Winter happenings

Our classes are working on skills to assist with the NJASK testing just around the corner. I am very proud of my students that are really working to challenge themselves! Also, those students that are participating in the NJAPA (alternate proficiency assessment) will be completing activities in the next two weeks. APA binders will be sent to the testing facility by March 4, 2010.

A question about progress report reporting came to my attention recently. Parents were unsure about why their child's progress was marked for the last marking period of the 08-09 school year. Your child's progress is monitored and marked during the reporting time after his/her most recent IEP takes effect. For instance, if your child's IEP date was May 09, his/her progress report will reflect progress on the goals in the newest IEP. The reason it shows on the progress reports for the 09-10 school year is because we are looking at progress on IEP goals from implementation, which often doesn't correspond to the traditional school year marking periods due to when IEP meetings occur. If you have any questions about this process, please call the CST office.

December Events

We are entering into an exciting and busy month. I would like to keep you updated on the following events.

• The OCS Winter Concert will be held at 6:00 on December 9. Our students have been practicing in their music classes and look forward to participating in the concert.
• The PTO Santa's Workshop will be held next week. Students in 5K will be going from 11:18-11:48 on Tuesday, December 8. Students from 4M will be going on the same day from 11:53-12:25. Students in 7L will be going from 9:26-10:19 on Wednesday, December 9. There will be a make-up-time from 10-1 on Thursday, December 10.
• School will be dismissed early on Wednesday, December 23. We will be on Winter Break until January 4, 2010.

We will be learning about different holidays celebrated in the month of December. We will also learn about how Christmas is celebrated in different countries. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, students in my life skills class will be making some holiday decorations. They will be focusing on following directions, measuring, counting, adding and subtracting, and other skills. We will also be working on speaking appropriately on the telephone by using a tape recorder to help the students to evaluate their telephone skills.

This week

My mother-in-law passed away on Thursday. I will not be in school on Monday, November 9. I will be back on Tuesday and 1/2 of Wednesday. Then I will be absent until Monday, November 16. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I will be conducting an APA (Alternative Portfolio Assesment) for students that need this as part of their assessment in their IEP. Thank you for your consideration in this difficult time.

Mrs. P.

Report Cards

Report cards will go home with you when we meet at conference time. If you are not meeting with me for a conference, it will be sent home with your child. All conference request forms should be in school by now. You will know your conference time by October 28. The 5-8th grade teachers will be meeting on Tuesday afternoon to plan conference times. Please check your child's agenda book for more information.

Conferences

Well, time is flying and conference time in fast approaching. You should have received a form from the homeroom teacher about conferences. They will be held on Monday, November 2 from 4:30-7:45; Tuesday and Wednesday, November 3-4, from 1:00-4. The teachers in grades 5-8 typically meet together with the parents to discuss the student. We have been working hard and all the student's in room 214 are eager to share their successes with their parents!

Back to School Night

Back to school night will be on September 15 at 6:00 for students in grades PS - 4. It will be on September 22 at 6:00 for students in grades 5-8. I will be there both nights due to the fact that I teach students in grades 4-7. Please note, I will only be at the school until 7:00 on September 15.
I am always available for questions and concerns during the school day. I am usually at the school until 3:30 pm (often later). I can be reached at (908) 453-4101 x 1215 or by e-mail - spettinelli@oxford central.org. I can only make local calls from my classroom phone. Therefore, if you would like me to call you back to a cell phone, I am limited in the times I can leave the room to make such a call. Typically, I am available from 9:30-10:15 on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. I am available from 1:00-1:45 on Tuesday and Wednesday. I am also available after school. I will do my best to make every effort to call you back as soon as possible. If there is an issue that needs my immediate attention, I can arrange for coverage to contact you immediately.

Again, please note that I will be available for both Back to School nights. However, I will only be in the school until 7:00 on September 15.

Thank you for your continued support in your child's education!

Getting Ready For Next Week

We are moving into a new room this year. Our classroom will be across from the faculty room and the teacher and student bathrooms. Our class will have access to our own bathroom across the hall. there we will be working on activities of daily living skills (ADLS). We will be working on brushing our teeth and hair, washing our hands and face appropriately, and washing items from the classroom that need to be cleaned. Our room was not ready for me to set anything up last week. We have a new floor, paint on the walls, and a new door! I will be in Thursday and Friday working on our room and getting it ready for us to learn all the great things we will be learning this year.
Our theme in our room will be Independence! We are going to work on trying things ourselves before seeking help. This is a tough habit to break, but I know it can be done. Think of all the things that can be accomplished it we try first before waiting for help. This being said, there will be some things that we HAVE to wait for an adult for. We will go over this the first week of school.
I have one more bit of news to report. We will have a new student join us this year. His name is Justin, he is in 7th grade, and he comes to OCS from Mansfield Twp. We are very happy to welcome him to our class!

See you all next week!