The Norfeldt News

September 11, 2014

Dear Families,

The opening of the 2014-2015 school year has been filled with excitement and energy! Our students returned

to school on August 27th to smiling teachers who were anxiously awaiting their arrival. Students have been

learning school expectations and routines. We will continue to implement PBIS school-wide this year (Positive

Behavioral Interventions and Supports). Students will be awarded “SMART tickets” for demonstrating

“SMART” behavior. We are teaching students that:

Norfeldt students are:

Safe

Make good choices

Act Responsibly

Respect others

Try their best

If your child reports that he or she earned a SMART ticket please let him or her know you are proud of them.

This year we will be encouraging students to work hard and persevere through challenging tasks.

We look forward to working with you to ensure a successful year for your child. Home-school partnerships are

very important in student success. If at any time you need to communicate with a staff member, you are

welcome to call or email. In addition, we are always willing to set up conferences. I look forward to getting to

know each of you. I will be holding several “Coffees with the Principal” in both the morning and evening. Feel

free to stop by and let me know what is on your mind or just to get to know me.

Over the summer we purchased additional technology for our students and I am pleased to say that now every

certified staff member has an IPad to use with students. In addition, our kindergarten classrooms have 3 IPads

and 1 laptop. Our first grade classrooms have 2 IPads and 3 laptops. Second and third grade classrooms have

5 laptops. Fourth and fifth grade classrooms have 3 laptops and 4 chrome books. In addition, we still have the

IPad cart that was purchased by PTO two years ago and we have added 5 IPads to the cart, making the total

number of IPads on the cart 25. We look forward to continuing to embellish our technology in order to

support students’ learning.

Our first responsibility is student safety. Please support us by adhering to the following rules:

• Please do NOT walk across the driveway at arrival or dismissal. Stay on the sidewalk for your safety.

Tip: There are usually plenty of spaces in the upper lot and the sidewalk leads directly to this lot.

• There is NO PARKING OR STANDING anywhere along the “circle” in the front of the building at any

time. Children may not be dropped off or picked up by car in the circle. This is a “Bus Only” lane.

• The circle on Day Road is for drop-off only in the morning. Parking is allowed here at dismissal time.

• The driveway off Barksdale Road is for drop-off only- before 9:00 a.m. Please do not park and get out

of your car. This will allow for the flow of traffic. Students should exit cars on the sidewalk side.

Parking is permitted ONLY at pick-up. Parents who need to walk with their children should park in the

upper lot.

Thank you in advance for following these procedures to help keep our students safe.

I would like to thank the Norfeldt community for such a warm and friendly welcome to the school. I look

forward to working with you and your children and the incredibly talented and dedicated staff. Just as a

reminder, the PTO Fall Picnic is tonight, September 11th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!

Warm regards,

Jen

Jen Derick

Fall Picnic Tonight!Fall Picnic Tonight!Fall Picnic Tonight!Fall Picnic Tonight!

September 11, 2014 5-7pm on the Lower Field

Bring your dinner or buy it there!

Pizza, Drinks & Ice Cream!

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTSThursday 9/11 PTO Fall Family Picnic & New Family Welcome, 5:00PM

- Please join us for a fun event on the lower field to celebrate the start of school. Bring your picnic blanket

and some dinner for your family or NEW this year, purchase pizza slices, ice cream and drinks. Flyer Attached. Monday 9/15 Leisure Services, Morning Club (Grades 4 & 5)-Fitness, 7:30AM Tuesday 9/16 Grade 4 Choir, 7:45AM, Music Room Grade 5 Orchestra, 7:45AM BOE Meeting, Town Hall Rm. 314, 7:00PM Wednesday 9/17 Constitution Day Grade 5 Choir 7:45AM, Music Room PTO Board Meeting, Library, 7:00PM

