Dear Caregivers,

It is hard to believe that we are already ⅓ the way through this school year. Tomorrow is day 60. Much of the first part of every year is spent helping students build community in their new classrooms, learning new routines and adjusting to the increasingly high expectations of a new grade level. Now, we are embarking on a truly critical part of the school year. Even though the next month will be interrupted with school vacations, educators at Claypit will be working hard to accelerate learning, capitalizing on all of the hard work done at the start. While they will still support students as needed, there will be a shift of responsibility to the student. Our students will be asked to take increased ownership for the learning, bearing more of the cognitive load. In our classrooms, across grade levels, students are asked to think deeply and make sense of what they are learning. In reading, they’re making conjectures and using evidence from the text to support their thinking. In math, students are considering multiple strategies, drawing connections between them and working to become more efficient. This deep learning is even happening in our kindergarten classes where students look at sophisticated patterns and wonder what will happen next and then, using information they’ve gathered, and the language of mathematics, they prove why they’re right!  

As we move through this next busy month, we recommend slowing down. This, of course, is easier said than done. We encourage you to consider how you can invite calm into daily life. Try to plan opportunities for your kiddo(s) to enjoy some quiet time reading, writing, or making art each week. Time away from media like TV and video games is a gift. As the days grow short and cold, exercise and creative play are important, too. We know that you will do everything you can to ensure that your child stays healthy and well rested. This is critical for learning. Thank you in advance for prioritizing excellent school attendance. Our classrooms function best when all students are present! We want excellent outcomes for all of our students and we know that being present is key to every student’s success.

As attention turns this week to giving thanks, we are truly grateful for your partnership. Thank you for sharing your children with us and trusting us to do our part when it comes to educating our future leaders. We are thankful for a community who cares deeply about education and who supports, in your homes, the work that happens in our classrooms. We hope you and your family enjoy this extra long weekend!

Sincerely,

Marie, Kate and Naomi

This Wednesday, Claypit will be dismissing at 11:30 a.m. Please adjust Pick Up Patrol to reflect your child's dismissal plan. There are no after school enrichment activities and there is no BASE on Wednesday. Enjoy the Thanksgiving break!

The lost and found is full! All unlabeled, unclaimed items will be donated on Friday, December 5th at the end of the school day. Please have your students look for lost items. Thank you! 

We are collecting gently used cleats and shin guards to donate to the Framingham United Soccer Club PassItOn program. A collection bin will be outside the Claypit Hill School from Monday, December 1 to Saturday, December 6. For questions, please email elliot.koopersmith@gmail.com.