Principal Madden’s Weekly Update—Week of May 4, 2020

Dear Families/Caregivers,

It is hard to believe it is May. It is usually such an exciting time at school as we share Walking Wednesdays, Walking Club, Memorial Day, planting in the garden, Kindergarten Buddy Days and Potluck. It is very sad to be missing all of these fun traditions at school. We are making plans for teachers to come in and pack up student belongings and work from the year. I will let you know about a day assigned to your child’s grade in June to drive through the parking lot and retrieve items and speak to teachers. This is certainly not ideal, but it will bring some closure. I will continue to send these weekly updates with any news.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything. I am often in the building, and can talk through the window or over the phone.

I am continuing to share a read aloud in my Weekly Update that you can share with your children if you think they would like it. This week’s book is Milli, Jack and the Dancing Cat, read by a surprise reader (Mrs. Madden incognito). 

We will post the photos from the Friday Fun Challenge on the following Friday when we announce the birthdays and the next Fun Friday Challenge. Any photos for this project should be sent to your child’s teacher or Ms. Mariani-Prall (our amazing and enthusiastic Technology Integration Specialist) any time before the next Wednesday at 9:00. rmarianiprall@northampton-k12.us

The Ryan Road cheers were the highlight of the week last week! Keep the fun coming! Here’s the video in case you missed it on Friday!

And…MORE FUN…Ms. Minton has included a fun walking idea for the month of May. Check it out!

Walking-Wednesdays

Distance Learning Plans continue to get updated as the school closure gets extended.  I hope the communication from teachers has been helpful. Everyone is trying to figure out this new way of teaching and learning, and nobody thinks it is perfect, but our teachers have been working hard to engage students and keep them learning, thinking, and creating. These are challenging times, indeed, and I am so sorry for the huge stress this situation is bringing to families.

I have also attached the Massachusetts Audubon Outdoor Almanac for May.

May-Outdoor-Almanac

I hope that all families feel welcome, comfortable, and valued at our school. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Sarah Madden, Principal