PHT Paws-itively News

Dear Page Hilltop Families:

The week of May 1 - 5 is designated as National Teacher Appreciation Week. At Page Hilltop we believe that all adults within our school community are "educators" - teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff, counselors, administrators, etc. We all play an important role in guiding our students as they learn & grow. We also believe that every week should be appreciation week! The first week in May is meant to "highlight" our staff and let them know how much we appreciate them.

We encourage all of our PH students and families to join us in this week of appreciation & celebration. To do so takes little time and little cost. All you have to do is send in a special card or note to be shared with any member of the school staff.

Thanks, as always, for sharing your children with us!

Fred Deppe, Principal

Matt Lutinski, Assistant Principal

We are still looking for school substitutes. There are a variety of opportunities for you to consider and they are all very rewarding experiences. Please contact Mr. Deppe (fdeppe@asrsd.org) for additional information or fill out this application and drop it off at our main office.

Monday, May 1st - Friday, May 5th -- Book Fair

Monday, May 1st - Friday, May 5th -- Teacher Appreciation Week

Monday, May 1st -- Picture Day and Dance Club Performance @ 4:00

Tuesday, May 2nd -- 5th Grade Panoramic Picture

Wednesday, May 3rd -- Therapy Dog Visit

Thursday, May 4th -- PTO Meeting and Family Book Fair

Friday, May 5th -- PTO Luncheon for Teachers

Monday, May 8th -- 90 Minute Early Release

Monday, May 8th -- Progress Reports Issued

Tuesday, May 9th -- 4th/5th Grade Math MCAS Session 1

Wednesday, May 10th -- 3rd Grade Math MCAS Session 1

Thursday, May 11th -- 4th/5th Grade Math MCAS Session 2

Friday, May 12th -- 3rd Grade Math MCAS Session 2

Friday, May 12th -- Kindergarten to Davis Farmland

Monday, May 15th -- 5th Grade STE MCAS Session 1

Wednesday, May 17th -- 5th Grade STE MCAS Session 2

Thursday, May 18th -- Countdown to K Bus Ride and Story Hour (Family Partnership)

Friday, May 19th -- 3rd/4th Grade Financial Ed. Program

Sunday, May 21st -- Janis Bresnahan 5K

Monday, May 22nd - Thursday, May 25th -- Kindergarten Screening

Friday, May 26th -- Memorial Day Program @ 9:30

Monday, May 29th -- No School -- Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 30th -- 5th Grade DARE Graduation & PreK Bubble Day

Wednesday, May 31st -- Welcome to Kindergarten Visit @ 9:30

MAY LUNCH MENU -- CLICK HERE

BREAKFAST MENU -- CLICK HERE

Do you have a Kindergartener starting school at Page Hilltop in the Fall? If so, please join us on Wednesday, May 31st from 9:30-10:30 for our "Welcome to Kindergarten" Spring event. New kindergarten students will take a building tour, visit our Kindergarten classrooms, and enjoy a story with some juice and cookies in our cafe. Please consider joining us!

The Family Partnership is sponsoring several free events that will help with the transition to Kindergarten for any student entering Kindergarten this Fall. Please click on the photo to read the flier. To register, please email Sarah Sullivan, ssullivan@asrsd.org.

Did you know...

• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
• Missing 10%, or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.
• Students can still fall behind if they miss just 1 or 2 days every few weeks.
• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
• Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.

What we can do...

• Contact your child's school adjustment counselor if you are struggling to get your student to school on a daily basis (Tracy Hebenton, PreK-2, thebenton@asrsd.org) (Evelyn Cubero, 3-5, ecubero@asrsd.org)

What you can do...

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
• Keep your child healthy and make sure your child has the required shots.
• Introduce your children to their teachers and classmates before school starts.
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor or another parent.
• Try to schedule non-Covid-19 related medical appointments and extended trips when school isn't in session.
• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
• If you are concerned that your child may have Covid-19, call your school for advice. • If your child must stay home due to illness or quarantine, ask the teacher for resources and ideas to continue learning at home.
  

