Squish, the Nayatt School Mascot

Nayatt News Update 1.18.2020
Empowering All Students to Excel


“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?”
As we continue to try to keep our community safe from the spread of COVID-19, please continue to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the BPS schools regarding travel, testing, quarantine and other needs.  Our Superintendent and the principals share them regularly in our updates. Thank you to the majority of our families who are communicative and supportive of district expectations around reporting positive results, close contacts, and travel. My goal is not to lecture, but to advocate for my staff!
 
We recognize that families are exhausted and worn out, as well as missing friends and relatives, but please be respectful of our teachers and their incredible work during these challenging times.  The combination of both in person and remote learners requires a tremendous amount of work and effort by our teachers each night.  They put in many hours and are truly going above and beyond.  
 
Distance Learning or remote learning should be used sparingly and for valid reasons such as quarantine, positive results, and close contacts, not random travel and vacations.  These will continue to be considered unexcused absences.  We reserve the right not to allow your child to participate in learning during vacations as supported by district policy. 
 
We have worked to be accommodating and flexible, but the small number of recent abuses is frustrating and disheartening to the Nayatt School Staff.  Families need to complete the appropriate change of learning model request forms and adhere to the one month commitment to the change in learning model as well as quarantine guidelines if they are vacationing or taking weekend ski trips to states that require quarantine on return to RI.
 

Upcoming Events:
January 20th-Nayatt School Improvement Team Meeting-continued work on communication and school culture/climate. Updates will go out in upcoming editions.
January 25th-Statewide PD day-Teachers participate in professional development and students participate in assignments at home.
February 1st-12th-BPS K-3 Fastbridge Screening in ELA and Math to assess student progress and plan for instruction, interventions, and enrichment.
February 15th-19th-School Vacation Week
 

 
Teaching and Learning:
 
Our brains are not actually wired to learn to read, they are wired for survival.  Most of us come to acquire reading skills relatively smoothly, but for others it triggers the fight or flight instinct.  For both groups learning to read, like any thing worth learning, requires practice.
  
In the upcoming months, the majority of our first graders discover the magic of reading.
An important component of reading is rapid recognition of high frequency words and sight words.
Sight words are common words kids have to recognize instantly without sounding them out.
Recognizing words by sight helps kids become faster, more fluent readers.
Many sight words are tricky to read and spell—they aren’t spelled the way they sound.

Kindergarten: be, but, do, have, he, she, they, was, what, with
First grade: after, again, could, from, had, her, his, of, then, when
Second grade: around, because, been, before, does, don’t, goes, right, which, write
Third grade: better, carry, eight, laugh, light, myself, only, own, shall, together
 
Fun Ideas and Games for Helping Your Child Practice Sight Words at Home
 

Student Chromebooks:
Keep sending the devices back and forth between home and school.
Students use them in school and will need them if their classroom goes remote.
Try to charge chromebooks at home each night so students are ready to use them at school.

Condensed Arrival Times/Safety of Staff in Cold Weather:
In the extreme cold, our staff should not be outside for more than 20 minutes because of the potential for frostbite.
7:40-7:45 AM-Bus drop off
7:50-8:00 AM-Car drop offs A-K
8:00-8:10 AM-Car drop-offs L-Z
7:45-8:10 AM-Walkers

Nayatt School Lunch Program: Lunches will continue to be free until the end of the school year.
Nayatt Lunch Order Form


Community News:

EAST BAY LACROSSE REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Please click the REGISTER NOW button at www.eastbaylax.org to register for youth lacrosse program serving Grades K-8 in the East Bay area. 
EARLY BIRD rates will be available for two weeks (1/4/20 - 1/18/20).
Regular registration rates will apply thereafter.
Registration CLOSES March 1st (or when divisions are full).
PRICING:  Grades 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8: $185 early bird rate, $235 regular registration rate. Ladysharks & Landsharks (K & Older Pre-K): $95.
Please note that several teams are filling up fast and we will need to form wait lists.
East Bay Lacrosse is closely monitoring and following all RIDOH protocols in close conjunction with RIYLL and US Lacrosse.

Have a great week!
Tracey
Tracey Learned, Principal
Nayatt School, A Nationally Recognized Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, 2015