The Peak - September 2024

Monthly News from the Wachusett Regional School District

Some of our students in grades 1, 2, and 3 participated in a Summer Literacy Acceleration Academy in mid-August. The program, funded through a DESE Acceleration Academy Grant, provided attendees with engaging, hands-on English Language Arts activities to support essential literacy skills. Great work, summer learners!

September is such a wonderful time of year. The weather is beautiful, the trees are vibrant with colors and our students have returned for another exciting year of learning. I am reminded that the purpose of education is to “teach students to think and have them learn to think for themselves.” This is a critical skill that will enhance students building confidence in themselves as learners and recognize that they are valued members of the community.

We have many initiatives planned this year and the special education department will be focused on continuing our journey to promote inclusive practices both during the school day and after school.

If you haven’t heard, we have joined Unified Basketball this Fall. Unified sports are amazing opportunities for all students and will have a strong impact on promoting inclusivity and diversity among our students. The first game is scheduled for October 15, 2024 @ 4:00 pm at the High School. Please join us in cheering on our team!

I would also like to commend and thank the students, families, and staff who helped to make last year's unified sports programs so successful. Your dedication and hard work was recognized by Special Olympics Massachusetts which named WRHS a Unified Champion School for the 2023-2024 school year. Congratulations to you all!

Sincerely,

Joan M. DeAngelis, MSW, LICSW, CAGS

Director of Special Education & Student Services

The school year got off to a rockin' start with the Boosterthon Castle Quest activities and Fun Run, which focused on teaching students how to be brave and live with character. The event was a win-win for PCS, helping students build important life skills while also raising funds for our school. Throughout the week, students participated in fun challenges that promoted teamwork, fitness, and character-building, all leading up to the exciting Fun Run.

Adding to the excitement, Stella, our therapy dog, made her first visit of the year. Her timing was perfect—Ms. S's class was working on estimation and measurement, and students had a blast estimating how long and tall Stella was before using a meter stick to see who was closest. It was a hands-on learning experience, and Stella was the perfect helper!

-Kathryn Miville, PCS Interim Principal

On Friday, September 20, Mountview held their first dance of the year for their sixth graders. Students enjoyed one of their first grade-wide social activities and took the opportunity to make new friends and have fun together. Refreshments were served and our sixth grade teacher teams and parent volunteers helped make the event a fantastic experience!

Glenwood held its annual Family Pizza Night in September, which is always a great way to kick off family involvement for the new school year. While the main event might have been the pizza, this year's celebration also included some surprise celebrity guests. Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed showed up to volunteer their services.

Don't believe it? Just look at the pictures... Actually don't look too closely at the pictures.

Our elementary and middle school Art teachers participated in a hand building workshop with a guest artist from Brush it Off Art & Pottery. They shared strategies for clay management and other essential elements of a K-8 ceramics curriculum. They also created some beautiful examples for their classrooms.

In Mrs. Benedict's geography class, Mountview Middle School students are diving deep into the five themes of geography. While exploring the concept of movement, students examined the origins of everyday objects around us.

In geography, people, products, information, and ideas are constantly moving across our globe. Students used this hands-on activity to highlight the global connections behind the products we use daily. By investigating where these items are from, students' curiosity budded as they wanted to learn more about the items' journey here to Holden. Through this activity about movement, students are learning not just about geography, but the economic systems in our world that impact us every day.

It was great to have everyone back at school on the 27th! It feels like the building has already found its flow and its usual routines. We are really lucky to be in such a nice community where everyone values the work we do here, and we work collaboratively with the community.

Our special police and fire escorts highlighted this year’s first day. Cortland F won a ride in the cruiser with Cruiser thanks to a fundraiser last spring. Harlow P won a fire truck ride to school via the library reading competition. Both came into school with huge smiles on their faces! It was great to start the year and the day off with representatives of our safety teams and our town library all on school grounds.

I can already tell it is going to be a great year!

- Ace Thompson, TPS Princpal