killingworth elementary school october 2017indoor soccer. many of our students either play soccer or...

Important Dates

2 Nat’l. Custodial Worker Day 2-13 KidStuff Coupon Book Sale 2 Fire Prev. Poster Contest Begins 3 BOE meeting 4 Fire Dept. Visits KES 6 First Friday Family Read 6 PJ Day to benefit Juv. Diabetes 9-13 Fire Prevention Week 9 Columbus Day—no school 10 Food Drive begins 13 PTO Book Fair 17 Blood Drive 1:00-6:00 17 Book Fair Family Night 17 Fundraiser pick-up 5:00-8:00 17 BOE meeting 18 Minimum day-1:05 dismissal 19 Book Fair Ends at 1:30 19 K-field trip to Rose Orchards 24 PTO Meeting 7:00 pm 25 Minimum day—Conferences 26 Minimum day—Conferences 30 Food Drive ends 31 Gr. 3 field trip to cemetery 31 Halloween parade K-2

Regional School District #17 • Killingworth Elementary School

Killingworth Elementary School

October 2017 Dennis Reed

Principal KES CORE VALUES

• Be Respectful • Be Responsible • Be Caring •

Safety Reminder If KES ever needs to be evacuated in case of an

emergency, the students will be transferred by bus to the H-K Middle School. Their main

office phone number is 860-663-1241.

WWW.RSD17.ORG

It was nice to see so many of you at Curriculum Night and at our first

PTO meeting. There is so much excitement in the air this year! Our PTO

is such an important partner in our students’ education. I appreciate all of

their efforts in welcoming our new students and families to KES with T-

shirts and water bottles. There are numerous PTO committees that have

already begun the countless hours they spend working to bring special

programs and opportunities to the children throughout the year. The first

cultural arts production ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T Spells Hip Hop’ was a huge

success. The message complimented the KES Core Values of Respect,

Responsibility, and Caring. KES Spirit-wear is now for sale and there are

some very nice choices available. The book fair will begin on October

13th. This is a great opportunity to get involved and volunteer.

The first “First Friday Family Read” will take place October 6th for grades

K – 2. Immediately following this event will be a “coffee break” for new-

comers to KES. Stop in, have a cup of coffee and a munchkin while you

meet new families and some of our veteran families as well.

Another wonderful event taking place on November 1st from 6:00-7:00

pm is our first of three Kindergarten Literacy Nights. Come with your

kindergartner and join a few of our faculty members to play with letters

and sounds. You will work together to create activities that you can bring

home with you to continue practicing your child’s letters and sounds at

home.

We will be conducting our second fire drill of the year this month as we

welcome the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Department in to talk with our

students. Fire Prevention week is the week of October 9th-13th. We will

continue to practice fire drills throughout the year and will also conduct a

few lockdown safety drills to practice securing the building. We will

conduct the first lockdown drill in the month of October, and I will make

sure you are aware ahead of time in case your children have any concerns.

As we do every time, the teachers will be reviewing our plan with the

students and letting them know what to do in the event of an emergency.

Our Resident State Trooper, Scott Wisner, will be on hand to observe and

assist. I continuously seek feedback from him during and after the drills.

Fall is finally here, enjoy this beautiful fall weather.

Dennis Reed,

Principal

KILLINGWORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OCTOBER 2017

Regional School District 17 is seeking qualified individuals to work as substitute

teachers. We offer regionally competitive pay for substitutes. Qualifications for

substitute teachers include a Bachelor’s Degree (required) and experience working

with children. A teaching certificate is not required, but definitely a plus. Substitute

teaching is a great way to contribute to our schools for those who enjoy working with

kids. Please visit the “Employment Opportunities” page of our district website

(www.rsd17.org) for more information and to initiate an application. If you have any

questions, please contact Robin Golembieski, Administrative Assistant to the

Assistant Superintendent, 860-435-4534 x1110.

