McAlister Intermediate School
October 2014
260 Mountain Road | Suffield, CT 06078 | 860-668-3830 | https://www.suffield.org
Upcoming Events:
Innisbrook Fundraiser
October 3rd through 21st
Sped PAC
Tuesday, Oct. 7th
9:00 a.m.
McAlister Cafe
BOE Meeting
Tuesday, Oct. 7th
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
SHS Media Center
No School
Monday, Oct. 13th
Columbus Day
Bus Driver Appreciation Day
Thursday, Oct. 16th
BOE Meeting
Tuesday, Oct. 21st
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
SHS Media Center
Sturbridge Village
Field Trip
Grade 3
Friday, Oct. 24th
McAlister Family Hike and Picnic
Sunday, Oct. 26th
11:30 a.m.
Heublein Tower in Simsbury, CT
(weather permitting)
Harvest Hustle
Monday, Oct. 27th
McAlister Picture Retakes
Tuesday, Oct. 28th
Early Dismissal
Tuesday, Oct. 28th
1:00 p.m.
Professional Development
Clothing Drive
November 3rd - 7th
Book Fair/Show & Tell Open House
Wednesday, November 5th
Grades 3 and 4:
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Grade 5
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
“We cannot accomplish all that we need to do without working together.” - Bill Richardson
Virtual Backpack:
School Lunch and Breakfast Menus
2014-2015 Suffield Elementary PTO Information
2014 - 2015 Special Services Tri-fold Flyer
4th Graders - The Final Mile Club
CTFSN - 4th Annual One Voice Conference is Wed. Oct 8th
Developmental Disabilities Resource Fair - Oct. 22nd
McAlister Family Hike & Picnic on Sunday October 26
NCCC - Parent and Sibling Support Groups
NCCC - Recreational Family Activity Group Calendar
School Lunch and Breakfast Payment Information
Suffield Elementary PTO Fundraising Alternative Donation
A Message From the Principal
Dear McAlister School Community,
This has been one of the most successful starts to the school year that we can remember! One of our themes for this school year is “Better Together,” and it runs through all that we do. This theme is present in strengthening our relationships with our families--whether it is having outstanding turnout at our recent Parent Open House, attending the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (next meeting is on 10/7 at McAlister!), coming to our First Ever McAlister Family Hike on 10/26, or joining us for one of the many PTO events, these events all present us with wonderful opportunities to make our school a great place to be for all our students.
We also take this theme of “Better Together” to both our students and staff. 
We are using our work in conjunction with our Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) Committee to help all students succeed by using common language and common expectations across all areas of the school and by actively teaching the appropriate expectations to students. This work focuses around the four tenets of:
- kind
- respectful
- responsible
- safe
We feel that together we can use our work in PBIS to further enrich our school culture for both students and staff. In conjunction with our PBIS efforts, all classrooms spent the first several weeks of school focused on learning routines and expectations as well as building that all important classroom community. When our teachers and staff establish a strong community at the beginning of the year, our students are more available to learn; have more positive social interactions; have a deeper sense of their connection to our school; and the overall climate of our school becomes stronger and more positive! All of these factors combined, lead to greater student learning and tie in with our PBIS work.
Our teachers have also been working in their weekly collaborative Professional Learning Communities to review and “dig into” our updated curriculum documents, learn about new resources, and plan lessons. This time is invaluable to our teachers and helps us move forward as a school community and as professionals. In the upcoming month, we look forward to using this time to develop student learning objectives, build our professional capacity, and continue to research resources.
As we look to the weeks and months ahead, we are once again looking to a very busy and fruitful year in which your support is imperative to the success of all students. Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We are all working to make this school year the best year yet!
Sincerely,
Karen Carpenter-Snow
Curriculum Highlights
Grade Three by Mrs. Mary Halzack
Third graders have been hard at work on a math unit of study on data 
collection and graphing. Students are learning to interpret data presented in bar graphs and pictographs and to solve problems based on the graphs. We will be wrapping up this unit shortly and heading into a new unit on understanding multiplication and division. Over the next few weeks, third graders will be studying plant and animal adaptations in science. In reading workshop, we will be working on strategies for reading nonfiction text as well as on building our independent reading skills and stamina. In writing workshop, writers will be engaged in a unit of study on narrative writing. In October, writer Leslie Johnson will be working with all third grade students on how to create interesting characters in narrative pieces. It promises to be a busy and exciting month in third grade!
Fourth Grade by Mrs. Alicia Pitocco
The fourth graders are off to an exciting year of learning, exploring, and having fun! The students will be using their knowledge of large numbers (up to one million) to start their own companies. They will need to calculate the cost of their product, advertising, and rental space fees! These real world experiences help to build business tycoons. In science, children will be investigating habitats and ecosystems. The children so enjoy researching the remarkable ecosystems and animal habitats of the world. They will have an opportunity to write about and present all of their learning to their peers through an informative writing piece. The children are continuing to follow the McAlister Way and so everyone has made a smooth transition into fourth grade! The fourth grade teachers are thrilled to begin a new year and look forward to working with your children.
