THOUGHTS and THANK YOUS
Dear Farley Families,
Last week, Hudson firefighters Craig Collins, Stephen Weaver, Jack Bertonassi, and Jason Galofaro generously took time from their demanding schedules to equip our young students with vital, life-saving knowledge. Their dedication to our children’s safety and well-being is truly admirable, and we are incredibly grateful for the valuable lessons and skills they shared with our students. Each year, HFD, provides crucial fire safety insights that help our students understand the importance of fire prevention and emergency preparedness. Through interactive presentations and hands-on demonstrations, they leave a lasting impact on our students, empowering them to make safer choices and embrace proactive measures to protect themselves and their communities. Witnessing the courage and commitment of our firefighters also motivates our students to aim high and serve their communities with the same sense of selflessness and bravery. Their warm and engaging approach makes a profound impression, nurturing trust and respect for our local heroes.
Thank you to the Hudson Fire Department for your steadfast commitment to keeping our community safe and for generously sharing your time and expertise with the next generation. Your visit has enriched not only our knowledge but also the hearts of our students, faculty, and staff. We look forward to continuing this valuable partnership with you, promoting fire safety awareness, and fostering a culture of safety within our school and beyond.
As a reminder, during our next Home and School Meeting, a few school committee members will be joining the first 15 minutes to share updates and to answer any questions you might have regarding the district's upcoming budget. Even if you haven't yet joined one of our Home and School Meetings, I encourage you to come to this important one.
Good luck to our cheerleaders and football players this weekend! Cheerleaders are competing in states and footballers are in the playoffs! The weather is looking ideal to watch a game outside. After my wife's Poe show on Saturday, we are heading to our little lake house for night. We are looking forward to seeing the gorgeous fall foliage the Quiet Corner of Connecticut has to offer.
Read Always,
Rachel Scanlon (she, her, hers)
978-567-6153 - rscanlon@hudson.k12.ma.us
#ExplainYourBrain
- No school for students
November 6th:
- Picture retake day
- Home and School Association Meeting-6:00pm in the Farley Library. Join online using this link: meet.google.com/goh-pzio-oev.
November 8th:
- Celtics' Day-Wear your green to support our state basketball team!
November 25th and 26th:
- Half-day for students
- Caregiver/Teacher Conferences (See below for detailed information.)
November 27-29:
- No School
WELCOME MRS. NEVES!
This October, our Dual Language Program gained another Reading Interventionist! Mrs. Beatriz Neves has been a teacher for over twenty years, primarily working in Brazilian public schools. She holds a Master's degree in Education and a Postgraduate degree in Reading, Writing, and Literacy. Throughout her career, she has developed a pedagogical approach centered on collaborative learning. She believes that interaction and dialogue with children are fundamental for knowledge construction. Through her work with literature, she seeks to spark curiosity, self-awareness, new experiences, and learning about the world. She is an enthusiast of projects that encourage literacy, reading, and helping children reach their full potential! She is always there to help. Welcome to the Farley Family Mrs. Neves!
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR A CONFERENCE YET?
Farley’s entire staff prides itself as being a team and working together with families to create the best possible educational experience for all of our students. We all recognize that communication between home and school is essential to achieving this goal. Caregiver/Teacher Conferences present a wonderful opportunity for teachers, guardians and, in some cases—students—to sit down together to discuss academic and social progress. Conferences are a dedicated time to ask questions, share relevant information, calibrate expectations, celebrate accomplishments, and set short and long-term goals. Caregiver conferences are a platform to make a lasting bond with families and to increase the likelihood of academic and social success for each child. In Hudson, Caregiver Conferences occur twice a year. Each meeting lasts around 15 minutes. In addition to the classroom teacher, other school staff who support your child's learning may also attend the conference, too. Also, please do not worry if you see me sitting in on your conference. I like to attend as many conferences as possible so that I can know all the ways we can support our diverse community of learners.
