We had a fantastic time during our recent School Families lesson! Taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather, our students headed outdoors for a creative and collaborative project that brought our Chaffee Cardinal Rules to life.

Equipped with sidewalk chalk (a huge thank you to the Student Council for the donation!), students worked together to create vibrant drawings illustrating what Respect looks like in different areas of our school. From the hallways to the playground, the pavement was transformed into a gallery of kindness and community.

We are thrilled to share the incredible success of the opening of our Townwide Art Show! It was a proud moment for the Ruth L. Chaffee community as 50 of our talented students had their work exhibited.

The gallery was buzzing with energy, and our students' pieces received high praise from passersby, who were deeply impressed by the creativity and skill on display. It is wonderful to see our young artists' hard work recognized by the wider community.

If you haven't had a chance to see the exhibit yet, there is still time! You can visit the show and support our artists between the hours of 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, now through May 8 at the Newington Senior Center located at 120 Cedar Street.

Congratulations to all our featured artists for representing Chaffee so beautifully!

At Wednesday, April 8th Board of Education meeting they approved a date change for the last day of school.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Believe it or not, the end of the school year will soon be here. Around this time, we start the process of grouping students for next year’s classes. The process involves many staff members: including your child’s current teacher, specials’ teachers, special educators, and support staff members and me. Since the placement of students in classes is a fundamental interest to both staff and parents, we want to share how these decisions are made. 

The Ruth Chaffee staff will work to group students together in appropriately sized classes. Teachers ensure that students are placed with one or two familiar peers and that known student conflicts are separated. Parents may request a separation for one year, as students grow and mature over time. Issues in kindergarten may not persist, so placements are reviewed annually to reflect each child’s current needs. Our ultimate goal is to place students in environments where they will learn best, while also ensuring balanced classes throughout the grade. Some of the other criteria that are considered for these placements include:

Parents are also an important part of this process. Knowing your child best, we welcome your input. If you have additional information that you would like considered as part of the placement process, please write a letter/email addressed to your child’s classroom teacher and me (jmarciano@npsct.org) highlighting these considerations. Topics may include changing home situations, learning environment preferences, and/or separations we may not be aware of. Please know that requests for specific teachers will not be honored. Parent letters/emails will be accepted until May 2. Letters/emails received after May 2 will not be considered. 

The end of the year is always an exciting time for students and staff. The anticipation of what is to come, combined with what has been accomplished, leaves us all feeling a bit euphoric. We take comfort in knowing another school year will soon begin and look forward to making it a successful year for all. As always, we appreciate your continued involvement and support. 

Sincerely,

Principal

Dear Parent or Guardian:

 Ruth Chaffee Schedule

May 12-15

SBA Reading – Computer Adaptive Test – Grades 3 & 4

May 19-22

SBA Math – Computer Adaptive Test – Grades 3 & 4

May 27-28

SBA Math – Performance Task – Grades 3 & 4

Sincerely,

J. Seth Korn

Director of School Counseling and Student Testing K-12