Hall)
www.newtonfoodpantry.org
617-796-1233

Arabic Food Pantry
187 Church Street, Newton Corner
www.arabicbaptist.org
617-723-9766

Project Bread (1-800-645-8333) will also be able to support families in need, especially if you are unable to go to work.

Also, please take note of Newton Neighbors Helping Newton Neighbors, a group created to match residents needing help with volunteers who are willing and able to help.  They have created the following intake form to service our community as we navigate the disruptions caused by COVID-19 — please consider filling it out if you can volunteer or if you need any assistance:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQNTahca3LS8GkS0mht7d3JAVsAc5Apy2H_LJLiGntlwTVOw/viewform

Stay healthy!

Principal Morrissey

Dear families,

It is time for our spring parent-teacher conferences — please make sure you have signed up for a conference with your teacher.  We also have kindergarten screening day coming up this Tuesday, March 10th — if you have an incoming kindergartner, please call the LE office (617-559-9540) to schedule a screening for your child.  We look forward to meeting our new scholars!

MCAS 2020 Schedule:

Below is the 2020 MCAS testing schedule for grades 3-5.  It is very important all scholars are present on testing days.  Please mark your calendars now to avoid scheduling family vacations on testing days.

ELA

MATH

SCIENCE

Upcoming Dates To Note:

Tuesday, March 10th:  Kindergarten Screening Day
Tuesday, March 10th:  PTO Meeting, 6:30pm in the library
Thursday, March 19th:  Early release day; 12:30pm dismissal
Thursday, March 19th:  5th grade Yogurt Beach fundraiser

Have a great week!

Principal Morrissey

Dear families,

Happy February!  A quick reminder that this Thursday, February 6th, is an early release day, with dismissal at 12:30pm.

Hopefully you all received the progress reports for your scholars that were sent out on Thursday.  If you had any trouble accessing the report on Aspen, please reach out to aspen@newton.k12.ma.us, or if you have any questions, please be in touch with your child’s teacher or me.

We’re more than halfway through the school year now, and looking forward to some more great community events in the second half of the year — starting with Movie Night this Friday; hope to see you all there!

Tumble Book Library is a collection of online animated picture books, read-along chapter books, graphic novels, videos, puzzles, and games available in English, French, and Spanish.  And it’s free for you and your child to use at home!  This resource is provided through the Newton Public Schools’ libraries.  Now families will have lots of choices of good books to read anytime, anywhere!

To access from home, just go to the Library page of Lincoln Eliot School’s website. Near the top of the page, click on READ and then click on Tumblebooks.  You will need to sign in with the a username and password which I can provide you; please reach out to me or Jena for that.

Upcoming Dates To Note:

Thursday, February 6th:  Early release day; 12:30pm dismissal
Friday, February 7th:  Movie Night, 6pm
February 17th-21st:  No School — February Vacation Week
Friday, March 6th:  Game Night, 6pm

Have a great week!

Principal Morrissey

Dear families,

Happy New Year!  I hope 2020 is a year full of health, love, laughter, and joy for you and your family.

The home of two of our scholars was recently destroyed in a fire. Sadly, the family lost a majority of their belongings. At this time the family is in need of two dressers for the children’s clothing. If you have any gently used dressers that you would like to donate, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be arranged with the main office. Thank you.

Upcoming Dates To Note:

Tuesday, January 7th:  PTO Meeting, 6:30pm in the Library
Thursday, January 9th:  4th and 5th grade Winter Concert, 7pm
Monday, January 20th:  No school — Martin Luther King Day

Have a great week!

Principal Morrissey

Dear families,

A reminder that this Wednesday is a half-day with a 12pm dismissal, and there is no school Thursday or Friday.  We wish you all a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday and long weekend!

November is National Diabetes Month.  It is important to become familiar with the warning signs of diabetes.  Knowledge is a key weapon against this disease and its complications.

Warning Signs of Type 1 Diabetes — these symptoms can occur suddenly and must receive immediate medical attention:

• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination sometimes exhibited by bedwetting (in large quantities)
• Blurry vision
• Extreme hunger
• Unexplained weight loss even though eating and feeling hungry
• Sweet, fruity odor on breath
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea/vomiting
• Fatigue
• Drowsiness, lethargy
• Irritability/mood changes
• Rapid, heavy breathing
• Confusion, Stupor
• Unconsciousness

Many of these symptoms can be related to illnesses that are not associated with diabetes.  This should be discussed with a health care provider.  Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.  Insulin is a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy.  Different factors, including genetics and some viruses, may contribute to type 1 diabetes.  Although type 1 diabetes usually appears during childhood or adolescence, it can develop in adults.  Despite active research, type 1 diabetes has no cure.  Treatment focuses on managing blood sugar levels with insulin, diet and lifestyle to prevent complications.  Jordan Weiss, a nine-year old from Newton, Massachusetts, passed away in 2003 from complications related to undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes.  To honor Jordan’s memory, the JBW Fund was established by his family to foster awareness and education of the warning signs of diabetes.  Sometimes the signs are obvious and sometimes the signs are subtle, limited and attributed to another illness.  The latter was the case for Jordan.  Familiarizing yourself with the warning signs could help save a life.

For more information, talk to Nurse Kristen or visit:

www.cdc.gov/diabetes

www.jdrf.org

www.joslin.org

www.diabetes.org

www.beyondtype1.org

Inclusive Schools Week is coming up December 2- 6, celebrating the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and other factors.