This year, Caregiver/Teacher conferences will be held on Monday, November 25th and Tuesday, November 26th. Both days will be an early dismissal from school for students at 11:40 am. Evening conferences will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 pm on the night of November 26th. If you would like a conference, you need to sign-up for a specific day and time using a third party website called PTC Fast. Here is the link: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/C_A_Farley_Elementary_School.
Conference sign-ups will open November 8th when the link goes live. Walk-ins are not allowed at this time. Families will have the option for either a virtual conference via Google Meet or an in-person meeting here at Farley. If you would prefer virtual, please indicate this when signing up for your conference--there will be a space for you to type in "virtual". Your child’s teacher will then send you the Google meeting link via email prior to and closer to the conference. If you choose to be in person for your child’s conference, please be sure to be on time. If you have a student who is part of a team, please be on the lookout for an email from those teachers with additional information about conferences.
As always, interpretation services will be made available to all families during conferences. If you are listed as needing an interpreter in Aspen, please be on the lookout for an email or phone call from one of our district family liaisons. They will help you set up a time for your conference.
If you have any other questions, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher.
I know that you all are aware that Hudson, like many schools districts in Massachusetts, are dealing with possible upcoming budget challenges. During our next Home and School Meeting, a few school committee members will be joining the first 15 minutes to share updates and to answer any questions you might have regarding the budget. Even if you haven't yet joined one of our Home and School Meetings yet, I encourage you to come to this important meeting.
FARLEY CAREGIVER IS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!
"A Whimsical World of Unlikely Relationships. Ever wondered what it's like to live with a fire-breathing dragon and a cuddly overprotective bear? Meet Betsy, a fearless young girl who wouldn't trade her unusual family for anything in the world! Join Betsy on her heartwarming adventures as she navigates the chaos of her own unique family dynamic. Shed a happy tear or two as you are reminded that love, laughter and joy can be found in the most unlikely places."
DISTRICT-WIDE INTEGRATED MONITORING INFO
Please read the following message from the DESSE:
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct an Integrated Monitoring Review of Hudson Public Schools during the week of November 4th, 2024. Each school district, charter school, vocational school, and virtual school undergoes an Integrated Monitoring Review every three years. The areas addressed during an Integrated Monitoring Review are organized into two groups, known as Group A Universal Standards and Group B Universal Standards.
Hudson Public Schools will be undergoing a Group B monitoring review that addresses special education teacher and related service personnel licensure and professional development; parent, student, and community engagement, including compliance with Child Find requirements; facilities and classroom observations; implementation and oversight of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); time and learning, and equal access.
The process includes interviews with district staff and administrators, policies and procedures, and school building visits. The process may also include parent/caregiver, student and teacher focus group meetings to gather additional information. Interpretation will be provided, if needed.
Hudson Public Schools will host an orientation about the review process in collaboration with the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). The Department will also send a parent survey, in multiple languages and formats, as needed, to parents /guardians of special education students to gather key information on the special education processes and procedures.
Parents/guardians and other stakeholders may call Jesus Pena, Monitoring Review Chairperson, at (781) 338-3767 to request a telephone interview. If anyone requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, the Department will make the necessary arrangements.
Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the (district or charter school) with a report that includes information on further actions that may be required. The public can access the report at https://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/default.html.
THE FARLEY FAMILY DIRECTORY IS HERE!
The SECOND draft of the Farley Family directory is now available. Thank you to Sarah Tracy for creating this resource. If you still want to be part of the directory, please still sign up!
Here is the link to last year's directory: Farley Family Directory
Still want to sign up? Click this link: https://forms.gle/eEQg6ZaSBnDqoDko7
Please email her @ sarah.tracy97@gmail.com if you have any questions
JOIN US-ALL ARE WELCOME!
Here is the link to join online: meet.google.com/goh-pzio-oev.