On Thursday, November 9th , KES will be

hosting our annual Veterans Day Program. We

invite veterans to join us to be our honored

guests. If you, a grandparent, a family friend

or relative have served in or are currently

serving in the armed forces and would like to

receive an invitation to be included in this very

special day, please return the slip below to the

KES office. We will be mailing out invitations

to the veterans at the end of October. The program runs from approximately 9:15

to 10:15, with the option to stay after with our fourth grade students.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Name of Veteran to be invited: ___________________________________

Mailing Address (street/town/zip): ________________________________

Armed Services: ______________________________________________

Relationship to and name of KES student(s): ________________________

Other information: _____________________________________________

**Please note this is not an RSVP for the event, this is for mailing of the invitation only.**

http://www.rsd17.org


News from the Kitchen Check out October’s lunch choices

Cereal is back as a lunch option on Tuesdays and Thursdays

**Also Try it You May Like it Days**

October 12th—Fiesta mac and cheese taco bowl/WG tortilla chips

October 19th—NEW Frito taco with lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa & onions

Did you know we offer breakfast delivered to the classroom every day!

Discover our scrumptious breakfast smoothies and other delicious options!

October 13th GET A FREE APPLE DURING SNACK – Celebrate CT Grown Apples for CT Kids Week

Thank you to all the families that have taken the opportunity to put money on their child’s Rev Trak Point Of Sale (POS)

account to pre-pay for lunches, milk, water and snack. This convenient system enables you to always know your child’s daily

balance. Payments can be put on your account through Rev Trak. You can continue to send in cash/checks that will be applied to

your POS account. Please set up your PowerSchool account today!!

IMPORTANT: We would like to encourage all families to have a conversation with your child about what they are allowed

to use the money on their account to purchase, especially families of 3rd & 4th graders who have the opportunity to buy snack

daily, which could impact their account of pre-paid lunches! The POS system will differentiate on your account how the

money is spent (lunch, snack or both), but the kitchen staff is not aware of your parental choices.

PLEASE remember when sending money into the cafeteria to include your child’s name and teacher with the

money so it can properly be credited to your child’s account.

REMINDER: No child will ever go without a lunch, but please remember that charging lunch should only be done on an

emergency basis. Charges should be paid promptly and not exceed three charges.

Menus are posted monthly on the district website, please call KES Cafeteria if you have any questions or suggestions.


Thank you to all the families who

made the Killingworth 350th

event a

huge success. KES had a great

presence in the parade and dunking

Principal Reed at the picnic was a hit

among our students!


Look who was caught

demonstrating a

KES Core Value!

Caring Respect Responsibility

In the classroom, hallway,

cafeteria or bathroom or on the

playground or bus. Way to go!


From the Health Office Happy autumn!

September proved to be quite a busy month in the health office. There is much paper work and computer work

involved in getting things organized for the school year. I have come close to finishing that up in between seeing

students in my office.

I should be ready to start the mandatory vision and hearing screenings by early October. As always I will begin

with the 4th graders and work my way down through kindergarten. The 2nd grade students are exempt again this year from the

mandated screenings. I also measure heights and weights as part of the screening process. My goal is to have all students screened

before we go on holiday break in December. I do not send home results unless there is a deviation from the norm. If you get a

referral letter from me for either hearing or vision, I would really appreciate it if you let me know as soon as possible what your plan

is regarding following up on it.

As a reminder, PLEASE call the school as soon as you know your child will not be coming to school. Do not rely on emailing the

teacher, as those emails sometimes do not get seen until well after attendance has been done. If you have medical details to share,

please ask to speak to me. This also applies to times when you know your child will be late due to appointments or other reasons.

If you do not call and we do not know ahead of time your child will be absent, we follow up with phone calls to confirm that “all is

well.”

People have been really good (for the most part!!) in checking with me and the teachers before sending in birthday treats to be

shared. Food allergies are serious business and it is crucial we do everything to keep our kids safe. Thank you in advance for

checking before you send in any food to be shared.

I still can use donations to the clothes closet in my office. Most needed are unisex pants of all sizes. If you have any you are

getting rid of and want to send them in to me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Have a great October!

~ Nancy Chase, RN

Kindergarten, first and second grade students are creating exciting and colorful name projects. As we work on these, we are able to get acquainted with our new classmates while creating rainbow and double letters. Being a unified arts teacher, I get the pleasure of teaching all grades and seeing all the students for five years. Third grade has started off the year creating and drawing large sea and land turtles. They are

focusing on lines, shapes, colors and patterns. These pictures are created with markers and watercolor paint. Fourth grade students are finishing up a pixels project focusing on color, pattern and movement. Next they will be creating a still life painting by drawing real life pumpkins and gourds. We will be learning about contour lines, composition and watercolor painting techniques.

