Dear Dewing Families,

I am excited to begin this new school year. Last year, there were many mid-year changes as we said goodbye to our grade 2 students. This year, we will open the school with more space in our building to welcome all of our students. Our Preschool Students will be closer together on A and C wings. Our Kindergarten classes have moved together on B wing and our Grade 1 classes will remain together on A wing. We now have a beautiful library with new rugs and we hope to have a new playground on the A wing for our younger students soon!

I would like to extend a special welcome to all of our new families entering the Dewing School for the first time. This is an exciting time for students and families. Please know we are here to support the amazing transition to school and we do know there are a number of emotions tied to this change. Your students will thrive and enjoy school in a warm and welcoming environment.

As we prepare for the new school year, we want to continue to keep you as informed as possible. During the school year, I will send most correspondence through email. We utilize a platform called S’more to send newsletters. We ask that all families check email frequently and make sure that we have your most current information on file. If you need to update your information during the school year, please reach out to our Secretary, Mrs. Barnes.

We welcome Mrs. Cheryl Barnes to the Dewing Office. Mrs. Barnes is our new School Secretary. Mrs. Barnes has been working at Dewing since 2017 and we are so excited for her to take on this new role. Periodically, she may send emails, so please be sure to be on the lookout for emails from her. Her email address is cbarnes@tewksbury.k12.ma.us. Mrs. Michelle Jennings continues to be our Special Education Secretary and will also assist with Preschool Registration.

This newsletter contains important information about your child’s school year.

There are a number of forms we need families to complete prior to the start of school. We ask that all families complete and submit these forms.

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Checklist of forms to complete (all listed in this document)

• Dewing School Accident/Illness Form
• Elementary Handbook Sign Off Form
• Food and Nutrition Services-Free and Reduced Meals application (if applicable)
• Pickup Patrol Parent Login (email will be sent directly to your email address from Pickup Patrol)

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Staffing Updates

Our staff are amazing and each one brings a unique talent to our school. We are so pleased to introduce our newest Dewing staff members to you. We’re thrilled that each one of these talented professionals is joining our staff, as they bring a combined wealth of knowledge and great passion for working with children.

New to Tewksbury:

Ms. Meagan Welch-Grade 1 Teacher

Ms. Katelin Westaway-Special Education Teacher-K/1 DLC

Mr. Vance Winchell-Digital Literacy Specialist

Updated Staffing

Mrs. Susan Drum-Mrs. Drum will be our Special Education Case Manager for PK-1

Mrs. Maryellen Hirtle-Lead teacher

Dewing staff who have transferred to new positions at the Dewing

Mrs. Cheryl Barnes-Office Secretary

Ms. Rylee Elliott- ESP for DLC K/1 with Ms. Westaway

Mrs. Maggie Madden-ESP for grade 1

Mrs. Meagan Campbell-ESP for grade 1

Ms Nayomi Ramos-ESP for DLC K/1 with Ms. Palange

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Home-School Communication

In order to strengthen our home-school communication, the Dewing School is always looking for better ways to stay connected to our students and their families. As a reminder, we do send out much of our information by email. It is important that we have updated information on file.

We encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher first with any questions or concerns. Please allow them 48 hours to respond.

Below are some of the tools the Tewksbury School District uses to make communication easier and more efficient:

Dewing School S’more Newsletter-We will send out a newsletter every two weeks (approx) with updated information from the school.

Tewksbury Public School Website: TPS Website Dewing Page

Dewing North StreetPAC Facebook Page: Please visit PAC Facebook link to stay up to date on the latest information sent out by the Dewing North Street PAC community.

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Critical Information Forms & Links

TPS Accident/Illness Form: In the case of accident, illness, or other emergency, school principals must be able to locate the parent or some other person who will care for the child. We must have on file the names and phone numbers of two other persons who may be called to pick-up the child if the parents cannot be reached. We have provided the form below for you to complete prior to the first day of school. Paper forms may also be available after the first day of school through the office if you are unable to complete them online in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!

