PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

"All good things must come to an end" is a very popular saying that relates quite well to Erving Elementary School's 2008-2009 school year. The children at Erving have had a very busy year learning at each grade level. If you think about your child's first day of school and compare it to their final days of school, I know we all can appreciate the tremendous growth in their personal, academic, and social abilities. The dedicated staff at Erving Elementary School continues to encourage that each child maximize their potential as learners and human beings.

The first through fifth grades enjoyed field day, which was supervised by our sixth grade students. All the students shared eight exciting stations. A huge thank you to Miss Zabek for organizing this day. In addition, the sixth grade students competed in a kickball game with the staff. All observed great sportsmanship. I think the sixth graders were pleasantly surprised by the athleticism of the Erving staff. The staff was truly amazed at the wonderful teamwork exhibited by the sixth graders. All enjoyed a fun time!

Although Mr. Housen was unable to attend the Read-A-Thon assembly, Emma was truly surprised! She received a wonderful trophy for achieving 800+ points in the AR Program. This incredible achievement was remarkable. Emma and the principal enjoyed lunch at Friendly's on Wednesday as another special gift to honor her reading achievement. As a school we wish to encourage all of our students to share in the love of reading. Each year the school is hopeful that many students will reach the 500-point benchmark. Their names will be engraved on the perpetual plaque as a lasting tribute to this success in reading. Reading is certainly one of the doorways that open successful experiences in one's life.

This week the school said goodbye to our kindergarten students. The new 2009-2010 kindergarten class will be visiting the school on Tuesday from 11 AM through 1 PM. Our departing kindergarten students will become first graders ready to take on those skills in reading and math that set a wonderful foundation to these core subjects. They have been well prepared by Mrs. Kruzlic and Mrs. Yazwinski for the challenges ahead.

Social events for many Erving families have been prevalent this last week and also in the upcoming week. Last week, Mrs. Glabach's preschool family had a funfilled evening of song, food, and casual discussions among families. This week, Miss Harrington's preschool families enjoyed a special evening on Wednesday to celebrate a very successful early childhood experience this year. Mr. Rubin's first graders and their families will enjoy a first grade picnic on Monday evening from 5-6:30 PM. A very important and special sixth grade milestone will occur on Wednesday evening for our students and their families. A graduation program and dessert social will be held from 6-8:15. This function will honor each student for his or her importance to the school community. Special readings, a video presentation, songs, and accolades will be integral to this program. A special thank you to Ms. Bridgewater, Miss Allen, and Mr. Dean for all their work for this sixth grade program. Also, the class appreciates the work of the PTO and some sixth grade parents/guardians for planning the dessert social and decorating the school for this important event. Hip hip hooray to the following four sixth grade parents for the planning all the decorations for this event: Gail Dubreuil, Tammy Pydych, Cristina Holmes, and Dawn Clark.

Because this newsletter is the final publication for the 2008-2009 school year, I would like to thank many people for their wonderful work this year. The Erving PTO has been instrumental in providing fundraising opportunities as well as family functions throughout the year. This dedicated group of parents/guardians is invested to work with the school. The School Council has been a group of staff, parents/guardians, community people, and administrators who have also worked to provide a School Improvement Plan that sets important goals for the school that are reflected in the wants and needs of the Erving community and school. Thank you also to the many volunteers who gave generously their time to assist in the many school activities that were held this year. All appreciated their quiet presence.

The school community will be saying goodbye to two very important staff members. Mrs. Wheeler, our preschool paraprofessional, has decided to begin her own daycare program. She has been a wonderful asset to our early childhood program for many years. Karen Sturtevant, our second grade teacher, has decided to retire after many years of teaching. Her high standards for the children have been appreciated. As a community, we wish both Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Sturtevant well in their new endeavors. The school community will dearly miss them both.

The school would like to thank our Erving parents/guardians and the children for providing the school with a positive and supportive attitude toward education. This value towards learning is key to a healthy school system. We, as a school, will continue to provide special learning opportunities for every child in Erving. We know that the teamwork between our Erving families and the school will foster a love for learning.

Please have a safe and enjoyable summer. Before too long, August 26th will arrive and we will begin the 2009-2010 school year with great excitement and enthusiasm!!!!!