Fifth Grade by Mrs. Amy Larson
Fifth graders are already well into the throes of the school year! They are reaching high in Math! We are moving from place value concepts to mastering multiplication and division using traditional algorithms. We will be working with both whole numbers as well as decimals. In science, we continue our focus on sound energy, while in social studies, our students will be learning about the Colonies. As we move into the fall months, our focus in ELA will be on learning to identify various genres and work on writing personal narratives. Both the fifth grade teachers and students are excitedly looking forward to the year ahead!
PBIS and “The McAlister Way” by Jack Ferraro
An eight-year-old boy excited to get outside for recess stops to hold the door for the girl walking behind him. A class of fifth graders clap and cheer for their classmate as he returns to the classroom having just conquered the intercom and delivered the school-wide morning announcements with great expression and clarity. A fourth grade teacher stands at her classroom door on Monday morning smiling brightly and greeting each child by name as she welcomes them back to school following a busy weekend. Our school custodian listens to a third grade girl’s concern about a faulty piece of playscape equipment, and with genuine concern, he asks the girl to show him the problem so he can make sure it is safe for playing.
School climate does not happen by accident. Rather, it requires intentionality and reflects the norms and values of a school community. At McAlister Intermediate School, the core values of kindness, respect, responsibility and safety have a name. They’re called “The McAlister Way.” We use this common language when we speak with students about “how we act” and “what we do” at McAlister. “The McAlister Way” is posted throughout our school, in every classroom and in non-classroom settings such as hallways, the cafeteria, restrooms, and our school office, as a constant reminder of expected behaviors that define how we treat each other, and how we live and learn at McAlister.
Formally known as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), this evidence-based, school-wide approach of applying proactive strategies like “The McAlister Way” works to define, teach and support appropriate student behavior and character development.
School-wide PBIS has three main components that work together:
- Prevention through clearly defined behavioral expectations and a consistent system for acknowledging and rewarding appropriate behavior.
- Multi-tiered supports, including a continuum of consequences and supportive reteaching for students who demonstrate difficulty making appropriate behavior choices.
- Data-based decision making, where behavioral data is collected, summarized and used to design the most effective preventive and reactive supports.
It is grounded in the core belief that all children are good and want to learn, and the assumption that when educators across the school actively model, teach, expect, and acknowledge appropriate behavior, students understand and are motivated to make good behavior choices. The result is a positive and rich school environment promoting the social and academic achievement of all students.
Our entire staff – teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, bus drivers, custodians, administrators, kitchen staff – remain intentional and focused on recognizing students when they show “The McAlister Way” through their positive behavior. In the coming days, all staff members will be provided “McAlister Way” reward tickets, so that when students demonstrate “The McAlister Way” with behavior that is kind, respectful, responsible, and safe, they are acknowledged and recognized with a “McAlister Way” ticket from an attentive staff member. These tickets will then be placed into one of three, distinct, grade-level buckets for weekly raffle prizes, and the lucky prize winners from each grade will be announced to the entire school community.
Our school-wide goal is for students to earn 10,000 McAlister Way tickets. When we hit the mark, we will celebrate with a special reward for the entire school community! We are committed to celebrating the many examples of respect and kindness that happen so frequently here at McAlister Intermediate School!
Nurse’s Corner—by Mrs. Michele Fall
Hello and welcome to the Nurse’s Corner!
I’m Mrs. Fall, the school nurse here at McAlister School. My main goal is keeping students healthy, safe and ready to learn! As we embark on a new school year, I want everyone to know that my doors are always open from 8:10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. Please feel free to stop by or call with any questions or concerns: 860-668-3822. My email is mfall@suffield.org.
I would like to remind all parents that if you have a child with asthma or allergies or any other medical condition requiring medication at school, to please make sure it’s brought to the nurse along with the physician’s authorization. All medication must be delivered by the parent, guardian or other responsible adult to the nurse, or in the absence of the nurse, the school 
principals who are trained in the appropriate administration of medication.
The cold and flu season is just beginning. In addition to keeping sick children home and practicing good hand washing hygiene, the single best way to protect against the seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year. For more information visit the CDC website (cdc.gov) for what to expect for the 2014-2015 Influenza season.
PTO
We are fortunate to have a robust PTO that provides so many enriching opportunities to all students. If you would like to learn more about the PTO in general, please see https://www.suffield.org/page.cfm?p=584. Additionally, if you would like to volunteer for one of our many PTO events/committees that raise funds, offer special enrichment programming to students, or to help the schools in anyway, please go to https://www.suffield.org/uploaded/Spaulding/VirtualBackpack/AWS_VB_2014-2015/Additional_Help_Wanted_-_PTO.pdf for more information.
Expanding Horizons
The fall session of Expanding Horizons is here! This after school enrichment program is accepting registrations until Tuesday, October 14. Check out the Virtual Backpack for all the information about fun courses that include: Active Games, Yoga, Cartooning, Creative Crafts, Photography and more!
‘Show and Tell’ Open House and Book Fair
Be sure to mark your calendar for the ‘Show and Tell’ Open House and Book Fair on Wednesday, November 5!
