The Duffy Dateline

March 14, 2013

Dear Duffy Families,

Both Duffy teachers and students enjoyed the Read Across America Day when

P.J.’s and slippers were the norm. Almost 100% of the students and teachers

participated in this spirit day promoted by the Student Council. It was a fun way to

celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday and promote reading at the same time. Because St.

Patrick’s Day, March 17th

, falls on a Sunday this year, the student council will promote

their next spirit day on April 5. Students are encouraged to wear green and white, the

Duffy school colors, or any Duffy clothing that may have been purchased earlier this

year.

The Student Council is focusing on a special project right now. They are raising

money for HANOC, the Hillcrest Area Neighborhood Outreach Center. Many of our

students benefit from the activities at the center and with the budget cuts, they are in

desperate need of financial support. The officers are collecting wonderful items to

auction off during Children’s Night on April 11th

. If you have something to donate, I

am sure they would appreciate your help. Staff members have already responded to

their call for help. If you don’t have something to donate, I hope you will support

them by participating in the auction with your generosity. They have another running

event in the spring you will hear more about later.

In one week we will be celebrating the beginning of spring. It will be most

welcomed by me! It is a time of the year we start preparing for the coming year. Both

PTO and the Site Council will be seeking new parents to join their leadership team.

You don’t have to know a lot to get involved. You have to have a spirit of dedication,

commitment and a willingness to serve. Those who do serve will learn a great deal

about the school and about themselves. I hope you will respond to the call.

Warm regards,

Kathleen Kathleen Tracy

Principal

Curriculum Corner From the desk of Kristi Laverty

CMT Update

Today was the last day of testing for students in grades 3 and 4. Our 5

th graders will take the

Science test tomorrow and the Math III test on Monday (which was missed due to the snowstorm

last week). We will continue to administer make-up exams to students who were absent during

the testing window over the next two weeks. We are so proud of all of our students for trying

their best and being flexible during this time. I want to sincerely thank the Duffy PTO for

providing students with snacks each day after testing, and of course, our staff, for providing

students with an ideal testing environment.

Kindergarteners as researchers?!

Yes, it’s true! In Units 6 and 7 of our new English Language Arts curriculum aligned to the

Common Core, our kindergarteners will be learning important 21st century research skills.

Beginning on March 26th

, students will learn the process of research and participate in shared

research projects in the classroom. Asking a question, seeking the answer using a variety of

sources, and sharing what was learned are the steps students will practice. Technology

integration will be a huge component of this process, as teachers will be introducing electronic

sources to students. Like almost everything we do in kindergarten, we are teaching these skills

with lots of prompting and support in order to provide all students with a solid foundation-

because researching will continue to be a focus in every grade to come!

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=kindergartners+researchers&start=358&um=1&hl=en&biw=1056&bih=561&tbm=isch&tbnid=P2MS38Lt9BcaRM:&imgrefurl=http://childsplaystpauls.blogspot.com/&docid=xB0fZXijDQKv2M&imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oPXFPdKDDMY/UOXDPOoi73I/AAAAAAAAAHw/ROhthGPU8Ho/s400/kids-outdoors.jpg&w=360&h=240&ei=120_UZ_2F-jf0QHq9ICICA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=223&vpy=73&dur=1422&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=160&ty=110&page=18&tbnh=135&tbnw=202&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:64,s:300,i:196

March 2013

14 9:00am-12:00pm Grade 2 Science Museum (Burton/Kupper’s classes)

3:20-4:20pm Grades 3-5 After School Sports, Gym

15 9:00am-12:00pm Grade 2 Science Museum (Griffin/Haven’s classes) Mad Science

18 3:20-4:20pm Grade K After School Sports, Gym

19 3:45pm Enrichment Committee Meeting

3:20-4:20pm Grades 1-2 After School Sports, Gym

20 9:30am Mary Cassett Tea, Barron/Benner

21 3:20-4:20pm Grades 3-5 After School Sports, Gym 7:00pm PTO Meeting, LMC

22 Mad Science

25 3:20-4:20pm Grade K After School Sports, Gym

26 3:20-4:20pm Grades 1-2 After School Sports, Gym

4:00-6:00pm Site Council Meeting

28 8:45-10:00am Grade K Field Trip to Wadsworth (Cavanaugh/Testerman)

