10/27/24
Greetings MacArthur Families,
This is a packed edition of the MacArthur Notes! Buckle Up! Thank you for taking the time to read.
Thank you to all for an amazing community week at MacArthur School! It was wonderful to see so many families at Trunk or Treat! It was quite the event once again and we are so thankful to all who hosted trunks, donated their time or treasure, or attended to bring our MacArthur community together once again. The costumes were phenomenal and made for such a special night. Thank you to Melanie McDonough for chairing the event and to our PTO Board for their coordination once again this year.
In preparation for Halloween Day 10/31, this is a reminder that Thursday is a traditional learning day for our students. Students who celebrate are encouraged to enjoy their costumes at night and not dress up during the school day. We also ask that students keep any candy collected during their trick or treating at home, as we have several students with severe food allergies and we want to limit exposure to potential allergens. Thank you for your support in this area. Please note: 5th grade students are participating in a curricular activity where the students have written two voice poems where costumes are a part of the presentation.
Our 2nd grade created the MacArthur Storybook Pumpkin Patch once again this year! We loved seeing the students (and adults) discussing their favorite book characters and creatively representing them on their pumpkins. We will share pictures in next week’s MacArthur Notes. Thank you to all family members who took the time to view the patch altogether on Friday afternoon.
The 4th grade enjoyed a great STEM enrichment opportunity courtesy of the Discovery Museum. Each class engaged in a hands-on learning opportunity to support their scientific understanding of learned concepts. Thank you to Ms. Sara Boudreau, our Science Specilaist, for coordinating this opportunity for our students.
Our red and white spirit day kicked off Waltham High homecoming weekend and included a visit from some Waltham High School cheerleaders and Football players (and MacArthur alumni). The excitement on the faces of our students was pure joy as they joined some cheers at recess, grabbed an autograph, or high-fived a high schooler! This tradition was brought back based on the recommendation of some of our current MacArthur students during a recent Student Council meeting. Thank you to Ms. Julia Norman, our Digital Learning Teacher, and student council coordinator for her recommendation.
We love celebrating the diversity of our MacArthur community and are eager to have families join us for our annual Multicultural Festival on Thursday, November 14th from 3:45pm - 5:15pm. Click here to sign up to present and share your family's cultural background with our MacArthur Family. This is always a fan favorite community event that continues to grow each and every year! If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Stephanie South, our MacArthur School Librarian, who has spearheaded this event since its inception. stephaniesouth@walthampublicschools.org
Finally, Waltham Public Schools is once again looking for your input via our twice a year family feedback survey. Link - http://surveys.panoramaed.com/waltham/family24 Please complete at your convenience. Information about the surveys can be found here in multiple languages. We continue to increase our participation and look forward to hearing your feedback on what is working well and what we could refine in support of making our school a more supportive and inclusive community for learning for our students and families. If you are the adult caregiver of a 3rd - 5th grader, please review this letter to learn more about the student survey that is completed. Please reach out via email to kevinkmiec@walthampublicschools.org with any questions. Students will take the survey between 11/1 and 11/13.
Have a wonderful week! Wishing those celebrating Diwali beginning on Thursday a wonderful celebration! To those celebrating Halloween a safe and memorable evening!
In Partnership,
Mr. Kmiec and Mr. Howes
