Marathon Memo

Friday, September 13

No PM Preschool

Friday, September 13

K -1 Early Release, lunch served

Dismissal 1:00 pm

Tuesday, September 24

Preschool Open House

6:15 - 7:30 pm

Wednesday, September 25

First Grade Open House

6:00 - 7:15 pm

Wednesday, September 25

Scholastic Book Fair

Marathon Gymnasium

5:30 - 8:00 pm

Thursday, September 26

Picture Day

Thursday, September 26

Kindergarten Open House

6:00 - 7:15 pm

Thursday, September 26

Scholastic Book Fair

Marathon Gymnasium

5:30 - 8:00 pm

Welcome to the new school year! We are thrilled to welcome you and your child to Marathon. Our staff are dedicated early childhood professionals. The theme of our school is It All Starts Here.

As the early childhood school in the district, the learning foundation in the Hopkinton Public Schools starts at Marathon. Our instruction promotes the development of the whole child which includes academics as well as social-emotional learning. Students bring much richness to our school community and see themselves and their families in our lessons and in our books. This creates a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.

We are partners in your child’s learning. Communication is key to that success. Do not hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.

Each month, our school newsletter, the Marathon Memo, will share highlights of various aspects of Marathon. This edition has a variety of information to help promote a positive start to the new school year.

Thank you for a great start to the school year. Following the group plan, specifically our arrival and dismissal procedures, helps everyone!

Preschool: Tuesday, September 24, 6:15 - 7:30 pm

First Grade: Wednesday, September 25, 6:00 - 7:15 pm

Kindergarten: Thursday, September 26, 6:00 - 7:15 pm

It’s time to mark your calendars for Open House. Our students are quickly learning how to navigate Marathon Elementary. We have had a great start to the new school year and look forward to sharing our school with our families. We’ve already experienced quite a bit with great success including specials, both outdoor and indoor recess, and a fire drill.

Preschool Open House Details: This event is not for children

Preschool Open House will occur on Tuesday, September 24th from 6:15 - 7:30. Parents are invited to come experience hands-on activities that simulate a preschool session. This event is for first-time preschool parents of currently enrolled students at the Hopkinton Integrated Preschool at Marathon Elementary only. Come listen to an interactive story, take part in a handwriting group, sit and attend during circle time, participate in an art project, engage in pretend play, and wake up your muscles during a gross motor group. Again, this event is not for children.

Kindergarten and First Grade Open House Details: This event is for students

We invite you to accompany your kindergarten and first grade child to visit their classroom, meet their teacher, and learn about their days at school.

The time to visit classrooms with your child is as follows:

First Grade Open House, Wednesday, September 25th, 6:00 - 7:15 pm

Kindergarten Open House, Thursday, September 26th, 6:00 - 7:15 pm

You are also encouraged to visit the HPTO-sponsored book fair in the school gymnasium on K & 1 Open House evenings from 5:30 - 8:00 pm. You may begin and/or end your evening at the Book Fair.

We begin each day at Marathon with a greeting and a welcoming smile. We’re happy to start our day and look forward to the learning adventures ahead. For our students, learning encompasses many domains that include academics, as well as, social emotional learning. In order for these foundational skills to develop and grow, we need students at school. The work we are doing now at Marathon is not work that can be made up: learning expectations, procedures, and routines. This is important work that contributes to student learning.

Research has shown that attendance in the early grades contributes to school success. Habits established at the early levels regarding consistent attendance promote positive growth.

Throughout the year, we will review student attendance and reach out to families. As a school community, we are vested in our students and your children attending school. We work with families to overcome obstacles that impede attendance. Please contact us if getting your child to school is a challenge so that we can work together to promote a positive early learning foundation. The benefits will be far-reaching well beyond your child’s time at Marathon Elementary.

How many absences are considered to be chronic absences? Massachusetts defines Chronically Absent as missing at least 10% of the days enrolled. For our school year that is 18 of our 180 school days.

To learn more: Help Your Child Succeed in School: Build the Habit of Good Attendance Early.

Resources for families: Chronic absenteeism: What you need to know

Your child is expected at school. Knowing that they will be absent is important information.

Ways to report your child's absence:

1. Call the absentee call in line at 508-497-9876

2. Email the school nurse Candace Burnell: cburnell@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

3. Complete the online “Absentee Form” which is found under “Contact Us.” This information will go directly to the school nurse. On the bottom right side of the Marathon School webpage, click on “Contact Us.” A new window will pop up. On the left side of this window, click on “Absentee Form” and fill out the requested information.

Hello from the health office!

It has been a fun (although very busy) first week and a half getting to see all of the returning students in the hallways, and getting to meet some of our new incoming kindergarten and preschool students.

For those of you who don't know us, we'd like to introduce ourselves briefly:

Hello, I am Candace Burnell RN, MSN. This will be my 5th year as the Marathon Elementary School Nurse. I recently graduated with my masters degree in public health nursing, and am really excited to apply all that I learned in my role here. I have a passion for fitness and nutrition, and I work as a trainer at a gym in the evenings. I also have a full house with 2 kids, 2 dogs and a cat at home!

