Issue 6, March 2023
Second Grade out for their weekly Forest Day with Mr. Haley as a special guest!
Mark Your Calendars!

3/21-School Board Meeting, See Website for Agenda
3/31- Inservice Day, No School
4/10-4/14- Scholastic Book Fair in the Library
4/12- 6th Grade at Hood Museum
4/13- PTO Meeting, In-Person at School

Planning Ahead? SES Spring Concert- May 17th
Letter from Principal Haley
Families and Community Members, 

It is hard to gain any traction lately in terms of having a full week of school! Between winter break, Town Meeting, and a snow day it’s been tough to gather momentum. That said, we always go with the flow and deal with whatever life throws at us! 

I want to thank those who were able to come to our annual school meeting on March 6th. The general message that I heard from the town is that they are happy with what we are doing at school and are supportive of our efforts. Thank you for passing our budget. Please continue to reach out with any questions, concerns, or praise that you may have. 

As we roll along during our school year we are starting to plan many events including our spring concert, Farm and Field Day, our second Spirit Week, and much more. Please be on the lookout for dates for these events. 

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to ask caregivers to let me know if you are struggling with behavioral issues at home with your child(ren). I am working with a consultant on the idea of offering an informational/workshop evening that centers around some of the work we’ve been doing here at school called Restorative Practices. We have been exploring ways to discuss behavioral issues with students at school that lead to behavioral change. This certainly is not a cure for all behavioral challenges, but we have seen that it helps to develop positive relationships between students and staff that lead to students taking responsibility for their behaviors. If you feel moved, reach out to me and let me know if this is something you would be interested in learning more about. You can email me at khaley@wrvsu.org. On a personal note, since I’ve been learning more and more about Restorative Practices, I have been using them at home with my children during difficult times, leading to better outcomes for all of us. 

Enjoy this upcoming weekend and we will see you all for, fingers crossed, a full week of school next week! 

Respectfully, 
Keenan Haley
Principal 
Sharon Elementary 
Staff Spotlight
Each month, we will be highlighting a different staff member with a Q&A session. This month, we are featuring Maureen Bissaillon, the Head Custodian at SES.

How long have you worked at SES? 
I started working at Sharon Elementary School in September of 2010, which is the same year my family moved to Sharon.  

What is your favorite thing about working at SES? 
I really like the sense of community here at SES. I believe that we are all part of a school family and that we care about each other.  

What do you do to take care of yourself? 
Well, honestly, I am not very good at that. I have to say I am much better at taking care of others. In the last couple of years I have tried to do a better job of listening to my body and resting when I need to.  

What brings you joy? 
Bringing joy to others brings me joy. I know that sounds hokey but it is my truth. That could mean leaving cookies in the staff room, or playing bingo with kids ( the older kids know what that means), or just laughing with friends.  

What do you want people to know about your job? 
I really enjoy working with kids. It is so amazing when you see the “lightbulb moment” happen for a kid and they “get it." Providing the opportunities for that to happen is really important. Creating a safe space for that to happen is important too. For some reason, math can be scary for some people. I want to try to alleviate that.  

What is one fun fact about you? 
I have never tasted a Skittle. When I tell that to kids they cannot believe it!
Dear SES Families:

Get ready! This year's Book Fair is going to be epic! Here's what you need to know about our upcoming Fair: Every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly!

If you'd like, You can sign up for Book Fair eWallet—a convenient digital payment account, so your child can shop the Fair cash-free.

The Sharon PTO is donating money so that students who need financial support can purchase a book. Please contact mhopkins@wrvsu.org with any questions.

Save these dates and view our school’s Fair site:

Fair Dates: April 10th–14th

We can’t wait to see your child at the Fair!
Mindfully Yours
How about designating a Peace Place at home? Most of the classrooms and offices at SES have Peace Corners or Peace Bins. These are small, cozy areas where children can go for a few moments to reset. The goal is for them to recognize in themselves (am I overstimulated? Nervous? Having big feelings? What's my body telling me?) when they need a break, choose a self-care activity, and return to the group. It can be as simple as a pillow and a stuffie that is solely used for this purpose. The self-care "tools" can be taking a breath (they know many breath practices, ask them their favorite, put a sticky note in the area reminding them to use this "superpower"), a favorite book to read, focusing on a homemade glitter jar, coloring, etc. Many kids find it empowering to recognize when they need to regulate and choose the calming "tool" that works for them. Let them take the lead in making one at home! You might find you'd like one, too!
STEM NEWS
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Ms. Hop participates in the Montshire STEM Teacher Leadership program and brings STEM to our students each week. Kindergarten and First Grade are working on Lego Engineering projects. Second Grade is learning to code using BeeBots. Third grade will be learning about chemistry by making bath bombs for "Spa Science." Fourth and Fifth graders are learning about renewable energy solutions and building solar ovens and wind turbines. Sixth graders created water pumps and are learning to use Stop motion animation to integrate into their reading of "A Long Walk to Water."