Dear Parents and Guardians,

The 2022-23 school year is off to a smooth start. It has been wonderful to see how quickly Talbot students are settling into classroom routines and engaging with our rigorous curriculum. Talbot’s talented teachers have been doing a fantastic job creating welcoming classroom communities where all students are forming a strong sense of belonging and connection to school.

 

Attendance Matters

It is very important for children to come to school every day. Being absent for just two days every month of the school year can put a child behind academically. Our goal this year is to ensure that every student attends school regularly. Families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success and in life.

 

When our students are not at school, we notice because we care!  It is understood that some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances.  Students must stay home when they are ill. However, we also know that when students miss too much school, regardless of the reason, it can cause them to fall behind academically. The most important message to our students is that attendance matters. Too many absences represent lost learning time in the classroom. Your child is less likely to succeed if he or she is chronically absent, which means missing 18 or more days over the course of the school year. We are asking for your support in helping your child get to school by 7:40 a.m. every day. Families should avoid extended vacations that require students to miss school. Kindly try to line up vacations and medical appointments with the school’s schedule. We value your support and encourage you to be an active participant in your child’s education. Positive attendance is key to keeping students on track academically and engaged in all aspects of school life. We want to ensure that everyone receives the education they need to reach their full potential. We look forward to working together to support your child’s school success.

 

Keeping Students Safe

Morning drop off and afternoon pick up times can be very hectic at Talbot School, and it is important that everyone is keeping an eye on student safety. Our morning drop-off/pick-up area is in the LOWER parking area, which is the large lot near the Community Center/Pool entrance. The visitor loop is only to be used by families dropping off students in PreK or our BRIDGE program. Please DO NOT drop off students in the bus loop. Talbot School hours are 7:40-2:10, with early release at 1:10 on Wednesdays. Students should not be dropped off before 7:25 and must be picked up by 2:10, unless attending Rec, Learning Works or other afterschool programs. Students arriving after 7:45 are marked tardy, so please try to get your children here by 7:45 each day. Also, dropping off your child(ren) in the morning should be a quick, kiss-and-go. Thank you for following the traffic pattern in the drop off area and for obeying all the speed limits on and surrounding the school grounds. Thank you for your help in keeping all students safe at Talbot School!

 

Bully Prevention

Did you know that October is National Bullying Prevention Month? At Talbot School we are focused on creating a bully-free environment where everyone feels safe and empowered to teach and to learn. We reinforce this message by teaching students to use the PBIS bully prevention program called Stop, Walk and Talk to address mean behaviors. It helps students know how to stand up to behavior from peers they feel is offensive or not wanted, and empowers students to be self-advocates. The Stop, Walk and Talk strategy consists of three simple and progressive steps: telling a peer to stop what they are doing when it is bothering them, walk away if the problem continues, and finally telling an adult if the problem is still not resolved. The overall impact of this bully prevention program is to decrease mean behavior and bullying issues at school in order to create a more positive school climate.

 

On Wednesday, October 19, Talbot School will be participating in Unity Day 2022. This is a day the whole Talbot School community will send one large ORANGE message of support, hope and unity to show that we are together against bullying and united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.  We invite all students, family members and staff to wear the color orange that day to show that we care about making Talbot a friendly, bully free school. Talbot students will be taking a pledge to stand up against bullying by speaking up, reaching out and being a friend.

 

Homework Diner

This year at Talbot school we will be implementing a new parent engagement event called Homework Diner. The Homework Diner is for students in grades 1-5 and is when students and their parents or guardians can come to school to work with staff on homework. Then Talbot students, caregivers and staff will join together to share a meal. Our first Homework Diner is scheduled for October 25 and the meal will be provided from Wayside Kitchen. Transportation will be available at a few identified bus stops, and all students must attend with an adult.  We hope to provide interpretation for those who would like support with language. Please look for an RSVP to be sent home soon.

 

Pumpkin Fest!

Bringing children and parents together at school is one of the goals of Talbot’s PTO. Pumpkin Fest is a great Talbot tradition that helps us to meet this goal. Be sure to mark your calendar for our PTO Pumpkin Fest, which is Saturday, October 22 from 10:00-2:00 here at Talbot School. If you would like to volunteer or bake items for the bake sale, please email the PTO at TALPTO@portlandschools.org.

 

Upcoming Events

• NWEA assessments, grades 3-5, October 3-6, 11-14
• Early Release Wednesday, Dismissal at 1:10, October 5, 12, 1, 26
• No School, Friday, October 7-Monday, October 10- Indigenous People’s

 

Holiday

• PTO Meeting, Thursday, October 13, 6:00
• Unity Day, Wednesday, October 19
• Pumpkinfest, Saturday, October 22, 10:00-2:00
• Picture Day, Tuesday, October 25
• Homework Diner, Tuesday, October 25, 4:15-6:00

 

Cordially,

Ann Hanna

Principal