08/07/2026
Caregivers,
I am excited to welcome everyone to the 2026/2027 school year! We have an exciting year ahead of us and nothing is more exciting than the opening of our new addition and improved spaces in our school building. We also have a new playground for everyone to enjoy! These improvements are a testament to the dedication of the town of Sharon in making certain our students learn in an environment that is safe and updated to meet the demands of today’s learner. I want to thank all the residents of Sharon for making these improvements possible.
Our school year will begin on August 31st. On this day, we will have our annual school parade and other opening day festivities. We are also hoping that all school forms will be completed by this date. This includes the family income forms that help our school gain state funding. We ask that all families fill out this form even if you do not feel that you qualify. I know these forms can be confusing, so if you would like assistance in filling them out, please reach out to me directly.
On September 2nd, starting at 5:30pm, we invite all members of the Sharon community to a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour of the new building and renovated spaces. Students, parents and community members will be able to take self guided tours of our new spaces. Then at 6:00pm folks will gather for a ribbon cutting and speeches. Finally, we will end our time with a community pot luck. Please consider joining us and if possible, bring a dish to share.
This year we are welcoming Danielle Davis to our Sharon school community. Danielle will be taking over as our school nurse. We are lucky to have Danielle join our team! We are happy to welcome Karilyn Fisk-Reynoso who will be working in our PreK program as a teacher assistant. Also, we welcome Kelley Flood-Hammond to our food service program. Finally, Kylie Hebard-Morrison will join us as our school based Student Assistant Program counselor. Kylie is a bit familiar with Sharon as she worked with us in a similar role a few years ago. With these additions to our team, I feel more than confident that our students will be supported in all areas of their education and development.
The following are some key details for you to know about the upcoming year. For more in depth information about policies, rules and other ongoings at Sharon Elementary, please refer to the Student/Parent Handbook that can be found on our website: sharonelementary.org
School Day Details:
Being present at school and on time is critical to a student’s daily success. We welcome students as early as 7:30am. We offer a served breakfast from 7:30am until 7:55am. At 7:55am, grab and go breakfast is available. Students who arrive before our first bell can either eat breakfast or go to the playground for an early recess. The first bell, where students head to their classroom, is at 7:55am. The school day officially begins at 8:00am. Students should be in their classrooms at this time. Classroom meetings start the day and these meetings are an important piece of the daily schedule as it allows students to connect, learn what the upcoming day will bring and to reflect on the prior day. Please make every effort to have your child to school on time and present each day. The following is our daily schedule:
7:55 am: First Bell - students head to their classrooms.
8:00 am - 2:50 pm: School Day
2:50 pm- Bus Bell: Students who ride the afternoon bus are dismissed
2:55 pm: Parent Pick Up Bell- Students who are picked up by parents/caregivers are dismissed
3:00pm- One Planet Bell: Students head to the One Planet Afterschool program
Drop Off and Pick Up Procedure: (Elementary School)
Students can be dropped off in front of the school as early as 7:30am. A greeter will be present at the door to meet your child(ren).
For the afternoon pickup, caregivers should arrive around 2:45 pm and remain in cars, parking along the outside edge of the circle. Please do not park in front of the bus if you arrive before it leaves. Students will be brought from the classroom by teachers. As students are loaded into cars, the next car will then move up and pick up their student. This process usually takes a total of 10-15 minutes. There are times when One Planet is not in session and the timing can take a bit longer. Please refrain from talking with staff during the pick up time as it prolongs the process. If you wish to have a conversation with your child’s teacher, make an appointment to do so.
Bus Details:
If you would like to utilize our bus service in the morning and/or afternoon, please reach out to our administrative assistant, Robbin Conway at [email protected], as soon as possible. Bus routes need to be developed based on where folks are riding from. Please indicate whether you will need bus services in the morning, afternoon or both.
Community Conversation:
Once again I will be offering a bi-weekly “coffee hour” at Maple Fields from 8:15 am until 9:15 am. This is a time for folks to meet with me to discuss any school related topics. This is NOT a time to discuss individual students or personnel. Starting on September 8th at 8:15am, I will be at Maple Fields. I will post this on the Sharon Elementary website and our page. This conversation is not just for parents with students in our school. This is a chance for anyone in the community to come and connect with me. Please spread the word!
Portrait of a Learner:
Last year we adopted the WRVSU Portrait of a Learner. The idea is that we want all of our students to possess the skills that are listed below as we believe they will set each student up for success in and out of the classroom. Here are the skills:
*Effective Communication and Collaboration
*Flexible Thinking
*Resiliency and Wellbeing
*Personal and Community Responsibility
*Creativity and Curiosity
*Academic Proficiency
How students show success in these areas is drastically different depending on their age and grade level. What a kindergarten student shows will be different from an eighth grader. As students move up the levels, we look to strengthen each of the areas of focus. I encourage families to discuss what these skills look like. In school, we will highlight them and assess our students on their progress towards solidifying each skill.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. I am a firm believer that caregivers and educators need to work together to provide the best education possible for our students. The caregiver’s role is critical and I, along with the staff, want to keep the lines of communication open. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer and we will see you soon!
Respectfully,
Keenan Haley
Sharon Elementary School
