62 WOLF SWAMP ROAD | LONGMEADOW | MASSACHUSETTS | 01106 | P 413-565-4270 | F 413-565-4273

Learning Opportunities

Dear Blueberry Hill, Center, and Wolf Swamp Families,

We begin by expressing that in this sobering moment, we are spending considerable time thinking of our students and our families and wishing you strength and resiliency. We trust that you will strive to achieve a semblance of regular routines with optimism, as we live through the uncertainty that is our world in the days ahead. Predictability and schedules will be reassuring to our young friends.

The opportunities provide online and paper-based choices; and each grade level determined how many tasks your child should choose in each curriculum area each day. That said, if on any day you or your child experience challenges with online resources, please do not let this create angst for your family. You may choose to print some of the attached resources, but you may also create a similar “template” for your child to work with to complete daily written tasks if printing is not an option.

We’ll travel this novel path together with calmness, flexibility, and creativity, remembering the prioritized goal is for children to engage in ways that will sustain learning.

Learning Opportunities begin March 18^th. To find your child’s Learning Opportunities, please go to your respective school’s website (on or after March 18). WSRS Once on the website, click on the student tab. You will see an icon for Learning Opportunities. Click on this icon and each grade level will be found as well as other resources from specialists and special teachers.

If your child is on an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), his/her teacher will reach out to you with additional information or you may reach out to her.

Lastly, for now, we are reminded of Fred Rogers’ words: “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.”

Our students can become “helpers” too. Your child might create a beautiful picture and message to mail to an area nursing home because nothing warms the heart like a child’s artwork. Send a thank-you letter to a local supermarket or pharmacy whose workers are recently burdened with the onslaught of shoppers. Perhaps a message of gratitude to a health care worker. Teaching children to appreciate and empathize with others is a way for them to be helpers. This teaching is the heart of our work together. Please consider sharing your family’s ideas with us and with your neighbors. It will take a village.

Our collective wishes to you for family ingenuity, good health, humor, and hopeful spirits when it matters most. Please reach out with any questions, insights, or concerns. Know we will be in touch with updates.

With partnership,

Principals Amy Stec, Donna Hutton, Beth Nelson

New Student Tour- 2 p.m. Thursday, August 22

If you will be a new grade 1- 5 student to Wolf Swamp in the fall, please join Principal Nelson for a brief tour of the building on Thursday, August 22 from 2:00-3:00 p.m.

PTA Welcome Breakfast- 8:45 Friday, August 30

Kindergarten and New Family Welcome Breakfast: The PTA would like to extend an invitation to all Kindergarten Families, and new families to Wolf Swamp on Friday, August 30, immediately following morning arrival. Coffee and light pastries will be served in the cafeteria, giving all new families to Wolf Swamp the opportunity to mingle and learn more about our great school and community.

Good Afternoon Longmeadow Families,

As part of our commitment to emergency preparedness and response, the Longmeadow Public Schools, the Longmeadow Fire Department and Longmeadow Police Department have been working collaboratively to ensure that school administrators are prepared to reunify children with their parents/guardians in a safe and orderly manner in the event that children needed to be evacuated from a school on an emergency basis.

The reunification plans that are in development would be implemented if a weather event, a power outage, a hazmat situation or a safety crisis forced the emergency closure and evacuation of a school building. This year, each school principal is developing a detailed, emergency reunification plan that establishes a plan to relocate children to an alternative, community-based site. Each plan establishes a command and control structure, protocols for communication and transportation, and, most importantly, a controlled, orderly process to reunite children with their parents/guardians at a secondary, community-based relocation site.

In the very unlikely event that a reunification plan is implemented, parents can expect to be notified by broadcast email or phone with information on the emergency and specific instructions on the family reunification process. For this reason and many others, it is vitally important that your child(ren)’s school(s) have your up-to-date phone or email contact information. Families can also anticipate that school and district websites will be used to provide information relating to the emergency and the reunification process.

In the event of an evacuation and relocation, children will be released to parents/guardians at the secondary location in a controlled manner. To ensure that the reunification process is safe and orderly parents should:

• wait to travel to their child’s school or the secondary relocation site until notified by school and/or public safety officials
• observe traffic and parking restrictions at the secondary location
• bring identification to the secondary location
• observe the requirement to meet school staff at a “Parent/Guardian Check-In Area”
• understand that the nature of the emergency event will determine the protocol for the safe, controlled release of children to their parents/guardians. Certain events will require that children be picked up only by a parent/guardian, while other events will permit children to be released to a transportation provider previously authorized by their family and school.
• expect that children will be held at the secondary location until a permissible pick up is arranged.
• expect that counseling and medical assistance will be available, as necessary, at the secondary relocation sites.
• understand that high school aged children who drove to school will only be permitted to drive home if school and public safety officials deem it safe and if parents have provided prior consent.

As partners in emergency preparedness and response, the LPS, LFD and LPD appreciate your attention to this important message and welcome your feedback and questions.

Sincerely,

Marty O’Shea John Dearborn John Stankiewicz

Superintendent of Schools Longmeadow Fire Chief Longmeadow Police Chief

Good Afternoon Longmeadow Community,

I am pleased to provide the Longmeadow community with the results of a survey of students’ perceptions of school climate conducted in grades 5, 8, and 10 as part of the 2018 MCAS administration. Titled the Views of Climate and Learning (VOCAL), this new survey instrument is designed to provide schools with information on student perceptions of three dimensions of school climate: engagement, safety, and environment.

These are important indicators that relate directly to our strategic priorities and student learning. Research consistently demonstrates that healthy school climates positively and powerfully influence learning. Working with parents and students, the staff, administration and School Committee will use this information, along with other indicators of student success, to identify targets for growth and improvement.

Overall, the results are a positive reflection this community’s shared commitment to providing students with safe, supportive and challenging learning environments. As a district, Longmeadow was reported to have "relatively strong school climates," placing us in the top 15% of all Massachusetts School Districts. In districts with the strongest climates (the top 15% percent), students report

• having inclusive relationships
• that their teachers have higher expectations for student effort, perseverance, and academics.
• having fewer bullying experiences
• feeling that their school is safe and fair
• that adults are caring and active in helping and supporting them
• that they feel adults value their ideas and voices

This link will take you to folder with detailed reports that include:

• Overall, average school climate index scores (with comparative district and state data), and
• A summary of student responses to each individual survey item
• Average index scores at each school for the three dimensions of climate: engagement, safety, and environment (with comparative district and state data).

Thank you for your support and interest. As always, I welcome your feedback and questions. Hope to see you at Rick Wormeli, Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at the Glenbrook Auditorium.

Sincerely,