Sippican Weekly Overview!

Hey Sippican Families,

Can you believe it? We're officially over the hump – halfway through the school year! Principal Dessert and Assistant Principal Thomas here, checking in with all the latest happenings. It feels like just yesterday we were welcoming everyone back, and now, boom! We're practically sprinting towards spring. So much has happened already, and while we've made great strides, we still have lots of exciting work ahead of us.

Speaking of milestones, get ready to celebrate! This Tuesday marks the 100th day of school! Where does the time go? It seems like we were just learning our ABCs, and now we're practically pros. Seriously, though, February already? Time flies when you're having fun (and learning a lot!).

And speaking of fun, get ready for some amazing music! Our Winter Concert is happening THIS Wednesday at 6:30 PM in the Multipurpose Room. Come on down and enjoy the incredible talents of our students. It's sure to be a heartwarming and festive evening. We can't wait to see you there!

Stay warm (it's definitely still winter!), and have a wonderful week!

Warmly,

Principal Dessert &

Assistant Principal Thomas

Our Mission Statement:

The mission of our school district is to inspire all students to think, learn, and care. Sippican School is committed to fostering a respectful, responsible, and kind learning environment. We've launched the "3 to Be" initiative to remind our community of these important values.

"Sippican 3 to Be"

Be Respectful

Be Responsible

Be Kind

Project GROW was established to provide high-quality pre-schooling to children in Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester.

The program aims to provide children with a part-day, high-quality preschool experience in a public school setting and an inclusive learning environment for children with special needs.

The program is be offered at three district schools:

• Sippican Elementary School, Marion (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

• Center School, Mattapoisett (8:50 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.)

• Rochester Memorial School, Rochester (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

The program consists of two section of classes:

• Tuesday and Thursday ($2,520/year)

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday ($3,780/year)

All classes follow the ORR public school calendar.

This four-hour program is open to all children residing in Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester who will be 3 years of age before Sept. 1, 2025.

Parents and guardians are reminded that they are responsible for providing transportation to and from the program each day.

Each preschool class is staffed by a certified teacher and assistant. The program aligns with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and follows the High/Scope curriculum.

For more information or to register your child for the program, click here.

Winter is here! Please help your child stay warm and cozy by dressing them for cold weather. We go outside for recess even when it's as cold as 20 degrees! If the wind makes it feel colder, we'll stay inside.

Please send your child to school with warm layers, a good jacket, a hat, and mittens. If there's snow, kids without snow pants and boots will play on the blacktop or tennis courts.

Thanks for helping us keep everyone warm and happy this winter!

The Moonlight Sonata is easily one of the most popular and recognizable classical pieces ever composed. This piece is often played on classical radio stations, it has appeared in many films and television shows, such as Charlie Brown’s Christmas, and it is frequently learned and performed by piano students.

Tuesday, March 25th - Grades 3 & 4 - ELA

Wednesday, March 26th - Grades 3 & 4 - ELA

Thursday, March 27th - Grades 5 & 6 - ELA

Friday, March 28th - Grades 5 & 6 - ELA

Tuesday, April 29th - Grades 3 & 4 - MATH

Wednesday, April 30th - Grades 3 & 4 - MATH

Thursday, May 1st - Grades 5 & 6 - MATH

Friday, May 2nd - Grades 5 & 6 - MATH

Thursday, May 15th - Grade 5 - STE

Friday, May 16th - Grade 5 - STE

Warm Feet Warm Hearts - Winter Teacher Appreciation

We are still looking for a few more items for our Sippican Staff winter appreciation. Check out our Amazon wishlist here and share your appreciation with our staff!!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Q1GHLOGH1L5G/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2

Dorothy Cox Milk Chocolate Long Stemmed Roses

Give your Valentine a sweet treat by sending them a long stemmed milk chocolate rose by Dorothy Cox! Roses will be delivered in-school on Valentine's Day. Online orders only:

https://students.arbitersports.com/v-a-s-e/dorothy-cox-milk-chocolate-long-stem-rose

February 7 - Family Movie Night - Inside Out 2

Join us on February 7 for Family Movie Night. Doors Open at 5:45 - 8. Food, popcorn and concessions for sale. $5/pp, $20 family max. No drop offs.

