Dear Sprague Community,
With the cold and possibility of snow this season, I would like to remind families of our goal of an on time arrival at Sprague for all students. Please help by making every effort to get your child to school between 8:15 and 8:30. During the winter months please allow an extra 10 minutes for arrival, particularly if you are using the car line.
School starts at 8:30 and students are counted tardy if they arrive to class after 8:35.
When all children arrive on time, it supports the classroom community. If your child arrives late to school, it has an unintended impact. Instruction begins shortly after arrival. When a child comes into school late, the classroom teacher needs to stop teaching, add the child to the attendance list, make sure that he/she has ordered lunch and communicate with the office. This takes away learning time from the whole class. The tardy child also misses the opportunity to check-in with his/her teacher and classmates and feel prepared for the school day.
Please remember the following guidelines to support a successful arrival and set a positive tone for the day:
· Students may be dropped off starting at 8:15 a.m. when the playground (or when indoors, the cafeteria and gym) is monitored by staff.
· The doors will be locked for safety at 8:45 a.m.
· Students will be marked tardy on the attendance record if they arrive to class after 8:35 a.m. Remember that putting away backpacks and outerwear takes several minutes, so students who walk in the front door of the school at 8:35 will be late to class.
The entire Sprague staff thanks you in advance for making sure every student learns responsible behavior by arriving to school on time!
Please remember that we go out to recess every day, weather permitting. Our guideline for acceptable outdoor temperature is 20 degrees, so students need to be well dressed for cold weather. It is a good idea to write your child’s name in his/her belongings so we can return them to you if they are misplaced. The Lost and Found area is growing again and it is full of nice items looking for their owners.
Welcome back to Sprague kindergarten teacher, Sara Bartelloni. Sara has been on maternity leave and is now back in the classroom. We will welcome back TA Jackie Decker next week after her maternity leave. Many heartfelt thanks to Kate Burke and Leanne Jones who did a wonderful job filling in for these fine ladies.
Dates to remember:
Dec. 8: Walk to School Day
Dec. 8: Concert featuring students in grades 3 and 4
Dec. 14: PTO Meeting at 9:00 AM
Dec. 14: Cookie Walk (PM PE classes will likely be relocated.) Cookie walk starts after school.
Dec. 18: School Council at 3:15 PM
Dec. 20: Day of Play—more info to follow next week
From the nurse Healthy Snacking Grows Healthy Kids
Did you know that children need snacks because they have small stomachs that aren’t able to hold enough food to last between meals?
What makes a good snack? A good snack is nutrient dense.This means each bite contributes to the child’s intake of substances required for growth, such as protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Healthy snacks bridge the gap between meals and round out the diet, helping to ensure that kids are getting all the nutrients they need to fuel their growth and provide energy. In addition, learning to eat and enjoy nourishing snacks encourages the development of lifelong healthy eating habits, both for now and in the future.
Healthy snack tips:
- Plan ahead for snack times as a part of the day’s food intake. Allow at least an hour between a snack and the next meal.
- People typically reach for whatever’s close and easy. Keeping nutritious foods ready to eat in “snack spots” in the refrigerator and cupboard will make it easier for your family to make good food choices:
- a bowl of fruit, such as oranges, apples, melon, and berries, washed and cut up.
- a bowl of fresh veggies such as cucumber rounds, carrot sticks, sliced peppers
- slices or chunks of fresh cheese
- nonfat or low-fat yogurt, good alone or as a dip for fruits and veggies
- nonfat or low fat milk for children over 2 years old. It’s healthier than juice.
- Give kids water to drink during snack time and when they’re thirsty.
- When shopping, let children help pick out fruits, vegetables and cheeses; they will be more invested in eating them.
- Be mindful that if healthful snacks aren’t easily available, they will eat less nutritious readily available foods.
- Try to avoid high sugar, fatty and salty snacks, such as candy and soda. (But small amounts of cookies, chips or candy are OK for occasional snacking.)
Keep in mind that children actually need snacks. And don’t forget to be a good role model. Studies have shown that eating behavior modeled by parents has the biggest impact on what children eat. Teaching your children to make healthy snack choices today will reap your whole family an entire lifetime of benefits.
Please send your children to school with a substantial healthy snack each day. They need the food to fuel their brains and bodies at school. Did you know that every day at Sprague I see students who do not bring enough snack food to school? To date this year I have given more than 385 snacks! (I am especially concerned because that’s a significant amount of minutes out of the classroom, walking to my office, waiting while I am assisting other students, then walking back to class, each and every time.)
Yours in healthy snacking,
Sharon