KINDNESS COUNTS

Our Kindergarten, First and Second grade students enjoyed the first in a series of outstanding programs entitled "KINDNESS COUNTS" on September 7, 8 and 9. The program was funded by our generous PTA. A team from the program "One Caring Adult" read a story and led a discussion with the students encompassing the themes, "BeKind, Be Wise and Be a Friend." The presentation culminated with all the students happily singing "Kindness Counts" led by a guitarist and written by the program originator Marta Koonz.

M-D YEAR AT A GLANCE 2010-11

"UNITED WE STAND"

2010-2011

The first year of Miller-Driscoll as a united school propelled students to new heights in social and academic learning. Thank you to our teachers who collaborated at every grade level to ensure equality of opportunity and the strength of the curriculum. Our end of year assessments in Literacy, Math and Science continued the trend for excellence in the achievement of our students. Socially, the concept of the cottages have unanimously received high praise from students and teachers. Students do feel a sense of belonging to their own group. Our new design with the South Kindergarten wing, the First Graders in the North wing with Second Grade centrally located made excess to students and faculty members efficient and safe. The North and South Pick-Up areas still need some creative thinking (maybe benches or some sort of cover). The schedules for the North and South cafeterias have worked well for students and teachers. Many thanks to our interns, para-professionals and parents who supervised and helped keep our children happy and safe.
We were so appreciative and motivated by the support of our parents and the outstanding contributions of our wonderful Parent Teacher Association. Thank you!

We are all looking forward to our new school year continuing to accent our united motto for the 2011-2012 school year.

"Hand in Hand, Together We Can."

2011-2012

Happy New Year "2011"

Welcome to our link with your Ed-Line News from your teachers. This is an exciting month as we anticipate new Kindergarten students registering for Fall 2011.

• Our current Kindergarteners in the Ladybug, Caterpillar and Firefly Cottages will be hosting their Parents as Reading Partners morning with the Reading Department.
• Our Principal coffee will explore the topic, "Allergies." The session will include the participation of our wonderful school nurses, Loretta Ertl and Babara Schum.
• We will read the history of Dr. Martin Luther King and observe his birthday on January 17.

Celebrating Writing at Home

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart."

William Wordsworth

• READ, READ, READ great books aloud
• Be a great audience-show interest in what your child writes.
• Build on strengths-find something specific to celebrate in your child's writing
• Provide a place and tools for writing
• Look for easy, low-pressure opportunities for writing (e-mails, postcards, thank notes, etc.)
• Give your child a diary, book, notebook, magazine subscription.
• Play story-telling and word games(Scrabble, Boggle, Scattergories)
• Write something personal and share it with your child. Let them see you writing.
• ****Make a scrapbook of family stories and events.

Veteran's Day Assembly

Our Assemblies to honor our Veterans were held at 9:30 a.m. and at 2:00 p.m. The picture above shows our wonderful Music teachers, Melina Arcano, Karen Mattera and Jennifer Judge-Thiemann singing the Stat Spangled Banner in Harmony. The beautiful voices of these outstanding young musicians quieted the students and touched the hearts of all the teachers. Our Instructional Leader for Social Studies Salvatore Giaimo planned the assemblies in collaboration with our Music teachers.

The entire assembly fervently said, the Pledge of Allegiance and the children sang; "Grand Old Flag," "This Land is Your Land", "Yankee Doodle" and a rousing "United We Stand." The highlight of the show was the message that Sergeant Ray Roche of the U.S Marines gave to the students. Sergeant Roche had many medals but he told the students that he was most proud of his GOOD CONDUCT medal. We were honored to hear Sergeant Roche and gratefully show our appreciation for his service to our country.

Thank you to Beverly Iannucci for the great pictures.

