Welcome to Clyde F. Brown Elementary School

Clyde F. Brown Elementary School​, home of the "Clyde Brown Bears", is a vibrant, close-knit school community that serves students in Preschool through Grade 4.  Recognized for its award-winning Spanish Immersion program in Grades 1 through 4 and designation as a Tools of the Mind Northeast Regional Model School, which proudly models exemplary early learning practices for visitors from around the nation and from Europe, Clyde F. Brown Elementary School actualizes its prior designation as a Lighthouse School in Massachusetts as students consistently meet or exceed averages on statewide tests.
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The Clyde F. Brown Elementary School strives to fulfill the Millis Public Schools deeply held philosophy of personalized learning for all students.  This occurs at the elementary level through the infusion of technology in day-to-day learning, through the promotion of project-based learning at all grade levels, and through integrated curriculum that fosters inquiry-based experiences in learning STEM concepts through literacy.  These educational practices, combined with more differentiated instruction through a fully evolved Response to Intervention instructional model, provide students with an academic foundation that allows for more student voice and choice in learning processes.
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CFB SCHOOL COMMUNITY

BACK-TO-SCHOOL UPDATE – August 2017

Welcome back to a new year of fun and learning at CFB!  We are busy preparing the school for our students’ return – we can’t wait to see our students’ smiling faces and excitement about beginning a new year!

Below is some news and information that you might find helpful as you begin to prepare for the first days of school.  Should you have questions, please feel free to give us a call at (508) 376-7003 – we’re happy to help answer questions you might have!

We look forward to welcoming our students and families back to school – please enjoy the remaining days of summer!
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NEW SITUATIONS

Retirements  - We are grateful to Mrs. Sydna Lucey for her many years of service to the CFB community; Mrs. Lucey retired in June 2017.  Though we will sorely miss you, we do wish you the very best as you begin this new chapter of life!  Thanks for all the great memories!

Transfers and Replacements

Mrs. April Leman will join the Middle School as the School Adjustment Counselor for grades 5 through 8, replacing Kerri Reardon.  Best of luck, Mrs. Leman!

Replacing Mrs. Leman at CFB is Ms. Elise Molloy, who joins Team CFB as School Adjustment Counselor!  Mrs. Molloy has worked for the past 15 years as a school counselor in Natick Public Schools, and has also worked in the past as a social worker and guidance counselor.  Additionally, Elise holds credentials as a LICSW and has much experience in providing social, emotional and behavioral services and interventions to students.  Welcome to our family!

Grade 1 – Mrs. Jaime Giordano will remain on leave for this school year to be home with her young family.  Mrs. Liz Shea, who is returning this school year following an extended leave, will replace Mrs. Giordano, joining Mrs. Amy Ball in their roles as job-sharing a classroom position.  This partnership, because of the teachers’ commitment to ongoing continuity in instruction, has made for a wonderfully enriching educational experience for their students which we hope to repeat this year!

Grade 2 – Mrs. Vanessa Migos returns to Grade 2 Spanish Immersion following an extended leave – welcome back, Señora!

Grade 3/4 – Mrs. Meg Hernandez undertakes a new role this year as a multi-age teacher for students in grades 3 and 4 as she pilots a Personalized Learning Lab classroom.  Using technology, integrated curriculum, problems-based thinking and personalized learning strategies, we hope to learn more from Mrs. Hernandez and her students about which research-driven strategies are most effective for Millis students as we become more deeply committed to 21^st Century learning and personalizing learning for all of our students.  Be on the lookout for periodic updates about this exciting pilot program!

STEAM/Maker Space Lab

A team of teachers has been planning for the opening of our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics)/Maker Space Lab (grand opening to happen in late October)!  All students in Kindergarten through Grade 4 will have opportunities during Technology learning time to get direct instruction in using apps and materials that promote engineering design thinking as our school mobilizes to create a curriculum that challenges students to develop solutions to problems.  We will blend technology, literacy and Art within this curriculum to provide our students with more options and choices in thinking about how to approach solving a problem.  Many classroom teachers have already begun to think about how they will infuse more Maker and engineering design into their classroom learning, and have created mini “Maker areas” in their classrooms!  Our school schedule this year has built-in STEAM/Maker blocks for each grade level to use the new space; we will spend the first part of the fall training teachers in how to use materials so that they, in turn, can bring their students to the STEAM/Maker Lab to reinforce problem solving in a more hands-on way.  We’re really excited about this opportunity for our students and are having fun re-thinking how we can use these strategies more to better personalize learning for our students!