10:00am-12:00pm Grade K Field Trip to Wadsworth (Shapiro/Barron/Benner)

29 No School - Good Friday

April 2013 01 3:20-4:20pm Grade K After School Sports, Gym

02-05 Parent -Teacher Conferences

02 3:20-4:20pm Grades 1-2 After School Sports, Gym

04 3:20-4:20pm Grades 3-5 After School Sports, Gym 6:30pm Bingo Night, Auditorium

05 Mad Science

Green and White Spirit Day

08 3:20-4:20pm Grade K After School Sports, Gym

09 3:20-4:20pm Grades 1-2 After School Sports, Gym

3:30pm Staff Meeting

10 7:30am Student Achievement Meeting

11 3:20-4:20pm Grades 3-5 After School Sports, Gym 5:30-7:00pm Children’s Night

12 Mad Science

Jump Rope for Heart

15-19 No School – Spring Recess

PARENT- TEACHER CONFERENCES

April 02-05 Dismissal Schedule

Tuesday, April 02 1:30pm

Wednesday, April 03 2:00pm

Thursday, April 04 1:30pm

Friday, April 05 1:30pm

News from the Art Room!!!!

Mr. RB and I would like to send out a big, CONGRATULATIONS, to the following Duffy students who were chosen to participate in the all district art show, ArtBeat, this year.

Molly A.

Hayden B.

Anna C.

Alexandra D.

Bridie D.

Ruth E.

Bennett G.

Natalie G.

Christian G.

Nora J.

Meghan J.

Ewan M.

Tyler R.

Allison S.

Luke S.

Jude A.

Abby T.

The ArtBeat exhibit is shown at the West Hartford Art League through March 30th

. This display

is wonderful and inspiring way to view the spiraling West Hartford art program. We hope you

are able to check it out!

Mrs. Schott and Mr. RB

Dateline schedule of publications dates 2012-2013

Submissions are due the Monday before publication dates and can be sent to Kathleen Tracy at

Kathleen_Tracy@whps.org and Ernestine Nobou at ernestine_nobou@whps.org

School Dateline Print and Submission Dates

Print date Submission deadline

March March 14 March 11

March 28 – Dateline Schedule No submission

April April 11 April 08

April 25 - Dateline Schedule No submission

May May 09 May 06 May 23 - Dateline Schedule No submission

June June 06 June 03

Next dateline publication date: April 11th, 2013.

mailto:Kathleen_Tracy@whps.orgmailto:ernestine_nobou@whps.org

Dear Duffy Parents and Teachers,

As with so many of my Dateline letters, I have to start by thanking Lisel Moynihan for organizing another

wonderful Family Fun Night! Duffy's first Read-In was a huge success! Many, many thanks also go to

Tiffany Pegolo, Katie Thibault, Megan Baumgartner, and Lisa Brown for helping to organize and run this

fun night. A special shout out to our custodian Joe Andrade, who went above and beyond in cleaning up

after the event! Thank you all.

Although it's still chilly out, it is already March and that means that CMT's are upon us. Please remember to

be quiet in the hallways when you visit the school this week and next week, as testing is taking place in the

mornings. Once again this year, the PTO is providing snacks for all of the children on each day of testing.

The children and teachers really appreciate these treats, and we thank Wanita Thorpe and Kerrie Andrews for

organizing this effort!

I hope to see many of you at our next PTO meeting, which will be Thursday, March 21 at 6:30. Susan

Kamin and Denise Torla from Duffy's amazing Nutrition Committee will be there to speak about Growing

Great Schools and all of the latest Nutrition Committee initiatives.

We are still actively searching for a Fund It chair (or a team to run the program) for the coming school year.

