March 10, 2016

Mar. 10, 2016
A Message from the Principal…
February has ended with distant thoughts of the cold winter weather. Let’s hope that we can begin to think of
those warm spring days filled with warmer weather, green grass, flowers blooming and birds returning home.
As February came to a close, author Rick Labadia brought us inspiration as he shared his love for writing.
You could see that he planted a passion for writing in the hearts of our children and they continue to run
with it! The month also closed out with our Student Council finishing their drive to collect items/donations
for Caring Kits for Kids for children in hospitals. Our children are strong community members and their recent collection reminds me of how special they are, particularly in their compassion toward others.
The month of March has started with a great deal of excitement due to our school wide celebration of Dr.
Seuss and Reading Across America. Thank you to Mrs. Lavoie for organizing Crazy Socks, Red and White,
and Beach Days for our students. The month kicked off with encouragement for everyone to read, read,
read and of course have fun! Our PTB also hosted a Family Game Night where families came to play, laugh
and share their games. What great fun!
This month we will also be embarking on our state assessments for grades three through five. I wanted to
share a few good tips for supporting our students to do their best.
Physically
 Get them moving- Sports, exercise and dancing relieve stress that assessments may cause. Physical activity that gets children away from academics for a few hours each day can help them perform better.
 Get them breathing- Teach children a simple breathing exercise that you’ll do with them once or twice a
day and in times of stress. Take a deep breath in through the nose, hold for 3 seconds, then exhale slowly
through the mouth to the count of 10.
 Get them fed- The more nutritiously our children eat, the better they will do in school.
 Get them rest- Elementary children need up to 10 hours of sleep each night to do their best.
Emotionally
 Super support- As much as you value good assessment results, it is important that children understand
that your love and respect for them is not dependent on scores.
 Online practice- Practicing their confidence by getting used to how the questions are worded and how to
respond.
Our district philosophy is that we will be informed by assessments and not driven by them. Assessment results will support our programmatic evaluation and drive our professional learning priorities. We do not treat
state assessments as high stakes for children, only for ourselves as an institution. With the recent announcement in mind from Governor Malloy regarding the writing assessment, we will value and will take advantage
of the additional instructional time. We still place great importance on writing as a component of a child's
education, and we will recognize the importance of our state assessments to provide us measures to evaluate
our effectiveness as an organization in terms of delivering instruction.
It continues to be an absolute joy to work with Braeburn’s dedicated staff, supportive parents and energized
students.
Yours,
Jeffrey Sousa
CURRICULUM CORNER
We would love to add a picture of your family
reading the book together to our video display in the
main hallway outside of the office. Email your
pictures to me at Ellen_Cercone@whps.org
to be included.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions
that you might have about this exciting program.
Your feedback is encouraged and always welcome!
Ellen Cercone
Curriculum Specialist
One School, One Book
I hope that your family is enjoying reading
The World according to Humphrey, by
Betty G. Birney. This exciting project was made possible through the generosity of grant money awarded
to me by the Foundation for West Hartford Public
Schools.
Through this program we aim to build a community
of readers at our school. Reading aloud at home is a
valuable experience because it provides an opportunity for family discussions about the characters and
adventures that happen in a story, while strengthening comprehension. Students, parents, teachers,
administrators and support staff are all participating
in this exciting event. Even our after school care
provider, WHEE, is joining us in this endeavor.
During the morning announcements each day,
children will be encouraged to turn and talk to a
friend or neighbor about what was read the previous
night, may be asked to share their predictions of
what might happen next in the story, or talk about
their favorite part of the story with an adult that they
come into contact with during the day. The World
according to Humphrey is the first in a series of
chapter books about an adorable hamster and his
many adventures. Other Humphrey books are also
available in our school library. We will be reading
together through mid-March.
Dismissal Schedule for
Remainder of
Parent/Teacher
Conference Week
Thurs. March 10
Fri. March 11
1:30 pm
1:30 pm
Please plan to pick-up your children
at school or meet them on time at
their bus stops. Thank you.
