February 23- February 27, 2026
Poquonock School
E-News
Stay in touch with Poquonock
“The Backpack”
Virtual Backpack | |
POQ News | |
POQ School Events Calendar |
Note From Poquonock Principals Mr. Mihalko and Mrs. Romero
Poquonock is proud to announce our 2026 Staff Member of the Year- Sarah Bernstein- and Paraeducator of the Year- Deb Martino. Friday we started the day with PTO School Stare and then honoring Black Excellence in Artists and Performing Arts with students parading around school as famous figures from Misty Copeland to Jean-Michel Basquiat and ended the day with FUNtastic Friday. Poquonock PTO is excited to share that the 2025-26 family directory is here! Great for playdates, carpools, and staying connected. Download your copy: https://tinyurl.com/358pn5nr.There is an Early Release at 1:30 Tuesday for students February 24. ~Mr. Mihalko and Mrs. Romero
February | Black History is American History/ Valentine’s Day 2/14 | |
February 17- March 19 | Ramadan | |
February 24 (T) | Early Release for Students 1:30 | |
March | National Women’s History Month and Irish-American Heritage Month March 20 (F)- Recognize World Down Syndrome Day (Saturday 3/21)- Lots of Socks https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/lots-of-socks-campaign | |
March 1-7 | National School Social Worker Week | |
March 2 (M) | POQ SEL-ebration 9:00-9:15 in Gym, Family Coffee and Tea in the FRC with POQ Principals 9:30-9:45, Meet Mihalko Reading at Windsor Public Library 5:00-5:30, PTO Meeting 6:00-7:00 in POQ Library | |
March 2-6 | National SEL and Read Across America Week | |
March 6 (F) | School Monthly Assembly 2:30- If student performing or receiving award teacher will notify family | |
First Grade
First grade continues to work hard and grow as learners each day!
In Bookworms, students have loved reading a variety of Little Bear stories and exploring the creative ideas sparked by Little Bear’s wonderful imagination. It has been exciting to see their enthusiasm for reading grow!
We recently finished our science unit on light and sound. One of our favorite activities was our sound walk around the school, where students carefully listened and identified the many different sounds we hear each day.
In math, students are building confidence as they work with larger numbers. They are learning to identify the tens and ones in a number and to represent numbers in multiple ways. They truly are becoming thoughtful and committed mathematicians!
We also continue to showcase our creativity during our monthly FUNtastic Friday activities!
This month students have learned about African American singer Ella Fitzgerald. We have read the book Ella Fitzgerald: A Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa, and we listened to her recording of the song A-Tisket, A-Tasket. Students in all grades are learning to sing this folk song and will begin learning the game that goes with it in the coming weeks.
Students also learned about Ruby Bridges and have been singing a song written by a group of elementary students about Ruby’s story.
We’ve also been working on singing the chorus portion (that’s the part that gets repeated the same way each time) of the Chinese song Gong Xi Gong Xi in recognition of Lunar New Year.
Her books are found on Amazon
Coaches Corner
Literacy in Action at Home!
Change of Clothing
Many times students have spills from food/drink, get wet on the playground and may have an accident even though they are potty trained. Please be sure your child has an extra set of clothes (shirt, pants, underwear and socks, and a sweatshirt for the classroom)
Please remember to label your child’s clothing with their name incase the item gets lost
Fever: 100.5F , children should stay home during the course of a fever and may return to school when they have been fever free for 24 hours without any medication to reduce fever. Also any vomiting must be out for 24 hrs with no further vomiting
Reminder: Medications may not be sent in with the students. A parent/ guardian must deliver the medication to the nurse.
All medications need to have an authorization administration form from your doctor .
Nurse’s Corner
Tee Shirt Sponsors Wanted!
We are seeking sponsors to buy a tee shirt for every student for our spring Boosterthon Fun Run
If you or your employer would like to sponsor a shirt, see the community partner form below for more info, or contact us at poqctpto@gmail.com
Or if you’re ready to pledge, you can do so here
Poquonock PTO News
Email poqctpto@gmail.com if you’d like information on getting involved or read our newsletter here
TO
2025 | 2026 |
x September 1 x | January 5 |
October 6 | February 2 |
November 3 | March 2 |
December 1 | April 6 |
| May 4 |
| June 1 |
Meetings run 6-7, in the library and online
Room Parents Needed | Mitchell, Woodard, Fraser, Knowles, Neals, Roche, Kowaleski, Mccann, Velez, Cabral, Parker, Tweeddale |
If the temperature or the wind chill factor is at least 20 degrees all students will participate in outdoor recess. If below 20 degrees outdoor recess is cancelled.