The PTO board is still running Fund It as a team and are finding that it is a job that can definitely be shared.

If you have any interest in chairing Fund It on your own or as a team, please contact me or any Board

Member for more information!

It is also not too early to think about PTO officers for the 2013-14 school year. The following positions will

be open next year: Vice President, Recording Secretary, Co-Communications Coordinator, and Co-

Volunteer Coordinator. Please contact PTO Vice President Amy Boultbee MacKinnon (860-461-7615 or

boultbee_mackinnon@yahoo.ca -- please note the .ca, rather than .com!) to learn more about open

positions and what they entail. Serving on the board is a great way to get more involved at Duffy!

Finally, Amy Boultbee MacKinnon and I have been honored to participate on the interview panel as the

administration seeks a new principal to lead our school next year. It was very inspiring to see the love for

Duffy that is shared by the teachers and other staff who served on the committee. Everyone involved in the

process is dedicated to finding the candidate who is just the right fit for our extraordinary Duffy community.

Thanks to all of our parents for their time and involvement! We are looking forward to a wonderful spring at

Duffy.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Majewski

PTO President

KINDERGARTEN ALERT

Is your child entering Kindergarten this fall? Do you know of a neighbor's /friend's child who is

planning to attend Duffy’s kindergarten in the fall? Please call the school office now. Children who

turned five years old on or before 1/1/13 are eligible for Kindergarten in September.

The Kindergarten Parent Orientation for the 2013-20143 school year is April 25th at 5:45pm. A letter will

go home to families in during this month of March with more specific information.

Calling all volunteers! GROWING GREAT SCHOOLS needs your help!

Growing Great Schools, Inc. (GGS) is a West Hartford organization that was started in 2010 by several concerned and

committed local parents. As a community-based group the organization creates healthier schools by connecting food,

culture, health, and the environment.

If you have not heard about Growing Great Schools, you have most likely heard about some of its initiatives. These

include:

Supporting the efforts of West Hartford Nutrition Services by offering the Chef to School program. One of GGS’s most important alliances is the relationship it has developed with local chefs. Each public elementary

school is paired with a local chef. The chefs have agreed to develop a variety of healthy menu options, which are

introduced to students through taste testing events. Successful items are incorporated into the school lunch menu.

Supporting the efforts of the schools to develop school gardens that are maintained by students.

Offering a junior master gardener curriculum in conjunction with UCONN to provide a turnkey solution for teachers who are interested in incorporating lessons from a school garden into their own curriculum.

Coordinating fall and spring student run farmers’ markets in an effort to expose students and their families to healthy, locally grown produce.

Ensuring that each school gets a salad bar and is able to offer fresh, healthy choices on at least a weekly basis to all students and staff.

Monies raised by GGS go directly back into our schools in an effort to promote and support wellness initiatives. GGS has applied for and is pending non-profit status and has a board of directors with representation from all eleven

elementary schools, and they want to hear from you. The Duffy school representatives are Susan Kamin, Rachel Stein

and Denise Torla. To continue to affect change the movement needs peoplepower behind it. Listed below are GGS’s

committees. If you have an area of expertise, a special interest or just want to get involved with the organization, pick

a committee and contact us at info@growinggreatschools.org. We look forward to hearing from you.

Farmers’ Market/Farm to School

Public Relations/Community Outreach

Green Team/School Gardens

Membership

Chef to School/Tastings

Internal Communications/Website

Curriculum Development/Programming

Fitness, Health, Recess

Development/Fundraising

If you would like to learn more about Growing Great Schools please visit us at

www.growinggreatschools.org or like us on Facebook.

mailto:info@growinggreatschools.orghttp://www.growinggreatschools.org/

What’s happening in Physical Education?

Greetings Duffy Families,

During the months March all students will be participating in a Cooperative Education unit. Cooperative

learning allows the teacher to structure activities where students can learn with and from others, while

engaging in a variety of social learning experiences. Students must work in groups to complete tasks

collectively and cooperatively, allowing each member of the group to capitalize on one another’s resources

and skills. Students enhance skills in communication, active listening, problem solving, sharing ideas,

teamwork, and cooperation. Everyone succeeds when the group succeeds.

