Follow Mrs.O'mara on her sailing adventure!
As the School Year Ends……
There are always so many activities at this time of the school year. It’s hard to pick and choose the highlights, but here we go:
We are in the process of firming up what the day for our All-Day Kindergarteners will look like. Nancy Capotosta, our teacher for the unit and I have been putting our heads together to make sure that all the t’s are crossed and i’s dotted in time for the new school year. It now appears that those on the waiting list will be added to equalize all the classes at 20 to begin the school year. Of course, we always get a number of late registrants at our building, so we will be vigilant in trying to keep the classes at a manageable number.
Standardized test results have been sent home and we have just finished the Third Grade Reading and Math Achievement tests. The staff felt that there were no surprises in the tests’ contents and we will now do the only thing we can do---await the results. Look for the results in the latter half of June.
Our annual Arts Appreciation Day was a huge success. This day is always one that the staff and the kids await with great anticipation. We had 11 artists coming in to share their art and technique with the students. We had everything from painting to jewelry making to dancing for the kids to experience throughout their day. As the controversy over high-stakes testing continues to brew, one issue is indisputable. That‘s the argument that the arts serve a greater purpose for its participants than entertainment. They create an excellent platform for students to problem solve, make decisions and engage their brains in ways that neuroscience now recognizes as extremely valuable ways of thinking.
Our third graders went to Central this month to visit and begin the transitioning process. Brecksville Public Library presented a program for all of the kids to familiarize them with upcoming summer activities. Even if you do not avail yourselves of all that your local library has to offer, please remember how important it is to nurture a love for reading in your children.
We will end the year with the class parties, our recognition assembly on June 4, and finally Junior Olympic Day on our last day, June 5. We will have the festivities the first half of the day, lunch and then a quick wrap up with staff prior to early dismissal.
I wish to thank Alicia DeSantis for her excellent leadership of our PSO this past year and await the new school year with great excitement as Karen Mitchell takes over the reigns.
In speaking about big transitions, I’d like to wish my colleague, Sandy Hendricks a wonderful retirement. I will miss her greatly. She has been a wonderful champion of the excellent education provided by our district.
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I will spend July on the high seas, as usual, on Adagio, our sailboat, with my Cap’n Michael at the helm. I have my stack of books and our Cd’s ready to go. We now have all the bells and whistles installed (GPS, weather and radar, as well as the new vessel ID system being implemented on the Great Lakes-one can view what vessel is near, the length, its name and its destination along with its weight and cargo) My husband is in sailing Nirvana. See you all in August. Our office is opening on August 14. You will be receiving the PSO Calendar in early August that will provide you with the dates and times of the events occurring prior to the first day of school (August 27).
I hope you spend the upcoming summer with love in your hearts, kindness extended to strangers, and appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us all.
Eva 
