October Calendar
2- Loring Open House, 7pm
8- PTO Meeting, 8:30am
9- No School, Yom Kippur
10- No School, Teacher Professional Day
13- No School, Columbus Day
17- Food Pantry
20- Fall Book Fair begins
22- Early Release, 12pm
23- Spaghetti Supper, 5pm

November Calendar
5- Early Release, 12pm
11- No School, Veteran’s Day
12- Early Release, 12pm
14- Food Pantry
19- Early Release, 12pm
26- Early Release, 12pm
27 & 28- No School, Thanksgiving Break

Check out the PTO Website
www.LoringPTO.org

State of the District: I am happy to report that the 2008-09 school year is off to a very good start. This year I am recommitting to visiting schools and classrooms on a regular basis. I am frequently in the schools but often for a specific meeting or purpose. The last couple of years, I allowed my schedule to get high-jacked by other meetings and demands and began to feel too distant from the reason we’re here-the students and our classrooms. So I will again be visiting classrooms in one school per week. I’ve already visited most schools and I can report that the energy is high, the climate is positive, some very meaningful teaching and learning is taking place in the classrooms, and the professional discourse is at a level that is impressive. Selfishly, these visits are the highlight of my week. Talking with our students and watching or helping them with their work are real perks of this job. Yes, things are different than in past years due to the cuts and reductions in staff. However, the can-do attitude of our teachers and staff is something that makes me proud to be their colleague.

Economic Stress: We all are feeling the uncertainty and fear of the current financial crisis. For some in our community, the reality of the crisis has hit right at home and our hearts go out to them. Add to this the pending change in leadership in our country and the very public, negative and contentious campaign that we cannot avoid and it’s no wonder that everyone is a bit scared and a little more unnerved than normal. I’m a little older than many of you (I’m really sorry I wrote that) and I can honestly say that I have never felt so uneasy and uncertain as I do today. I look around for solid leadership that I can trust to help me understand what is happening and what it will take to reestablish our solid footing, and I seem to come up empty. I believe I am not alone. At SPS, we are watching the state budget picture very closely and remain in close contact with state educational leaders about possible budget adjustments this year. We remain hopeful but are ready to take whatever measures are necessary.

I raise this here for two reasons. One, when our world is seemingly out-of-control and our lives are filled with uncertainty, we tend to gain some control wherever we can and that often manifests itself in aggressive or challenging ways. This is often at home with a spouse or child, with a teacher or “the school”, or with a neighbor or friend just because they are close. We can’t reach those who are creating the stress, so we turn to those who are within reach or within our sphere of influence. Two, as much as we try, our children pick up these cues and even reflect them in their own lives. Given the times, there is a heightened need to be cognizant of our behavior toward and around them, constantly reassure them of your unconditional love for them, and be hyper-vigilant in observing their behavior. If you sense they are worried or fearful, our school and family social worker and guidance staff are great resources and happy to assist in any way possible.

Communication: For a number of reasons, I continually endeavor to enhance the communication between SPS and our parent community. Especially in challenging times, it is imperative that we are open, forthright, and as direct as possible in sharing facts, decisions, and information. I also ask that you do the same with us. The questions or discussions that happen on the soccer field or at Karma Coffee are a special part of this community’s culture. I just ask that you consider checking with a school committee member, a staff member or me if something being discussed is disconcerting or seemingly amiss.
We will be reaching out to you in several new ways.

• E-Blast. Although not a new concept, we have recently contracted with Constant Contact to allow us to send e-blasts to all parents from the school and from my office. First and foremost, the primary reason for this contact is to notify you in case of any emergency. These will come from the school or SPS with the word “URGENT” in the subject line. You will also be receiving information about school events and important district matters as required.     You will be receiving an e-blast soon providing you with more information about this system, the need for you to keep the data accurate, and asking from whom you would like to receive information. If you are not in the system, we will also be sending a note home with your child informing you about how to be included in the database. We want this to be a reliable source of information for you and assure you that we will not use it for marketing purposes, or sell or give the lists to any person or company. It is important to note that the database used for this communication list is not the same used by the PTOs or the student data system at your child’s school. If there are changes to your directory information, you will have to change it in each source. (Sorry about that, we will work on consolidating this in the future.) 
• I would also like the opportunity to directly meet and talk with you. I feel like I have gotten a chance to talk with you around specific issues but not on a regular basis or for topics that you may like to discuss. To that end, I will be sending you an e-blast with a series of dates for Coffees that I will host over the remainder of the year. These will not supplant the forums on specific topics; rather, they will be opportunities to talk about issues you may have, questions you would like to ask, or information you would like. I will send out an e-blast with the schedule and hope you will be able to join me for a cup of coffee and conversation.
• Cable TV. We will be endeavoring to take better advantage of the local cable station to share information and in-depth views into SPS and our schools. Please stay tuned for upcoming shows featuring our district.