I invite all parents to come down and see what is happening in the gym.

Don’t forget that Before School Gym is offered for students in grades 3, 4, and 5. This program begins

every morning EXCEPT Wednesday at 7:40am. Children take part in activities that are being taught in

Physical Education and have the opportunity to explore various physical activities.

Thank you for your continued support and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Rob DeVeau

Duffy School, Physical Education Teacher

Rob_DeVeau@whps.org

860-521-0110

These informational fliers can be found in the office 1- Duffy PTO volunteers form

2- Mad Science After School Program

3- March lunch Menu (is available on Duffy Website)

mailto:Rob_DeVeau@whps.org

Nutrition News March 2013

Although we had a snow day last week (hopefully the last), the weather over the weekend made it possible to

imagine that spring is around the corner. Through the cold days of January and February our Garden

Committee has been hard at working planning for the warm days that lie ahead. We have received

invaluable advice from UConn master gardener Sarah Bailey and Westmoor Park’s horticulturist, Jane

Gottier. We are working to get seeds, peat pots, soil and garden tools secured so the second grade classes

can start planting lettuces and spinach in the classroom by the end of the month. The students will nurture

and learn from the seedlings before transplanting them to the garden beds in another month or so. We will

be adding beans and snap peas outside once the weather is more consistent. We also have plans for a

butterfly garden, which will bring caterpillars and butterflies to our Duffy garden. We will all be able to

learn from and enjoy these beautiful creatures. Many of the other grades will be able to participate in the

planting as well. We will have more details soon. We continue to welcome any garden enthusiasts who are

interested in getting involved.

The students really seem to be getting the hang of composting. We had parents in the lunchroom daily for

several weeks to help the students get used to separating their compost scraps. Thank you to all our parent

volunteers. Please continue to remind your children that the focus is on only fruit and veggie scraps in the

compost bin. Be sure to emphasize that they should throw away “scraps”, not whole pieces of produce.

There is a tremendous amount of food wasted everyday.

Each year the West Hartford Cultural Council sponsors performances at the elementary schools to expose

students to art from various cultures. Throughout the month of April all elementary students will have the

pleasure of attending a performance at school of Caribbean music by Carnival Trio. The Duffy performance

is scheduled for Friday, April 26th

. In conjunction with the performances our chef partners have been

working on a new menu item with a Caribbean twist. On April 11th

we will hold a taste test for the item

during lunch. Students who buy lunch will be able to purchase the new menu item, but all students will have

an opportunity to taste it and give it a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down”. There are some other complementary

activities being planned that you will be hearing about soon.

The Wednesday Salad Bar at Duffy continues to draw rave reviews. We have been sending home hard

copies of the monthly lunch menu. The online menu does NOT reflect the salad bar option since Duffy is one

of only three schools currently offering a weekly salad bar, although others will be following soon. As an

added reminder there will be a salad bar sign posted in front of the school every Tuesday. Currently we are

required to have a parent volunteer present during Wednesday salad bar. Anyone who would like to

volunteer please contact Susan Kamin (kamin.susan@gmail.com) or Denise Torla (dtorla66@sbcglobal.net).

It is important that we have participation if we are to keep the salad bar up and running.

Growing Great Schools, the community-based advocacy group that creates healthier schools by connecting

food, culture, health, and the environment, continues to gain momentum. If you would like to get involved

consider attending the Duffy PTO meeting on Thursday, March 21st at 6:30 pm. Denise Torla and Susan

Kamin will be present to give an overview of the organization, answer questions and provide information on

how to get involved. If you are unable to attend you can contact Denise or Susan or visit the website at

www.growinggreatschools.org. There will also be a letter going home in back packs on how to become a

volunteer. It’s a wonderful organization and it needs volunteers if it is to continue to grow.