I am Amanda Jessee RN, BSN. This is my second year with Hopkinton Public Schools, and I am the district float nurse. I am primarily stationed at Marathon, and spend the majority of my days here. My nursing background includes labor and delivery, pediatrics, and now school nursing. I especially enjoy working with this grade level as I have a 4 year old daughter and a 5 year old son of my own at home. I love reading and crafting in my spare time!

A few beginning of the year reminders:

• Please remember to send a change of clothes (including socks) for your child to keep in their cubby in case of an accident or big spills.
  

• Do pack a snack for your child. Please remember to send a snack (or two) for your student daily. This should be packed separately from their lunch. We do NOT have extra snacks. If your family is in need of assistance with providing snacks for your child, please reach out to us privately.
  

• Students should also be sent to school with a water bottle each day. There is a refill station that students can use throughout the day.
  

• An email has gone out regarding medication for your reference. If your child needs medication during school, please reach out to the nurse and we will arrange for a parent drop off. Please do not send medication to school with your child in their backpack.
  
• If at any time throughout the school year you have questions or concerns for us, please feel free to reach out!

In public schools in Massachusetts, Massachusetts General Law requires the display of the American flag and the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in the schoolhouse. Students may choose not to recite the Pledge, or during the recitation, they may choose to remain silent for the words “under God,” or they may choose to substitute in their own words for “under God.”

In the Hopkinton Public Schools, we will continue to carry out our daily practices as we currently do--recite the Pledge of Allegiance prior to the start of the school day in the schoolhouse. Students and families may make decisions that fall within their purview regarding the recitation of the Pledge. Please note that this is a family decision and accordingly, conversations regarding the Pledge should take place at home if you are inclined to do so. Whatever decisions are made by individual students and their families will be respected, honored, and dignified in our schools.

We are seeking volunteers to be part of the Marathon School Council. We are currently in need of a preschool and first grade parent representative as well as a community representative.

School Council is a “representative, school-based committee composed of the principal, parents, teachers, community members” (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, Section 59C). The principal works with the council to identify the educational needs of the students attending the school, review the annual school budget, and prepare a school improvement plan. The plan addresses issues such as professional development, student learning time, parent involvement, safety and discipline, and ways to meet the diverse learning needs of the students in the school.

Our council will meet five times this school year via Google Meet. Our meetings are on Fridays at 8:00 a.m.

If you are interested in serving on the Marathon School Council, please send an email to Rosemary Tabakin by Thursday, September 19th. If we receive more volunteers than needed, an election will be held.

School Council meetings are public, all are welcome to join! The link to the October meeting will be in the next Marathon Memo.

A volunteer opportunity that many take part in over the course of the school year is being a Mystery Reader. As with all volunteers, Mystery Readers must have a CORI on file with the Hopkinton Public Schools. We kindly remind readers that volunteer roles at Marathon are for adults. When younger siblings joined, we experienced some challenges that impacted this special visit, thus the reaffirmation of no younger siblings. This sets the stage for an optimal experience for your child and their classmates. Also, the volunteer experience is for the person who has signed up, you are not able to swap out for another adult, if unable to attend. In that situation, you will need to reschedule with the teacher.

The treat is the reading of a story, please no gifts for the students. We thank you in advance for promoting a wonderful Mystery Reader visit for all!

Volunteers need a CORI on file with the Hopkinton Public Schools. If you plan to volunteer, check to see if your CORI is up-to-date at moffice@hopkinton.k12.ma.us or stop by the Marathon Office with your driver’s license between 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. to complete your CORI application.

PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports) is a framework that provides a system for teaching and reinforcing positive behavior expectations. The goal of PBIS is to set up clear, consistent behavior expectations so that each student knows exactly what is expected of them in every situation in school.

At Marathon School, our school-wide behavior expectations are:

Take Care Of Yourself

Take Care of Each Other

Take Care Of Our School.

Hopkinton’s youngest students are building their knowledge of expected behaviors. After learning, modeling, and practicing behaviors, students will be acknowledged for demonstrating these behaviors with a Cubby Paw Print. Not all students will receive a Paw Print each day, but all students will receive some during the year. When your child brings one home, be sure to ask them about it!

It has been an exciting start to the school year! We are learning about procedures for the art room and how to use new materials. I am looking forward to a creative year ahead.

Just as a reminder, we will soon be using paint and other messy art supplies. Please have your child wear old clothes on the day they have art. Students can get very concerned and have difficulty fully engaging in the creative process if they are worried about getting paint on their new shirt. There are smocks optionally available to them, however, I have seen that even if a child is wearing a smock it doesn’t guarantee they will not get paint on their clothes. Please have them dress accordingly.

I am hoping to be able to do a paper mache sculpture project with the first graders later this year. For this project, I could use donations of paper towel tubes (the cardboard tube from the inside of a roll of paper towels). I do not need toilet paper tubes because they are too short for this project. If you have any paper towel tubes you could donate please send them to school with your child. Thank you!

