Raymond C. LaPerche Elementary School

LaPerche celebrated Reading Week April 27-May 1. We had an awesome week which included Mad Hatter Monday, Tropical Tuesday, Wild Wednesday, Thankful Thursday and Funny Friday! Mrs. Clapprood, our amazing librarian, led a daily read around and craft time and we ended the week with a performance by Keith Munslow. LaPerche kids love Reading Week and the faculty do too! Check out the rest of the photos from Reading Week! https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q72L2JsFVFqj7Jqf8

Meme Challenge There is no doubt memes are a current social media trend so why not do some art history with a modern twist? Last week 5th grade students at LaPerche and McCabe were challenged to make their own memes using images from art history. They interpreted the art work and added a humorous phrase as if to narrate the image. Their clever phrases gave these old masterpieces new life, and will put a smile on your face! Thank you, Miss Miller, for your creativity! Check them out by clicking the link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jdtgM8eBCAymXvtt8

Today, Mrs. Martel's first graders discussed and shared who and what they are thankful for! Using white boards to share your work is a great way to engage all students in class or during virtual learning! Check out what our first graders value.

Nominate a LaPerche Educator for Teacher of the Year! Do you know an educator who embodies the values of our school community? Consider nominating a teacher for this year’s Teacher of the Year. To nominate a Smithfield educator, provide their name and school as well as an explanation for what makes them worthy of this year’s award (300 words or less) in an email or through the mail to Dr. Paolucci (put TOY in subject line) by April 28th. Nominations will be reviewed by a committee and an awardee will be announced in May. If there's a year when educators deserve as much recognition as possible, it's this one! jpaolucci@smithfield-ps.org

Today, Mr. Mederios’s class did real life math while they were working on conversions. The students took a guess about how much his daughter weighed and then converted it from pounds to ounces. The guesses were anywhere from 7 to 20 pounds. The answer is 10.5lbs which is 165 ounces! It was great to show the kids how they will use math in their daily lives!

LaPerche is so thankful for all of our healthcare workers! For Spirit Day #6, LaPerche students decorated their doors to honor and thank the amazing healthcare workers. If you are a first responder, please share your picture below and tell us what you want our students to understand about your role! For more pictures of Spirit Day #6, check out this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FEWLfg9wkaNV5Wf88

So proud of our teachers and district for the ways they are supporting students and families during virtual learning. We miss the interactions with our students and can't wait to be back together as a school unit! Check out what some of them had to say in this Valley Breeze article: https://www.valleybreeze.com/2020-04-08/observer-smithfield-west/smithfield-teachers-talk-distance-learning#.XpCjushKjZs

Check out this awesome opportunity from the Smithfield Fire and Smithfield Police Departments! WE ARE HERE, AND WE CARE! We know things are tough right now but we still want to celebrate the day you were born! We would like to send a fire truck, rescue, and police cruiser to you on your special day to wish you a Happy Birthday. Of course, we will be using our social distancing procedures! Submit address and contact information and we will drive to your home, turn on our lights and sirens, and give you Happy, Happy Birthday wishes! Email jpotenza@smithfieldfire.com or log onto www.Smithfieldfire.com and go under Fire Prevention. All ages are welcome!!!!

Smithfield High School's National Honor Society is hosting a Live Stream Story Time each weeknight beginning Monday, April 13 at 7 P.M.. This event is appropriate for children of any age level. Each night a SHS National Honor Society student, SHS students and local community members will read a bedtime story that lasts approximately 15 minutes. A repeat of that night's story will live stream 5 minutes after the first reading ends. This live stream event is open to the public and we encourage all families and friends who have elementary age kids or younger to join us! If you have any questions please email either Vin Zibelli vzibelli@smithfield-ps.org or co-advisory Derek Snow dsnow@smithfield-ps.org Happy Reading! https://stream.meet.google.com/stream/dd26b2ae-e90c-4a1d-8d5d-35185b2d148f