Thursday 9/18 Grade 5 Band, 7:45AM Leisure Svcs, Morning Club (Grds 2 & 3)-Fitness, 7:30AM Grade 1 Field Study, Indian Rock, 9:30AM Monday 9/22 Leisure Svcs, Morning Club (Grds 4 & 5)-Fitness, 7:30AM Tuesday 9/23 Grade 4 Choir, 7:45AM, Music Room Grade 5 Orchestra, 7:45AM Wednesday 9/24 Grade 5 Choir, Music Room Rosh Hashanah (Judaism), begins at sunset Thursday 9/25 Rosh Hashanah- School Closed, Offices Open Monday 9/29 Leisure Svcs, Morning Club (Grds 4 & 5)-Fitness, 7:30AM Norfeldt Night at Mooyah, 4-8:00PM -Come on down to Mooyah and dine with fellow Norfeldt families while raising money for our school. A portion of the sales from this evening will support the PTO. See attached flyer. Tuesday 9/30 Grade 4 Choir, 7:45AM, Music Room Grade 5 Orchestra, 7:45AM

Helpful Reminders

STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

PRIOR TO 8:20 AM. THIS IS FOR SAFETY REASONS AS

THERE IS NO SUPERVISION PRIOR TO 8:20AM. IF YOU

CHOOSE TO BRING YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL EARLIER

THAN 8:20AM, PLEASE REMAIN OUTSIDE WITH YOUR

CHILD UNTIL THERE IS SUPERVISION.

THANK YOU.

FORMS, FORMS AND MORE

FORMS!

On the first day of school, your child received a folder containing many important documents that required your review and signature. If you have not done so already, please review and complete these

forms and return them to school as soon as possible. We appreciate your prompt attention to

this matter.

ABSENCES The Norfeldt School office is responsible for student

attendance records. Please notify the office

directly when your child will be absent or late for

school. This is necessary even if you have spoken to

your child's classroom teacher. If you know of an

absence in advance, please send a note to the

office. When calling in an illness, please inform the

office if your child exhibits flu-like symptoms i.e.

fever, sore throat and/or cough. Children must be

fever free without medication for 24 hours before

they may return to school.

Following these procedures will avoid incorrect

absence postings in our records, and unnecessary

calls, which interrupt you at home or at the office.

Thank you for your cooperation.

PTO Volunteers

We are always in need of more Volunteers! See

attached Volunteer Form for a list of ways you can

get involved!

Don’t Forget!

PLEASE LABEL ALL OUTSIDE CLOTHING, GYM

CLOTHES, ART SMOCKS AND LUNCH BOXES WITH

YOUR CHILD’S NAME.

ALL PARENTS AND VISITORS MUST SIGN IN

AND WEAR A VISITOR’S BADGE. THIS IS A

CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OUR SECURITY

MEASURES.

PTO DuesPTO DuesPTO DuesPTO Dues

The Norfeldt PTO is currently accepting

membership dues of $10 per family. Paying your

dues supports a wide range of academic, extra-

curricular, and community-building activities that

the PTO sponsors throughout the year. Dues form

attached.

Show your School Spirit!Show your School Spirit!Show your School Spirit!Show your School Spirit! New Car Magnets & “Note to School” Pads are

available for purchase for $4.00 each. Pick one up in

the front office or email Dan Albanese

@ dan@torringtonpt.com to get yours today!

* If you purchased a Navy Blue Car Magnet at the

end of last year, we are very sorry, but due to a

manufacturer’s defect they have been re-made, and

we will replace yours at no charge! Please let Dan

know if you need a new magnet!*

NEWS You Can Use!

From the Nurse’s Office

ILL CHILD POLICY Regular school attendance is necessary for optimal

learning. However, a mere presence at school does not

ensure effective learning. A child must be feeling well in

order to maximize the learning experience. In addition,

a child who is sick and comes to school may spread the

illness to other students and staff. It is recommended

that a child remain home if any of the following

conditions are present:

1. Fever: Temperature of 100 degrees or higher.

The child can return to school after he/she is

fever-free for 24 hours, without fever-reducing

medicine such as Tylenol (Acetaminophen) or

Motrin (Ibuprofen).