Budget: I often say that in Sudbury there are only two seasons-July and Budget. Yes, we are beginning to work on the FY10 budget. We are also watching closely the state’s financial condition this year. There are reports coming out of the state house about cuts to this year’s budget. Given the projections for next year, the situation at this time looks difficult again. Currently, I only ask that you stay tuned-in to the upcoming budget process. We will share information regularly on the district web site; it will be a topic at most every school committee meeting between October and April, and we will be conducting forums when the time is appropriate.

Thanks for taking the time to read this “short” newsletter. In these difficult times, the reason I remain optimistic is the 4-Fs: Faith, family and friends, and the Faces of the students in our classrooms. I know that we owe them a bright future; given the goodwill in our community and of our staff, I am confident our children are in the right place to reach that goal.

John Brackett
Superintendent

Be Proud

What does “Paw”some mean? Since our mascot is the Loring Leopard and we have leopard prints everywhere we wanted to add a little attitude. To infuse some positive thoughts and attitudes we now refer to each other as “Paw”some (same as awesome) people with “Paw”some attitudes. It has been a Super beginning to a Super year! We can feel the excitement all around us. The students are excited, the teachers are working very hard and you have always been supportive. Your support in many and varied ways is more than appreciated. It is vital to our success. Parental involvement is the cornerstone to high perfuming schools. Be proud of your involvement at the Loring School. Be proud of what is going on at the Loring School. Be proud of your child. Tell them daily how much you appreciate their hard work. Be proud of the teachers. They are working diligently to provide a first rate education for you and your child. This school, your school, is a high performing school and that is partly due to your help and commitment.

Principal’s Coffee

Please come and have coffee with Mr. Dees on October 18th from 8:30AM-9:30AM and then again on October 20th from 9:15AM-10:15AM. We will be discussing MCAS, AYP and School Improvement Plan.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
MCAS/AYP/Student Achievement

We now have all of the MCAS results and we are formulating a plan to address some of the good the bad and the ugly. Our preliminary findings suggest that in ELA(English Language Arts) our 3rd grade Proficient students(75%) have improved. The students who scored in the Needs Improvement (21%) category have decreased (Way to go 3rd grade team!!!). Students who scored in the Warning (3%) category have also decreased slightly. In Mathematics the 3rd grade has made some strong improvements. 79% of the students scored in the Proficient range. 14 % scored in the Needs Improvement and 7% scored in the Warning Category. Improvement from last year across the board. We need to work on our writing especially in the area of Open Response and Short Answer test items.
In the area of ELA(English Language Arts) for the 4th Grade 22% scored Advanced, 47% Proficient, 23% Needs Improvement, and 8% Warning. The Needs Improvement category was slightly higher than in 2007. Mathematics performance results showed that 44%scored in the Advanced range, 27% Proficient, 23% Needs Improvement and 6% Warning. Again the Needs Improvement category was slightly higher than in 2007. We seem to have shown a weakness in our Open Response and Short Answer responses.
Our results for the 5th grade MCAS are mixed. The results for ELA are 32% Advanced, 49% Proficient, 18% Needs Improvement and 1% Warning. Math results were very favorable. 55% scored Advanced, 24% Proficient, 16% Needs Improvement, and 5% Warning. The Advanced portion is very important because it is a gage of how well we are reaching our students who show advancement in math related areas. The Science and Technology results were promising, 43% scored in the Advanced range, 41% Proficient, 15% Needs Improvement, and 1% Warning. We are working toward moving more and more students towards the Proficient and Advanced categories.

The ugly? The results for our AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) subgroups centered on Students with Disabilities is very low. 3rd grade had a CPI (Composite Performance Index, a number based on a total of 100 points) of 64.3 compared to the district’s 71.1 for ELA. 3rd Grade Math was even lower with a CPI of 51.8 compared to the district which scored 70.0. 4th Grade ELA (Students with Disabilities) scored a CPI of 58.8 compared to the districts 63.4. Math was slightly lower at 60.0 compared to the districts 63.0. 5th Grade score for Students with Disabilities is comparable with the Sudbury School District results. In ELA the school CPI was 76.7 compared with the districts 82.3. Math for the school CPI was 71.7 compared to the districts 75.9.

