Ruth L. Chaffee Expectations

Provide developmentally appropriate instruction school wide.

• Ensure that ongoing authentic, informal, formal, and standardized assessment drives instruction.
• Base daily instruction upon application of skills and knowledge.
• Provide the opportunity for collaborative problem solving to effectively and efficiently meet students’ educational needs.
• Engender academic excellence through inquiry-based learning.
• Provide resources and activities for learning that represent a diversity of experiences, opinions, and social and cultural perspectives.
• Encourage ongoing collaboration among students, staff, families, and community to enhance student learning.
• Incorporate technology into all curricular areas to enrich learning.
• Integrate art, library/media, music, and physical education as essential and fundamental components of each student’s educational experience.
• Provide learning experiences that encourage students to become skilled creators and discriminating consumers of information.
• Ensure that students take an active and responsible role in their learning.
• Promote the development of life skills and ethics necessary for each student to become a productive and contributing member of our society.
• Demonstrate mutual respect through our daily interactions.
• Promote character development as an integral component of our school community.
• Develop a positive, creative, and caring environment that contributes to the morale of the school community.
• Celebrate accomplishments by students and staff in a variety of ways to acknowledge achievements and encourage further success.
• Communicate within and between grade levels/support staff to ensure a smooth transition resulting in student success.
• Encourage teachers to further their professional knowledge through a variety of experiences and communicate this new learning to their colleagues.
• Empower teachers as leaders to become catalysts for positive change

Beliefs

We believe:

Student Activities

Chaffee Loves to Read
Students and teachers celebrate their enthusiasm for literature through the Chaffee Loves to Read Program.  Each month a committee of teachers chooses a book, theme, and coordinating kick-off assembly to be enjoyed by the entire school body.  These activities have included a pep rally, surprise guest readers, a power point presentation with accompanying prediction and graphing activity, and a musical performance by a popular local band.  The Ruth L. Chaffee PTA generously purchases the selected hard cover book for each classroom and the school Library Media Center.  The monthly book and follow-up activities connects students and teachers across all grade levels.

Once the students have had the chosen book read to them they are encouraged to read other materials in the same genre and /or by the same author.   Through this means the motivation to read by our students has significantly increased.  There is such excitement throughout the school for reading and for what the next Chaffee Loves to Read book will be.


Helping Hands
The Newington Public Schools Helping Hands Program is a mentor program that provides the opportunity for students with various social needs to be matched with an adult within the building for the purpose of establishing a positive personal relationship between the mentor and student during the school day.  The mentor makes frequent contact with the student in many ways, such as a friendly greeting in the hallway, notes left for the student, or having lunch together.  In addition, special activities, arranged by the Helping Hand Coordinator, are planned throughout the year to provide the mentors and students an opportunity to interact with each other in social activities.

School Family                                                                                                                 
Our School Family Initiative will involve all the children.  Groups of ten children with representation from all the grade levels will meet throughout the school year with a focus on trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.  Our goal is to make the school climate even more welcoming for all the children since it is a known fact that children perform better in school if they feel comfortable in their surroundings.

Intramurals
Intramurals are offered in the spring before school for both third and fourth graders. Transportation is provided by the parents.   Sportsmanship and team play are stressed though non-competitive games such as basketball and volleyball.

School Spirit Days
School Spirit Days are organized by the Student Council throughout the year in order to bring the school closer together.  Children and staff are encouraged to participate in activities such as Crazy Hat Day, Twin Day, Pajama Day, and Blue and White Day in support of the UCONN Huskies just to name a few of the school spirit days that are planned.

Book Buddies
Various classrooms from the upper grades are paired with classrooms at the kindergarten and first grade levels where children have the opportunity to read together in a relaxed atmosphere.  The program benefits the older children by giving them a chance to read to an audience while the younger children bolster their reading skills by listening to stories that are read to them in a fluent manner.