John Paterson School

120 Church Street

Newington, CT 06111

Stephen J. Foresi, Principal

May 2007

Dear Parents/Guardians:

It is hard to imagine that we are coming upon the last stretch of this school year. Yet as the year comes to a close, as a part of our welcoming orientation, we are also sending this edition of our newsletter to incoming kindergarten parents and students. We’d like to welcome you as the newest members of our John Paterson School family!

When reflecting on the year, and the summer months to come, I’m reminded of a quote from Oliver Wendell Homes, “The riders in a race do not stop when they reach the goal. There is a little finishing canter before coming to a standstill. There is time to hear the kind voices of friends and say to oneself, 'The work is done.'” While our children press forward to reach end of the year goals, we also take this time of the year to celebrate and reflect on the process of the race…. Students at each grade level learned and applied developmentally appropriate social and academic skills and strategies that align with district, state and national standards. They developed social relationships with peers and adult staff through cooperative learning, play, before & after school programs, and our school family meetings. Children learned through a variety of experiences, derived from literature, science, social studies, math, hands-on activities, discussions, field trips, school-wide and PTO sponsored events and presentations. It is our hope that students become independent using taught skills and strategies, so that each child can make reasonable decisions, solve everyday problems, and lead a fulfilling, productive life.

In looking forward, the next six weeks of school will be filled with field trips, various performances, grade specific events, field days, school-wide celebrations, and continued rigorous learning experiences. During this time, staff will meet to continue to plan for the future of our students. We will analyze student performance to generate student progress reports, determine our status of school goals and necessary revisions, as well as determine student placement assignments for the 2007-2008 school year.

Kindergarten Registration: With the start of a new school year just four months away, we continue to share with you that kindergarten registration has been taking place. We encourage all parents with a child who will be five on or before December 31^stto register if they have not already. We ask that you mention this to your neighbors and friends should they have an age-eligible kindergarten youngster whom is not yet registered. Postponing registration to the summer months slows down the process, delaying the assignment of children to a class. Please register with our Residency Office located at Newington High School – 666-5611 or call John Paterson for more details – 666-4657.

The John Paterson PTO continued to eagerly support enriching activities for both students and families. From multiple cultural arts events, two visiting authors, grade-level specific resources, funding library books, the Sponsor a Book program, a soon-to-come climbing wall in the gymnasium, our new sound system in the gymnasium, the fourth grade year book, to providing family events through the Fall Festival, Pasta Dinner, Evening Book Fairs, end of the year celebrations, and many more - our students and community continue to grow thanks to their strong devotion and efforts. Our last PTO meeting of the year will take place on Tuesday, June 5^th at 7:00 p.m.

We would also like to thank the Newington Education Foundation (NEF) for their continued support though awarded mini-grants. These grants support extended opportunities for our students. This year, the NEF provided funding, along with the PTO, for our school to install a Traverse Indoor Climbing Rock Wall in our gymnasium, which will enhance our Physical Education program.

Reflecting upon what you will read in this issue of the Paterson Chatter, regarding each grade level and specials area reports, you will notice a common theme. This theme refers to practicing learned skills and strategies with your child over the summer months. The most important way you can support your child’s learning is to read, read, and then read – together or independently. Below is a list of various web resources, in addition to going to the town library and enrolling in either the West Hartford Summer School Program or the new 2007 Newington Public Schools Summer Explorations and Learning Program. I hope you find these additional resources to be useful.

Reading:

http://www.starfall.com/ - (Pre K – 2^nd Grade)

http://www.primarygames.com/storybooks/bookshelf.htm (Kindergarten)

http://www.magickeys.com/books/index.html (Children’s Storybooks - K-4)

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/cloze/ (Cloze Comprehension Activities 2-4)

http://www.umass.edu/aesop/index.php (Fables 2-4)

http://www.lil-fingers.com/ (Pre-K)

http://www.childrenslibrary.org/ (International Digital Library – All ages)

http://www.storyplace.org/storyplace.asp (Story Place - All ages)

http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm (Literacy Center - Various ages)

http://www.kidsites.com/ - (All Ages)

http://www.newington.lib.ct.us/ (Newington Public Library)