Northeast Elementary School PTO

Over the next couple of months, teachers, support staff, and the administration will begin the process of student placements for the 2021-2022 school year.  An enormous amount of time, energy, thought and discussion goes into the classroom placement assignment of each child. Parents of students in grades 1-4 have the opportunity to share info about your students that may help school administration place your child for the upcoming school year.

Keep in mind that

• Each class must have a range of academic abilities
• Each class must be balanced by gender and race
• Each class must have students who can work well together, have a variety of personality traits and a range of maturity levels

The faculty will work collaboratively to fulfill these criteria; however, the final decision regarding all placements rests with the administrative team.

If you have information about your child that you would like to share, please fill out the Class Placement Info Form by Friday, May 28th. Fill a separate form out for each child that attends Northeast. Forms turned in after 5/28 will not be reviewed. Please note that requests for specific teacher and friend choices will not be honored. Contact the Main Office at (203) 977-4469 with any questions.

In case you missed last week’s online presentation from Northeast parent and Fairfield University’s Dr. Evelyn Bilias Lolis, please take a minute to read this note from Dr. Bilias Lolis for a brief recap of the session–

“Northeast families, I was truly humbled and overwhelmed by the generosity of your time, participation, and kind words with respect to our parenting seminar last Thursday evening. The respite, connection, and hope that emerge when we commune is a source of strength for all of us. There is no doubt that this past year has been quite a marathon, and if our nerves and patience are tried it is well within reason. However, the tending to our well-being directly impacts the well-being of our children. There is a direct correlation here. Introducing a meaningful self-regimen requires far more than a Peloton subscription or healthy eating. In fact, it only begins there. Practicing mindfulness, gratitude, and self-compassion takes gritty commitment and daily exercise, quite similar to developing a physical muscle. It is no way an easy process, but the gains do manifest if you persevere faithfully. Try to incorporate one mindful activity each day into your daily routine (and the routine of your family). This can be in the form of a guided meditation through an app like Headspace, Calm, or Smiling Mind; it can be a nature walk with keen focus on your senses (sight, smell, sound, etc.); or a family meal where you enjoy each bite and each other’s company free of distractions. Likewise, try to list 3-5 things for which you are grateful each day (from the last 24 hours). Be very specific (i.e., I am grateful that I got to read Johnny a book before bed; I am grateful for making that perfect cup of coffee this morning). Maintain a daily gratitude list in a journal (no need to summarize just bullet 3-5 things each night). Further, make connections a priority. Anything you can do to make another human being feel seen, heard, and cared for does wonders for their health and yours too. Finally, have mercy on yourself, on your spouse, on your child. Forgive generously. Address the concern without judgment, express your love, and let go. There is no magic equation—commit to one thing, once a day, and forgive often—your mind, body, and heart will thank you for it. –Dr. Evelyn”

You can explore more on this top at Dr. Bilias Lolis’ website. Thank you to her for a very affirming and positive presentation.