Newsletter

March 1, 2010

            I hope when you get this letter you are not reading by candlelight and have power restored.   That was the strongest windstorm I have ever seen and the damage it created was incredible!   I think the Superintendent made the right call by canceling school.   There were so many wires still down as I drove to Parker-Varney to check on the school over the weekend.  

            Each child was sent home with a My Jobs list today.   Recently we have seen an increase in inappropriate behaviors in the building and administration has addressed the issues with each classroom.   Please review the list with your child, sign off, and send it back to the classroom teacher.   Each child that does will receive a free popcorn.   We need these behaviors to change quickly as instruction is interrupted when a child acts inappropriately.   Some of these interruptions have been very serious in nature taking significant time from the teacher and administrators to resolve.   As I told all the students, it is simply not fair for one child to purposefully interrupt instruction at the cost of the other students in the room.  

            For the second year in a row we will be collecting pennies for the Pennies for Patients campaign.   Last year was very exciting for all the students and staff as we collected over $1,369.25!    The students can start sending in their pennies on Monday, March 8, through Friday, March 26.   Let's try to raise more then we did last year!

            Congratulations to our Boys and Girls basketball teams for a very successful season.   Both teams competed very hard in the city basketball league and consistently displayed good sportsmanship and team play.   As the Principal I have been extremely proud watching them compete at other schools.   Both teams ended the season competing in the West Side Winter Classic tournament with Gossler Park and Northwest Elementary schools.   Our girls' team won for the second year in a row bringing the trophy back to PV!  

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, March 10                     PTG meeting at 6:00 pm

Wednesday, March 10                     Spring Basketball Starts

Friday, March 19                                 Trimester 2 ends

Monday, March 29                                 Report Cards go home

Monday, March 8 though Friday, March 26                     Pennies for Patients

Thanks for all your support!

February 1, 2010

            So many different things are happening in all the classrooms this month!   It's hard to believe we can fit everything in with just 14 school days.   Remember that February vacation is during the week of February 22.   Enjoy the time off with the kids!

            February is also the month we really start to look at our fall NECAP scores.   Our School In Need of Improvement status will not be determined until late March, but we can start looking at student data to see how we did as grade levels and as a school.   Our next early release day, Tuesday, February 9 will be dedicated to reviewing our progress and determining next steps as a school before we do it all over again next fall.

            At first look it appears we have made some significant growth in both Reading and Math.   I am very pleased with the scores and attribute the growth to our wonderful staff who are dedicated to seeing every one of our students succeed.   Two key programs we are using, the Everyday Math in its second year, and the Fundations program for Language Arts in its third year are showing results on our NECAP scores that we have not seen in the past.   We will continue to make changes to student instruction as we have in the past in hopes of seeing more students continue to grow academically.   You are also key to this success and we need your support at home with reading every night with your kids. Your participation is critical!   I hope to send home some current information to you that will show our growth over the past few years in the next few weeks.

            Our Art teacher, Pam DiFloures, and one of our grade 1 teachers, Mary McGrath, have set up an After School Art Club for students in grades 4 and 5.This club will start on Monday, February 8 and run for 6 weeks.   Please look for permission slips if you are interested in your child participating.   Our Boys and Girls basketball teams are winding their season as they head into the City basketball tournament.   Our second annual West Side Winter Classic will take place on Saturday, February 13 at Middle School at Parkside starting at 9:00 am.   This is a tournament set up with just the three west side teams participating.   Good luck to both teams!

Our annual Principal Read Aloud has been scheduled for Thursday, February 11 from 6:00 pm to 7:30.   We have changed the format slightly thanks to Mr. Organek and his string group that will be performing at 6:00 pm prior to our read aloud.   We are very excited to add a touch of class to our wonderful night with some music! Don't' forget to take advantage of the wonderful deals Barnes and Noble will be offering.   I hope to see many of you there.   Remember, the kids can wear pajamas to the event!  

Upcoming Events:

Chuckie Cheese Night                            Thursday, February 4 from 3:00 to 9:00

Early Release Day                              Tuesday, February 9 at 11:15

Winter Concert                                    Wednesday, February 10 at 9:00

PTG Meeting                                       Wednesday, February 10 at 6:00

Barnes and Noble Night                 Thursday, February 11 from 6:00 to 7:30

Presidents' Day No School             Monday, February 15

School Vacation week                         Week of February 22

January 2010

            Welcome back!   I hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday break and took some time to be with family and friends.   It seems like just yesterday that we were all wondering what the year 2000 was going to bring in terms of technology and if all our systems could handle the change.   Now a whole decade has passed!  

With this weekend's snow the road in and out of Parker-Varney is getting smaller and smaller.   Please take extra time and show a little patience with each other, and especially the busses.   Also, please keep in mind getting stuck in the long line each morning coming up James A. Pollock Drive is not an excuse for your child being tardy.   Our morning tardy slips are on the rise and this is unacceptable.   Our staff is on duty at 8:05 in the morning so try and avoid the long lines and arrive a little earlier.   Parents should also try and park in the main visitor lot to drop off instead of one car at a time at the main entrance.   Starting next week, January 11, we will be tracking the number of times your child is Tardy and we will be issuing a recess detention to those students who accumulate 3 Tardy slips in a week's time.

