News and Announcements

The Saugatuck Scoop - 1/13/2023

 

Saugie Spotlight

This week’s spotlight shines on…the PTA Nominating Season! Consider joining the Nominating Committee to help recruit volunteers to fill roles for all of the exciting upcoming SES PTA 2023-2024 events. Responsibilities of Nominating Committee members include attending an in person launch meeting followed by reaching out to parents through email and text communications to gauge interest in joining a committee. If you are interested in helping out please email Rachel Herman here. Thank you in advance! 

 

Saugie’s Checklist

• Today is School Spirit Day! Dress in clothes from your favorite decade.

• Today at 7:30-8:05am is Rise and Read for 3rd grade.  

• Last LAST Call for 5th Grade pictures. More details below.

• Join us for the next general PTA meeting on January 24th! RSVP here.

• January lunch menu here.

 

Next Week at a Glance

Monday, January 16th	No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Tuesday, January 17th, 7pm	Board of Education Meeting - SHS cafeteria
Wednesday, January 18th, 7:30-8:05am	Rise and Read - 5th Grade
Thursday, January 19th, 10am	Districtwide SpED Sip ‘n’ Chat - Westport Library

 

Save the Date

Monday, January 23rd, 7pm	Board of Education Meeting - SHS cafeteria
Tuesday, January 24th, 10:30-11:30am	General PTA Meeting - SES Science Lab
Thursday, January 26th, 10am	SpED Mix and Mingle - email for location details.
Monday, January 30th, 7pm	Board of Education Meeting - SHS cafeteria
Wednesday, February 1st, 10am (date change)	SES SpED Parent Coffee Meetup - 23 Harborview Rd.
Thursday, February 9th, 6-8pm (Doors open at 5:30pm)	Bingo Night - SES Auditorium

 

Board of Education Updates

The BOE will have meetings every week this month during budget season. We encourage you to attend the BOE meetings and stay engaged. Of note on Monday, January 23rd, the agenda will include redistricting. Meetings are also televised live on Optimum public access channels 78, Frontier TV Channel 99 or live streamed here.

 

Written comments, concerns and/or suggestions may be sent to the Board of Education, the Board of Finance and/or the Administration at the e-mail contacts below. There is also a time for public comments at the meetings.

 

• Board of Education members BOE@westportps.org

• Tom Scarice, Superintendent  tscarice@westportps.org

• Anthony Buono, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning abuono@westportps.org

• Board of Finance members BOF@westportct.gov

 

Brought to you by the PTA

5th Grade Yearbook Photos

Last call for your 5th grader’s “Baby” and “This Is Me” photos to be included in the special 5th Grade Yearbook. Uploading instructions and further details can be found here. Questions or need help uploading, email the 5th Grade Yearbook Committee.
 

General PTA Meeting (Tuesday, January 24th, 10:30-11:30am)

We'll meet in the SES Science Lab and hear more about our elementary science program from SES/KHS Science Coach Kate Romano. She'll take us through a hands-on experience, just like the students, and share more about the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  It's sure to be an engaging meeting! Please click here to RSVP for the meeting, which will expedite your visitor check-in.

Parent Workshop: Strategies for Parents in Supporting Young Children in the Digital World (Thursday, January 26th, 12:00-1:30 pm)
The PTA Council is excited to host a parent workshop to help parents support their young children as they begin to navigate the Digital World. This workshop will focus on strategies that will promote open family communication and build good digital citizenship skills to help their children thrive. The workshop will be held January 26th from 12:00-1:30 pm in the Town Hall auditorium. The presenters will be Westport Public Schools own Director of Technology, Natalie Carrignan, and Coordinator of Psychological Services, Valerie Babich. 

 

Bingo Night (Thursday, February 9th, 6-8pm, Doors open 5:30 pm, SES Auditorium)

Bingo Night is back at SES! Join us for an evening of Bingo fun for the whole family. You don’t want to miss out on your chance to win one of the spectacular baskets from our “Fill Your Basket” fundraiser! Winners of each basket will be drawn and announced at Bingo Night. We encourage you to pre-purchase Luck of the Draw tickets and Bingo Cards here so that you can bypass the long ticket line and go straight to the check in table. See here for all the details. Doors will open at 5:30pm!

 

We need YOUR help! Click here to help out with ticket sales, prize tables and concessions.

 

Rise And Read

The SES library welcomes parents to explore the shelves and discover a book to read together with your child before school at 7:30am. It’s a wonderful way to start your day! Rise and Read occurs twice per year, per grade. Please join Rise and Read with your child's grade as a way to create a love of reading by connecting with your children and school community through storytelling. Please note there is no food served at R&R, and this is not a drop off event. Look for your child’s R&R dates in future scoops. 

 

TODAY, January 13th - 3rd Grade

Wednesday, January 18th - 5th Grade - wear your 5th grade T-shirt!

 

Kindergarten Recess Volunteers (January-March) 

There are still some spots open! Bundle up and volunteer for the next session of kindergarten recess duty here! 

 

Join the SES PTA
Still haven’t joined the PTA? Membership registration is still open!

 

Membership does not mean you are obligated to volunteer - but if you choose to volunteer, a member of your family must register for the PTA, per our bylaws. And don’t forget you gain access to our school directory via the MobileArq Next app once you become a member!

