Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences will be held at the beginning of March. We are moving to all in person conferences but if you need to have a virtual conference please reach out to that teacher(s) directly.
If you are a parent with more than one child at Boyden, please allow for at least 10 minutes between your conferences. We have found that back-to-back conferences do not allow for travel from classroom to classroom.
If you have a Grade 5 student please sign up with their HOMEROOM TEACHER ONLY.
Click on the day you would like to attend and sign up with each teacher you would like to meet with. All our classroom teachers and specialists are listed (please note the times).
Math News
With February Vacation next week, your students may be looking for some fun ways to fill their time, and you may be looking for something that is not on a screen! Board games are a fantastic way to build number sense and math skills while having fun! A compilation of research that explored relationships between playing board games and mathematical knowledge and numerical skills found significant gains in 52% of the tasks analyzed. When comparing the intervention group and the control group, there were significant positive differences in 32% of the cases (Ballardes, July 2023). Board games provide an engaging, fun atmosphere, boost critical thinking, enhance number recognition, and offer flexible learning opportunities.
So, what are some of the best games? Well, many of us grew up with Monopoly of course, the board with 10 spaces on each side, adding and subtracting different amounts of money, etc., so it is no surprise that it is number 1 on many lists. Here is a Top 20 list of the best board games to enhance your child’s math abilities. Artful Math offers some tips to look for when choosing a math board game to play-find one that all players can win and that helps all kids practice and improve while playing. If just the fastest or the most skilled player is going to win, it can be frustrating. That would negate the last tip of choosing one kids will LOVE! You want to hear them laughing and having fun while playing. This top list focuses on games for specific grade levels. Finally, our Family Math Website has this list of Family Board Games that you might enjoy. You probably already have some of these games in a closet somewhere, so dust them off, take a break from screens and enjoy some good, “old-fashioned” fun while growing your math brain at the same time!
Battle of the Books
We are happy to bring back this engaging literacy program for grades 3-5 designed to encouraging reading and teamwork among our students. For the next three months, students will read from a list of thirteen books. The books cover a variety of authors, genres and topics ensuring that every student can find something they enjoy. Teams will be formed by grade and class. In April, teams will gather for Battle Day where they compete against each other in a friendly battle of book trivia. We encourage you to learn more about this program and how you can support your child by visiting the Battle of the Books website. Thank you to our sponsors Boyden PAC, Dedham Savings and Walpole Co-operative for supporting the program
What are the Student's Learning in Media/STEM?
Exploring Engineering in Elementary
Recently, we launched out engineering unit for our students in grades K-5. Throughout this unit, our learners will focus on problem solving, creativity, and design. Each grade level is reading a book, identifying a problem and using the engineering design process to create a solution. The lessons are adapted from Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s I Am STEM-STEM I Am program. During this unit, we will integrate technology into the EDP projects and use Book Creator, Makey-Makey, and Dash Robots.
MSLA Bookmark Contest
We are excited to announce the Boyden winners of the Massachusetts School Library Association bookmark contest. Students in grades 2-5 were eligible to participate and the theme was Every Story Matters. This contest was a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity and we were so proud of everyone who entered. Fifty-six students submitted designs, making it a difficult judging process for Boyden staff. Here are the winners:
Grades 2-3 Division:
1st place: Juliet Burdon
2nd place: Olivia Burti
3rd place: Hannah Dolan
Grades 4-5 Division:
1st place: Teddy Bartucca
2nd place: Anthony Cunha
3rd place: Luke Molles
Boyden School Report Card from DESE
Every year, each public school and school district in Massachusetts receives a report card. Just as your child’s report card shows how they are doing in different subjects, the school’s report card is designed to show families how our school is doing in different areas. A link to our school’s report card is available at https://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/2023/03070010.
The report card includes multiple measures of a school’s performance – more than just MCAS scores. It represents a new way of looking at school performance, by providing information on student achievement, teacher qualifications, student learning opportunities, and more.
Report cards are designed to be useful tools for everyone connected to our school. Families can use the information to have meaningful conversations with us about what the school is doing well and where there is room for improvement. Community and education leaders can use the information to better understand how to support students and our school.
You will notice on our report card that students are meeting or exceeding expectations at a higher percentage in English Language Arts, Math and STE than students across the state. To improve student performance in our school, we are focusing on improving Student Growth Percentile in English Language Arts and Math so we can better assess the needs of each individual student as compared to how they did the prior school year. In addition, we are focusing on student attendance to reduce chronic absenteeism this school year.
We encourage you to become involved in helping us improve our school. We see parents as critical partners in the success of our students and school, and we are grateful for your continued support.
Finally, if your child attends a school that receives federal Title I funds, you also have the right to request the following information about the qualifications of your child’s classroom teachers:
- Whether your child’s teacher is licensed in the grade levels and subject areas they teach,
- Whether your child’s teacher is teaching under an emergency license or waiver,
- The college degree and major of your child’s teacher, and
- Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
If you have questions about our school’s report card, would like to become involved in school improvement activities, or would like to request information about the qualifications of your child’s classroom teacher, please contact your building principal or district administration. To see our district’s report card or to search for other schools’ report cards, visit https://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/
Boyden Night at the Providence Bruins
On March 24th, join The Boyden School for a night with the Providence Bruins! All kids, family members, and friends receive this exclusive discounted offer. Everyone's ticket for this event is just $25 per person. You will receive great seats and you will receive a FREE P-BRUINS HAT!
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, March 13th at 7:00 PM in the Media Center
Walpole Wheel of Fortune
If you aren't a member of the Walpole Wheel of Fortune Facebook page, join us! The Wheel is a fundraising page managed by the Boyden PAC where items are raffled to raise funds for the school. Raffles will be held weekly on Wednesday or Thursday nights.
Arbor Day Poster Contest
Important Dates
February 19th - 23rd - No school (Vacation)
March 6th - Parent Teacher Conferences (5:00-7:00 PM)
March 8th - Early Release (12:25 Dismissal)
March 13th - PAC Meeting (7:00 PM)
March 14th - Parent Teacher Conferences (5:00 - 7:00 PM)
March 15th - School Store (Grades 1-5)
March 22nd - Early Release (12:25 Dismissal)
March 29th - No School - Day of Low Attendance
Click Here for the Walpole Public Schools School Year Calendar