Daily Wilton/BETTER SCHOOL BONANZA

Photography by Bev Iannucci

Tiffany Tecce and Jeffrey Busch represented the parents of the Miller-Driscoll PTA as they accepted a generous check from the President of Mainstreet Connect (A National Community News Company) and Thomas Cain, the Director of Communications. The Co-Presidents were thrilled that the Miller-Driscoll community gained over 100 votes to win the $500.00 prize from the Daily Wilton. T.J. Buzzeo was on hand to congratulate the school. Cheryl Jensen-Gerner, Leslie Pearson, and Sheelah Brown are grateful for all the community support of our Wilton school children.

Grade 2 PARENTS AS PARTNERS

Our third annual "Parents as Reading Partners," was held on October 20 and 21 for our Second Grade students. The Administration, the Language Arts Team comprised of Reading Specialists; Nancy Bernasek, Sandy Little, Susan Schroeder and Barbara Quist, as well as our Library-Media Specialists: Barbara Clancy and Joyce Torres and our Writing Language Arts Resource teacher Erica Tucker gave a short presentation about reading. Parents were reminded that reading is a gift and making reading enjoyable is KEY and will promote a love of reading.

Parents were invited to join their child in his or her classroom and have the fun of reading together in school. Seeing the parents and students reading together was a joy for the teachers and forged one more link in our parent-teacher partnership.

Pumpkin Carving Nights

Photography by Bev Iannucci

All Miller-Driscoll students will find a beautiful warm WELCOME to our Pumpkin Carving Nights as they walk past the window of the Outdoor Learning Center. The children are so excited when they are walking past the cheerful exhibit to their classes. Pam Nobumoto brought the wreath, mums, cornstalks, haystack, pumpkins, and boots to decorate the stage of the OLC. As always, the Key Club assisted the Tiffany Tecce Family and the PTA in cleaning out the pumpkins which some parents had ordered and were ready to be carved. Our families were asked to bring a cleaned out pumpkin, carving tools, flashlight , and a donation for the Wilton Food Pantry to replenish the Food Pantry shelves.

Debbie Lynch, Stephanie Gordon, Mimi Fredericks and Sarah Simmons planned the evening activities and represented the PTA. The PTA team of mothers planned to supervise each evening and orchestrate the serving of the Popcorn and Apple Cider.

Outdoor Learning Center

Kindergarten Students studying the Five Senses at the Outdoor Learning Center

Photography by Bev Iannucci

Our award winning Outdoor Learning Center was recently visited by a team of Ridgefield teachers and parents interested in developing an Outdoor Learning Center. The team was eager to see how curriculum lessons can be supported in a natural habitat, promoting authentic learning experiences. Our wonderful OLC volunteers; Jennifer Hulse, Laura Martins, Pam Nobumoto, Laurie Pierro, Janet Siegel and Nicole Thornbough spent a rainy day preparing for the visit by raking, planting and placing pumpkins and mums to welcome our visitors. Jen, Pam and Nicole then graciously participated in the presentation and tour of the OLC.
The OLC has been honored by being named as the BEST outdoor schoolyard habitat in Connecticut by the National Wildlife Federation. The OLC notably incorporates nature and the environment into the Miller-Driscoll curricula. Our Science Instructional Leader Jane Giresi uses the OLC when teaching Kindergarten students in experiments exploring the Five Senses.
We were all privileged when Erin Woolard, the original designer of the OLC, gave a presentation to the group describing the vision and early beginnings of the OLC. Erin beautifully detailed the purpose and the dream of providing a natural environment for learning for all our Miller-Driscoll students.
Our entire Miller-Driscoll community sincerely appreciates that this beautiful resource for our students is maintained all year by our generous OLC volunteers.

