Hello OCRS families,
Fall is here and that often means cooler mornings and warmer afternoons. It's important that students have sweatshirts, sweaters, or light jackets to wear during the cooler temperatures of morning outdoor arrival.
Thank you to our teachers, staff, and PTA for a wonderful Open House this past Wednesday evening!
Attendance Update
Congratulations to Mrs. Sisco's Kindergarten who had perfect attendance this week! Ms. Mennella's Kindergarten, Mrs. Mariotti's 1st grade, and Mrs. Chomka's 2nd grade were also VERY close to having perfect attendance this week.
One of our main goals this year is to improve daily attendance for all students. Regular and punctual daily attendance is essential to the overall academic, personal and social development of students and required by RI law. As part of our strong focus on attendance, families whose students have been absent more than 10% of the scheduled school days will be receiving a notification from the R.I. Department of Education this Friday. We will be doing this on a monthly basis and tracking the progress of our school. Mr. Barrette has also reached out to families whose students have been chronically late arriving to school.
Parent Volunteer Training and Volunteer Opportunities
If you have reviewed the Volunteer Handbook and you are interested in possibly volunteering at school (including serving as a field trip chaperone), we are offering Volunteer Training for any parent/guardian that has never completed a training session. To make it as convenient as possible for families, both training sessions will be offered online and will take less than 30 minutes. We also have a later evening session scheduled to accommodate the different work schedules of families. Please see the information below and you are welcome to join either session!
Wednesday, October 4 · 4:30 – 5:00pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/bjz-iyrc-cmy
Or dial: (US) +1 252-787-0019 PIN: 274 706 876#
Thursday, October 5 · 7:00 – 7:30pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ucy-javj-bsq
Or dial: (US) +1 402-225-6015 PIN: 409 936 627#
Current volunteer needs:
- We would love to have some parents donate a little time on a weekly basis to assist teachers to prepare student materials for our new math program.
- We would love to have some parents volunteer during 1st lunch to assist our youngest students with opening the items in their lunches (those Lunchables and Capri Sun packages are tricky!) First lunch is 11:30 to 11:55 each day, so let Mr. Barrette know if you would be interested in volunteering. You will need to have a recent (within 1-year) BCI on file and have completed the Volunteer Training.
Free/Reduced Meal Information
Here are links to Free/Reduced Lunch/Breakfast Application Packets in English (https://5il.co/22o2z) and Spanish (https://5il.co/22o30). If a family needs an application in another language please contact Kerri Dailey at kdailey@smithfield-ps.org. Families can also submit an online application at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application.
Students with Free or Reduced meal benefits from the 22-23 school year will have a 30 day carryover period that will end on October 11th, 2023. Please complete and submit a new application as soon as possible to ensure that your child is able to receive meal benefits.
Families can find all lunch and breakfast information, including menus, on the district's website at https://www.smithfield-ps.org/page/school-meal-program.
Annual Dental Screening
Rhode Island State Law section 16-21-9(b) mandates that all students in elementary schools be examined by a dentist at least ONCE a year and once during Grades K thru 10.
Students who are seen yearly by their own dentist do not need to be screened at school.
Please complete this online form if you would like your child to be screened by our school dentist this year, https://forms.gle/BYSmxnDtNWeS8WYh7
Smithfield Fire Department Open House
Our good friends at the Smithfield Fire Department are hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 14th from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. They will have a display of a fire engine and fire fighting equipment, a bouncy house, entertainment, and pizza! Please see the linked flyer for additional details and the location.
SSELAC Information and Activities
The Smithfield Special Education Local Advisory Committee has activities and meetings scheduled for the next few weeks. Here are the details:
- The first SSELAC meeting of the year is Wednesday, September 27th in the SHS Media Center starting at 6:30PM. The meeting will highlight a nonprofit organization that is VERY special because it is Smithfield's own, Gwen Glavet. Gwen is a 9th grade student working hard to make a difference.
- Friday, September 29th is Unified Day in ALL SCHOOLS and town-wide. SSELAC asks that everyone wears green to signify awareness, acceptance, and inclusion for all children with 504s and IEPs.
- Sunday, October 15th in the Police Community Room SSELAC will be hosting a FREE Basic First Aid and CPR class starting at 9AM. Space is limited, so those who want to participate must register. Link to register is: https://forms.gle/Uzsvrwwrp2Pg6WJH7
Upcoming Dates and Events
View and subscribe to the OCRS Public Events Calendar at https://oldcounty.smithfield-ps.org/o/old-county-road-elementary/page/monthly-calendar. Click on the "Add to Google Calendar" button to subscribe to the calendar using your own calendar app.
Unified Day (Wear Green), Friday September 29th
5th Grade Band Instrument Rental Night, Thursday September at 5:30 PM at Pleasant View Elementary School
Unified Day (Wear Green), Friday September 29th
PTA General Meeting, Tuesday October 3rd at 6:00 PM (CHANGE OF DATE)
Volunteer Training (Online), Wednesday October 4th at 4:30 PM
Volunteer Training (Online), Thursday October 5th at 7:00 PM
Thank you,
Mr. Barrette
Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade playing together
Mrs. Lagner made a ladybug friend