We do not have the answers until we discover the questions

We are committed to finding solutions to address the achievement gap that exists at the Loring School. Please remember that although the numbers seem a little intimidating and can present a negative atmosphere we rated as a Very High Performing School in English Language Arts and a High Performing School in Mathematics. The entire staff is now working on solutions that will correct the deficiencies in the areas of ELA and Math. We will have a long range plan that will help with sustaining Very High Performance for all students and a short range plan that will immediately address our AYP shortcomings. We should have this completed by the 22nd of October. I will have a parent meeting to discuss where, when and how. In the meantime, we are already working with all students to make sure they are receiving the best education that we can possibly provide.

The World According To Mister Rogers

” Whether we’re a preschooler or a young teen, a graduating college senior or a retired person, we human beings all want to know that we’re acceptable, that our being alive somehow makes a difference in the lives of others.”
                                                                                                        Fred Rogers

We all carry an invisible sign that lights up when we are accepted, recognized or celebrated. The sign says, “Notice Me!” It is our job to make sure that our walk through this life allows us the opportunity and responsibility to make each sign to out shine the sun.

Thanks for your support,
Dare To Dream,
Mr. Dees
 

September is a very busy month for the PTO and we have so many people to thank.

Thank you to Leslie Hamilton for organizing the Red Folders so that each child had his/hers on the first day of school. These are an important part of each child’s day and we appreciate your help with this project.

Thank you to Nancy Marks for spending months preparing the school directory, which will be available for purchase on Thursday during the back to school night. And to Lori Arthur for supervising the printing of the directory and the “notes from home” pads. Remember to buy a directory for home and one for the car.

Thank you to Lynne Pellegrino and Leslie Hamilton for organizing another successful picture day. The pictures will be sent home with the children in a few weeks. There will be another picture day for those children that were absent or those wanting to retake pictures. We will announce that date in the Thursday notices.

We have initiated some of our fund raising efforts for this year, including the Innisbrook and Box Tops drives. PTO events fund many of the rich programs and technology available at Loring including:

• The Creative Enrichment programs that are developed for every grade. These presentations are currently being schedule. An overview of each grades’ presenters will be available shortly

• Technology including new purchases, maintenance of previously purchase actiBoards and computers and training.

• Teacher/staff wish list items. These have included computers, actiBoards, scanners, two-way radios, microphones, cameras, Library books, playaways, etc.

• Grade level festivals including Chickfest and Mexican Fiesta

• Teacher appreciation events and teacher stipends

• Playground equipment

• Scholarships for various field trips

• METCO activities

• Administrative expenses including school forms, red folders, office supplies, school beatification costs, etc.

• And more…

As always, we appreciate your support of the PTO events. Visit our website for more information on the various events and a schedule of what is planned www.loringpto.org

The Innisbrook drive is off to a great start. Thanks to Michelle Titus (a new Loring parent) for helping to coordinate this very lucrative fundraiser (50% of all sales go to Loring!). Thanks to Michelle Lombardi and Marissa Peek for organizing the Box Tops contest.

Upcoming Dates:

1. Back to School Night: Oct. 2 7PM See the schedule for the evening on our website www.loringpto.org

2. PTO Meeting: Oct. 8 at 8:30 AM, Dining Room

3. Fall Scholastic Book Fair: Oct. 20-24

4. Spaghetti Supper: Thursday, Oct. 23 5-8

5. Loring School Auction/parent social: March 21 7PM

Visit our website for dates of all upcoming events www.loringpto.org

Again, thank you for all of your involvement and support, it is so appreciated. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

The respiratory illnesses have not wasted anytime in making an appearance. I have been seeing a lot of colds, hoarseness and headaches. Please review the Illness guidelines to help the Loring community stay as healthy as possible. Also please remind your children about the importance of hand washing.