This is an exciting evening for both students and their families, as student work will be on display, all classrooms will be open, and of course the Book Fair will be on!
Times for the Open House are as follows:
Grades 3 and 4 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Grade 5 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Staff Spotlight - Alissa Goguen (McAlister Reading Specialist)
There are many reasons why I chose to be in education. I spent a lot of time volunteering in my sister’s class when I was in college. I saw the struggles that my sister was going through as a reader and I saw first-hand the difference a teacher can make in the life of a child. This teacher spent time working with my sister, building her confidence and letting her know that anything is possible if you work hard. Right then and there I knew that I wanted to do the same, I wanted to have that same positive impact on children. Now, having three young children of my own, I am even more motivated to be in education. I love collaborating with teachers, building relationships with parents and the community to ensure that all students can succeed.
What is your favorite part of the school day?Reading Workshop. I love getting into the classrooms to read and discuss books with students. I tell the students that I have the best job at McAlister School because I get to do what I love all day long. I love getting to know students through reading conferences, small group instruction and read aloud. I love sharing my passion for reading with others and getting to know the students through the work of Reading Workshop.
To me, the McAlister Way means that we are a community of learners working together. It means that we are respectful of each other and honor differences. We accept everyone for who they are and show kindness to each other and support one another when needed.
Years of Service: Although this is my first year at McAlister, I am not new to teaching. I began my teaching career as a second grade teacher for two years and then moved up to teaching fifth grade for 10 years. I spent the last year working as a literacy specialist in the town of Berlin.
Important Reminders
Throughout the entire school year, we enjoy having (and need!) volunteers in our library media center. Whether it is helping out with individual classes, reshelving books, supporting students researching and retrieving books, it is all very appreciated! If you would like to volunteer in our Media Center, please contact our library media specialist, Karen Pakula at kpakula@suffield.org or 860-668-3830.
Have you updated your child's emergency information yet? This is a yearly update done via infosnap in the PowerSchool Parent Portal! Login now so we have accurate emergency information on your child! https://powerschool.suffield.org/
End of the Day Student Pick-Up at McAlister--We currently have our end of the day student pick-up at 3:05 in our cafeteria. We will continue with this pick-up location on all days of the week except for Wednesdays--as on Wednesdays we have the fifth grade band practice until 3:00 p.m. and there isn’t enough time to break down all of the equipment before dismissal. There will be signs up noting the changes! Thank you for all of your support and flexibility.
As the weather cools down, please be sure to label all of your child’s clothing, as all too often sweatshirts, jackets, and sports jackets end up in our Lost and Found and are ultimately donated at the end of the year!
McAlister's Principal Conversations
An opportunity for parents to :
- Meet with the principal Karen Carpenter-Snow and assistant principal, Jack Ferraro
- Hear about the latest school and district initiatives
- Discuss important events
- Solidify the home-school connection that is so important to the success of our students.
Please join us for our next meeting in the McAlister main office conference room:
Tuesday, November 18th
at 8:15 a.m.
Tuesday, February 10th
at 8:15 a.m.
Tuesday, May 19th
at 8:15 a.m.
An Important Health Notice From Our Assistant Superintendent
This communication will serve to inform parents of the practices in place to reduce the incidents of head lice that occur in our schools. Head lice are often a fact of life for school-aged children. While inconvenient, head lice cause no medical harm and can be effectively treated.
Our policy (#5141.221) was adopted by the Suffield Board of Education in 2012. It aligns with a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatric Medicine that recommended the elimination of universal large scale screenings of students and notifying parent of each and every case where lice or nits (the eggs of lice) were detected. Instead, the practice of having teachers monitoring all students for symptom related to lice infestation such as scratching of the scalp. Where symptoms are detected the student is screened individually by the nurse and the nurse works with the parent directly to insure that appropriate treatment is accomplished.
Our regulations were enhanced last spring to insure that the district communicate with parents quarterly by providing information on how to monitor signs and symptoms. Another change is to allow the school nurse and principal to work with the Superintendent to determine if a more targeted notification is necessary when a significant number of cases are detected in a particular classroom.
For more information relative to the treatment and prevention of head lice, I encourage you to visit the Center for Disease Control’s website at www.cdc.gov. If you would like hard copy materials, please feel free to contact me directly.
Our staff is aware of the need to watch for signs and symptoms of head lice, such as frequent head scratching. Parents can help by watching for those same signs and by screening carefully at home whenever those symptoms are present. When those symptoms are observed in school, students are referred to the nurse for private screening. The nurse will contact parents to insure appropriate treatment is implemented.
Preventing further transmission when a case is identified requires the cooperation and active response of all teacher, parents and students. That active response includes becoming informed, immediate communication with the school nurse when a student is diagnosed with an active case (even if the child has already been treated), and respect for the privacy of those who may have become infested.
Thank you for your cooperation. If you have further questions, please contact your school.
Sincerely,
Jim Collin, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent
Suffield Public Schools
350 Mountain Road, Suffield, CT 06078
Phone: 860-668-3800