Please click here: Dewing School Accident/Illness Form

Student Handbook: Please make sure that both you and your student take the time to review the online student handbook. We make changes to the handbook each year and it is helpful for families to be familiar with the handbook and its contents. All parents must verify they have reviewed the handbook by completing the on-line Elementary Handbook Sign Off by Friday, Sept. 15th, 2023.

Please click here: PreK-Gr.4 Elementary Handbook

Please click here: Elementary Handbook Sign Off Form

Aspen Accounts: Please click here to learn more about Aspen, which is our secure, web-based school information management system that organizes all facets of student data – from attendance to conduct, grades to schedules, transcripts to activities. Tewksbury has been using Aspen for many years with great success. The Student Portal has been implemented and is available to all K-12th grade students. K families will receive access to Aspen within the first couple of weeks of school. Aspen is not yet available for preschool.

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Breakfast and Lunch

We are excited to learn that All students will continue to be eligible for Free Breakfast and Lunch during the 2024-2024 school year. If you believe that your child would have been eligible for free or reduced lunch, we ask that you please complete the form below and return. Eligibility for free and reduced lunches also has additional benefits, such as reduced fees for school activities, but the form must be completed. Food and Nutrition Services-Free and Reduced Meals application

If you wish for your child to have breakfast in the morning, please inform your child’s teacher. This will help our staff plan for the correct number of meals.

• K-1-When your child arrives, please have your child ask the staff on duty to go to the cafeteria for breakfast. (your child's teacher will assist for the first few days of school until the students have had time to learn their routines).

• If your child takes the bus and wants breakfast, they will go straight to the cafeteria and eat there until 8:45. If the bus arrives after 8:40 am accommodations will be made for your child to have access to breakfast. If your child is a drop off, they must arrive prior to 8:40 in order to have breakfast so please plan accordingly.

• PK: If your child is in the AM preschool and requires breakfast, please let your child's homeroom teacher know by email.

Lunch for students with nut allergies: As we are no longer spacing students apart in the cafeteria, there will be a designated nut free table in the cafeteria for students with nut allergies. If your child has a nut allergy and you wish to OPT OUT and have your child sit with their classmates, please email me in writing stating that you would like to opt out of placement at the nut free lunch table (abosworth@tewksbury.k12.ma.us). Please be advised, if your child does sit with their peers at the assigned homeroom table, we will not be able to monitor the presence of nuts or other allergens brought to the table by other students.

All families are asked to login to the program below and check to be sure your child’s dismissal information is correct. If it is not, you may change the information directly in the system.

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Opportunities to Get Involved

We actively encourage our families to get involved in their child’s school experience! Keep an eye out for upcoming information on ways to participate as a volunteer or as a member of a council. Consider joining the Dewing Community by:

• Serving on the Dewing School Council - focus this year will be decided by the members of the Council.

• Becoming a member of our PAC (Parent Advisory Council) See their Facebook Page, or email dewingnorthstpac@gmail.com

• Lending a hand at a PAC organized event

• Volunteer to support your child’s classroom

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Calendar of Upcoming Events

There are lots of exciting events in the coming weeks! Add these important dates to your calendar. If you are unable to attend any of these events, and want the information shared, please contact the school office or email cbarnes@tewksbury.k12.ma.us and we will get your request to the person who can provide answers to you.

We are so excited for a great start to the school year. Thank you for everything you have done to help prepare your child for school.

Alexis Bosworth

Principal

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Monday, August 28, 2023-Kindergarten Orientation

• 4:15-5:45 PM (please plan to stay the entire time)

• PAC Playground Social for K immediately Following (5:45).

Tuesday, August 29, 2023-Preschool Orientation

• 3:00-3:30-AM Preschool and DLC

• 3:45-4:15-PM Preschool

• PAC Playground Social for PK beginning at 4:30

Wednesday, August 30th-First day of school for all students

Friday, September 1 and Monday September 4-No School-Labor Day Recess

Tuesday, September 19, 2023-Grade 1 Open House

• 5:30-7:30 (parents/guardians only)

We use a system called PickUp Patrol to help us track dismissals for our K-1 students. PickUp Patrol (PUP) saves us a great deal of time here in the office and reduces interruptions in our classroom. It also provides parents/guardians with a convenient way to make changes to your children’s dismissal plans.