2. Vomiting/diarrhea: A child with vomiting

and/or diarrhea should stay home and return to

school only after being symptom-free for 24

hours.

3. Conjunctivitis (Pink eye): Following a

diagnosis of conjunctivitis, the child may return

to school 24 hours after the first dose of

prescribed medication.

4. Rashes: Common infectious diseases with

rashes are most contagious in the early stages.

A child with a suspicious rash should return to

school only after a health care provider has

made a diagnosis and has authorized the child’s

return to school.

5. Colds: Consider keeping your child at home if

he/she is experiencing excessive nose blowing

and/or coughing.

6. Antibiotics: If your child has a contagious

illness that requires antibiotics, he/she must be

on the medication for 24 hours before

considered non-contagious and able to return

to school.

Mrs. Cathy Riefenhauser

School Nurse

From the Music Room Thanks to a grant from the Foundation for West

Hartford Public Schools, Peter and Mary Alice

Amidon will be at Norfeldt School on Thursday

October 9th. Peter will work with 3rd and

4th graders doing traditional folk dancing in the

gym. Mary Alice will work with 2nd graders

exploring ways to make a storybook come alive

with music. At 6:30pm that evening, all Norfeldt

families are invited to a Community Folk Dance,

led by Peter and Mary Alice, in the Norfeldt Gym.

If you have been to Parents in Music Class Week,

in previous years, you’ve had a taste of folk

dancing. Parents and children will dance

together but don’t worry – if you can walk, you

can folk dance!

I look forward to a great turnout at what

promises to be a wonderful community event.

Ms. Lisa Besman

Vocal Music Teacher

FROM THE ART ROOM Welcome to the start of a new school year! Your

artists have already started creating masterpieces,

which can be a very messy process! Please be sure

that your child has a smock (an old t-shirt works well)

with his/her name clearly written on the front. Rather

than bringing home artwork as it is completed,

sometimes crumpled on the bottom of a backpack,

your child will be bringing home two portfolios

throughout the school year. If, however, you simply

cannot wait to see your child’s creations, please feel

free to stop in the art room anytime!!! I welcome

parent involvement in any capacity so please feel free

to contact me through e-mail

Kimberly_Kanachovski@whps.org or by phone

(860)233-4421 ext 3247.

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others

see.” ~Edgar Degas

Mrs. Kimberly Kanachovski

Art Teacher

Calling all Girl Scouts! If your

daughter is interested in joining a Girl Scout

troop this year, please contact Laura Faga

lauraefaga@gmail.com. We have troops

forming in each grade.

Fall FundraisingFall FundraisingFall FundraisingFall Fundraising

Innisbrook FundraiserInnisbrook FundraiserInnisbrook FundraiserInnisbrook Fundraiser

The Innisbrook catalog has been sent home

with students, extra catalogs are available in

the office if needed. Ordering from

Innisbrook is quick, easy and online! Go

to www.innisbrook.com/catalogorder. Our

school number is 106731. Complete your

order online, and send in your Payment Slip

and funds collected (cash or checks payable

to the Norfeldt PTO) to the office in an

envelope marked 'PTO.' The Norfeldt PTO

receives 45-50% profit on all items ordered.

Guilt Free FundraiserGuilt Free FundraiserGuilt Free FundraiserGuilt Free Fundraiser

Don't want to be bothered with wrapping

paper? Go "Guilt Free!" Our Guilt Free

fundraising form is attached. No ordering,

no hassle. Make checks, in the amount of

your choice, payable to Norfeldt PTO and

send in to the office. Guilt Free Form

attached.

DATES TO JOT DOWN

Thurs, 10/2, 6:30 pm “Coffee with the Principal”

7:00 pm PTO Meeting & Social

The first PTO meeting of the year will be a fun and

social event! Join the PTO Board and Ms. Derick

along with teacher representatives Brittney Zieller

& Tony Rinaudo for information on school

happenings. Snacks & drinks will be served.