OPEN HOUSE DATES

• Grade 1 Spanish Immersion Only – Wednesday, August 30 at 3:15pm
• Grade 1 – Monday, September 25 at 6:00pm
• Grade 3 – Monday, September 25 at 7:00pm
• Grade 2 – Wednesday, September 27 at 6:00pm
• Grade 4 – Wednesday, September 27 at 7:00pm
• Kindergarten – Monday, October 2 at 6:00pm

School Supplies for SY 2017-18

Here are the school supply lists, by grade level, for the upcoming school year:

Clyde F. Brown Elementary School - School Supply Lists – SY 2017-18

Kindergarten

● 1 plastic pencil box – 8.25” X 5.25”

● 1 pkg crayons – 16 count

● 8 glue sticks – Elmer’s washable, purple (dries clear)

● 1 pkg colored markers, wide tip, 8 set

● 6 dry erase markers, black, low odor

Grade 1

● 1 marbled composition book, 100 sheets

● 1 pkg colored markers, wide tip, 8 set

● 1 2pocket folder, plastic

● 1 pencil/crayon sharpener, double barrel canister

● 4 dry erase markers, black, low odor

● 4 glue sticks – Elmer’s washable, purple (dries clear)

● 1 plastic pencil box – 8.25” X 5.25”

● 2 dozen #2 pencils, latex free erasers

● 2 large pink erasers, latex free

Grade 2

● 1 2-pocket folder, plastic, 3-hole, red

● 1 2pocket folder, plastic, 3-hole, blue

● 1 dozen #2 pencils, latex free erasers

● 2 glue sticks – Elmer’s washable, purple (dries clear)

● 1 marbled composition book, 100 sheets, blue

● 4 dry erase markers, black, fine tip, low odor

● 2 large pink erasers, latex-free

● 1 plastic pencil box – 8.25” X 5.25”

● 1 clip board, hardboard, letter size, brown

Grade 3

● 1 pkg Post-It notes, 3” X 3”, yellow, 100 sheets/pad

● 1 plastic pencil box – 8.25” X 5.25”

● 1 pkg colored markers, wide tip, 8 set

● 4 dry erase markers, chisel tip, black, low odor

● 2 felt tip Flair pen, medium point, black

● 2 large pink erasers, latex free

● 2 dozen #2 pencils, latex free erasers

● 1 marbled composition book, 100 sheets, black

● 1 highlighter, chisel tip, yellow

● 1 pkg crayons – 24 count

● 1 glue sticks – Elmer’s washable, purple (dries clear)

● 1 clip board, hardboard, letter size, brown

● 1 2 pocket folder, plastic

Grade 4

● 1 pk 3” X 5” ruled index cards (100/pk)

● 1 dozen #2 pencils, latex free erasers

● 1 pencil/crayon sharpener, double barrel canister

● 2 spiral bound notebooks, 70 pages

● 1 highlighter, chisel tip, yellow

● 1 fabric pencil case, 3-hole w/grommets, 10” X 6”

● 5 large pink erasers, latex free

● 2 ball point pens, medium point, green

● 1 pr scissors, 5”, pointed top, latex free

FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL FACT SHEET

OPENING DAYS OF SCHOOL:

First Day of School, Grades 1-4 – Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Kindergarten Screening – Wednesday, August 30, 2017 and Thursday, August 31, 2017

First Day of School for Kindergarten – Tuesday, September 5, 2017

PreK Visits - Thursday, August  31, 2016

First Day of School for PreK - Tuesday, September 7, 2017

START-OF-SCHOOL FAQs:

What is the school start time?

• School starts at 8:30 am; students may enter the building at 8:25 am.