~ Mrs. Kelsey

Welcome back! We are off to a great musical start at K.E.S! We have 50 beginners signed up for instrumental lessons. Everyone received their instruments and are already making their first sounds. Please refer to the Sectional Rehearsal Schedule for Thursday morning band rehearsals.

Our select chorus is up and running. We have a very large group this year and they are busy preparing for our first concert season. Third graders are extremely excited to play recorders this year. Please remember that practice is the key for their success!

~ Mrs. Rubalsky


Happy fall everyone!

First through fourth grade students are concentrating on hand/eye coordination, kicking soccer

balls at targets which are different heights, and kicking from various distances.

Third and fourth grade students are also working on dribbling, passing and shooting on goal, as

well as learning the goalie’s responsibilities and positions. Our intentions are working toward

indoor soccer. Many of our students either play soccer or know how to play the game. I am very

excited to see them in action!

After indoor soccer, fourth graders will be concentrating on the State Physical Fitness Test coming up very soon.

Kindergartners are working on simple hand/eye and foot/eye activities involving foam balls, hula hoops and foam Frisbees.

All in all, the year is off to a good start!

~ Miss Mac & Mr. Bergantino

Mrs. Kelsey’s Art Class!

Have you registered your card?

If not, please log into www.stopandshop.com/aplus

and select Customer Registration.

Our ID number is 07499. A quick and easy way to earn $ for KES programs!


Welcome to the new school year! We are so excited to

be working with each grade level. We have many new

book titles on our shelves along with exciting activities

planned. To begin the school year, the students have

been working hard on the LMC routines and procedures. All students visit the LMC once a

week for 45 minutes. Students in kindergarten and second grade have a second session on a

grade-level rotation schedule. On a rotation week, students will continue to return

their books only on their regularly scheduled day. Grades one through four select two

books each week. Kindergarteners select one book. Book bags are given to kindergarten and

first grade students to keep books clean and safe while at home. Please help your child

remember to return their book and bag each week. The LMC website has a new look

which can be found on the KES home page or you can click on the link below. Keep in mind

that it is still a work in progress. Also, stay tuned by visiting the website to hear more about

our participation in the Global Read Aloud initiative beginning in October!

http://elibrarymediacenters.rsd17.org/

~ Mrs. Bacewicz & Mrs. Hosking

L.E.A.P. News

I am excited to announce that we are bringing on MORE Project Lead the Way modules

this school year! Second grade will be learning about the earth’s surface and how it can

change because of the effects of weather. They will use the Engineering Design Process

to design, build, and test a solution to prevent water from changing the shape of the land

in an effort to save houses at the bottom of a hill from a possible landslide. Third grade will actually be introduced to

two new PLTW modules. For the first one, students will be learning about forces and interactions. They will be using

the Engineering Design Process to design and build a prototype of a mechanism that can rescue a trapped zoo animal.

In the second module, students will be learning about inheritance and traits. They will again use the Engineering

Design Process to help a farmer understand why and how certain plant traits are being passed on through three different

generations of plants. All of the PLTW modules use the Engineering Design Process and they all provide hands-on, real

-world experiences to our students. Last year students in kindergarten, first and second grade experienced a PLTW

module. Those same modules will be taught again this year by classroom teachers to our current kindergarten, first and

second graders. We are very excited about all aspects of PLTW, and I am honored to be our school’s lead PLTW

teacher assisting in bringing this type of science to KES. For more information, you can visit the PLTW website at

www.pltw.org.

~ Mrs. Williams

http://elibrarymediacenters.rsd17.org/

http://www.pltw.org


Please join our PTO Welcome Wagon for coffee and treats in Room 1 on Friday, October 6th, immediately following First Friday Family Read. We would love to answer any questions you may have about our PTO or our KES community. KES-wear orders are being processed. Thank you to all who ordered!

We would like to thank everyone who signed up for A committee on Curriculum Night! Without all of you, our school would not be as awesome as it is!

Also many thanks to the Killingworth Women’s Organization (KWO) for their donation of 350 Box Tops for our Box Tops Program at KES.

On Wednesday, September 27, 2017, Hip Hop dance star Reggie Williams brought important and sometimes overlooked qualities to the attention of the students in one of the wildest, craziest, and most entertaining assemblies. He uses his dance instruction to discuss the importance of being kind and good to each other, respecting your peers, teachers, parents and most importantly … yourself!