Please note that the Nutrition Committee has been renamed the Health and Wellness committee to better

represent all the various projects we oversee and support.

mailto:kamin.susan@gmail.commailto:dtorla66@sbcglobal.nethttp://www.growinggreatschools.org/

Fundit Position available….

Ever dreamed of running your own business? Duffy is seeking a new Fundit Coordinator. This

invaluable position will allow you to gain valuable insight into how to run a successful small

business while significantly impacting your child’s educational experience by providing field trips,

periodicals for the classroom, Nature’s Classroom & much more*!

Help us keep this important fundraiser running for our kids!!

Position includes:

Approx.5-10 hours a week (please note…this position could be shared by 2 individuals working as a team)

Organized person who can stick to deadlines

Easy to learn QuickBooks program

$30,000 credit card line a plus to get 6% match but NOT NECESSARY

Friendly, supportive training included

PTO board member if desired

*classroom reading books, $100 for each teacher to spend on classroom, Artists in Residence,

Design Connection, 5th

grade yearbook, CMT snacks, Duffy Fair, Nutrition Committee – these

items will go away if Fundit goes away!

West Hartford Special Education PTA presents:

Estate and Insurance Planning Panel, Guardianship and Trusts, Transitioning, Social Security Issues

Wednesday, March 27, 2013, 7:00 p.m. at the Whiting Lane School, 47 Whiting Lane, West Hartford,

CT

Please join our panel of experts:

Suzanne Neville - parent and attorney - special needs trusts, guardianship, power of attorney,

conservatorship

Chera Gerstein - parent and financial planner - trusts, how can we protect our children in the future

Mary Stark - DDS Transition Coordinator - DDS services, social security, transition decisions

Dave Hampton - Professional Secure Assistance - managing social security for our children

Please contact Lisa Roland at lawr888@comcast.net if you have any questions.

If you would like to ask one of our panel members a question, please email Lisa ahead of time at

lawr888@comcast.net.

Friday, April 5, 2013, Friday, Coffee and Conversation.

Come meet with other parents whose children receive services through the West Hartford Public

Schools. Look for the SEPTA sign on the table, usually in the back of the restaurant.

9:30 - 10:30 AM at Panera Bread, Bishop's Corner. Contact Mary Lee Wakefield at 860-236-7918 or

paddyboy@att.net for more information.

mailto:lawr888@comcast.net

Conard High School is proud to present Peter Pan - The Musical March 15 & 16 @ 7pm, March 17 @ 2pm,

and March 22 & 23 @ 7pm at Conard High School.

Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased on our website www.conardhighschoolmusical.com

Please visit our Facebook page - Conard Musical Productions - for up to the minute updates and info.

http://www.conardhighschoolmusical.com/

OUTDOOR RECESS POLICY

The outdoor recess policy dictates that all students will go outside for recess if the temperature is

above 20 including wind chill factor. Children should be dressed appropriately to spend time

outdoors. Warm jackets, hats, gloves are required in cold weather. Children may not play in the

snow unless they are wearing boots and, if appropriate, snow pants. Children who are well enough

to attend school should be well enough to be outside for recess. Exceptions for medical reasons,

with a doctor’s note, will be made.

Early Dismissal For Snow Storms

With the event of winter weather, the Board of Education has set standardized dismissal times if

children are sent home early because of snow storms.

ELEMENTARY @ 1:00 P.M. MIDDLE @ 11:45 A.M.

HIGH SCHOOL @ 11:OO A.M.

Parents should not call schools or central office to find out if schools are closing early. Radio and

television stations will carry notices of early dismissal and delayed openings. Parents can also

call the West Hartford Source Line at 860-233-2334 after 6:00am or check the website at

www.whps.org

Reminder: When school is cancelled or delayed, ALL morning activities are cancelled. When

school is closed early, due to inclement weather, students will always be dismissed at 1:00pm, and

ALL afternoon activities are cancelled, this includes the Kids link after school program.

If there is a delayed opening on a Wednesday, school will remain in session until 2:00pm.