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Character Quote of the Week
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
~A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Dear Tariffville Families,
I am writing this letter both as your child’s principal and as the father of a sixth and second grade child. Many of our children may be getting (or already have) new tablets, laptops, iTouches, iPhones, etc… very soon. There are many positive benefits to these types of devices; from staying in touch with distant relatives, to educational apps, to collaborating with friends on projects, and even playing games to relax. However, it is also important to be aware of the potential downsides as well. Many of these devices allow full internet access which opens the doors to everything from inappropriate sites, to social media intended for adults, and other content that is questionable for kids. As an aside, I am aware that many of our children have Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts. All of these require the user to check a box indicating that they are over 13. We don’t have any 13 year old students; and while I risk sounding old fashioned, when something begins with a lie it does not usually lead to good things.
To add to this, our kids can now use these portable devices out of our eyesight and earshot, in the privacy of their rooms, and as I have discovered here at school, even in the bathrooms! While many of these devices have some sort of parental controls available, it is important to know that none of these are perfect, and savvy children can sometimes get around them given time and motivation. For more detailed information on internet safety the following links have good resources.
http://www.commonsensemedia.org (this is a very good resource!)
http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents
If this time of year is your child’s first experience with a new technology, now is the best time to set clear limits, expectations, and controls with the technology. It is so hard to go back. Keep a close watch on your child’s activity on these devices to ensure they are being responsible and safe. Some parents have told me that they have their child turn the device in on Sundays for them to review their activity for the week, others have talked to me about how they use the parent controls on certain devices to track activity, and a great tip is to keep the chargers in your bedroom for all devices to ensure no after bedtime use. As with all technologies, there are benefits and drawbacks; I hope that together we can help teach our children how to use technology responsibly and for good. As always, if you have any questions, and in this case, any advice as a fellow parent of a pre-teen, please do not hesitate to give me a call.
Sincerely,
Scott Baker
Principal – Tariffville School
Hello Classes.
The student council is planning on having a spirit day. Show your school spirit by wearing pajamas on Tuesday, December 23rd which is our last day before winter break. Please wear appropriate pajamas for school. Some suggestions for pajamas are winter pajamas, foot pajamas, sweatpants and tee shirts.
Join in our first spectacular spirit day!
Weekly Announcements
Tariffville School
December 19th, 2014
If you have missed any flyers or reminders please click on our link to obtain the information!
https://www.simsbury.k12.ct.us/page.cfm?p=195
Thank you to Lindsey Klorer for running the family skate night this year! It was a great and fun night for all! Also, thanks to all that attended, worked and baked for the event. In addition, thank you to Allyson Battistoni for the beautiful winter raffle basket! And finally, congrats to The Davis family for winning it!
Mark your calendars! PTO Family Game Night is the Friday after break, January 9th, 2015 in the Cafe. Please note the correct time is 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
Have fun playing games while reconnecting with classmates and families! Bring a favorite game and a nut-free dessert to share with friends. Choose to play a round of our group trivia game "Parents vs. Students: Are you Smarter than a Tariffville Student?" Questions: please contact shannonrodner@gmail.com.
Lost and Found – The school lost and found has grown tremendously since the cold weather has started. Please take a moment to browse if you are visiting the school or ask your children to stop by and see if they have misplaced any items. All articles left at the lost and found will be donated after the winter break. Thank you!
Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe holiday recess and a Happy New Year! See you in 2015!!!
NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
The Simsbury Board of Education will not make employment decisions (including decisions related to hiring, assignment, compensation, promotion, demotion, disciplinary action and termination) on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, disability or genetic information, except in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification. For the purposes of this policy, “genetic information” means the information about genes, gene products, or inherited characteristics that may derive from an individual or a family
member.
Questions concerning Title IX compliance should be directed to:
Susan Homrok-Lemke, Asst. Superintendent for Administration & Human Resource Development
(860) 651-3361; slemke@simsbury.k12.ct.us
Questions concerning 504 compliance should be directed to:
Erin Murray, Asst. Superintendent for Teaching & Learning
(860) 651-3361; emurray@simsbury.k12.ct.us