The following items were purchased for the start of the 2017-2018 school year with your PTO dollars: 60 kindergarten shirts to welcome our news kindergarten students to KES!

56 Dunkin Donuts gift cards to welcome back every staff member! 32 Dairy Barn certificates for the Reading/Math summer program prizes!

We also purchased the banner that was carried by our KES students in the Killingworth 350th Anniversary parade! The Box Tops collection is off to a great start this year. The PTO will award $5 Book Fair gift certificates to the top three individual contributors as of October 6th. Thanks to everyone who sent in summer Box Tops! KES PTO needs to fill our Treasurer position for the 2018-2019 school year. If interested, please contact Kristy Hebert at [email protected] or Karen Castelli at [email protected]

Visit the PTO website at http://www.rsd17.org/kes/index.shtml

Kindergarten students have done a great job getting used to daily

routines this past month, need less support taking care of their

things, and are following directions as we move into October. During

language arts lessons, kindergartners have been working on learning letter names, sounds and

proper letter formation. Some students are beginning to use this knowledge in their writing!

They have also been listening to many great books and are “reading” these books themselves

during Reading Workshop by remembering the story and using the pictures to help them retell.

In math, we have finished our unit on position words and using measuring vocabulary (longer/

shorter, less than/more than) and are beginning our Unit 2 work with recognizing, writing and

comparing numbers 1 through 5. All three kindergarten classes will be taking a field trip to

Rose Orchards in North Branford in October, which we are really looking forward to!

~ Mrs. Isleib, Mrs. Sullivan & Mrs. Viens

Second graders have been hard at work in the month of

September! We are currently finishing up our first unit of

study in reading. In this unit, students learned how to build

their reading skills through various strategies such as previewing books and stopping to

think and retell their stories to make sure they have an understanding of what they are

reading. Students also reviewed strategies they can use when they come to tricky

words in a text. In math, students are currently working on our first unit of study, Fact

Strategies for Addition and Subtraction within 20. Students are solving various types

of word problems by identifying what the number sentence should be, showing their

work and showing the answer with a label.

~ Mrs. Esposito, Mrs. Honious & Mrs. Pommer


What an exciting month for first graders! We have been busy these past few weeks learning classroom routines, building classroom

community and diving into our curriculum. In Reader's Workshop, we

finished learning the habits of good readers and are now focusing on reading strategies to solve tricky words. In Writer's Workshop, we are

writing 'small moments' about our daily lives and learning how to make our characters

come alive. We are so excited to start writing How-To books soon! In math, we are finishing up Unit 1 that focuses on non-standard measurement/graphing and starting

Unit 2 that focuses on addition and subtraction within 10. We are also having Math

Talks almost daily to help build our number sense.

~ Mrs. Eames, Mrs. Lomazzo & Mrs. Roby

Students have begun Writer’s Workshop once again and they are experts at the workshop model! September was a busy month as we reviewed expectations and routines. We began by having an author ceremony as students received their fourth grade writing journals. They began writing personal narratives from their summer experiences. We are currently

working on “The Arc of the Story,” as they have begun drafting a realistic fiction piece. Students have enjoyed creating new characters and story arcs as they have planned their story. They are excitedly waiting to begin the publishing process of their writing using the computers and Google Classroom.

In September, we focused on a map skills review during social studies. Current events lead our discussion about natural disasters in science. We learned all about hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and volcanoes. We completed two engineering challenges as well. During the first days of school, we designed and tested rollercoasters. We will end the month creating earthquake-proof buildings. As fourth grade mathematicians, students have been developing their place value skills, addition and subtraction with regrouping. Relationships between operations have been the major area of focus. They are collaborating; thinking, talking, and modeling their strategies. Students are engaged, reflecting on their mathematical practices. Students can be seen self-selecting and using tools and solving problems without giving up.

Fourth graders are loving reading and discussing characters in their books. Our first unit includes developing theories about characters and supporting our ideas with specific, relevant text evidence. WOW! Our students are enthusiastic learners!

~Mrs. Basroon, Mrs. DiGregorio & Mrs. Munz


Third grade is off to a good start! We continue to learn and practice classroom routines. This year third graders are responsible for the daily morning announcements. Students take turns each morning announcing the lunch menu, weather

forecast, as well as leading the school with the Pledge of Allegiance. Students are enjoying this new responsibility.

