National Custodian Day was celebrated on Oct. 2! We thank the hard working members of our facilities department for all they do to keep our buildings safe and clean. Thank you!

With a well-deserved break in the middle of the day, students at Newbridge Road Elementary School are striving to make the most out of that time. After a few hours of hard work in the morning, they head off to lunch and recess, before learning literacy, math and more resumes in the afternoon.

But, as Principal Amanda Licci points out, their education doesn’t stop during that lunchtime break. It’s where children develop important social skills, learn how to be good citizens of their school and understand how to be responsible for their own actions.

With that in mind, Ms. Licci launched a new initiative this year to give students a greater voice in the school while helping them to have the best lunch and recess times possible. At the beginning of the school year, she met with each grade level, in which students outlined expectations for themselves during their midday break. Empowered to set their own rules, students took the responsibility seriously.

Posters outlining these expectations are displayed prominently in the cafeteria and are signed by every student. Students in the younger grades set more specific rules, such as using inside voices during lunch, cleaning up after themselves and including others during games at recess. The fifth and sixth grade promises reflect their standing as role models in the school, focusing on the virtues of acceptance, fairness, honesty and respect. They vow to use good manners and make good choices.

Newbridge Road’s lunch recess aides were also involved in the process so they can proactively and positively communicate with students and use consistent language. Each aide has laminated copies of the signed promises from each grade.

“It’s much more meaningful and impactful if it comes from the children,” Ms. Licci said. “Students are very receptive to this, and these are documents that hopefully lead to a positive lunch and recess all year.”

Ultimately, Ms. Licci said, the goal is to maximize the time that students can eat their lunch and play with friends. She noted the correlation that exists between good behavior and personal enjoyment.

Date Added: 9/28/2022

Children know it’s what’s on the inside that matters, but they also take pride in the physical features that make them unique and help them explore life. At Saw Mill Road Elementary School, fifth graders recently completed writing pieces based on the book, “The Best Part of Me.”

The book, by Wendy Ewald, is told from the perspective of children through photographs and stories. Students in Kara Pulsinelli and Kristin Henchel’s class did their own “The Best Part of Me” pieces as a way of building confidence and self-esteem. Each child selected a feature to highlight, and their writing piece was paired with a photo and displayed for the whole class to see.

Students selected many different body parts and wrote why their choice was valuable to them. One student’s hands help her create artwork; another’s arms help him play sports. Feet help them go new places, hair can be a distinguishing trademark and their hearts allow them to show kindness to others.

Noelle Fischetti wrote about her eyes because, “They help me see what I’m writing and what I’m reading, that way I could learn.”

Date Added: 9/22/2022