Volunteer Science Parents

The PTA is once again responsible for a great initiative at Miller-Driscoll. The Science Volunteer Parent Program is funded by our PTA. Our goal is to continue to deliver Science instruction to ensure our success as a district in Science exploration. The Miller-Driscoll Science PTA representative is Leigh Anne Floyd. Thank you to Leigh Anne who contacted room mothers who recruited about three volunteers for each class. PTA funds provide in-house class trips for our Grades Kindergarten, One and Two. The parents provide enrichment activities directed by each classroom teacher according to the design of the Science Units at each grade level. Jane Giresi our Instructional Leader for Science developed and mapped the Science curriculum according to the Connecticut State Standards. Nancy Peters and Pat Snayd will happily assist the parents with supplies and guidance. The children also have an opportunity to engage in hands-on Science studies with the additional classroom help of the parents. In kindergarten, students have a rigorous curriculum. The students will study the characteristics of several divisions of the animal kingdom: birds, fish, insects and mammals. They will also study the five senses, rocks, seeds and plants, the weather and sea life. The classroom teachers sincerely appreciate the help from the parent volunteers who model a love of science inquiry and enthusiastically engage in all the experiments.

Exciting Open Houses

Our Miller-Driscoll Open Houses this week had a new and innovative dimension. Teachers used Smart Boards and Power Point presentations to add polish to their friendly "Getting To Know You" talks. The teacher collaboration at each grade level was so powerful that all parents received a consistent, integrated message of hope and high expectations for the year ahead--as well as all the essential information about school and classroom operations. One teacher expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to work in close proximity to her colleagues as enabling her to share on a level the teachers had never come close to in the past. All the teachers were very proud of the appearance of their classrooms.

Mrs. Jensen-Gerner, Mrs. Pearson and I loved meeting all the parents. We enjoyed the Open Houses as much as the teachers and parents. Each Open house night was uplifting, happy and cheerful.

I asked the teachers to give me one word to describe their impression of Open House from the faculty perspective. One teacher described the happy hum of excited parents while another thought the evening was calm and lovely. Some teacher comments:
Wonderful
Hopeful
Enthusiastic
Exciting
Interested
Smiles
Cooperative
Smooth
Successful
Energizing
Informative
Enlightening
Curious
Inspiring
Supportive
A couple of additional comments:
The BEST
Supportive parents
Technologically advanced
Parents played with Smart boards
Nodding heads in agreement
A GOOD night
Rare opportunity to meet parents
Parents vested in education
Shared Message

The phrase I thought described Open House most succinctly was written by one teacher, who said that Open House is "The Doorway to our Parent Partnership."
Thank you to the Tecce Family, Deb Bucklan and Jeff Busch, who welcomed all our parents with smiles, distributed our new Handbooks and sold our great Spirit Gear.

Thank you to our Library Volunteers

We like to think of the library as the "heart" of the school. Our educational goal is to teach every student in Miller-Driscoll to love to read and read and read. The library is the perfect place to find great books and to expand that love of reading. The Library is so actively used by our students that our librarians love to have assistance from our parents. Every year we ask for volunteers from our PTA. This year Laurie Eidt and Erica Kurtz, the co-organizers of the Library Volunteer group recruited so many wonderful women. We were so pleased to welcome 42 volunteers to our first Library Planning Meeting. Our volunteers give generously of their time throughout the school year to help check books in and out, shelve books and ensure the cheerful atmosphere of children enjoying reading in our library. They also transfer their own enthusiasm for reading to the children. The volunteers are role models for our students who recognize that reading is important to all of us. The Librarians also try to accommodate every one's preferences to honor each person's schedule. As our "United We Stand" motto indicates, parents working together with teachers can make significant educational change for the future of our students.


Here are the titles of some books selected by our librarians, Barbara Clancy and Joyce Torres to read aloud to your children along the theme of "United We Stand":

Burns -------Spaghetti and Meatballs for All

Choi --------The Name Jar

Cronin -----Click,Clack, Moo Cows That Type

Hoberman-- You Read to Me, I'll Read to You

Jeffers ------The Way Back Home

Keats------- Pet Show

Lionni -----Swimmy


Munsinger -The Wizard the Fairy and the Magic Chicken

Kellogg -----The Island Of The Skog


Rylant -----The Relatives Came

Scanlon ---All the World (my favorite)

Wells----- Yoko Writes Her Name

Thank you to Laurie and Erica and ALL our Library Volunteers

What a Beautiful Week !

