Plympton Family Update

Hello, Families!

We've had a busy week!

Picture Day was this Thursday and everyone looked great! The picture company will be back on December 2 for those students who were absent on Thursday or who would like a retake. More detailed information will be shared closer to December.

The Waltham Fire Department was at Plympton on Wednesday to speak to our Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students about fire safety. The Waltham Fire Department welcomes local families to a free Open House on Sunday 10/13/2024 from 12-3pm at the Moody Street Station (533 Moody Street). The fire department will be back later this year to present to 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students.

On Tuesday the PTO organized walking groups for National Walk to School Day. Check out the sweet flag in the photo below!

As mentioned earlier, we recently had a safety audit from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. While we are awaiting the full report, we do need all families to support us with our current procedure. Kindergarten walkers/family pick up on Caughy Street should be picked up on the school side of the street. All students and adults should be using the crosswalks. We can not have family members waving their children to run across the street. Please make sure your students checks out with their teacher before coming to you.

Gentle Reminders:

• There is no sharing of food, including chips and candy, at school. Students should not be bringing large bags of chips or candy to school. Students who continue to bring large, family size bags of chips, etc. will be asked to take out a portion for themselves and the remainder will be held in the office.
• Students may only ride the bus they are assigned and that assignment is based on home address.
• Please include your child's teacher and Mrs. Conneely on any dismissal plan changes.
• We are starting to plan field trips! If the nurse consent form, which was sent home with the emergency forms are not in, your student cannot attend field trips. We will review the list of missing forms and send an an email as a reminder.

Have a great weekend!

Go Penguins!

Vamos Pinguinos!

Adrienne Norris and Amanda Brennan

Bookmark our homepage and also check out this resource!

A paper copy of this letter is being sent home with all students in grades K through 3 today.

Dear Families,

One of the most important priorities in the Waltham Public Schools is to teach children the skill and joy of reading. This letter provides an overview of the district’s approach to reading support and information about updated Early Literacy Screening Regulations from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Early Literacy Screening

As of July 1, 2023 all schools in Massachusetts are required to conduct literacy screenings two times a year for all students in Kindergarten through third grade using a screening instrument approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Early literacy universal screening assessments are short tests that provide information about your child’s early reading skills. Screening does not diagnose dyslexia or other disabilities, but it does help determine which students may need additional support to be successful readers.

Our District’s Early Literacy Screening Assessment and Timeline

Waltham Public Schools uses a screening assessment called DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) 8th Edition. For students at the Dual Language School, screening is assessed using MClass Lectura. Both screeners are approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. DIBELS 8th Edition or MClass Lectura will be given three times per year in grades K-3, with the October assessment used for benchmarking purposes. The October benchmark helps teachers establish a baseline of students’ reading abilities at the beginning of the school year. In January and May, screening with DIBELS or MClass Lectura will occur. Following the screening assessments in January and May, a team at each school will review all students’ results. If your child scores significantly below benchmarks, you will be contacted within 30 days of testing to discuss the team’s plan to support your child within the general education program.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Anne Curry at annecurry@walthampublicschools.org or your child’s principal.

Sincerely,

Anne Curry, Director of Humanities, K-5

Adrienne Norris, Principal of Plympton Elementary

Monday: No School

Tuesday: Cocolate Chip Waffles

Wednesday: Egg & Cheese Breakfast sandwich with Tater Tots

Thursday: Confetti Pancakes

Friday: Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast sandwich with Tater Tots

🍎 Back to School Night scheduled for October 17, 2024.

(6:00 to 7:30)

Trunk or Treat is October 18, 2024 (PTO event)

PTO Community Meeting - October 22, 2024 (6:30)

Restaurant Night Out - October 24, 2024 at Tempo to support the PTO

Absences: We have a separate phone number if a child is going to miss school. Please don't call the office directly; leave a message on the absentee line at 781-314-5770.

Dismissal plans: Please communicate any changes to your student's dismissal plan at the start of the day. Students may only ride the bus they are assigned and that assignment is based on home address.

Email: Adriennenorris@walthampublicschools.org
Website: https://www.walthampublicschools.org/o/plympton
Location: 20 Farnsworth St, Waltham, MA, USA
Phone: (781) 314-5760

This link has lots of great information about our school!