Thurs, 10/9, 6:30 pm Community Folk Dance

Through a grant awarded to Ms. Lisa Besman, from

the Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools,

Peter and Mary Alice Amidon are coming to

Norfeldt! Peter and Mary Alice are versatile and

widely respected performing and teaching artists

who for the past 20 years have dedicated

themselves to traditional song, dance and

storytelling. During the day, Peter and Mary Alice

will lead grades 2-4 in joyful music-making and folk

dance. During the evening, all K-5 families are

invited to a community folk dance led by the

Amidons in the Gymnasium. If you can walk, you

can folk dance!

DISTRICT HAPPENINGS

West Hartford Nutrition Services www.whps.org/lunch

and Growing Great Schools

www.growinggreatschools.org

are partnering to promote healthy eating at school

with our It's Cool to Eat in School campaign for the

2014%15 school year. With your help we can

further transform our children's school food

experience. As more students purchase meals we

will be able to implement programs that provide

students with even healthier and tastier breakfast,

lunch, snack and drink options. Read over the

monthly menu, sign up for "tasty texts" that remind

you what is being offered for lunch, and let your

kids eat school meals on days they will enjoy what

is being served. For more information, contact

Jenn Meer at jenn.singer@gmail.com.

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?

Get Daily Menu Text If you never want to be left guessing what your kids are

eating for lunch or if you just need a reminder about what’s being served in the lunchroom, Tasty Text is

here. You can now sign up to have a text message sent to your phone every afternoon reminding you what’s on the lunch menu the following day. If you prefer, you can

receive a weekly email that lists the offerings for the entire week. To sign up for “Tasty Text” or email go

to www.growinggreatschools.org.

West Hartford NutritionServices (www.whps.org/lunch) in partnership with Growing Great Schools

(www.growinggreatschools.org) is working to continue to bring healthier options to the school lunchrooms. As

more students purchase meals it will allow for programs to be implemented that provide students with even

healthier and tastier breakfast, lunch, snack and drink options. We want parents and students to think

It’s Cool to Eat in School!

ELEMENTARY VACANT SEAT PROGRAM

Vacant Seat Program – Application Start date is

Monday, October 6, 2014

The West Hartford Public Schools vacant seat

program utilizes available space on school buses.

This program allows students to ride buses, where

space is available, who under the West Hartford

Public Schools Transportation policy are not

eligible for transportation. No additional bus stops

are added to the routes for this program.

Interested parents should contact the West Hartford

Public Schools Transportation Office at (860)561-

6647 for additional information on or after October

6th. Requests are taken in this office by

telephone on a first come, first served basis

starting at 8:00 am.

ELC Lottery Applications

The Early Learning Center at Whiting Lane School

and Aiken Elementary School is now accepting

applications for the 2015-2016 school year. The

program is family centered and has half day

sessions that meet four days a week. A lottery will

be conducted in January.

To be considered for the program, children must be

three years old by September 1, 2015, toilet-trained

by the start of the school year and exhibit age-

appropriate language, social and play skills. All

applicants must participate in a play-based

screening prior to being considered for the lottery

selection.

If you are interested, please contact Pam Macca at

(860) 233-1455. The application process will close

on November 28, 2014.

Back by Popular Demand…

The Norfeldt PTO “GUILT FREE” Fundraiser!The Norfeldt PTO “GUILT FREE” Fundraiser!The Norfeldt PTO “GUILT FREE” Fundraiser!The Norfeldt PTO “GUILT FREE” Fundraiser! Don’t want to be bothered with fundraisers this year but still want to support your school?

Be “GUILT FREE”“GUILT FREE”“GUILT FREE”“GUILT FREE” all year long!