The hum in the halls this past week as the children walked to their new classrooms and traveled to their special area teachers is a reflection of the positive sense of belonging imbued by all members of our M-D staff. The children seem to be as comfortable in their school as they are in their own homes. In fact, school is their home for a large part of the day and it is vital that they feel that confident sense of belonging.

The Master Schedule developed so accurately by our Principal, Cheryl Jensen-Gerner, is a tribute to her outstanding ability to fit all the parts into a well-designed school day. Watching all the kindergarten students board buses at noontime is a marvelous thing to see. Students and teachers walking precisely to each designated bus is just a small example of the organization it takes to move the school day along with these very young children. Lunch and recess schedules are adjusted as needs arise and reading blocks are incorporated into the school day. Thirty-five buses are called at the end of each day and students know to fasten their seat belts for a safe ride home.

There is an air of happy accomplishment surrounding the school and the children. Everyone worked hard to ensure this positive new beginning and we are feeling very grateful for all the help we have received from parents, teachers, support staff and administration. Mrs. Jensen-Gerner, Mrs. Pearson and I are especially appreciative of the tireless work of our secretarial staff, Mrs.Marie Jarboe, Mrs. Joyce Healey, Mrs. Sondra Breeland and Mrs. Dianne Thulin. Mrs. Dianne Thulin has multi-tasked all summer with registrations, purchase orders, phone requests and inquiries of all kinds. Dianne has smiled through it all and we are deeply thankful. This week has been the culmination of the efforts of so many people. It is up to all of us to keep the momentum positive and strong to provide a great new school year for our students.

Meet the Teacher Day August 26, 2010

Thank you to our amazing teachers:


Our teachers arrived at school in early August and renovated; rejuvenated and rearranged their classrooms to insure that they were prepared for students and parents alike on Meet the Teacher Day. The school looks terrific, thanks to those efforts - each and every room is beautifully decorated and when the students arrived, they were thrilled with the fresh changes. The teachers matched the enthusiasm of the children as they warmly greeted all their new students.

Not to be forgotten, the support staff, who went way beyond the call of duty over the summer to make sure the teachers accomplished their goal - including painting the classrooms and moving thousands of boxes! A special thank you to Ernest Cullinan, the neatest painter in the world.



Thank you to our amazing PTA:



Tiffany Tecce, Maggie Kelly, Kim Lynn, Julie Jarvie and Laraine McCormack sweetly kicked off our new school year by providing a delectable luncheon for the staff on Opening Day. It was a wonderful and genuinely appreciated welcome back to school for all of us.

Continuing with their fantastic efforts; on Meet the Teacher day, our PTA was represented by Tiffany Tecce , Kelsey Tecce, Jeffrey Busch, Elijah Busch, Laurie Musilli and David Crays. Tiffany Tecce designed a brilliant new Miller-Driscoll T-shirt. A red, white and blue tie-dye with a cheerful message that everyone loves - be sure to check them out. The Miller-Driscoll Handbook, along with other neat accessories were available for the children and parents.

A special thank you to Tiffany Tecce who has been with us throughout the summer and then delivered the bus tags for the children to school this morning. Tiffany has helped us in developing the school calendar as well as being an integral partner in our school re-organization.

We are grateful to all the parents of the PTA who collegially partner with us to enrich the educational experience of all our Miller-Driscoll students. Thank you to all the parents who came to our school today contributing to the rich beginning of this new school year. Please continue to visit, volunteer, and share in the family activities offered throughout the year because embracing the theme of "United We Stand" is sure to greatly benefit our students and our community.

Congratulations

We are proud to join Dr. Gary Richards in recognizing three members of our Support Staff for 100% Perfect Attendance.

