Take Note Lower School News Week of November 17-21, 2008

Dear Students and Families,

Veterans Day: Thank you to Mr. Ted MacDonald for helping us to organize a thoughtful Veterans Day observance for our Middle and Lower School community this past week. Added to this year's program was the replica of the USS Saratoga which was on display in front of Campbell. Veterans from the Saratoga Museum Foundation were on hand to discuss the ship and the events surrounding it.

GrandFriends' Day invitations have been mailed. Please confirm with your child's guests the date, Tuesday, November 25 and times:
Preschool: Arrival time was circled on the invitation (either: 8:10-9:10 AM or 9:30-10:30 AM)

Kindergarten - Grade 5: Registration - 9:00 AM; Dismissal - 11:30 AM

We are in need of parent bakers for this event. If you would like to donate finger sandwiches, quick breads, mini-muffins, or fruit and cheese platters, please fill out the enclosed form or contact Mrs. Barbara Feingold (bfeingold@rockyhill.org) with your offer to help. Thank you!

Save the Date for Lower School Family Math Night: Our first Rocky Hill Family Math Night will be Thursday, December 4th at 6:30 p.m. in the Campbell Center .  This night will be devoted to strengthening math skills and “math talk” through the power of family interaction.  The night will be full of fun math activities, ice cream sundaes, and estimation door prizes!!! Please mark your calendars now to attend this exciting event - December 4th, 2008 - 6:30-8:00 p.m., Campbell

Grade 1 will travel to the Pequot Museum on Wednesday, November 19th, to learn more about Native American life as part of their current social studies theme. The class will leave at 9:00 AM and will return to campus by 2:30 PM.

Please remember to introduce yourself to our new school nurse, Mrs.Ann Durning. She is learning students' and families' names, so please help her by spelling your last name, and identifying your child and his/her grade when calling into the Nurse's office. To call Mrs. Durning, please use x112; her email address is adurning@rockyhill.org.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Kindergarten and Grade 5 are coordinating this year's Thanksgiving baskets in the Lower School for the needy. Every class is creating a list of ingredients for a complete family Thanksgiving meal and then filling the baskets in class. The baskets will be delivered to families in need in the East Greenwich area by our Upper School students. Food donations will be accepted until Tuesday, Nov. 25th. Thank you, in advance, for your help with this project.

Many parents attending the LS Parent Coffee and Conversation this week were interested in the Handwriting without Tears writing program which has been instituted in Kindergarten through Grade 2. For more information, please visit this website: www.hwtears.com.

Lost and Found – Our basket runneth over!! We have collected quite a few pieces of unclaimed clothes and lunch bags this fall. If your child is missing any items, please come and see if they are in our Lost and Found basket which is located in the Perkins supply closet next to Mrs. O's office. It helps if all children's outer clothing is labeled with their name. Thanks!

A gift for you and a gift for your school. Celebrate the holidays this year with extra savings from the Box Tops Marketplace! For a limited time, not only can you earn cash for your school with every Marketplace purchase, but you'll also find great deals and discounts for popular online stores such as Lands' End, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble. Just go to www.btfe.com/marketplace/hollydeals. With new deals updated throughout the holiday season, it's a gift for you and a gift for your school at the same time! Stay tuned for details!  For a complete list of participating products, visit www.boxtops4education.com or ask Tracie at tracie_seed@yahoo.com.

From Miss Kathy in Extended Day: Time sure does fly. Our Fall Enrichment programs ended quite successfully this week. Sixty students took part in our programs this fall! I would like to send a big Rocky Hill thank you to all the instructors, teachers, and parents who helped to make fall both fun as well as educational. Mrs. Dumas' Karate program will continue Tuesday/Thursday afternoons as will Mr. Christensen's music program (Tuesdays). Soccer and Chess will return for our spring session. Sign-up flyers for Winter Enrichment will be in the Dec. 12th Take Note, with classes beginning January 13th. Keep an eye on the bulletin board in the front hall of Perkins for previews of Winter offerings.

Our regular Extended Day Program offers daily crafts, outdoor activities (weather permitting), games, cooking (on Wednesdays), homework buddy time, and much more. Come and see for yourself. Call Miss Kathy at 884-9070 ext. 121 or email her at kmajkut@rockyhill.org for more information or to register.

After School Activities next week (all classes 3:15-4:15 PM unless noted):

Tuesday: Karate: MSA Commons

Violin and guitar: LS Music room – 3:30-4:00 PM and 4:00-4:30 PM

Mark your calendars for these important events:

Tuesday, Nov. 25th – LS GrandFriends' Day

Monday, December 1st – Classes Resume

Wednesday, Dec. 3rd – LS Early Dismissal Day, 12:45 PM dismissal

Thursday, Dec. 4th – LS Family Math Night, 6:30-8:00 PM – Campbell

Dec. 8th-12th – PTL Scholastic Book Fair

Wednesday, Dec. 10th – LS Parent Coffee and Conversation – Literacy in the Lower School

8:20-9:20 AM, Blue Room
Thursday, Dec. 11th – Fiesta Bash & Book Fair for all RHS families, 5:30 PM, Campbell

Friday, Dec. 12th – Grades 3 & 4 field trip to The Nutcracker, PPAC, 9 AM-12:45 PM

Friday, Dec. 19th – School dismissed for Winter Holiday break at 11:30 AM

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(Please cut and return form to homeroom teacher by Tuesday, November 18th .)

GrandFriends' Day - Tuesday, November 25th

Parent Bakers Needed

Yes, I will donate the following for our GrandFriends' Day celebration:

______1 Quick bread

______1 Dozen mini-muffins

______1 Cheese and fruit platter

______1 Dozen finger sandwiches

Please note: we are a nut free campus, so please leave nuts out of any recipe.  

We ask that food be delivered Monday afternoon to Hopelands reception area or on Tuesday morning to Campbell Center. Thank you!

Parent name ______________________________________

Telephone ________________________________________

Weekly Math Challenge link