In Reader’s Workshop, students are reviewing workshop routines, including how to choose a “just right book” and how to jot ideas. Students are also discussing “big ideas” they are having with their partners and classmates using evidence from the text to support them.

In Writer’s Workshop, we are writing narratives based on “True Stories.” Students are generating “idea lists” based on small moments or events in their lives. Soon students will be publishing their stories and working through the writing process. In math, students are reviewing place value concepts, as well as learning how to round numbers to the nearest ten and hundred. They will also be learning strategies for solving two-step word problems with addition and subtraction, as well as computing numbers in the hundreds and thousands.

~ Mrs. Brustman, Mr. Cusson &Mrs. Hamel


FALL PROGRAMS AT

HK RECREATION

The Haddam-Killingworth Recreation Department is offering a variety of fun and exciting programs this

fall. Please visit our website (www.hkrec.com) for more detailed information. Register on-line at

http://hkrec.recdesk.com/recdeskportal/

A variety of Youth programs will be offered such as:

- Young Chefs (Wednesday, 4:15 – 5:45 pm, Oct. 18 at the HK High School,

room B-112)

- Acting (Tuesdays, 5:00 pm at HK High School Cafeteria starting Oct. 3)

- Stem FUNdementals with Legos (Mondays, 3:30-5:00 pm, starting Oct. 16

at Burr Library)

- Children’s Swim Lessons (Tuesdays & Thursdays, starting Oct. 5, 6:00-6:40 pm or

6:50-7:30 pm at the HK High School Pool)

- Karate kids (Wednesdays, 3:30-5:00 pm, KES gym)

- Creative Art (Monday, 3:30 pm at KES starting Oct. 16)

For more information about any of our programs, please call the Haddam-Killingworth Recreation

Department at 860-345-8334 or visit www.hkrec.com.

HK Recreation Department’s After School Child Care Programs

The HK Recreation Department’s State Licensed After School Programs are available on a full-time or part-

time basis, including half days of school at Killingworth Elementary School.

We are very accommodating, and are able to fulfill your part-time and full- time child care needs. We even

have sibling discounts.

The benefits your child may experience by joining the After School program are:

● Exercise ● Homework Club

● Socialization with peers ● Creativity through arts & crafts

● Use of the computer lab 1 day a week ● Monthly themed dance parties

For more information, please visit our website—www.hkrec.com, call 860-345-8334 or email Jen Saglio,

Director of Child Care—[email protected].

http://www.hkrec.com

http://hkrec.recdesk.com/recdeskportal/

http://www.hkrec.com


Friday, October 13 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM

Monday, October 16 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Tuesday, October 17 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM

Wednesday, October 18 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Thursday, October 19 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Please contact Kerrie Parri ([email protected]) or

Kerstin Berardino ([email protected]) or visit the KES

bookfair homepage online if you are interested in volunteering!

Killingworth Elementary School PTO will host

The Fall Scholastic Book Fair

Friday, October 13 through Thursday, October 19

(Weekdays only)

Save these Dates

Late Night Friday, October 13 3:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Family Night Tuesday, October 17 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

SHOP ON LINE

http://www.scholastic.com/bf/killingworthelementaryschool

Sales begin 10/11/17 Sales end 10/24/17

Orders from online sales will arrive within 7 to 10 business days after

online fair end date.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/kes


October 2nd is

National Custodial Day.

Please take a minute to

thank our

custodial staff for the many,

many jobs that they do

around the school to make it

look as fantastic as it does!

KES donated 690 books to the Read To Grow Program

(Books For Kids). This program distributes an average of

1,600 new and gently used children’s books weekly. The

books find homes in the arms of children in hospitals, health

care clinics, child care centers, schools and library programs

across the state. Many of the children in these programs have

few, if any, books of their own. With the gift of these books it

is hoped that parents better understand the importance of early

literacy and reading, as well as to instill in children a love of

language and books.

Thank you to all who donated books!

We would like to extend a HUGE THANK

YOU to Terry Bella for all his hard work on

the fish tank!

Glass tops were installed which were cut for

free by Madison Glass; a new LED light was

provided free of charge from the

manufacturer; an automatic feeder and

gravel were donated from Slither and Swim

in West Haven; and several fish were

donated by Shoreline Pet of Old Saybrook!

Thank you!

killingworth elementary school october 2017indoor soccer. many of our students either play soccer or...

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