May Welcome Center Newsletter

The Arlington Public Schools (APS) Welcome Center serves as a dedicated resource hub, providing support to students and families as they navigate the school system. Whether you're new to the district or need assistance, we're here to help!

Services Offered:

• Enrollment Support – Assistance with registration, residency verification, and school placement.
• Family Resources & Engagement – Guidance on school policies, district programs, and ways to get involved
• Basic Needs Assistance – Support with accessing food, clothing, housing, and other essential services.
• Language Support – Interpretation and translation services for multilingual families.

Need help? Please complete the APS Family Support Request Form, and a team member will follow up with you!

Support the APS Welcome Center- The APS Welcome Center strives to provide families with essential resources, and your support can make a difference! If you'd like to contribute, consider donating through our Amazon Wish List.

Contact Information:

📧 Email: welcomecenter@arlington.k12.ma.us
📞 Phone: 781-316-3332
📍 Address: 14 Mill Brook Drive, Arlington, MA
🕘 Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Welcome Center Closed: April 21-25

Thank you for supporting our mission to create a welcoming and inclusive school community!

Information about available support to address APS family needs

We support families with resources such as clothing, school supplies, toiletries, winter clothing, and much more! Let us know what you need through the APS Family Support Request Form and we'll have it ready for you to pick up.

The Family Support Request Form is designed to give families an avenue to request support and helps the District and schools understand the needs and concerns of families in order to provide the most effective support and resources. Once you complete this form we will share your responses with the family engagement department and/or school social workers or counselors to support your child(ren)/ family.

Thursday May 1-31, Asian Pacific Heritage Month/Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Thursday, May 1-31, Jewish American Heritage Month

Monday, May 5, Cinco De Mayo

Sunday, May 11, Mother’s Day

Wednesday May 21st, Early release Day

Monday, May 26, Memorial Day- NO SCHOOL

Resources and opportunities for families to engage in continued learning

The Arlington Public Schools Welcome & Resource Center invites you to attend our New Family Orientation, which will be held virtually on Thursday, May 22, 2025, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM.

Although this session is designed to welcome families who are new to the district, all families—new and returning—are welcome. The orientation will provide helpful information about navigating APS systems, accessing family support, and staying connected throughout the school year.

During the session, we will review district communication tools, school structures, support services, and opportunities for family engagement.

Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Location: Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89901787589

To register and submit questions in advance, please complete this form:
https://forms.gle/BfnPg3TBHMhAWzae6

If you are unable to attend live, presentation slides will be shared with everyone who registers.

Please view translated versions of the flyer here!

Events, information, and resources supporting parents and caregivers

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) offers techniques and tools to help parents improve communication with their children; develop healthy family values and clear behavioral expectations; control and express anger constructively; strengthen family bonds and trust; and prevent children from engaging in substance use and other risky behaviors. FREE for parents and caregivers of children ages 9-14

Spring 2025 Session: Wednesday nights, May 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th

Time: 6:30-8:30 PM

Register for the virtual meeting here

Take the Arlington SEPAC Parent/Caregiver Feedback Survey!

We're partnering with Arlington’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) to better support students and families. If you're a parent or caregiver of a student with a disability or additional support needs, we want to hear from you! Your responses will help the SEPAC advise on the best support and services for all students. Thank you for sharing your experience!

📝 The survey takes about 10 minutes. More details, including FAQs, are available here.

➡️ Take the Survey 🔗

Free events happening in the community

Our third annual APS Pride Celebration is Saturday, May 10th! This event will take place on the front lawn of Arlington High School from 11:00am - 2:00pm! Friends & Community (every school will be represented with elementary Rainbow Alliances, middle school QSAs and the AHS GSA each hosting tables with activities for all ages). Interested in volunteering? Sign up here!

EcoFest is a time of learning, volunteering, and celebrating our planet! Check out the town website for updates on exciting EcoFest happenings in 2025.

May 3rd- 9-11 AM Garlic Pull at Arlington Reservoir, Lowell Street

May 4th- 8-10AM Bird Walk at the Arlington Reservoir

May 10th 9AM- 1PM Spy Pond Trails Day; Equipment and snacks provided, qualifies as community service for students

May 14th 3PM-6PM AHS Eco Fair

May 18th 10AM-2PM Arlington Community Orchard Celebration

May 21st- 6:30-8:30 Fighting Climate Change Together

The annual Arlington High School EcoFair is open to the public and features live music, food and ice cream, crafts, lawn games, interactive public art, and activities run by student leaders of environmental initiatives. (Rain date May 20.)

When 5/14/2025, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PMWhereAHS Front Lawn

The Town of Arlington is celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month with a community dinner on May 16th from 6pm-8pm at Calvary United Methodist Church. This is a chance for residents to connect with one another, share stories, and celebrate Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage in Arlington.
This event is co-sponsored by the Town of Arlington's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Division and the Arlington Human Rights Commission

For questions or suggestions, please contact the DEI Director at: rbaluch@town.arlington.ma.us

Date and Location: May 16th from 6pm-8pm at Calvary United Methodist Church.

Space is limited so be sure to RSVP by May 9th at https://bit.ly/ArlingtonAANHPI-2025.

Volunteers needed! Help place flags on veterans' graves for Memorial Day. Join us on Saturdays in May (3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th), 9AM-Noon at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. All are welcome.

Date: 05/24/2025 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Meet at the cemetery vault near the administration building, in the older part of the cemetery.

Accessing Arlington’s many community resources is now easier than ever! Check out our new spreadsheet to find local food support, recreation, affordable housing, english classes, childcare, mental health resources and much more

is annually updated guide showcasing the importance of participating in your child's educational journey, partnering with your child’s school, the many ways you can engage with the district.

It contains information about:

- Family- School partnerships at home, at school, and within the community

- Ways to stay connected

- Parent Teacher Organizations, School Councils, and special interest groups

- Opportunities to volunteer and participate at school

- Upcoming events in the district

and much more!

The APS Before School Breakfast Club is an expanded morning care and breakfast program available for all students K-12. To learn more about the program view the information sheet here. If you would like your child(ren) to participate in the program, please complete this form for each child. Please check in with your child's school on programming start dates.

How to communicate with the Welcome Center

Keep up with district news, events, and celebrations by following our social accounts!

Follow us on:

• Facebook: ArlingtonMASchools

• Instagram: @arlingtonmaps

• LinkedIn: Arlington Public Schools

• X (Formerly Twitter) @ArlingtonMAPS

The School News app by Edlio is an activity feed for alerts, news, and events from APS. It’s a simple way to view the school news feeds and calendars. The app is free to download to your iOS or Android phone and quick to set up:

• Go to the App Store or Google Play and search for “School News by Edlio” to install.
• Open the app and search for Arlington Public Schools; tap “Add School.”
• Enable push notification by going to the Alerts tab and tapping “Enable Notifications.”

All of the news and events posted to our website are posted on the app for easy access.