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Green Meadow Weekly Update

September 13, 2024

Green MeadowWeekly UpdateSeptember 13, 2024

Contact Us

Principal, Karen Lindquist - klindquist@maynard.k12.ma.us

Assistant Principal, Kate Murray - kmurray@maynard.k12.ma.us

Administrative Assistant- Kathy Sullivan - ksullivan@maynard.k12.ma.us

Administrative Assistant- Nancy Dangelo - ndangelo@maynard.k12.ma.us

School Nurse, Maria Bourgeois - mbourgeois@maynard.k12.ma.us


Main Office Line - (978) 897-8246

Absentee Phone Line - (978)897-0310

School Hours

Regular School Hours

Grades K- 3: 8:30 AM – 2:50 PM

Preschool: 8:40 AM - 2:40 PM (full day)

8:40 AM - 11:10 AM (morning program)

12:10 - 2:40 PM (afternoon program)

Early Release Hours

Grades K- 3: 8:30 AM – 11:45 AM

Preschool: No school on Early Release days

Important Dates

9/14 - Stuff a Cruiser Event (More information below)

9/18 - School Assembly - Blast Party!

9/25 - School Picture Day

9/26 - Back to School Night for Parents and Caregivers, 6:00 - 7:30

9/26 - GM PTO Meeting, 7:30, Green Meadow Cafeteria - Please join us!

9/27 - Early Release Day, GM dismissal 11:45 AM, No PreK

9/27 - Black and Orange Day at Green Meadow!

10/18 - Early Release Day, GM dismissal 11:45 AM, No PreK

10/19 - PTO Pumpkin Palooza Family Event, more details to come

10/25 - Early Release Day, GM dismissal 11:45 AM, No PreK

10/25 - Parent Conferences, Teachers will share a schedule

10/31 - Green Meadow Autumn Walk, 8:45 AM

11/5 - Election Day, No School for Students, Staff PD day

11/8 - Green Meadow Veteran's Day Breakfast

Dear Green Meadow Families,


Our hearts go out to the Winder, Georgia, community as they grieve the loss of students and teachers. At times like this, it is hard not to have school safety in the forefront of our minds. I would like to take the opportunity to share how we approach school safety at Green Meadow. As you know, we keep our doors locked and require all visitors to sign into the building. Our building is outfitted

with security cameras and our campus is frequently monitored by the Maynard Police Department.


Our Crisis Response Team works in conjunction with the Maynard Public Schools Safety Committee and both the Maynard Police and Fire Departments to regularly assess our planning and protocols. We have established responses for both medical and safety situations.


Our school has routine fire drills and safety drills throughout the year. Before any drill, teachers explicitly walk students through the drill and practice with students so they know what to expect. All students go through our Keeping Safe at Green Meadow training with teachers and have the opportunity to ask questions. While our fire drills are unannounced, our safety drills are always announced to staff ahead of time and classrooms have access to additional staff to process the drills as needed. We emphasize the importance of students listening and following adult directions so that we can keep students safe.


Whenever we have a drill at Green Meadow I will communicate with families so that follow-up conversations can be had at home. Our staff understands the importance of educating our students about safety in a developmentally appropriate way.


Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.


Respectfully,

Karen Lindquist

School Assembly Event - Blast Party!

Next week we will hold a school-wide assembly to introduce the new school project to our students. We will read the book, If I Built a School, by Chris VanDusen. Students will have the opportunity to see some of the new school drawings and learn about the construction process. The Northern Construction team will join us for part of the assembly to answer student questions about the work they are doing. We will learn about the process for blasting through the ledge behind the school, including the safety precautions taken. Our intent is to educate the students and staff about the process so that students


The blasting process is scheduled to begin at the end of next week. The building has been tested for structural integrity, the fire department has participated in specialized training to support the process, and the site has been prepped for this phase of the work. Blasting is scheduled to happen at 9:30 AM, and 1:30 PM. The work has been scheduled around arrival, recess, and dismissal. We will hear the sound and at times we may feel a small vibration. The blasting process will prepare the site for the geo-thermal system and the footprint of the new building.