 

Review the detailed instructions on how to sign up here. Questions? Email the SES PTA Membership team. 

 

Amazon Smile
Did you know you can help the SES PTA while shopping on Amazon, without any cost to you? The SES PTA has joined Amazon Smile to donate back a portion of eligible sales to our charitable organization. Happy shopping and thank you for supporting the PTA.  

 

It's so simple, just follow these two easy steps or check out our reel on Instagram (@TheSaugieScene):
1.) Click on our charity link here.  

2.) Start shopping...that's it! 

 

The SES Scene

School Spirit Day: Decade Day is TODAY!

As a celebration of the new year, we'll relive the decades for a fun Spirit Day. Think about which decade you might want to represent (i.e. knee socks of the 50's, bell bottoms and boots of the 60's, leg warmers of the 80's?!) We can't wait to see everyone's spirited attire!

 

STC Little Mermaid Jr. T-Shirts

Saugatuck Theater Club is going under the sea for their spring production of Little Mermaid Jr. STC wanted to give the whole school community an opportunity to show their support for STC by selling Little Mermaid Jr. t-shirts! The shirts are super-soft cotton with a flattering unisex fit. They are perfect for STC fans, families and volunteers and are available in youth and adult sizes. Shirts are available for $20. All proceeds will benefit the Saugatuck Theater Club! Order yours here! Orders are due by 2/3.  No late orders will be taken, so get yours today! Please send any questions to STC@westportps.org .  *Note: Complimentary shirts have already been ordered for cast and crew so no need to order for your cast or crew member. 

 

Helpful Apps & Sites

• School Dismissal Manager (SDM) App: download and dismissal procedures here.

• My School Bucks App: visit the website or download the app to ensure your account is funded. More information is available here.

• Nutrislice: school lunch menus available here.

• WheresTheBus: download the app on any Apple or Android device for up-to-the-minute ETAs on bus arrivals at your stop.

 

Special Education News

SES Special Education Parent Coffee Meetup (New Date: Wednesday, February 1st, 10am)

Join other SES SpED parents for a casual get together to share valuable experiences and information.

 

Location: 23 Harborview Road, Westport.

Please RSVP via text or email by January 25th.

Email: yeseniakeuker@gmail.com

Mobile: 203-832-9490

 

Sip ‘n’ Chat (Thursday, January 19th at 10am)

Come connect with other SpED parents from the district! This event will be held at the Westport Public Library, 2nd Floor Board Room 210. Questions? Email westportspedpta@westportps.org

 

Mix and Mingle (Thursday, January 26th at 10am)

Westport PTA DEI and SpED PTA will be hosting a joint Mix and Mingle. Come celebrate the start of the new year with friends - new and old! All are welcome. Please email westportdei@gmail.com for location details.

 

Learn more about events and opportunities for you and your SpED kid! Subscribe to the Westport SpED PTA newsletter here. 

 

Around Town

Parenting Workshops (January 17th and February 7th)

Continuing Ed is hosting two parent workshops - Skills for Success: What Every Parent Needs to Know about Learning and Mindset (Tuesday, January 17th) and Managing Homework: Parent Edition - Tips, Tools and Strategies for Helping Students (Tuesday, February 7th). See here for all the details.

 

Aloha Cabaret (Sunday, January 22nd)

Come enjoy a music filled evening hosted by musician and CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, David Pogue, and special guest appearance by Tony Award winner & Grammy award nominated stage and screen icon (and SES parent) Kelli O’Hara! Even more, this is a fundraising event supporting the Staples High School Orphenians summer 2023 Hawaiin tour! More details here.

 

WestPAC Art at MoCA: New Exhibition (January 13th - February 26th)

Come see works of art usually hanging in school and municipal buildings brought together in a beautiful museum setting! MoCA Westport and the Westport Public Art Collections Committee announce the opening of Paul Camacho: El Ritmo y La Unidad (Rhythm and Unity), a new exhibition featuring selected works by Paul Camacho (1929-1989) primarily drawn from the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC), on view at MoCA Westport from January 13 – February 26, 2023. MoCA's annual high school exhibition, entitled Who Are You When You Are Dreaming, will also be on view during this period. Learn more and register for events here.

 

WPS News

• See here for Superintendent Scarice’s latest update from 12/20.

 

A Scoop of Thanks to…

…Drew Dewitt, Sara Lev and Heidi Saltzman for organizing a very successful ice skating party at Longshore. And special thanks to Saugie for skating with our kids! 

…our logowear team, Lynn Bayard, Lindsay Fipp and Geoff Gaspar, for getting new SES merch and selling them at the ice skating party.

 

Contact The Scoop:
If you’d like your announcement or event to be included in a future edition of the Scoop, complete this form by Tuesday at 5:00pm to request submission in the following week’s Scoop. (Flyers or attachments need to be approved by Principal Beth Messler (emessler@westportps.org) and PTA Presidents Kathy Whee (kathywheesespta@gmail.com) and Nat Smitobol (nsmitobol@gmail.com). Contact the Scoop (saugatuck.scoop@gmail.com) with any questions or just to say hello.