Upcoming Dates To Note:

• Wednesday, November 27^th:  Early release day; 12:00 dismissal
• Thursday, November 28^th and Friday, November 29^th:  No school — Thanksgiving recess
• December 4th:  Early release day; 12:30 dismissal
• December 9th-12th:  Lincoln-Eliot Book Fair

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Principal Morrissey

Dear families,

A few notes as the temperature drops and we approach the holiday season (please remember to send your students in with warm clothes in case the weather permits for outdoor recess!).

Holiday Helpers:

If your family is in need of some assistance (toys and/or clothes) during the upcoming holiday season, please complete the following steps:

Write a letter that includes:

1. Your name
2. Explanation of family need
3. Name, age and gender of each child who lives in your home under the age of 12
4. If in need of clothing, please include sizes for each child.  If in of need toys, please include interests of each child.

Send the letter to Principal Morrissey as soon as possible.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Internet Safety:

We have seen an increase in our scholars using apps outside of school (such as Tik Tok) to post videos of themselves.  Sometimes the content of the videos on these apps is not age-appropriate for elementary students.  We encourage you to have age-appropriate conversations early and often with your child about Internet safety.  We recommend not sharing the details about what young children may be exposed to online, but instead tell them to stop watching and immediately tell a trusted adult if they see something that makes them feel uncomfortable, scared, or nervous.  It is also important that parents monitor what children are doing online.  Technology is a tool that can be wonderful and challenging, and it is important to be thoughtful and safe.

Below are some key points you can discuss with your child:

• We know that children use games and websites (such as RoBlox, Tik Tok, Fortnite, YouTube, etc.) where they may interact with others, including strangers, or with content that is unkind and inappropriate.
• Sometimes when we share something online, the intent is unclear or can be misunderstood.
• When students see something that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe, they should tell a trusted adult as soon as possible for help.
• Our digital footprint is permanent: the sites we visit, messages we send, etc. can never be truly deleted, just like our actions and words.

I urge all parents and guardians to be attentive to what games, apps, and websites your children use.  An excellent resource for parents/guardians is Common Sense Media, which also has a number of helpful resources under the “Advice for Parents” tab.

At this link you will find the Elementary Acceptable Use Guidelines, which provide more information about what we teach students about using computers and the Internet at the elementary level.

Frequent unannounced spot-checks, limits on usage (specific times, taking devices away at night, etc.), and device-free time are all essential.  We appreciate your partnership as we work together to nurture kind, thoughtful, respectful, and resilient children.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Paola Leber (School Psychologist), Jennifer Roy (Instructional Technology Specialist), your child’s teacher, or me if you have questions, concerns, or would like additional guidance before talking with your child.  As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership.

I also came across this great article which I wanted to share with you all, full of ideas for starting conversations with your kids about school:

50 Questions To Ask Your Kids Instead Of Asking “How Was Your Day”

Upcoming Dates To Note:

• Wednesday, November 27^th:  Early release day; 12:00 dismissal
• Thursday, November 28^th and Friday, November 29^th:  No school — Thanksgiving recess
• December 4th:  Early release day; 12:30 dismissal
• December 9th-12th:  Lincoln-Eliot Book Fair

Have a great week!

Principal Morrissey

Dear families,

Well, it certainly feels like winter out there. With the dip in temperatures, many of you may wonder how we make decisions about whether to have indoor or outdoor recess. Consistent with other NPS elementary schools, we use the Child Care Weather Watch resource to determine when it is safe to go outside. Each day, we check the “feels like” temperature (temperature after accounting for wind chill) to determine whether we will have inside or outside recess. We use the 20 degrees minimum temperature for outside recess. This is within the threshold of the yellow/caution zone.

We know our children benefit from fresh air and exercise and we wish for them to get outside as much as possible. Staff and families have also observed that there have been a number of days in the past when the temperature was just below 20, but it was lovely outside! We want kids to go out AND we need to keep them safe! Depending on “yellow zone” conditions, we may also elect to shorten the amount of time children are outside. We will make those judgments on a case-by-case basis. You can help us by making sure that your child comes to school with warm clothing: coats, mittens/gloves, hats, and snow pants.

Please mark your calendars:

• Monday, November 11^th:  Veteran’s Day — No School
• Tuesday, November 12^th:  PTO meeting, 6:30pm in the Library
• Friday, November 15th: Picture Retake Day, 9:00am
• Wednesday, November 27^th: Early release day: 12:00 dismissal
• Thursday, November 28^th and Friday, November 29^th:  No school — Thanksgiving recess

See you Tuesday!

Principal Morrissey

Dear families,

We had our first Safety Day this week.  The morning consisted of practicing an evacuation, shelter in place and lockdown drills.  Our scholars did an excellent job of quickly and quietly exiting the building, and following all protocols.  We are proud of everyone for taking the drills seriously, following directions and actively participating.

Please mark your calendars:

• Monday, November 11^th:  Veteran’s Day — No School
• Tuesday, November 12^th:  PTO meeting, 6:30pm in the Library
• Friday, November 15th: Picture Retake Day, 9:00am
• Wednesday, November 27^th:  Early release day: 12:00 dismissal
• Thursday, November 28^th and Friday, November 29^th:  No school — Thanksgiving recess

Have a great week!

Principal Morrissey