Below is a collaborative art project in process…ask your child to tell you more.

Dear Marathon Families,

My name is Erica Seekell and I am the Marathon Elementary School Parent Liaison for SEPAC. SEPAC stands for Special Education Parent Advisory Council. Our mission is to create a strong, collaborative relationship between parents, care partners, and schools for the benefit of students with special needs and disabilities, thereby improving education for all students. Membership is open to all parents, care partners, and allies.

I am a mom to 2 kids. My 5 year old daughter is a medically complex child on an IEP (individualized education program) who recently left Marathon Elementary to attend an out of district school. My 7 year old son has a 504 Plan.

I went through a period of grief when we received my daughter’s life altering diagnoses after she was born. It was hard to accept our new normal. Later, when my son had his own mental health issues, I found myself struggling again to adapt. Participating in SEPAC has helped me to know that I’m not doing this alone. It has helped me to heal. I joined SEPAC as the events coordinator to create safe spaces for special needs families to gather and find their own support networks. Belonging to a community that understands your story is a powerful thing. I hope to foster these connections among special needs families so no one has to feel alone.

You are invited to attend our monthly events! We would love to meet you!

Also, SEPAC is conducting a survey to evaluate services from the past 2023-2024 school year. Please complete a survey for each of your students. 2023-2024 Survey

Please contact me for more information about SEPAC at ESeekell@gmail.com or Sepachopkinton@gmail.com.

Sincerely-

Erica Seekell

www.hopkinton-sepac.org

Facebook (@HopkintonSEPAC)

September 2024 SEPAC Events

Hopkinton 101: Meet and Greet with Special Education Team Leads

Come to meet your student’s special education team lead! We will have a short presentation of introductions for each team lead followed by meet and greet time. We will be serving light refreshments.

When: September 17th, 2024 at 6:30pm

Where: Hopkinton Public Library, Betty Strong room

Hopkinton SEPAC Parents and Care Partners Coffee Hour

Welcome back to school! Hopkinton SEPAC is hosting a coffee hour for parents and care partners of special needs students. Come to meet other special needs parents and learn more about Hopkinton SEPAC. We will be serving coffee and donuts.

When: September 30th, 2024 at 10am

Where: Hopkinton Public Library, Betty Strong room

Dear Parents and Families:

Get Ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming our way (YAY!). Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them to become Bolder, Prouder, and Stronger Readers. AND—as always—every book they buy earns rewards for our school.

Here’s what you need to know about the book fair, which will take place on Wednesday, September 25, and Thursday, September 26, from 5:30pm-8:00pm at the Marathon Elementary Gym and will coincide with 1st Grade Open House (Sept 25) and Kindergarten Open House (Sept 26). More details on Open House nights will come out separately from Marathon.

What is the Book Fair? Our Book Fair is an opportunity to buy age-appropriate, quality books and products at affordable prices. It gets our students excited about reading, builds classroom libraries, and provides funds to our school and the HPTO programs that support and enrich our school's curriculum. With every sale made during the book fair, the school gets to keep a portion of the profit. With that profit, our school chooses items such as books and other educational materials that are used by the teachers and children enrolled at Marathon school.

If you can’t make it to the fair, then shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. The online book fair will be open and available for purchases from September 24-October 7, 2024, only. https://www.scholastic.com/bf/marathonelem1

Check out some of the books that will be available during our Book Fair now! https://bookfairsfiles.scholastic.com/homepages/flyer_custom/flyer_custom.html

Volunteer: Must be CORI cleared. Please call the Marathon office to check if you have a current CORI on file. Sign up to volunteer and learn how to get CORI cleared by visiting https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094CA4AF23A1F58-51148561-2024 . Volunteer opportunities include helping with book fair set up, assisting parents and children with selecting books during the fair, running the cash registers, and helping with book fair clean up.

Support your child’s classroom: Help to increase classroom libraries by donating books to your child’s classroom in your family or child’s name. The titles are handpicked by each teacher as desired library selections for their rooms – look for the buckets at the fair! Your child can sign and hand-deliver it to their class.

Additional All for Books donations can be made during the fair to help children in the district to purchase books who may not otherwise be able to.

The countdown to more Bookjoy is on! Catch you at the Fair!

Happy reading,

HPTO Book Fair Committee & Marathon Staff

Please contact a Book Fair Chairperson with any questions:

Laura Kelliher keatingLE@gmail.com

Caillin Moyen caillin.moyen@gmail.com

For the Hopkinton Parent Teacher Organization September Newsletter, click here

Let’s show our school pride! On Fridays wear your Marathon gear, Hopkinton gear, or school colors (green, orange, white). Throughout the year, we show our home team pride as our local teams have big games. The goal is to build community spirit and support of our favorite teams even if it’s not a New England team!

At various times during the year, the HPTO will sponsor Marathon gear sales.

Contact us at: moffice@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

Lauren Dubeau, Principal

Eric Mitchell, Assistant Principal

Mark Campbell, Administrative Assistant

Rosemary Tabakin, Administrative Assistant