DISTRICT-WIDE ATTENDANCE LETTER NOTIFICATION
We are now one month into the 2024-2025 school year and I know that you have many hopes and dreams the days to come. To make sure those hopes and dreams are realized, I want to ask for your commitment to making sure your child attends school every day possible this year. The evidence is clear: children with good attendance are more likely to be successful in school and in life. Research shows that high attendance rates in elementary school are directly linked directly to high student achievement. Every day counts. Missing school even 10% of the time has a significant negative impact on reading and math achievement as children progress through school.
Good attendance starts early. Research has shown that the attendance habits established Kindergarten through Grade 2 have lasting effects on students throughout their education: children with high attendance in the early grades continue to have good attendance; and students with low attendance in the early grades are more likely to have low attendance—and lower academic performance—throughout their elementary and middle school years.
As caregivers, you are your child’s most influential teacher, I am asking for your support in helping your child get to school every day and to get to school on time by 8:35 every day. We realize that every family faces challenges. Please let your child’s teacher know if your family needs help dealing with a challenge to your child’s good school attendance. We will do our best to help you and your family ensure that your child’s school attendance stays on track.
Like last year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has mandated that families, whose children have 5 or more absences or 5 or more tardies be formally notified, in written form, of their child’s attendance. While Farley keeps accurate records of which absences are “excused” and “unexcused” the DESE does NOT distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absences.
Each school in the district will be emailing these letters home twice month. Please do not worry if you have received one of these notifications. We understand that kids, especially elementary age, get sick more often, have medical appointments, etc. We also understand that Covid-19 and the flu are still an issue. Farley staff always reaches out personally if attendance or tardies are a true concern. We like to work with families to help rectify any attendance issues that arise.
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM OUR PICK-UP/DROP-OFF STAFF
For the safety and well-being of both students and staff, the Farley teachers at car pick-up and drop-off kindly ask that drivers not use cell phones while in line. They would like caregivers to refrain from taking pictures and videos of kids walking into school as well. Thank you in advance for help with this.
PAW PRINT STICKERS EXPLAINED!
Students get Paw Print Stickers for going above and beyond. When a staff member "catches" them doing something spectacular, they get two stickers-one to wear and one to put on their homeroom Fox poster. When their classroom Fox poster fills up with stickers, they get to have a classroom celebration. If you see a paw print on your child's clothing or backpack, please ask them what good deed they did to receive the sticker!
A REQUEST FROM A RESIDENT
A few of the residents who live on Lincoln Street asked me to remind all car pick-up drivers, to please refrain from parking in front of the driveways on Packard or Lincoln Streets while waiting for pickup. Blocking driveways makes it difficult for residents to access their homes. Within the next few weeks, car pick-up will be so fast that this shouldn't be problem. But for now, please be mindful of where your care is idling. The residents thank you in advance for your cooperation.
WE ARE HIRING!
FARLEY'S NEW VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS
Vision:
Farley Elementary School prepares all of its students with the academic and social-emotional skills they need to thrive as thoughtful, creative, and curious citizens who value diversity and lifelong learning.
Mission:
Farley Elementary School is a safe and inclusive community where everyone feels seen and valued. We inspire and empower all of our members to grow, explore, and ignite a love of learning. We value creativity, curiosity, global citizenship, and equity and believe our cultural and linguistic diversity makes us stronger.
Farley Elementary School
Email: rscanlon@hudson.k12.ma.us
Website: https://cafarley.hudson.k12.ma.us/
Location: 119 Cottage Street, Hudson, MA, USA
Phone: 978-567-6153
District Resources:
Civil Rights Coordinator- Jennifer Allard jnallard@hudson.k12.ma.us
Title IX Coordinator- Jennifer Allard jnallard@hudson.k12.ma.us
Director of Student Services- Catherine Kilcoyne cakilcoyne@hudson.k12.ma.us
District 504 Coordinator-Catherine Kilcoyne cakilcoyne@hudson.k12.ma.us
McKinney Vento Contact-Catherine Kilcoyne cakilcoyne@hudson.k12.ma.us
Foster Care Point of Contact-Catherine Kilcoyne cakilcoyne@hudson.k12.ma.us