Policy on Illness
Please be aware that it is easy for infectious diseases to spread in a school setting, in spite of our efforts to maintain clean surroundings and to encourage good hygiene among all the children. Please help us to keep down the incidence of sickness by observing the following policies:

• Any child who has a fever, vomiting or diarrhea should not attend school. If your child has had vomiting or diarrhea within the last 12 hours, he should remain at home. If your child develops these symptoms while attending school, you will be called to pick him up immediately.
• If your child has newly-developed cold symptoms and has a very runny nose and/or frequent cough, he should remain at home.
• Children need to be fever-free without Tylenol or Motrin for 24 hours before returning to school. Many children with a night-time fever will not manifest it in the morning, yet will be quite ill by early afternoon. If we send your child home with a fever in the afternoon, we will not accept him into school the next day, as he will not be fever-free for 24 hours.

We realize that these policies are inconvenient for working parents, but we ask your cooperation in the best interest of all of our children.

Lynn Hersh R.N.
Loring School Nurse

This year, the 4th and 5th grade classes will take turns organizing the Food Pantry collections. In September, Mr. Jones’ class was responsible for collecting and sorting the 1,176 items that were generously donated by the Sudbury Community. Thank you for supporting this important program, and thank you to Christina Granahan and Jodie Greenhouse, who drive the donations to the Sudbury Food Pantry each month! The next food pantry date is October 17th.

Next month, 5th graders, teachers, and parents will participate in the “Fall Senior Lawn Clean-up Program” on Saturday, November 15th! Students will be divided into teams and under the guidance of parent and teacher chaperones, they will be raking leaves at the homes of Sudbury seniors who are no longer able to rake the leaves themselves. The Loring Community’s response to this clean-up program has been terrific, and we want to thank all the parents and teachers who have volunteered their time and energy for this wonderful community service project! If you have any questions, please contact Christina Granahan (978-579-9499), the parent organizer for this event.

Don’t forget to Trick or Treat for Unicef this Halloween! Collection boxes will be sent home with students just before Halloween.

If you have any questions about any of the projects, please feel free to contact me at (978) 579-6964, or by email at jeffreyandkarenina@comcast.net.

Karen Darmer 
 

HOPEsudbury is seeking performers, auction donations, volunteers and donors for its 7th Annual Telethon and Auction scheduled for Saturday, November 1, 2007. Last year’s Telethon was a huge success, raising funds for people in need and involving hundreds of community members of all ages. The Telethon is broadcast live on Sudburytv.org -Comcast 8/Verizon 31 from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.

The bulk of the funds raised this year will support the HOPEsudbury Community Assistance Fund (CAF). Last year, CAF distributed $35,000 to Sudbury families with emergency or unexpected financial need. In this year’s challenging economy, requests are at a record high and money raised through the telethon is critical to supporting this fund.

Performers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to appear on the live telethon broadcast. Singers, magicians, actors, dancers, storytellers, musicians, and comedians are all welcome to participate. Deadline for sign up is October 10th. Call Carole-Ann Baer 978-443-6684 or email her at caroleannbaer@comcast.net.

Donated auction items are being sought for bid during the telethon. Previous donations have included Patriots, Celtics, Bruins and BC tickets, weekend getaways, painting, crafts and jewelry from local artists, antiques, and gift certificates from local merchants. Auction items are needed by October 15th to be listed in the Telethon Guide. Contact Robin Gunderson at 978-443-0211 or by email at robin@thegundersons.com if you have an item to donate.

Volunteers are needed for all aspects of the event including production (camera work, lighting, sound etc.), talent coordination, auction solicitation, phone bank operators and many other day-of-event activities. This is a great opportunity for Sudbury residents to connect with people of all ages and experiences in support of a worthy cause. To volunteer in any capacity please call Ana Schwartz 978-443-4253, or email her at jeruvians5@comcast.net.

Sign up forms for performers, auction donors and volunteers are available on our web site at www.hopesudbury.org

HOPEsudbury’s mission is to bring the community together to help others who may be isolated, disenfranchised, and struggling financially, physically or emotionally. Since 2002, HOPEsudbury has sponsored a variety of community events and drives, distributing more than $242,000 to the HOPEsudbury Community Assistance Fund and to other charitable organizations both at home and abroad. Visit www.hopesudbury.org  for more information.

Forever Fun is an extended learning program for kindergarteners. Forever Fun focuses on the love of learning through developmentally appropriate activities throughout the day. Each day children engage in free play, circle/story time, activity time, snack and outdoor play. The curriculum is based on the children’s interests along with other themes that promote all aspects of growth and development. Daily activities will promote early literacy, math and science. Forever Fun has both morning and afternoon sessions. For more information please contact Cindy Lewis at
(978)443-9389 or lewisci@verizon.net.