Where are Bus Students dropped off at school?

• All busses drop off students in front of CFB; designated staff will assist them in lining up in the appropriate spots – they will line up in the same spots each morning.

Where do Student Riders get dropped off and picked up?

• All students who are driven to school are dropped off behind the school; parents should enter the Spring Street parking lot and follow the arrows on the pavement, dropping off children under the canopy where the crossing guard is located.

Where do parents park at drop off and dismissal times?

• Parents of students in Grades K through 4 should park ONLY in the Spring Street lot – as there is much activity during school start and at dismissal, please use extreme caution when driving through the lot – thanks!

• Parents of PreK students only should use the side parking lot in front of the school – the parking spots here are “5- minute parking spots” designated for parents of PreK students and Extended Day Program as they deliver children to the building.

• The road in front of the CFB building is designated for bus traffic and emergency vehicles only – no parking is permitted in front of the school at any time.  Thank you for your assistance in keeping our students safe!

Where do students wait in the morning?

• Bus riders – line up, with adult assistance, in front of the school

• Student Riders/Drop-Offs, Grades K through 4:

 *K – students may be walked by and adult to the front of the school (all K students wait in front of the school); please park in the Spring Street lot and walk to the front of the building where staff will assist students in finding the correct spot to line up

*Grades 1 and 2 – Line up outside of Outside Door #12 in the courtyard                       

*Grades 3 and 4 – Line up outside of Outside Door # 11 adjacent to the parking lot

How much is hot lunch/milk?

• Hot lunch - $2.50 (includes milk)
• Milk - $0.50

Lunch menus and information about Chartwells, our food service provider (including electronic pre-   payment options) can be found at:

http://www.chartwellsschooldining.com/mmps/content/home.asp

SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION:

            Phone: (508) 376-7003

            Email:  Mr. Phelps (Principal) – jphelps@millisps.org

            Student Support Services (Special Education) Office:  (508) 376-7021

            Dr. Sue Anne Marks, Director of Student Support Services – samarks@millisps.org

FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH INFORMATION

As a reminder, all Millis Public Schools will distribute information to families about Free and Reduced Lunch at the start of the school year.  This information, kept confidential, is useful to families in need who may qualify for free or reduced lunches, sliding scale rates for bus transportation, etc., and is useful to the district in qualifying for state and federal funding.

It is important to note that Free and Reduced Lunch forms must be completed by families and returned to school each year in order for students to qualify for this consideration – please be sure to return all Free and Reduced Lunch forms to school on or before Friday, September 8, 2017.  Free and Reduced Lunch forms may be downloaded from the Millis Public Schools website homepage at: http://www.millisps.org/

Have questions or need more information?  Please feel free to contact Mr. Phelps at (508) 376-7003.
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COMMUNICATION

CFB is committed to paper-free communication; we will communicate information to our school community in the following ways:

• List Serve – List serve occurs via email notification
• Facebook – This year, CFB will launch our bulletin board Facebook page for our school community!  Designed to offer information quickly for our families, we do not encourage comments on our posts; please enjoy this new communication tool!  Don’t forget to Like us at: Clyde F. Brown Elementary School
• Website -http://cfb.millisps.org/
• Twitter – We use Twitter to keep our school community informed about activities and learning in and around our school! Check us out on Twitter: @cfbprincipal
  

SUPPLY LISTS - SY 2017-1018
Check the link below for CFB school supply lists for SY 2017-18:

Supply Lists_SY17.18.pdf​​




What's Happening at CFB?

CFB IN ACTION

Fourth Graders Participate in the One Mission "Buzz Off For Kids"

Fourth grader Brayden Day, along with his friends Ryan J., Mario G., Ben K., Henry K., and Aiden S., shaved their heads for children with pediatric cancer on June 4 at the One Mission "Buzz Off For Kids" challenge at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough!  The team (self-titled as the "Magic 8 Balds", with the help of donations from family, friends and the school community, exceeded their fundraising goal and raised $2,555!  Read more about their journey: https://secure.onemissionbuzzoff.org/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?teamID=753354#&panel1-1