We hope that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday. Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic we continue to have a great deal to be thankful for. We are thankful for your continued support of Yarmouth Elementary School and the work we do together in helping our children find success as learners and citizens.
We have just over three weeks together back in school before our longer December holiday break. The time between Thanksgiving and the holiday break passes by quickly. As we begin December here are several informational updates for you to be aware of:
SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Progress on the renovated cafeteria, music/band suite, and remaining classrooms has been steady and remains on schedule. The completion timeline for various areas, as well as some upcoming moves after the holiday break, includes:
January 2022: Cafeteria and Classroom Completion & Gym Floor Painting
The cafeteria and an additional classroom next to the art room should be completed when students return from the holiday break. At that time we will shift lunch from the gym to the cafeteria. The finished classroom with become the SEL classroom for all grades.
Before and afterschool Clipper Care will also move in January. Those students will meet in the cafeteria during the morning and afternoon. Families should use the main entrance for drop-off and pick up.
The gym floor will be finished with the painting of lines and any other finish work that needs to be done. Bleachers will not be installed until the February break and the entire gym area will be finished at that time.
February 2022: Music and Band Suite Completed
If you drove by the school today you most likely noticed the giant crane placing large decorative concrete slabs outside of our expanded and renovated music area! That area is scheduled to be completed by February break with Music and Band moving to their new spaces around that time.
Due to the construction schedule, we have made the determination that our 4th-grade chorus, band, and Orff Ensemble concerts will be held in early March and late- May this year. These will be held in the gymnasium. We are finalizing details and will communicate those dates to 4th-grade parents once they are determined. COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK AND THE "HOUR OF CODE"- DEC. 6-12
The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. Check out the tutorials and activities!
This grassroots campaign is supported by over 400 partners and 200,000 educators worldwide. The Hour of Code takes place each year during Computer Science Education Week. The Computer Science Education Week will be December 6-12 at YES. Mr. Abbott and Mrs. Moreno engage our students in coding throughout the year, but this week they will also be supporting the school as we take on this challenge once again!
WINTER WEATHER/LOST AND FOUND
We have experienced a few weather fluctuations lately but winter weather will soon be here to stay! Please be sure that your child leaves in the morning dressed for the weather conditions. Dressing in layers is always a good idea. Boots, gloves, hats, and snow pants should become part of their standard attire when the snowflakes begin to fall. Students will be allowed to play in the snow if dressed properly. It is also important to label your child’s clothing and boots.
If the temperature is below 40 degrees students may not go outside for recess if they are not dressed properly. This means no shorts. Students' legs need to be covered and that can include items like tights and athletic wear workout material. Additionally, it is expected that students wear a jacket when the temperature is this cold. A sweatshirt is not considered a winter jacket and is not sufficient for those kinds of winter conditions when the temperature is in the 30s. If you have any questions about this please feel free to contact us. We appreciate your help in keeping all of our children warm and healthy this winter.
We have several items (including a significant number of winter coats that are not labeled) that are piling up in the lost and found area in the gym lobby. We will be making a donation of any unclaimed items on December 22. If your child is missing any items please make sure that they check the lost and found area before that date.
SNOW DAYS/REMOTE LEARNING POSSIBILITY
As you may be aware, the school committee approved the first two snow days of 2021-22 to be traditional "snow days". This means no school for anyone K-12. However, if we have more than two days where travel is not deemed safe we are going to hold remote learning days after that. The YES Remote Snow Days Plan provides a summary of what student learning will look like on these days if they come to pass.
We will be watching the weather all winter and sending home school iPads the night before any anticipated poor travel conditions. If we send them home we will communicate this to you through an email. The iPads should stay in backpacks at home unless we actually have a snow day. If there is no snow day, the iPad and sleeve will still be in the backpack ready to come right back to school that day.
YARMOUTH EDUCATION FOUNDATION NEWS
Celebrate teachers and staff with Clipper Honors! Let the Yarmouth Education Foundation (YEF) take care of your teacher holiday gifts. Easy, eco-friendly, and thoughtful.
Donate to YEF in honor of an educator, and your special person receives a certificate of appreciation, a note from your family, and a gift card to Claytons! Clipper Honors is perfect for teachers, bus drivers, support staff, administrators, and more.
Place your order online by 12/15/21 and YEF takes care of the rest! yarmoutheducationfoundation.org
PTO NEWS
Missed our November Newsletter? You can find it here!
12/8 - Next Hannaford Gift Card load. Thank you to everyone who participates in this free-to-you fundraiser!
12/16 @4pm - December PTO Meeting. All are welcome! A zoom link will be posted on social media.
1/25 @6pm - We are excited to offer a free zoom presentation for parents and caregivers by National Education Consultant Kristi Bush on navigating the current social media landscape. To sign up for this event and learn more, click here: Social Media 101
School Directory – The online PTO School Directory is being finalized. More information to come soon!
Questions - Please reach out to Kim Tyau and Elaine Hughes at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, December 13: “Festive Holiday Sweater” Days for Staff
Staff will wear their festive (and fun) holiday gear. This tradition is always a student favorite and they look forward to it!
Friday, December 17: December Community Meeting for Staff & Students.
We will hold an all-school community meeting with a focus on our YES core values of respect, caring, and citizenship. The meeting will specifically focus on the Holidays of Light that are celebrated in our community and beyond. There will be opportunities for movement, singing, and fun as we come together for this learning experience.
Wednesday, December 22: Pajama Day!
As our last student day before the holiday break. we have declared "Pajama Day" once again at YES. Everyone can start picking out their favorite "PJ's" to wear to school on this day!
December 23- December 31: Holiday Winter Vacation
Happy New Year! Remember that classes resume at YES on Monday, January 3.
On behalf of the Yarmouth Elementary School faculty and staff, we wish all of our students and families a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!
Warm regards,
Ryan Gleason, YES Principal & Molly Kilpatrick, YES Assistant Principal