Our first round of local assessments is complete and as a school we will begin the process of updating guided reading groups in the classroom and Title I program.   It is always important that you continue reading with your child as well as support their reading at home.   Part of our America's Choice Program involves the 25 Books Campaign.   Reading logs should be filled out at home as students complete books.   We are almost half way through the year and your child's teacher will be sending home an update as to how far along your child is.   We will be providing a reward for those students who are half way complete.   More importantly we have a special end of the year prize for those students who complete the 25 Books Campaign and have completed the logs. Good Luck to everyone!

Our America's Choice Literacy program is going very well in grades K-2.   We have seen many students show dramatic increases in their reading skills in just one trimester! Teachers continue to learn and practice new strategies with the help of the Primary Literacy Teacher, Heidi Rivard. Currently first and second grade classrooms have launched the first Genre Study.   They are learning how to write engaging stories or   "Narratives" by hearing and reading mentor texts from famous children's authors during Readers and Writers Workshop. Kindergarten is doing a special unit called "Learning About Books" before they also begin their Genre Study of Narrative. All the children are very excited about literacy since we have begun this new program and they are very proud of their accomplishments! Please remember to help at home by reading daily with your child and recording the books on their reading log to send back to school.

In grades 3, 4, and 5 students have begun working on a Memoir (personal narrative) genre study.   Each class is reading mentor texts that showcase examples of memoirs.   Students are being instructed on techniques and writers' craft and are beginning to apply those strategies to their own writing.   The final product of this genre study will be a memoir that each student has written.   Students will be working on this process daily during their Writers Workshop block.   Parents are encouraged to ask their child what he/she is writing during this time.   Children may also be asking their parents questions about memories that they have as well.    Maura Lapointe, the Literacy Teacher in grades 3, 4, and 5 continues to work with the staff to ensure we keep heading in the right direction.

Upcoming Events

September 1, 2009

Welcome back!

            The 2009 - 2010 school year is here and the Parker-Varney staff has been working these last few weeks to prepare the classrooms for the first day. The school looks great and with the cool nights we have experienced recently the room temperatures are down slightly.

            The biggest change you will see this year is the slightly smaller students walking through our halls.   The Selma Deitch Early Learning Program has moved in over the summer.   Three and four year old students will be participating in half-day programs in six different classrooms.   The staff has been in setting up their rooms and settling in to their new school.   Everyone is very excited to start the year.   Please welcome the new staff as you see them here at school.  

            Students in grades K through 5 will be participating in a new program called America's Choice.   A total of six elementary schools in the city will take part in this very structured program designed to improve student success in the areas of Language Arts and Math.   Our staff has been introduced to the program with more professional development scheduled for the upcoming months.   The program calls for two Literacy Intervention Teachers and two model classrooms.   The Literacy Intervention Teachers will work closely with the model classroom teachers implementing the program in the first few weeks and then, classroom teachers will visit the model classrooms to see first hand how the program should be run.   I will provide you more feedback on the success of the program in upcoming newsletters.

            Students are allowed on the playground at 8:05 am and we bring them in at 8:20 am.   The day officially starts at 8:35 am.   Please make every effort to arrive on time allowing your child a full day of academic support in the classroom.   I am really going to monitor the amount of late arrivals this year and will speak to individual parents as needed.   Also, we all know what the traffic looks like at the end of the day, so let's remain patient.

            As we proceed through the school year keep in mind that your child's success is a direct result of the cooperation between home and school.   You cooperation throughout the year is so important.   Please be an active member of the educational process for the benefit of your children.   At any point if you have questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact the teacher.   They are here to cooperate with you and make this year a successful one.

Upcoming events:

Monday, September 7                             Labor Day, no school

Tuesday, September 15               Primary Day, no school

Thursday, September 24               Picture Day

Thursday, September 24               Open House, 6:00 to 7:00

Sincerely,

Philip Callanan

School Cancellation/Delay information from the January 2009 Newsletter:

Winter is here in full swing and it is very important to be aware of any school cancellations or school delays.   Two of the best places to listen for cancellations would be 95.7 WZID on the radio or watching channel 12 WMUR.   If you simply drop off your child you are risking leaving them alone on the playground for a lengthy period of time.   The delay applies to staff as well.   We do not have the capabilities of caring for all the children that show up 90 minutes early.   Here is a schedule of what a delay looks like compared to a regular day.

Recess Information from January 2009 Newsletter:

Due to the large number of injuries to students I have made the decision that the students will not be playing in the snow or on the large banks.   My decision is also based on the amount of time required for the younger students to prepare for recess.   This cuts into academic time and we cannot afford to lose any more time.   The students will be allowed to play on the blacktop.   The students are outside for a brief 20-minute recess so there is really no need for a complete snowsuit.   We watch the temperature and wind-chills before making a decision to have recess.   If the temperature is 18 degrees or less, factoring in wind-chill, we stay in.