If snow is on the ground, the items below are a MUST for your child to leave the blacktop. If your child does not have these items- they may NOT leave the blacktop.
Poquonock School
Winter Reminder
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Reminders:
*Bring in an extra set of clothes just in case their clothes get wet.
*Please put names on all items brought into school.
At POQ we celebrate our beautiful diversity! Share about your family! All sheets will be displayed on our ‘Poquonock Around the World’ bulletin board!
Paper Copies have been sent home! Digital Copy: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XHsaOe8oqxqkXqHw1vLqD8DhjJ7xJ2NGZhNtMzzXKJw/edit?usp=copy
Family Resource Center
Beth Abbot at eabbot@windsorct.org
The Family Resource Center is looking to see how we can help your family! If there are any needs, please feel free to fill out this form at any time
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVwp6LMb2cFcQz57HaS7hjAGEz-lMa2Rx6eHYZwTaR49mmTw/viewform
Family Resource Center
Beth Abbot at eabbot@windsorct.org
Poquonock Family PlayGroup
Begins Tuesday September 23!
Tuesday’s 9:30-10:30 AM
In the Family Resource Center (RM 31)
What do playgroups include?
*Free play
*Circle time
*Opportunities for socialization
*Developmentally appropriate activities
If you have any questions, please contact Beth Abbot at eabbot@windsorct.org
Family Resource Center
Beth Abbot at eabbot@windsorct.org
Dear Families,
If anyone is in need of food assistance this school year, please email me at eabbot@windsorct.org, and I can help register you for the Weekend Wheels program.
Weekend Wheels is a program that provides a bag filled with food for the weekend for qualifying Windsor children. Distributions are made from September through June in a weekly home delivery format. Eligibility for the program is based on household income
Please see the information below.
Thank you,
Beth Abbot
Family Resource Center Coordinator
1760 Poquonock Ave.
Windsor, CT 06095 860-687-2080
Parents | Guardians | Family
Videos | Articles | Resources
Mr. Batchelder
SEL at Home
Resource | Description | Grade Level |
This site describes five social-emotional learning games to play with your children to help them learn to manage their emotions and work on social skills | (K-5) | |
Conversation Starters for Families- Family conversations are a great way to make connections and check in with each other. It allows family members to develop perspectives, family culture, respect for each other and problem-solving skills. Conversation Starters for Families list questions to help get you and your family started on this activity. | (K-12) |
SEL Lesson
Being a Good Friend
Family Resource Center Beth Abbot at eabbot@windsorct.org |
Family Resource Center Beth Abbot at eabbot@windsorct.org |
Family Resource Center
Beth Abbot at eabbot@windsorct.org
"Generational Power CT, previously known as Operational Fuel, is opening their applications Sept 2nd. They have programs to assist with heating fuel delivery and utility bill assistance. Please see their website to learn about income limits and how to apply at https://gpct.org/ ".
WPS- Healthy Food Certified District
This is a reminder that we are a Healthy Food Certified District.
Please see the links below for the updated lists of foods & beverages that comply with the Connecticut Nutrition Standards (CNS)
Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE).
This includes bringing in outside food for the students to have (i.e. for birthdays, extra snacks or rewards).
List of Acceptable Foods & Beverages
Suggestions for Healthy Rewards:
https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/TS_Rewards_v2.pdf
Chaperone Sign-Up for Field Trips
Core Principle: Our top priority is to utilize the Raptor Badging system to screen every adult supervising our students. This critical security measure ensures that all students—both on-site and off-site—are accompanied by adults who have successfully cleared our safety checks.
Your involvement is crucial in providing our students with safe and enriching experiences. When volunteering to be a chaperone, the following steps must be followed.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
We appreciate your cooperation and support in making our field trips a fun and safe experience.
Chaperone Sign-Up for Field Trips
For information about product recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, including recalls for children's products, go to Recalls | CPSC.gov.
Recall Information for Poquonock Families