Hope and Comfort is a non-profit in Needham, MA with the foundational belief that everyone should have access to basic hygiene products in order to start their day with digntity. Over April vacation we received 6 cases of hygiene products to distribute to members of the Page Hilltop Community as needed.

If your family could benefit from a hygiene pack, which includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and deodorant please reach out to your student's school adjustment counselor.

Tracy Hebenton (PreK-2) thebenton@asrsd.org

Evelyn Cubero (3-5) ecubero@asrsd.org

Our 1st-grade students and teachers were busy last month researching different animals from different habitats around the world. Students each chose an animal from their class's assigned habitat, research their animal, wrote an informative book about their animal, created a diorama of their animal, and presented their research to classmates, parents, and staff. CLICK HERE to view some photos from this three-day event!

Mrs. France and Ms. Cullinan's Class: Ms. Cullinan, student-teacher, along with Mrs. France worked with their 1st-grade students on identifying 2D shapes to produce a picture. The activity had students counting, naming, and recording the number of shapes used.

Thanks to PH music teacher Arielle Richter & a grant from our ASEF friends, our 3rd-4th-5th grade students were enriched by a visit from performer Karim who amazed them with music, language, and attire from the Arabic world.

Congratulations to our Students of the Month for April!

Kindergarten: Angelina G., Jeremiah S., Jack S., Ayak D., Alyssa M.

Grade 1: Samantha P., Guilianna S., William W., Harlynn C., Thomas S., John D.

Grade 2: Logan M., Rihanshi V., Max B., Maxwell E.

Grade 3: Linna B., Cameron H., Ava H., Jace C., Spencer C.

Grade 4: Marissa R., Danielle P., James M., Connor Y., Maddison G.

Graded 5: Callum H., Ava T., Matty R., Audrey L., Maggie S.

Congratulations also to our Golden Paws winners for April!

Lucas M. from Mrs. McKillop's & Ms. Berry's class

Ayanna N. from Ms. Messina's class

As parents were dropping off their students this week, they may have noticed two APD cars parked in front of the school. No, there was no safety concern. SRO Nicolo and Ofc. Suprenaut were giving one of our students, Ethan from Mrs. Daul's class, a special ride to school! Ethan won this ride in a special PTO raffle earlier this year! Thanks, Page Hilltop PTO & Ayer Police Department!

Our annual Memorial Day program is just a month away - Friday, May 26th. We invite all parents to join us for this special event.

We also invite PH students to share a story about their "special military person" OR write a poem that that may wish to read during the ceremony.

Please invite all military personnel that you may know.

This year's field day event will be held on Friday, June 16th. Each year we welcome dozens of parent volunteers to help make this event run smoothly & safely. We hope to see lots of you joining us again this year.

In a couple of weeks we will be sending out a "Volunteer Sign-Up" form. In the meantime, please note this date on your work / personal calendars AND make sure that you have a current CORI on file.

MATH MCAS DATES:

3rd Grade

• Session 1: Wednesday, May 10th
• Sessions 2: Friday, May 12th

4th Grade

• Session 1: Tuesday, May 9th
• Session 2: Thursday, May 11th

5th Grade

• Session 1: Tuesday, May 9th
• Session 2: Thursday, May 11th

STE MCAS DATES:

5th Grade

• Session 1: Monday, May 15th
• Sessions 2: Wednesday, May 17th

Please check your family schedules to make sure you have not scheduled any appointments, for your child, during these times.

SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, May 4th

Family Time at Book Fair from 4:30 - 6:30

PTO Meeting begins at 6:30

FREE Childcare will be available, as always.

BONUS INCENTIVE: The Grade Level who has the most parents in attendance at the meeting will earn a popcorn party for ALL students in ALL classes for that grade level!!

PTO Website -- LINK

PTO Facebook Page -- Link

BOX TOPS
YES, Page Hilltop can still earn with Box Tops! CLICK HERE to learn more about Box Tops for Education.