Back to School Night

The Green Meadow Back to School Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 26, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. It is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to meet staff, learn about curriculum, visit with other community members, and attend our first PTO meeting.


Back to School Night Schedule

  • This year it will be held on Thursday, September 26

    • 6:00 - 6:30 - Grades PreK, K & 1

    • 6:30 - 6:45 - Welcome by Karen Lindquist and Kate Murray

    • 6:45 - 7:15 - Grades 2 & 3

  • Representatives from SEPAC, the Maynard Building Committee, the GMS PTO, and others will be present that evening in the cafeteria.

  • Specialists can be available in classrooms for parent/guardian visits.

Counselor's Corner

Is your child having difficulty separating from you at the bus stop or school drop off in the mornings? The process of separating from caregivers is an important part of a child's development and it is not uncommon for elementary students to struggle with this process. Here are some tips on how to separate from "clingy kids" when it’s time to say goodbye as well as guidance on how to prepare ahead for the separation. Reading The Invisible String with your child would be a great way to begin a conversation about this! Questions or concerns? Please contact Julie Danforth at jdanforth@maynard.k12.ma.us.

Green Meadow Food Services Menu

Click on the link to read the lastest school lunch menu options: https://www.fdmealplanner.com/

PTO Updates

Calling All New Families - Check out our PTO website and join our email list to stay on top of news and events. We can't wait for you to get involved!

https://greenmeadowpto.membershiptoolkit.com/

The first PTO Meeting will be in-person at Green Meadow School, on September 26, immediately following the Back to School Night schedule.

District Resources

MHS Blood Drive

Help save lives! Massachusetts General Hospital is returning to Maynard for a Back to School Blood Drive! It will take place on Thursday, September 19th from 10:00AM - 3:30PM. Book your appointment at https://blooddonor.massgeneral.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/6287 - appointments typically take 30-40 minutes, but the actual donation is only about 5-7 minutes long! Contact Emily Chau with any questions via email at ec2696@s.maynard.k12.ma.us or text at 978-493-3044

Community Resources

Community Health Needs Assessment Survey

Please find the flyer attached that can be included in any school communications/parent/principal newsletters now through the end of September. Feel free to use any combination of the flyer with or without any of the text below.

Maynard’s 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment is now open! Take this survey to help inform future priorities.

The survey in English is available here: https://forms.office.com/g/cjJf6CzSRa

Responda a encuesta en español aquí: https://forms.office.com/g/1K6434KZUP

Responda a esta pesquisa em português aqui: https://forms.office.com/g/bpppMqj8wr

Pran sondaj sa an kreyòl ayisyen isit la: https://forms.office.com/g/BdpisqV91V

Community Service Opportunity

Students and Families can support the Maynard Food Pantry by participating in the Stuff a Cruiser event. This year Maynard is joining Stow, Bolton, Hudson & Acton as part of a friendly inter-town competition to see who can get the most donations. Families who are unable to attend the event on Saturday, September 14, are welcome to bring non-perishable food items to the Green Meadow lobby to help contribute.

Community Food Pantries

The Open Table Food Pantry (www.opentable.org; 33 Main St, Maynard) is open on Tuesdays, 3:30 - 6:30 PM and Thursdays, 1 - 4:30 PM and offers free bags of groceries 1x/week. Open Table also allows families to pick up frozen meals for family members weekly.


The Maynard Food Pantry (www.maynardfoodpantry.com; 82 Main St., Maynard) is open on Mondays from 10 AM - 12 noon 1-2x/month

Maynard Food Pantry Backpack Program

The Maynard Food Pantry offers a weekly Backpack Program for all students in PreK-Grade 5 that aims to offer food assistance to families. Each backpack is filled with nutritious, non-perishable food at no cost. Forms were sent home to families in backpacks last week. If you need a form, they are available in the Green Meadow main office. You can also request one by emailing Kate Murray at kmurray@maynard.k12.ma.us.

Maynard Advantage

Interested in learning more about the Maynard community and the many wonderful things happening around town? Check out the monthly Maynard Advantage Newsletters by subscribing at maynardadvantage.org

Karen Lindquist
Karen is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters