OCTOBER 2004 NEWSLETTER

Welcome Back to School

by Sarah Burke, Lead Teacher

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all the new Pre Kindergarten students and families and all the new and returning Kindergarten students and families. As we embark on our tenth year at SWS, we look forward to sharing with you all the discoveries made and joyful moments we have with your children throughout the year.

Our thanks go to all the parents who attended Back-to-School Night; 75% of SWS families were represented. Our hope is that the time you spent in your child’s classroom added to your knowledge and understanding of the work children and teachers are doing at SWS. The parent committees began organizing the work to be done this year, and we welcome all the support that was given towards the goals for each committee.

Teacher Awards

I am proud to inform you that John Burst and Louise Chapman will receive a 2003-2004 Wolf Trap Teacher Award on October 26. They are among 21 teachers who will be awarded from the Washington/Baltimore area for outstanding work to make performing arts an integral part of young children’s learning and development. This award came as a result of their work with Wolf Trap teaching artist Valerie Carroll during the 2003-2004 school year.

Wolf Trap Residency

This year Susan Breipohl, John Burst, Louise Chapman, and Margaret Ricks are taking part in a Wolf Trap residency with teacher artist Mary Gresock, a music specialist. The residency is a staff development for teachers but involves both the Wolf Trap artist and the SWS teachers working directly with the children and includes the basic elements of music and the integration of music with literature, drama and movement.

Staff Development Day

On Friday, October 22, SWS teachers will be involved in a staff development opportunity with teachers from The Sabot School in Richmond, VA, a Reggio-inspired school.

Facility Update: 3rd Floor Bathroom

Finally the work has begun on the 3rd floor bathroom! Teachers will still take one or two trips with the class down to the basement during the day, but the third floor bathroom will once again be available for all other needs.

Congratulations, Ms. Copeland and Family!
	On Tuesday, September 21 at 3:15 p.m., Ms. Copeland became a mother again with the arrival of Ruby Cyrena. Both mom and baby are well. Parents and students in Room 11 gave Ms. Copeland a baby shower, complete with purple-iced cupcakes (the new mom’s favorite color). Ms. Copeland is looking forward to returning to SWS after the winter break.
Ms. Copeland and baby Ruby Cyrena.

DCPS Budget and How it Impacts Our Program

by Sarah Burke, Lead Teacher

The SWS budget is determined in the same way as all other DC school budgets: by the number of students enrolled. The term for the formula used is the weighted student formula (WSF), and a set dollar amount is given per student with increases for students receiving special services, students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, and students receiving bilingual services.

In addition, small schools such as SWS receive some additional funds to cover the basic expenses of providing adequate staffing when the WSF is not sufficient; 97% of the SWS budget from the school system is spent on staff. In SY 2003-2004 the per-pupil amount allotted was decreased while the salaries of all employees increased. As a result, SWS had to increase its enrollment by eight students (2 in each class) in order to provide for the staffing level we considered to be appropriate.

The 2004-2005 SWS budget was reduced further by $10,226 due to budget cuts imposed by DCPS. The impact of those cuts was significant to SWS. We are no longer able to fund the 25% share of the librarian, counselor, and custodial positions shared with Peabody. We continue to benefit from the services of the librarian, a special education coordinator and the custodians, but they are funded fully by the Peabody budget. In addition, we had to reduce one of our aide positions from a 35 hour a week aide to a 30 hour a week aide.

As a result of these cuts, SWS must rely even more on grants and funds raised by parents to pay for our music and movement programs as well as for the cost of providing an aide while Ms. Copeland is out on maternity leave and while we find a replacement for Ms. Krystal Epps who left SWS at the end of September to pursue an opportunity to work at the World Bank Children’s Center.

Dates to Remember
OCTOBER
16		Renovator’s House Tour Fundraiser
20		Run for the Arts
20		SWS Parent Workshop and Meeting
21		CHCS Open House
22		No School (Staff Development)
29		SWS Kindness Day
NOVEMBER
2		No School (Election Day)
9		CHCS Open House
11		No School (Veteran’s Day)
12		Early Dismissal @ 12:15 pm
17		Parent Meeting & Workshop
23		Thanksgiving Potluck – All Classes
25 & 26		No School…Happy Thanksgiving!

Keepers of the Earth by Marla McLean, SWS Artist-in-Residence
	The Kindergarten students in Room 11 (Mrs. Ricks) made some fascinating discoveries right here on our school playground. They began by making seed pouches: “My Grandma taught me how to sew!” — Ashara “I don’t need sewing lessons, cause look, I can do it!” — Frances “Seeds are like babies, but the pouch is smaller. It’s like I’m pretending seeds are babies, and I’m going to collect them.” — Anya And then they theorized where seeds come from b efore going outside to look for them in the Peabody Garden and playground area. Malik Shingler (left) and Harry Warren find “seeds inside milk pods!” Who could ever imagine the exhilaration and joy of discovering hidden pods and seeds, small worlds within our own school?
Mason Standard sews a seed pouch
Malik Shingler (left) and Harry Warren find "seeds inside milk pods!"

Language & Sensory Motor Skills Workshop on Oct. 20

Preceding the parent meeting scheduled for October 20, SWS will offer a workshop for parents from 5-6:30 p.m. that will focus on how parents can support and enhance their child’s speech, language and physical development. The workshop will be conducted by Leslie Williamson, a licensed speech pathologist, and Kristin Masci, a pediatric occupational therapist who specializes in sensory integration therapy and fine motor and gross motor delays.

Kristin and Leslie have provided staff development for SWS teachers and also conducted parent workshops at SWS last year. Their expertise has been very valuable to the SWS staff as we continue to build on our understanding of child development.

The workshop will provide concrete strategies to support language and physical development as well as information on household materials and store bought toys that can strengthen the development of language and physical coordination. There will be a $5 per person fee collected at the door for this workshop.

Our Trip to the First Americans Festival by Mary Fran Miklitsch
	Both Kindergarten classes attended the First Americans Festival which was part of the celebration of the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian. The children gave their rapt attention to Quechuan Scissor Dancers from Peru. Combining acrobatics and movement, the dancers used the two parts of scissors as percussion instruments. At Raven stage they heard storytelling by Gayle Ross, a Cherokee woman and descendent of Chief John Ross, the first elected Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Gayle taught a song as part of her performance and the kids joined in. Lunch was followed by visits to the Regalia and Instrument Makers tents. The beauty of their Reggio Emilia education shone through as they asked question after question about how something was done, why, with what materials, for what purpose. Many of the people doing the demonstrations commented about how wonderful the kids' questions were. The outing also provided a great workout as we walked from SWS to the Festival on the Mall and part of the way back.
Quechuan Scissor Dancers
Zoe (left) and Page dance to the festival music.