Most importantly, helps us ensure that our students are safely dismissed to their correct after-school destinations.

Use the PUP web app for:

ATTENDANCE: Notify the school office when your child will be absent, arriving late or leaving early. You no longer need to call the office phone if you use this system.

DISMISSAL CHANGES: Submit changes to your child’s regular dismissal plans. For example:

• A student normally rides the bus, but is getting picked up today.

• A student usually goes to aftercare, but is leaving early for an appointment.

How it works:

Your child will be assigned a dismissal plan based on dismissal information in ASPEN. This is the plan they regularly follow on normal days. We call this the Default Plan.

Whenever you have a change to the Default Plan, you’ll submit a change through the PUP website. When the plan is submitted, the school and your child’s teacher will be notified and PUP will relay the change to them. You will also receive a change notification.

All plan changes will now be entered in PickUp Patrol. We will no longer accept handwritten notes with dismissal changes or phone calls to the office, unless it is a true emergency.

Cut off time to make any changes to dismissal is 1:00 PM daily and 10 am on early dismissal days. You will not be able to make changes after that time.

Getting started with PUP:

1. REGISTER: You will receive a registration email from PickUp Patrol with a link to set up your account.The PUP web app is free to parents and you can use it from your smartphone or computer. PUP is not accessed through the app stores. Instead, for easy access, follow the instructions in your registration email for how to add it to your phone’s home screen.

1. Review DEFAULT PLANS: Once you register, log into your PickUp Patrol account to confirm your child’s default dismissal plan. If the information is incorrect, you may change the default plan directly on your child’s page.

Thank you for using PUP to make safety a priority and to ensure our dismissal process is efficient for all our students.

If you have any questions, please first check the https://www.pickuppatrol.net/faq page. If you still need help, please contact or PickUp Patrol at support@pickuppatrol.net.

Each year, we reflect on our drop-off and pick-up procedures to make sure that we have systems in place that allow students to get to school safely and efficiently. We are also pleased that Tewksbury Public Schools provides such reliable bus transportation to all students. We encourage families to utilize this resource, as it is an exciting part of our students’ school experience. However, if you choose to drive your child to school in the mornings and afternoons, we kindly ask that you review the following procedures.

K-1 Arrival and Dismissal

For Parent Pickup ONLY:

For the first few days of school, please place a handwritten plaque in the passenger's side window with your child’s name and homeroom. We will distribute pickup cards from pickup patrol as quickly as we can to place in the car window

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K-1 Parent Drop Off-Arrival

• Signs have been added from the DPW along Andover Street. Cars are no longer able to turn left into the Main Entrance off of Andover Street. Please enter from Andover Street by turning RIGHT into the main parking entrance. If you are waiting in line on Andover Street to turn into the entrance, please pull as far to the right of the road as possible to allow for non-school traffic to flow smoothly.

• Parents will enter through the Main Entrance (to the Right of the Jersey Barriers) and will form a U-shaped line around the blacktop area outside of the gymnasium. The lines have been extended beyond the back of the gymnasium to the lower basketball court.

• Four students will be permitted to unload at once.

• Please do NOT drop your child off until a staff member has greeted you.

• Drop off staff will be outside at 8:30 AM.

• Parents will not be permitted to exit their vehicles. Students must exit on their own

• Students must only be dropped off when a staff member is present at the car door

• Exit to the left of the Jersey Barriers across the front of the school.

• Parents dropping off MUST YIELD to the school buses when they exit the drop off area.

• PLEASE DO NOT PARK YOUR CAR AND WALK YOUR CHILD TO THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL. ALL PARENTS MUST FOLLOW THE TRAFFIC PATTERN.