Rhode Island Parent Information Network is an excellent resource for Rhode Island families. Check out the site for a variety of items including "Resources and Information about COVID-19 as it pertains to Health Insurance, Education, Individuals with disabilities, older adults, and basic needs..." https://ripin.org/

LaPerche students are active students day in and day out! Students are enjoying P.E. class at home and still connect with Mr. Connell via google hangouts meet! Don't forget to get moving everyday! For more photos of students exercising their bodies, check out the album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LvnTEe56JnkXDar47

Virtual Spirit Day #3 at LaPerche was Outside Fun Day! And when it rained that day, for many it became indoor board game fun! Love to see so many families enjoying time together! For all the Day 3 Photos, visit this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QhWSLwGWZfaBPEhJ9

Virtual Spirit Day #2 at LaPerche was Fort Day! LaPerche students showed off their creativity with this challenge. For all the Fort Day photos, visit this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vr6Ny58kcn3aKw4g8

One way LaPerche students have been staying connected is through virtual spirit days! Day 1 was pictures of your at home Learning Station! Check out this link to see all of the organized learning stations! https://photos.app.goo.gl/euQHJzojx9fbd9ng8

I have heard from a few people asking if attendance starts tomorrow or next Monday. Attendance starts tomorrow, Monday, March 23! Please sign your child in tomorrow morning. (teach your child how to do this and he/she can take it over!) Please DO NOT sign your child in the night before as we will sort by date each day to determine who is present. Thank you! The school day starts at 8:30 a.m. for all! Check-in for attendance by 9:00 each day! Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAq1VrCE88mODz9OIw2m2uXazD25KK5ugLyrXJe24Aixi4Pg/viewform

March 18, 2020 Dear LaPerche Families, I hope you are all mentally and physically healthy! As you may have heard, RIDE and the governor have closed school from Monday, March 23 until Friday, April 3. This is not an extended break but virtual learning at home. We hope to help make virtual learning fun and engaging so our students can continue to grow as learners. A huge SHOUT OUT to all of the educators at our schools who are creating lessons and plans to keep our children engaged and learning at home. Another SHOUT OUT to all of you for helping support and reinforce their learning! Week of March 23-March 27 Students are to work on the assignments that were sent home on Friday, March 13. On Monday, March 23, you will receive an email from your child’s teacher again outlining the assignments and expectations. Additionally, we have created Spirit Days for next week! Plan to join us and have some fun with your family! Submit your photos and post them to your school’s Facebook page. Don’t forget to tag the school! #learningathome https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HQZGxB16-_KzZN-ulpmaYc5XFRJqzQdxcaGaVFtP-u0/edit On Thursday, March 26, you will have a scheduled time to visit your child’s school to pick up additional learning materials for your child for the coming weeks. An adult will meet you at the door to hand you the materials. Report cards will be sent home via email on Friday, March 27. Virtual school will begin at 8:30 am each day next week, Monday, March 30 through Friday, April 3, so you might want to start to have your child begin their day at that time this week. Week of March 30-April 3 Virtual learning plans go into full effect at the elementary level. Grade level schedules will be sent out Wednesday, March 25. Each grade level schedule will contain: ELA and Math lessons taught by your child’s teacher. Art, Music, PE and Library lessons taught by your child’s teachers. Intervention lessons taught by your child’s interventionist or special educator. Those teachers will be reaching out to you directly to schedule a time. Quiet time where the whole family is encouraged to READ! Suggestions for STEM activities. Lunch and outside/inside play at the same time for PK-5th graders. (A break for ALL!) We will continue to send out updated information as it is released. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. We are all in this together! Julie