Next Edition of
The Sunflower will be
Date Reminder Version:
Thursday, Mar. 24, 2016
Monthly Lunch Menu
Please visit the WHPS website for our monthly
lunch menu at:
http://www.whps.org/page.cfm?p=2084
DATE
Thurs, Mar 10
Fri, Mar 11
Sat, Mar 12
BRAEBURN CALENDAR
EVENT
Raffle Baskets on Display in the Lobby
11:00 am-12:30 pm
Gr. 5, Science CMT
1:30 pm
Early Dismissal, Parent/Teacher Conferences
TIME
1:30 pm
Raffle Baskets on Display in the Lobby
Early Dismissal, Parent/Teacher Conferences
7:00-11:00 pm
Braeburn PTB BASH, Wampanoag Country Club
Sun, Mar 13
Daylight Savings Time begins
Fri, Mar 18
Tues, Mar 22
2:15-3:00 pm
Fitness Friday
Cultural Council presents Bach to Rock Performance
7:45-8:30 am
Student Council Meeting, Room 136
Wed, Mar 23
School Store Day
Fri, Mar 25
Good Friday-No School
Sun, Mar 27
Easter Sunday
Mon, Mar 28
10:15-11:15 am
Gr. 4, ELA CAT
Tues, Mar 29
10:15-11:15 am
1:45-2:45 pm
Gr. 4, ELA CAT
Gr. 3, Math Quest Test
Thurs, Mar 31
1:00-2:00 pm
Gr. 5, ELA CAT
Fri, Apr 1
1:00-2:00 pm
Gr. 5, ELA CAT
Sat, Apr 2
7:00-9:00 pm
Braeburn Night at the Wolf Pack
Mon, Apr 4
9:00-10:00 am
Gr. 3, ELA CAT
Tues, Apr 5
10:15-11:15 am
Gr. 3, ELA CAT
Wed, Apr 6
Thurs, Apr 7
Fri, Apr 8
Family Night; Non-electronic Activities encouraged
9:15 am-1:45 pm
6:00 –8:00 pm
Gr. 5 to Noah Webster House
PTB Meeting, Cafeteria
10:15-11:15 am
DEAR Book Character Day
Gr. 4, Math Quest Test
Mon, Apr 11-Fri, Apr 15
Spring Recess-No School
From the
Nurse’s Office
ILL CHILD POLICY
Regular school attendance is necessary for optimal
learning. However, a mere presence at school does
not ensure effective learning. A child must be feeling
well in order to maximize the learning experience. In
addition, a child who is sick and comes to school
may spread the illness to other students and staff. It
is recommended that a child remain home if any of
the following conditions are present:
The Braeburn Visual Arts students have been
working hard this month to create a unique collaborative work of art in a school wide effort. They will
design a cityscape as a contribution to our Square 1
Art fundraiser! This will be a wonderful opportunity
to purchase key chains, mugs, cards, and more
enhanced by your child's art work. In addition,
every child will receive a custom sticker sheet of
their very own artwork free with your order form!
1. Fever: Temperature of 100 degrees or higher. The
child can return to school after he/she is fever-free
for 24 hours, without fever-reducing medicine such
as Tylenol (Acetaminophen) or Motrin (Ibuprofen).
The funds raised will benefit Braeburn Visual Arts
and PTB. Please keep an eye out for your child's art
work and ordering catalog on 3/17.
2. Vomiting/diarrhea: A child with vomiting and/
or diarrhea should stay home and return to school
only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.
Any questions please contact Brittany Kearney brittany_kearney@whps.org or Cindy LeDuc cinleduc@gmail.com
3. Conjunctivitis (Pink eye): Following a diagnosis
of conjunctivitis, the child may return to school 24
hours after the first dose of prescribed medication.
4. Rashes: Common infectious diseases with rashes
are most contagious in the early stages. A child with
a suspicious rash should return to school only after a
health care provider has made a diagnosis and has
authorized the child’s return to school.
5. Colds: Consider keeping your child at home if
he/she is experiencing excessive nose blowing and/
or coughing.
6. Antibiotics: If your child has a contagious illness
that requires antibiotics, he/she must be on the medication for 24 hours before considered noncontagious and able to return to school.
Volunteers Needed
The art room is looking for parents
who are willing to take artwork home
to be matted in preparation for the upcoming 2016 Art Show. Please email
Ms. Kearney if you are interested.
Brittany_Kearney@whps.org
year·book
ˈyirˌbo͝ok/
noun
a collection of memories for the many students of Braeburn to cherish for years to come containing class
photos of each Braeburn class, photos of the friendly Braeburn staff, collections of photos of the many
Braeburn Events from the current year, and a montage of photos of our 5th graders from when they began
their elementary school career to their final Braeburn year ... including their own thoughts about their experience.
Hi Braeburn Families,
The process of collecting photos of our 5th graders from the current year as well as past years
continues … so please don’t forget to upload your pictures to my DROPBOX account.
