Hello OCRS families,
I hope that everyone has been able to take at least a little time to enjoy the summer so far. Here is a quick "mid-July update" for families. I will send out another update in a couple of weeks at the beginning of August.
Free Summer Meals for Kids
The Rhode Island Summer Food Service Program is underway at nearly 80 program sites in 14 communities. Free summer meals are available to children and teens 18 and under. Call 2-1-1 or visit the online site map and enter your home address to see locations & hours, https://usda-fns.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=83b4d15211ed491a8ad5104291e601d2.
You can find additional details at https://www.ride.ri.gov/cnp/NutritionPrograms/SummerFoodServiceProgram.aspx#21421278-summer-2022-food-service-sites.
Summer Learning
Did you know that if students stop learning during the summer, they can lose more than two months of learning in reading and math? This is called summer learning loss and it occurs when students forget what they learned over the school year. Students who consistently fall behind due to summer learning loss throughout their elementary school years could wind up falling more than 2.5 years behind their peers by the end of fifth grade.
Ways to support your child’s summer learning experience:
- Encourage your child to read every day and practice math using Freckle!
- Click here to log in to Freckle. (Available until 8/14)
- Reach out to technosps@smithfield-ps.org or support@freckle.com if you have questions or difficulties logging in.
- Remind your child to write down the books they read and what they practice in Freckle on the calendar they received at school.
- See the Smithfield Summer Learning Guide for additional summer learning opportunities including public library summer programs and recommended summer reading lists.
At the end of the summer, families can use this form (https://bit.ly/ocrssummer22) to indicate which summer learning activities were completed. All students who complete summer work will be invited to a celebration at their school this fall! We hope you will join us by supporting and cheering on your student as they strive to meet his or her summer goals! Please share the excitement with other parents, too!
Calendar for the 2022-23 School Year
Please find linked the latest version of the school calendar for the 2022-23 school year. The most up to date version will always be available on the school website at https://oldcounty.smithfield-ps.org/ under "Parent Info".
When will families find out who their child’s teacher is?
Like last year, class lists for students in grades 1 through 5 will be shared with families towards the end of August. All elementary principals will decide on a date that is consistent across the three elementary schools and share class lists with families on that date. More information will be shared in the coming weeks, including classroom supply lists. Kindergarten families will receive information about the Kindergarten screening process and how to sign their child up for an appointment.
Enjoy the summer!
Mr. Barrette