I hope that you are well and that your family is staying healthy. I had a meeting with the superintendent and the other principals and wanted to share the latest information with families. Reminder: As you know, this week, March 16-20, is spring vacation for our students. Last Friday, students in K-2 were sent home with packets of work and students in 3-5 were sent home with Chromebooks to access their work. That work is for the week of March 23-27 in the event that there are school closures. Our teachers and staff did an amazing job quickly preparing materials to send home with students. Itinerant Suggestions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tbd6Om_Y5V0MwTuqY3FvK3FtmLoGIADoD_-VDOueUMY/edit Picking Up Materials: If your child was absent on Friday, March 13 and you need to pick up materials, please feel free to visit LaPerche from 3:00-5:00 pm, Tuesday, March 17 or Wednesday, March 18 from 8:00-10:00 am. I will meet you at the front door with the materials. Events with 25 or More People: As of this morning, all school events, including after school and outdoor events, of 25 or more people are cancelled for the next 8 weeks. As guidance from the governor and the Department of Health changes, we will continue to keep families updated. Medication: We know that a number of students receive scheduled doses of their prescription medication from the school nurse while they are at school. Sometimes this medication is rationed or constrained by the pharmacy and families are not able to easily get a refill. If your child has medication left at school that you need to retrieve, please contact me at jdorsey@smtihfield-ps.org and we can schedule a time to meet you at school to pick up the medication. Free meals in R.I. for children Please find below a link to free meal sites in Rhode Island for children. Unfortunately, there are not currently any sites listed in Smithfield, but new sites are being added every day. https://health.ri.gov/diseases/ncov2019/about/foodsites/ I will continue to update families as information changes and new guidance is published by the governor and the Department of Health. Stay home but get outside for your own mental health. I appreciate all of your support and cooperation as we work together to keep everyone healthy.

In kindergarten each morning, one student is the leader during Morning Meeting. Leading the class provides opportunities for public speaking. We want LaPerche kids to understand they can be a leader in all settings. Expecting all students to lead reinforces the importance of focusing during the lesson. It also provides opportunities for kids to be decision makers as well as practicing wording ideas in their own way.

In light of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) February 25th press conference which updated the country on the current status of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), we would like to share with you some information and tips to help prevent the spread of illness within our community. This video linked below explains the Coronavirus in clear language. It is from CBC News (Canada) and is presented by Dr. Peter Lin. After viewing it myself, I watched it with my kids to reinforce good handwashing habits and to help them understand the virus. http://bit.ly/2uOtj28 To echo the CDC, there is not currently a Coronavirus pandemic in the United States and no diagnosed cases in Rhode Island. We are, however, continuing to monitor developments and how they determine our course of action. We welcome your active participation in sharing with your children the importance of daily health practices to combat the spread of sickness. They include: Get your flu shot and encourage the people around you to do the same. Wash your hands often throughout the day. Use warm water and soap. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand gel. Cough or sneeze into your elbow. Flu is spread through coughing or sneezing on other people or into your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods. Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant. Keep your child home if your child has a temperature above 100°F, or showing other signs of flu, (We ask that students show 24 straight hours of non-medicated good health before returning.) We continue to work closely with our town officials and the Rhode Island Department of Health in planning potential responses should the virus begin to spread in the United States. Thank you for your support and we will keep you updated on any changes to upcoming events or school activities if needed. For your convenience, we have provided a flyer linked below from the Rhode Island Department of Health and their website landing page with more information. https://health.ri.gov/diseases/respiratory/?parm=163 https://health.ri.gov/publications/factsheets/novel-coronavirus.pdf

Valentine’s Day and Kindness Celebration in Kindergarten! Students participated in a variety of Valentine's Day centers. Our science center investigated what would happen if a candy heart was placed in water, soda, and vinegar. Students then recorded their observations. Our art center used tissue paper to create heart collages for our gifts to our families. Our math center focused on addition practice with plastic hearts and addition mats. Our writing center was where students wrote a sentence about why they love their families to pieces for their family gifts. The last center was another art center where students created their special valentine bags for their cards and kindness strips later in the afternoon.