• Students will enter through the assigned door and will walk to line up outside of their homeroom until 8:45

• Teachers assigned to morning duty will help transition students in the hallways.

Bus Students:

• Buses will unload at the front of the school.

• A staff member will meet each bus and make sure students go to their assigned doors. Buses may NOT unload without a staff member present.

• Students will enter through the assigned door and will walk to line up outside of their homeroom until 8:45 .

• Teachers assigned to morning duty will help transition students to the classrooms.

K-1 Dismissal Procedure

Parent Pickup will follow the same path as drop off. Parent Pickup Information

Please do NOT arrive before 2:45 PM due to PK Dismissal

• Signs have been added from the DPW along Andover Street. Cars are no longer able to turn left into the Main Entrance off of Andover Street. Please enter from Andover Street by turning RIGHT into the main parking entrance. If you are waiting in line on Andover Street to turn into the entrance, please pull as far to the right of the road as possible to allow for non-school traffic to flow smoothly.

• At dismissal time, parents will enter through the Dewing School Main Entrance and wait in their cars. The route will be the same as the morning drop off route.

• Each parent/guardian must use their personalized pickup card as identification. These cards must be in the parents passenger side window.

• If parents do not have their provided cards in their car or are not driving a car which matches the cards, they must park and wait until all dismissals have been completed prior to their child being released.

• Parents drive up, wait in line in their cars.

• Dismissal teacher will identify the student names of the first four cars. Students will be walked out to the cars.

• Parents are responsible for ensuring their child is buckled safely before driving away.

• Parents: Please be considerate of other parents and complete all pickup routines as quickly as possible.

Bus students: Students taking the bus will be accompanied to the cafeteria and bus dismissal locations where they will wait in their bus lines until the buses have arrived.

Preschool Arrival and Dismissal

Preschool parents may park briefly in the blacktop area outside of the gymnasium. Please be vigilant of other students and families and only drive when safe to do so. *Please be advised, beginning at 8:15 am, K-1 cars may begin to use this area of K-1 arrival and parking is no longer permitted in that area.

*If your child is late to school (5 minutes after start time) please park in the marked spots and walk your child to the front door/ring the bell and a staff member will assist. Please do not park in the bus line at any time.

Classrooms C1, C2, C3 and Community Services PK

Arrival and dismissal will occur at the classroom doors. If you are facing the building, the preschool wing is located on the far right side. Parents/caregivers will need to wait at the bottom of the stairs until a teacher signals for you to walk your child up the stairs. Goodbyes will happen outside the classroom doors at the top of the stairs. A teacher will walk your child into the building.

C4 and C5

Arrival and dismissal will occur at the A wing door by the gym. Parents/caregivers will need to wait outside the door. Please line up to the right of the doors (facing the building). During drop-off, a teacher/staff member will walk your child into the building. During pick-up, a teacher will walk your child outside. No parent/caregiver is permitted into the building at this time.

Please be advised, this area is also used for van arrivals/dismissals. It is important for parents to line up and allow for space for staff to transition in and out of the building.

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Notes from the Nurse

Welcome Back! I hope you all had a wonderful summer and enjoyed time with your family. Just a few reminders as we start the school year.

1. Make sure you complete an Accident Illness Form and ALL contact information is correct.

2. New signed medical orders are needed at the beginning of each school year. An adult must bring in any medications!

● Please make arrangements to drop off any medications such as inhalers or Epi-pens to the school nurse in their original containers, with the physician's orders.

● Make certain you also filled out a parent permission medication form.

1. Please send any updated physicals with immunization information via fax at 978-640-7868 or you may send it in a PDF format via email at jrobinson@tewksbury.k12.ma.us

2. Please send something in writing if you chose to opt your child out from using hand sanitizer.

3. If your child has any changes in their health please do not hesitate to call the nurse at school.

Website: www.tewksbury.k12.ma.us
Location: 1469 Andover Street, Tewksbury, MA, USA
Phone: 978-640-7858