Simply make a donation now and never feel guilty if you

don’t participate in any other fundraisers this year! (Suggested donation is $25.00 per family)

What does your Norfeldt PTO use fundraising money for?What does your Norfeldt PTO use fundraising money for?What does your Norfeldt PTO use fundraising money for?What does your Norfeldt PTO use fundraising money for? Supplementing field trip costs,

providing teachers with needed items that don’t fall within their provided budget, and free

family nights at Norfeldt like the Kindergarten Popsicle Social, Fall Picnic, BINGO Night,

Movie Night, and Dance Night. We organize, promote and pay for special and unique

entertainment for the Classical Café, help defray costs for the 5th grade graduation, and

provide food and drinks for special events including but not limited to Special Persons’

Day and Teacher Luncheons. The above listed items are a small sample of what we do –

please come and volunteer or simply attend a meeting to find out more!

- - - - - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I support “GUILT FREE” Fundraising and the Norfeldt PTO!

Donation Amount: $_____________

Parent Name: _______________________________________

Child/Children Name(s): _______________________________________

Email Address: _______________________________________

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Please make checks payable to the Norfeldt PTO.

Please return completed form and payment to the school office in an

envelope marked PTO.

Norfeldt students, teachers

and families…

Please join us!

Norfeldt Night at

Monday, Sept 29, 2014

4:00-8:00pm Bishop’s Corner (next to Big Y)

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to

the Norfeldt PTO! Thank you for your support!

Please present this flyer when ordering your meal. If you forget it

at home, please tell the cashier that you are from Norfeldt!

PTO VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

Hello, Norfeldt Family! The PTO is excited about the upcoming events for the 2014-15 school

year. With your continued support, we can do amazing things for our children, our school and

our community. Please review the following brief descriptions of activities, and let us know

which ones you can help out with by checking the box in front of your preferred activities.

Once complete, submit the form via email to volunteernorfeldt@gmail.com or bring it to the

main office.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time throughout the year with questions, comments or

suggestions. With your help, these events can be a great success for our families and our

school. Thank You!!

Volunteer Coordinators,

Andrea Dixon, 2013-14 & Laura Faga, 2014-15

volunteernorfeldt@gmail.com

NAME:

___________________________________________________________________________________

EMAIL: __________________________________________________________________________________

PHONE: _________________________________________________________________________________

COMMITTEES:

☐☐☐☐ “A NIGHT AT THE AUCTION” (Winter – Spring) Live and silent auctions at an off-site venue with

entertainment and food.

☐☐☐☐ AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES (Year Round) Coordinate afterschool enrichment activities such as

“Mad Science.” NEW!!

☐☐☐☐ BACK TO SCHOOL PICNIC (Early September) Early evening school-wide picnic.

☐☐☐☐ BACK TO SCHOOL TEACHER LUNCH (Late August) An appreciation lunch for the teachers before

school begins.

☐☐☐☐ BINGO & ICE CREAM NIGHT (November) An evening event that includes multiple games of Bingo for

small prizes and ice cream for all the children.

☐☐☐☐ BOOK FAIR (November and May) Twice-yearly library fundraising event where students purchase

new books from Scholastic.

☐☐☐☐ BOOK SWAP (Monthly) Swap of gently used books. NEW!!

☐☐☐☐ BOX TOPS (Year Round) Twice-yearly collection and submission of “Box Tops for Education” and

“Campbell’s Labels for Education” to fund school activities.

☐☐☐☐ CLASSICAL CAFÉ (Year Round) Four culturally enhancing programs that occur during lunch hours.

☐☐☐☐ DINNER & A MOVIE NIGHT (Winter) An evening event with a recent movie and food.

☐☐☐☐ FALL PHOTOS (September/October) Assist school photographers with the annual school photo

sessions.

☐☐☐☐ FAMILY DANCE NIGHT (February) A fun night of dancing led by Mrs. Sweetland.

☐☐☐☐ FAMILY SPORT EVENTS (Fall & Spring) Parent-Staff Volleyball & Rock Cats Baseball.