Because there are so many photos out there, and so little space on my computer, I have created a Dropbox account where your photos can be "dropped." This will allow you to simply
upload your pictures from your computer into my Dropbox "Pictures for Braeburn Yearbook
2015-1016" shared file (I will post the link at the bottom of this email). Having so many random photos in the file can be confusing sometimes, so, if you need to clarify a photo (i.e. picture of a 5th grader from 2nd grade, a specific assembly, etc.), please send me a quick email
with your name and details about the picture.
There is limited space in the Dropbox account and if the shared file doesn't allow you to upload a picture(s), please just send me an email to let me know or you can email me the
photo(s) if there are not TOO MANY photos.
TO SUMMARIZE:
1. Collect any Braeburn photos you may have from school events this year OR of
5th graders, from past or current year(s)
2. Go to the link:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/V9rpUqcyXaHL1eSWR9eo
and upload your photo(s)
3. If the photo(s) needs clarification, email me:
candaceczaj@gmail.com
If you have any questions, please email me.
Happy Clicking!
Candace Czajkowski
Conard High School Musical Productions Presents
The Addams Family
Running March 11-19, The Addams Family features an original story, and it’s every father’s nightmare.
Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet,
smart young man from a respectable family. A man her parents have never met. And if that weren’t upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams
must do something he’s never done before — keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything
will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. The weird and wonderful antics come to devilishly delightful life in Conard High
School’s production of The Addams Family. Come join in the fun. We'll leave the lights off for you.
Performance dates and times:
Friday, March 11 at 7:00
Saturday, March 12 at 7:00
Sunday, March 13 at 2:00
Friday, March 18 at 7:00
Saturday, March 19 at 7:00
Tickets are $15.00 and are available at the
door, however to insure availability
purchasing your tickets in advance is
recommended online beginning
February 22nd at:
www.conardhighschoolmusical.com
Conard High School Auditorium
110 Beechwood Road, West Hartford, CT
*There is a limited number of wheelchair accessible handicap
seating in the Conard High School Auditorium.* ~~ Questions?
Please contact Anne Coon at conardmusical@whps.org
LIKE us on Facebook: Conard High School Musical Productions
FOLLOW us on Instagram: CHS Musical The Addams Family
THE ADDAMS FAMILY A NEW MUSICAL Book by MARSHALL BRICKMAN and RICK ELICE
Music and Lyrics by ANDREW LIPPA
Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams Originally produced on Broadway by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman,
Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions, Stephen Schuler, Decca Theatricals, Scott M. Delman, Stuart Ditsky, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland,
James L. Nederlander, Eva Price, Jam Theatricals/Mary LuRoffe, Pittsburgh CLO/Gutterman-Swinsky, Vivek Tiwary/Gary Kaplan, The Weinstein Company/Clarence, LLC, Adam Zotovich/Tribe Theatricals
By Special Arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical
West Hartford Special Education PTO
Wednesday, March 23 at 7pm
Finding Your Advocacy Style with Jen and Julie
For many parents, navigating the special education process is extraordinarily overwhelming. It can
become even more so when disagreements arise between the parents and the school team about
the child’s program.
As seasoned professionals who work with parents and school districts in PPT & IEP meetings
almost every day, Attorney Jennifer Laviano and advocate Julie Swanson have learned which
parental advocacy styles are effective, and which ones are not. Further, having insight into what
drives administrative decision making can be a valuable tool for parents as they strive to have their
child’s educational needs met. Join us for this informational and entertaining session:
Finding Your Advocacy Style with Jen and Julie.
Advocate Julie Swanson and Special Education
Attorney Jennifer Laviano are co-founders of
YourSpecialEducationRights.com
Location: Sedgwick Middle School
128 Sedgwick Road, West Hartford
(Enter through Wardwell Rd entrance)
Saturday, March 26 at 2pm
Farmington Miniature Golf & Ice Cream Parlor’s 20th Anniversary Easter Egg Hunt
This year’s event will feature a Sensory-Friendly Easter Egg Hunt at 2pm after the crowds have
gone and the music is turned off. Hosted by Mike Stacy of Lite 100.5 it will be a fun event for
everyone!
Location: Farmington Miniature Golf and Ice Cream Parlor
1048 Farmington Avenue, Farmington CT
860-677-0118
Coming up in April…
Friday, April 1 at 9:30am
Coffee & Conversation at Panera - Bishops Corner
The first Friday of the month, parents of children receiving special educations services meet for
coffee and a chance to talk & make new friends in a casual setting.
For more information and to become a member of
West Hartford Special Education PTO visit:
www.WHSEPTO.org
Follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/West-Hartford-SEPTO