Increase Miller Elementary School

October 5, 2021

Dear IM Families,

We were happy to hear so many of you were able to join your child/ren Curriculum Night Zoom presentations so that you could hear about our programs, practices, and initiatives.  If you would like to read about each grade level’s curriculum, you may access our Curriculum Guides for the 21-22 school year on our school website under the Quick Links section IMES website. The description of the programs will provide you with a general understanding of the content and skills taught during the school year.

At this time, we would also like to share some school information about events and happenings at Increase Miller.

Emergency Dismissal Drill Reminder

This Friday, October 8, 2021, the Katonah-Lewisboro School District will conduct its annual TEST of the Early Dismissal Plan.  Students will be dismissed fifteen (15) minutes earlier than their normally scheduled time in order to test the early dismissal response of the EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN. All students will be transported in accordance with their current dismissal information provided by parents to the school.  If this were an actual emergency, all students would follow their unscheduled early closing plan that you designated in your Summer Mailing Forms. 

If you plan to pick up your child(ren) on this day, please arrange to pick them up between 2:55 PM and 3:10 PM. Kindergarten and Grade 1 with siblings pick up time is 2:55 pm – 3:05 pm and Grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 with siblings pick up time is between 3:00 pm and 3:10 pm.  All students will be picked up at currently assigned drop off and pick up locations.  Please click this link to complete the form for pick-up on this day, even if you have a permanent note.  Dismissal Note for Friday, October 8

National Fire Prevention Week is October 3-9

On Thursday, October 7, the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department will be at Increase Miller Elementary School teaching grades K, 1, 2, and 3, Special Class K-2, and Special Class 3-5 about fire prevention. The children will go outside (weather pending) to see the fire trucks and firefighters and learn about fire safety at school and at home.  We look forward to welcoming our local fire department and will be sure to thank them for all their hard work and commitment to our school and the community. 

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Our School Community Wellness Committee has collaborated to design the goals and content of our SEL theme this month “Building Friendships.” Our focus on this theme will enable students to get to know their classmates, and to help provide a framework for students to make new connections and to sustain social relationships. We kicked off our theme Tuesday with a school wide message from Mrs. Ford and Dr. Weschler. In each classroom, students will frame the idea of "Building Relationships” using a Tree as a metaphor. Students' thoughts about friendships will also be displayed. Additionally, our school clinicians will begin to visit each class on a monthly basis to engage students in lessons and activities pertaining to the monthly theme.

The installation of our Buddy Bench last week will help put our monthly theme into action during recess time. Many thanks to our PTO for gifting this bench to IMES! Students will learn the purpose of the buddy bench and its rules for use this week. If you would like to learn more about the buddy bench, please click here to view a short clip from NBC Nightly News. The Buddy Bench rules are below if you would like to talk to your children about its use.

Halloween

Halloween is quickly approaching.  In school, on Friday, October 29th, you may encourage your child to wear orange, purple, and/or black.  Kindergarten students will have an opportunity to parade around the school outside (weather pending) in their costumes and grade levels will be planning learning activities in the classrooms. Kindergarten classroom teachers will communicate more details in the near future. 

Author Visit

We're very excited to welcome Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of DEAR AMERICA: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, Young Readers’ Edition to speak to our 4^th and 5^th grade students live –via Zoom- on Thursday, October 20^th. Mr. Vargas has already presented to our high school colleagues and students in September; DEAR AMERICA was their community read this past summer. Vargas is a journalist, filmmaker, and recipient of prestigious awards and nominations.  In 2019, they also named an elementary school after him in his hometown in California! We look forward to his virtual visit. 

Instrumental Music (Grade 4 and 5)

We look forward to launching our Instrumental Music Program again!  Mrs. Kirshenbaum and Mr. Oriani will continue to communicate information.  Please see the start dates for each grade below.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

In the coming weeks, you will receive a Connect Ed message asking you to sign up for parent/teacher conferences with your children’s teachers.  At this time, our plan is to host in-person conferences with parents/guardians.

Please see the District Calendar Dates below:

Thursday, November 4       12:15 pm. Dismissal for Students/6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Parent Teacher Conferences

Monday, November 8         12:15 p.m. Dismissal for Students/1 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Parent Teacher Conferences

Tuesday, November 9         12:15 p.m. Dismissal for Students/6:00 p.m. – 8 p.m. Parent Teacher Conferences

Mark Your Calendar!

Thursday, October 7                           Golden’s Bridge Fire Department Visit

Friday, October 8                                Emergency Dismissal Drill (dismissing 15 minutes earlier than usual)

Monday, October 11                             Schools Closed/Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day    

Tuesday, October 12                           Grade 4 Instrumental Music begins

Monday, October 18                           Grade 5 Instrumental Music begin

Wednesday, October 20                     Author Virtual Visit grades 4 and 5

Thursday, October 21                         Photo Re-takes & Soup Day (harvested from our school garden

October 25-29                                     Red Ribbon Week (focus on making healthy choices

Tuesday, November 2                         Election Day/Schools Closed/ Superintendent’s Conference Day

Wednesday, November 3                   Parent Portal Opens for Elementary Interim Reports

Thursday, November 4                       Early Dismissal 12:15 p.m./No lunch served/PT Evening Conferences

Monday, November 8                         Early Dismissal 12:15 p.m./No lunch served/PT Afternoon Conferences

Tuesday, November 9                         Early Dismissal 12:15 p.m./No lunch served/PT Evening Conferences Thursday,

November 11                                        Veteran’s Day/Schools Closed          

November 25 & 26                             Thanksgiving/Schools Closed             

*This does not include all grade level events/activities communicated by classroom teachers. 

Thank you for your partnership.

Be well,

Kerry Ford & Michael Weschler