☐☐☐☐ FIELD DAY (Early June) A fun, physically challenging school-wide outdoor event.

☐☐☐☐ FIFTH GRADE GRADUATION LUNCH (Mid-June) fifth grade parents only. Special lunch for the 5th

grade students after their graduation ceremony.

☐☐☐☐ FIFTH GRADE RECEPTION (Mid-June) fourth grade parents only. Breakfast reception for 5th grade

graduation guests.

☐☐☐☐ FIFTH GRADE YEARBOOK (October – June) fifth grade parents only. Coordinate all aspects of the

yearbook for publication and distribution.

☐☐☐☐ FIRST DAY FOLDERS (Mid-August) Compile prepared materials for first day of school folder

distribution.

☐☐☐☐ FUNDRAISING (Year Round) Assist in collecting and distributing fundraising materials. NEW!!

☐☐☐☐ GIFT CARDS (Year Round) Oversee gift card sales, ordering, inventory & distribution.

☐☐☐☐ GREEN TEAM Assist in the Norfeldt garden with garden activities, periodic farmer’s markets, and

classroom planting committees with curriculum related garden activities.

☐☐☐☐ HOLIDAY FOOD BASKETS (November) Prepare baskets for Norfeldt families in need.

☐☐☐☐ INTERNATIONAL NIGHT (January) School-wide celebration of multiculturalism and diversity

through presentations, food, and informational booths.

☐☐☐☐ KIDS ART NIGHT (March) Families create artwork that is professionally reproduced.

☐☐☐☐ KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION (May) Informal parent-to-parent orientation for incoming

students during the students’ formal evaluation by Norfeldt staff.

☐☐☐☐ MARCH MINI COURSES (Mid-March) Parent offered classes that occur for one hour, two days after

school.

☐☐☐☐ MEDIA CENTER (Year Round) Assist with daily library tasks and book fairs.

☐☐☐☐ NORFELDT NEWCOMERS (Year Round) Welcome new families to Norfeldt.

☐☐☐☐ NORFELDT NIGHTS DINING FUNDRAISER (Year Round) Arrange “Norfeldt Nights” at local

restaurants. NEW!!

☐☐☐☐ PAUL CRYAN PHOTOGRAPHS (March) Coordinate and confirm photography schedule.

☐☐☐☐ ROOM PARENT (Year Round) The liaison between the PTO, the teacher & the class.

☐☐☐☐ SCHOOL STORE (Monthly) Sell Spiritwear, school supplies, & other items. NEW!!

☐☐☐☐ SPECIAL PERSONS’ DAY (May) Buffet breakfast for invited guests before a formal presentation and

individual classroom activities.

☐☐☐☐ SPRING FAIR (June) The annual Norfeldt Fair involves multiple booths, food, a dunk tank, a raffle,

two bounce houses, and a playground of fun!

☐☐☐☐ STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK (May) Coordinate a luncheon for Norfeldt staff.

☐☐☐☐ THANKSGIVING LUNCH (November) Volunteers serve food at lunchtime.

☐☐☐☐ VOICE & VISION ART SHOW (May) Mount and hang student artwork throughout the school for this

weeklong exhibit which includes an opening night reception.

☐☐☐☐ JUST CALL (Year Round) Support PTO events with food or additional volunteers.

NORFELDT SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES:

☐☐☐☐ BOARD OF EDUCATION (Year Round)

Serve as liaison to the Board of Education and report pertinent findings back to the PTO Executive

Board.

☐☐☐☐ FOUNDATION FOR WEST HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS (Year Round)

Act as Norfeldt liaison to access and approve grants for town educators.

☐☐☐☐ WEST HARTFORD CULTURAL COUNCIL (Year Round)

Serve as liaison to coordinate fundraising and town wide cultural performances.

☐☐☐☐ WEST HARTFORD SCHOLARSHIP FUND (Spring)

Represent Norfeldt for student scholarship application review and selection.

NAME:

___________________________________________________________________________________