Boosterthon - Save the Dates

BIG NEWS! Our Sippican Fun Run fundraiser kicks off soon! We’re raising $20,000 for enrichment programs and performing arts and we need your help. Save the date and stay tuned for more details on how you can support our cause. #schoolfundraiser #supportourschool #choosebooster
Sign up online at MyBooster.com – 02/14/2025
Fundraiser Kickoff in school – 02/28/2025
Event Day – 03/11/2025

A big thanks to our corporate sponsors that have donated so far this year:

Dr. James Hermenegildo
Children's Academy
Waterman Building & Remodeling
Coastal Orthodontics
Marion Social Club
Converse Company Realtors
Morse Insurance Co.
Burke Electrical Contractors
Southcoast Insurance Group
Heavenly Medical Aesthetics
RYCO
Rose & Vicki's
Bardens Boatyard
Parnassus Investments

Silverback Concrete Construction

February 5th - Winter Concert (6:30PM)

February 7th - Movie Night (5:45PM-8PM)

February 12th - Marion Occupational Program

February 14th - Valentine's Day

February 17th - 21st - February Vacation

February 28th - Boosterthon Begins

It's time to start our annual Winter Reading Challenge! The theme this year is "Winter Reading Workout" and it will run from Jan. 13-Feb. 13. All students (and staff!) are invited to join the challenge, which asks participants to make time every day for reading at home and to record the time spent reading. Did you know that reading fiction is known to have many health benefits, including decreasing stress and improving your memory? Let's support all students in this important daily habit! Turn in your final sheets to the school library at the end of the challenge to receive a small prize, and to be entered in a raffle for a prize to the spring Book Fair. Happy Reading! Questions? Reach out to Mrs. Barrett at jessicabarrett@oldrochester.org.

Our Winter Reading Challenge.mp4

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Multi Purpose Room

4PM-6PM

The Elizabeth Taber Library is excited to announce their upcoming Library Improvement Project that will modernize the Library space! With this renovation, comes changes to the Library that may impact Sippican families - especially independent walkers who may regularly visit the library. Starting January 6, the children's room and public meeting room spaces will be under construction and unavailable for us. Seating will be limited in the rest of the library and regular afternoon children's programs on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon will be paused during the renovations. Some programming will still take place and families are encouraged to look at the Library website or follow the Elizabeth Taber Library on social media for the most up to date information. The Library will be operating out of the Marion Music Hall beginning on Monday, February 3. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the library at 508-748-1252, or email children's librarian Macy Davis at mdavis@sailsinc.org

A student may carry or keep a cell phone or Smartwatch in his/her backpack if authorized by the school office. The phone or Smartwatch must be shut off and kept in the child’s locker/backpack and may be used only for emergency or unusual circumstances as agreed by parents and administration. The phone or Smartwatch may not be used to receive or send messages anytime during school hours or on school buses. Student phones or Smartwatches used to make, or receive, unauthorized calls during school hours, or on a bus, will be confiscated by the school administration or the bus driver.

The 2025-2026 School Calendar was approved by the Joint School Committee earlier this month. We are grateful for the feedback received from stakeholders and the school committees' collaboration to approve next year's calendar. View the calendar here.

• Winning school receives a $5,000 grant!
• Winning student receives a $500 grant to donate to a non-profit of their choice, or to their school.
• Winning student also receives surprise gifts from The Feinstein Foundation!

Jr. Scholar Card Spotlight: Providence Children’s Museum

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We want to ensure that our school community remains informed and connected. To help us maintain accurate attendance records and provide the best possible support to your child, we kindly ask that you notify the school office or the nurse 508-748-0100 x 6306 if your child is absent for the day due to illness.

Please leave a message with the following information:

• Student's Name:
• Teacher's Name:
• Reason for Absence: (e.g., illness, doctor's appointment)
• Expected Return Date:

Thank you for your cooperation!

All of our schools continue to use Raptor Technology for all visitors entering our buildings.

All visitors and volunteers are required to have a valid driver’s license or Massachusetts issued identification card to be scanned-in upon entering the building for any reason. CORI checks are required for any parent/guardian volunteers and are available in the main office of your student's school.

Although one lunch each day and one breakfast each day are free this year, we still need families to complete the free and reduced lunch application forms. These forms need to be completed every year. The online forms can be found by using this link: orrschoolmeals.com

• Breakfast is served each day starting at 8:30 AM

• One breakfast and one lunch are free for all students this year.

• Additional milk, drinks or snacks can be purchased for a fee.

• Snacks range from $1.00 to a $1.50

• Milk costs .65 cents (Please note that students will need to pay for milk if they bring their own lunch.)

• Assorted Drinks range from $1.00 to a $1.75

• 2nd Breakfast: $1.75

• 2nd Lunch: $3.50

Just a reminder that students do have a snack each day. The snacks need to be packed separately from their lunch and need to be free from peanuts/tree nuts. All school lunches are peanut free and we do have an allergy table in the cafeteria. If you have any questions regarding allergies, please reach out to our school nurse, Mrs. Bertram.

District Policy Manual

District Bullying and Harassment Prevention and Intervention Plan

Bullying Reporting Form