Principal's Page
Smyth Road School Newsletter
May 2024
Busy time of Year! As we enter the final months of our school year, the calendar is filling up with events. Please see the listing of activities coming up in May and June. We welcome parents and family members at these end of the year events.
On-Line Registration: There is a link on the Manchester School district website to register a child for school in the fall. The link is open and working. If your child is currently a student at Smyth Road School, you do NOT need to register your child again. This is for children who would be entering school in Manchester for the first time. Please share this link with friends, family and neighbors who have a child ready to enter school in 2024-2025. https://www.mansd.org/
Progress Reports: Look for your child’s 3 rd trimester progress report on Thursday, May9 th . We are at the halfway point of the final trimester- please reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns.
Classroom Placements: Our staff takes much time, effort and care in developing class rosters for each school year. The following are some of the factors that are taken into consideration as class lists are developed:
1. A balance of academic achievement levels
2. Behavior factors
3. Compatibility of students with others in the classroom (separating others who have not worked well together in the past)
4. Information provided by current teacher on work habits and program needs.
As parents, you may have more information for us to consider such as: Please do not place my child with John because they are neighbors and are together all the time outside of school, or please separate my child from Sally since they have been in same class since K and need to develop independence. If you choose to provide specific information like the examples above, please send an email to jbriggs@mansd.org . Emails are due by Monday, June 3rd. Please do not send an email requesting a specific teacher.
Because of shifting enrollments, new registrations, and uncertainty around teacher assignments, we will not be able to finalize classroom lists until right before the start of school. Classroom assignments will be emailed out at the end of August. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.
Yearbook: Our yearbook for 2024-2025 is just about to go to the printers! We had to wait for the Small/Tall Ball to take place in order to add pictures from that event. The P.T.O. is generously providing a yearbook for ALL 4 th and 5 th grade students as a parting gift before they head off to Hillside. To order a yearbook:
1. Please go to www.treering.com/validate
2. Enter the school’s passcode: 1014471057541338
Cops and Kids: This annual program is provided to all city elementary schools for students in Kindergarten, Grade 2 and Grade 4. The Manchester Police Department spends a few hours at each school, showing students the various types of tools and vehicles used every day in their jobs. The students get to see and hear about the police horses, the motorcycles, a K-9 dog, the inside of a police car, and much more. Smyth Rd will have their Cops and Kids program on Thursday, May 9 th . The police and their vehicles typically arrive shortly after students enter the building; I don’t want parents to be alarmed if they see lots of police activity around our school that morning.
SAS Testing: Our students in Grades 3-5 will be taking the SAS (State Assessment) starting this week with Grade 3 and continuing through the next few weeks. Please make sure your child is well rested and has a sensible breakfast. We are looking at this as a great opportunity for our students to show what they know! Please help us by encouraging your child to do their best!
Small/Tall Ball: The Small Tall Ball was literally “OUT OF THIS WORLD!” Thank you so much to Mrs. Webber and her amazing team of volunteers! The students and families had a blast!
Hillside Visit: Our 4 th and 5 th grade students will be visiting Hillside for a tour on Wednesday, May 8 th . Please make sure your child has submitted their permission slip to ride the bus to Hillside. Additionally, Hillside will be hosting an informational session for parents on Thursday, May 9 th at 6:30 p.m.
Memorial Day: On Friday, May 24 th at 9:30 a.m., the whole school will assemble outside on the hard top at the front of the school for our annual Memorial Day assembly. We welcome family members to attend! Hopefully the weather will cooperate! Students will be encouraged to wear any combination of red, white, and blue for this Memorial Day recognition.
No School: There is no school on Monday, May 27 th to celebrate the Memorial Day Holiday.
Kindergarten Orientation-May 30: This is an event for parents and their children who will be entering Smyth Rd Kindergarten in the Fall of 2024. Orientation will start at 6 p.m. in the school gym. The event will consist of two parts: 1. Parents will be given an overview of what to expect in the life of a Kindergarten student. 2. The incoming Kindergarten children will separately be given a brief tour by our Kindergarten teachers of some “places to see” when they arrive at Smyth Rd School.
Student of the Month: We honored our April students of the month at an assembly when we returned from our April break. Students were recognized for their positive energy, great work ethic, and kind words and deeds. The students of the month received special certificates, and they also will be featured on the bulletin board in the main hallway.
April Students of the Month!
Kindergarten: Dante Plante, Gian Ngabirame, Smith Stanton
1 st Grade: Else Kluk, Maya Cabral, Orion Levesque, Bruno Jamario Mateus Dias
2 nd Grade: Ava Verity, Rosalie Higgins, Chloe Sprankle
3 rd Grade: Mohammad Faiz Mohammad Tufail, Dexter Ball, Taelyn Bergquist
4 th Grade: Sophia Dunklee, Isabella Garcia
5 th Grade: Camille Vey, Tyler Hahn , Aabis Tahir
Specials and Self-contained classrooms: Jamison Whittle, Dominic Hernandez, Eve Bishop, William Stewart, Archer Gregersen, Reagan Ludwig, Ruwaida Nur, Ahmad Majid
May Dates and Events:
Wed, May 8: Grades 4 & 5 bussed to Hillside for a tour
Thursday, May 9: Cops and Kids Program for Grades K, 2, 4; Progress reports sent home
Wednesday, May 15: PTO mtg, 6 p.m.
Friday, May 24: Memorial Day Assembly, 9:30 a.m.
Monday, May 27: Memorial Day observed: No School.
Thursday, May 30: Kindergarten Orientation, 6-7 p.m. (for new students entering K in 2024-2025)
Looking Ahead to June:
Wednesday, June 5: 10 a.m. Chorus, Band, and Orchestra concert. Parents of students in the Grade 3-5 Chorus, Band or Strings program invited to attend.
Friday, June 7: Field Day Grades K,1,2
Monday, June 10: Field Day Grades 3,4,5
Tuesday, June 11: Field Day Rain Date
Wednesday, June 12: Last Day for Pre-K students
Wednesday, June 12: Certificate Celebration, Grade 4, 9:30 a.m.
Thursday, June 13: Certificate Celebration, Grade 5, 9:30 a.m.
Thursday, June 13: Grade 4 and Grade 5 Clap Out, 1:30 p.m.
Friday, June 14: Last Day for Students, K-5