Dear Families,

We had a wonderful PBIS assembly this week to celebrate all the ways our students show they are safe, kind, and responsible. Students also learned who their buddy class will be this year. Each class wore an assigned color for this special day, and during the assembly, students raised their hands when their color was called—revealing their buddy class! A big shout-out to Mrs. Grosso, Ms. Quinn, and Mrs. Palmer for planning and leading such a fun event.

WHS Government Class Visit

This week two second grade classrooms engaged in a collaborative learning experience with a WHS Government class. Our second grade students taught their HS counterparts about our form of local Weston government, including what our Board of Selectmen does to run our Town. Our high school students then taught our second graders how ideas can become laws.  Our students loved working side by side with the high schoolers. They brainstormed ideas based on problems they identified within our town. Some of the problems our students identified were related to safety, lack of sidewalks, and use of pesticides. Each group then voted on which problem they would like to draft into a Bill. Our high school peers guided our second graders to create drafts of Bills to improve our Town. We are so fortunate to have all of our schools on one road so that we can collaboratively learn with each other across schools. This was a great experience for our students as well as the high school students.  

Health Information and Resources

The change in seasons often brings a return of illnesses as we start spending more time indoors.  We encourage handwashing and have hand sanitizer available throughout the school.  We are fortunate to have a full time nurse, nurse Suzy, at our school to support students throughout the day. You can visit the district health services webpage for important information about guidelines for staying home from school when ill.  Health Services Webpage

Attendance/Tardy Information- update

We recognize that sometimes students have to miss school for illness.  This year, we are striving to improve our on time arrival to school.  Students who are tardy to school miss out on the opportunity to have a consistent routine which fosters a sense of security and readiness to learn. Each day at Hurlbutt starts with a class morning meeting. During this time, children connect with their peers, review the day's schedule, and participate in activities that promote social and emotional growth.  During the months of August and September we had 181 tardies recorded.  In October that number climbed to 236 tardies.  We know that mornings can be hectic at home.  If you find that you are consistently struggling with getting everyone out the door, you can reach out to us for support.  Our school social worker, Jillian Desiderio is a wealth of information and can help support the development of routines that make busy mornings more manageable.  Creating systems now will pay dividends down the road as children move through their school years.  Please refer to the attached tip sheet from Ms. Desiderio for more information. Help For Getting To School On Time

Preschool Lottery Information

Applications for the 2026-2027 lottery closed on November 14, 2025.  The  lottery will be conducted on November 18, 2025. Families will be notified of their acceptance or waitlist status by email during the week of December 1. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis after the lottery if additional spots remain open in the program.  Students who are currently enrolled in the 3’s class do not need to reapply for the 4’s class. Students currently in the 4’s class who are not age eligible for kindergarten next year do not need to reapply.  Students who are already in the program remain in the program until they are age eligible for kindergarten.  

Parent Informational Session for Literacy

Last week our curriculum instructional leader, Andrea Noble led a parent & guardian literacy workshop, My Child is in Kindergarten, now what? 

This week, we host the next session in this series for families of first and second graders, Hands-On Strategies for Supporting Your Child's Literacy Development at Home.

In this hands-on workshop, parents and guardians will learn strategies for supporting the pillars of the Science of Reading at home. Research shows that when families partner with their schools, student growth accelerates.

The workshop will be held on November 17th from 9:15-10:30 a.m. in the South House Cafeteria. Reservations are needed and space is limited. Please note this session is specific to first and second grades.  1st and 2nd Grade Parent & Guardian Reading Workshop

Lunch Menus/A La Carte Items

We now have chicken soup as an option in the cafeteria. You can find the full November lunch menus by following this link:  Lunch Menus  It will take you to the culinary services section of the website and the school lunch menus. Please note there is a lunch menu and a separate a la carte, beverage and snack menu so be sure to check out both.  It is our recommendation that you review these items with your child and set some clear expectations about what you want them to purchase. If you are interested in placing any restrictions on your child’s account, please email foodservices@westonps.org. 

PTO meeting Speaker

The PTO is having their November meeting in the evening on November 19 at 7:00 p.m.  In cooperation with the district, the guest speaker for this meeting is Suzanne Clement. Suzanne Clement is a passionate advocate for high quality early childhood education experiences for children and families. She serves as the Early Childhood Coordinator for Cooperative Educational Services, one of the six Regional Education Service Centers in Connecticut. In this role, she leads early childhood professional development initiatives across Fairfield County and statewide. In the past two years, Suzanne has engaged Weston teachers in training focused on play-based learning in response to recent CT state legislation regarding play-based learning in public schools. Her career as an educator of children and adults has included roles as a classroom teacher, program administrator, adjunct professor and family specialist. Suzanne’s practice is informed by her educational background including a B.A. in Child Development, an M.S. in Family Support and Parenting Education, and an M.S. Ed. in Early Childhood Leadership.  Suzanne will be speaking about the importance of play in childhood.  

Supporting Play: Setting Children Up for Lifelong Success

• Discuss the value of play in brain development 

• Learn about executive function skills and their critical role in lifelong success

• Reflect on children’s experiences in school and outside of school and the development of skills across domains of development

Have a great weekend! 

Sincerely,

Laura Kaddis

Principal

Important Dates:  

November 17: Grade 1 and 2 Reading Workshop 9:15-10:30 a.m.

November 19: HES/WIS PTO General Meeting 7:00 p.m. at Weston Public Library

November 26-28: School closed for Thanksgiving break

December 1: Trimester 2 begins

December 1-2: Grade 2 field trip

December 3: Photo Retakes

December 12: Progress Reports issued

December 23: 12:35 p.m. early dismissal

December 24-January 2: Winter Break