Juan Carvajal

Jose Castro

William Fry

We appreciate and thank them for their hard work and dedication to our schools

Planning Ahead for Student Success

Our Miller-Driscoll Leadership Team gathered for a two day Leadership Academy in the new central core of Miller-Driscoll on August 17 and 18. It was an exciting opportunity for the leadership team as this was the first opportunity in this new year to share their unified vision of student needs and how the combination of their experience and ideas could be used to improve student achievement. The goal for the two days of study and collaboration was to examine our Strategic Action Plan for 2010-2011 as a spring-board for school improvement.

The members of the team included Cheryl Jensen-Gerner, Leslie Pearson, Dr. Sheelah Brown and Instructional Leaders: Language Arts- Susan Schroeder and Barbara Quist; Writing- Erica Tucker; Math- Lauren Feltz; Technology-Bryan Ennis; Social Studies-Sal Giaimo and Jen Simeonidis; Science-Jane Giresi; Library/Media- Barbara Clancy; Special Education Ellen Giannino and Erica Mueller. Our Grade Level Team Leaders: Kindergarten- Maryann Mougin and Pam Sullivan; Grade One-Jeanine Hussey and Kim Gallagher; Grade Two-Lauren Jankowski and Leigh-Ann Solottolo.

Arlene Gottesman, our Assistant Superintendent of Schools, and Lynn Driver, our District Testing Coordinator, presented Wilton's results on the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) to the group. An examination of these assessments showed that our students scored above the mastery goals set by the state. Together we were proud of our accomplishments - our students - and felt fortunate that now we can utilize all the resources that Miller-Driscoll has to offer for further improvement. As a group, the team determined that one area for refinement is our students ability to comprehend connections to self, other texts and the world in their reading.

Also discussed - professional development for teachers which was folded into our academic school calendar to ensure that all staff members are apprised of new curriculum initiatives. The summer curriculum work was developed by the Leadership team members across the disciplines. It is critical that goal-setting, planning, standards, and assessment is guided by student needs and must be coordinated with the corresponding professional development opportunities for teachers.

At the close of the Leadership Academy, the team was proud of its accomplishments - the collaborative planning of what is sure to be an energized and successful school year for Miller-Driscoll school.

Ready, Get Set ,Go

• Meet the Teacher /August 26, 2010 /All K-2

A-L 9-9:45am M-Z 10-10:45am

• School Starts /August 30, 2010



• Labor Day /September 6, 2010 NO School

• Photo days/September 7 and 8, 2010



• Library Volunteers /September 8, 2010 9:30am



• Rosh Hashanah /September 9, 2010 NO School



• Grade 2 Open House /September 13, 2010



• Kindergarten Open House /September 14, 2010



• Grade One Open House /September 16, 2010



• Kindergarten Extended Day /September 16-17, 2010



• First PTA Meeting /September 20, 2010 9:30 am

Welcome Back to School - Mrs. Jensen-Gerner

Parent letter - back to school -

A Sign of Things to Come

Please drive by Miller-Driscoll School to see our cheerful new signs welcoming our students back to school. The signs, in our school colors of red, white and blue, are located at the Belden Hill and Wolfpit Road entrances. Our new logo celebrates the union of Tilford W. Miller and Ina Driscoll Schools. The triangle has three sides to honor the past accomplishments and traditions of Miller and Driscoll Schools, and the future success we will share together. The joining of these two excellent schools will only enhance and strengthen our outstanding reputations as the foundation of the Wilton Pubic Schools.

Thank you Sean O'Toole

Thank you to the leadership of Sean O'Toole and his team of custodians, painters, electricians and carpenters, who are magically transforming our Miller-Driscoll School into a beautiful and cheerful school building. The South End of the building encompassing the Kindergarten Ladybug, Caterpillar and Firefly cottages have inviting new yellow door frames. As we walk through the center of the building, we are greeted by red door frames that welcome us to our Grade Two cottages. Painting is progressing smoothly as every classroom is receiving a fresh coat of paint. We are so appreciative of the hard work of Willie Hostos (Head Custodian) , Jesus Martinez, Bruno Miglietta, Rodnez Thoby, Jose Torres, Marcus Castro and Juan Carvajal.