Green Meadow Weekly Update

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

10/14 - No School, Indigenous People's Day

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

10/28-11/8 - Preschool Autumn Art Celebration, details below

10/31 - Green Meadow Autumn Walk, 8:45 AM, Grades K-3

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

11/8 - Green Meadow Veteran's Day Breakfast

11/20 - Picture Retake Day

12/13 - Winter Concert for Grades 1-3, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

4/8 - 4/9 - Grade 3 ELA MCAS testing

5/6 - 5/7 - Grade 3 Math MCAS testing

October 10, 2024

Dear Families,

I am writing to share an update about early literacy screening in grades K-3 at Green Meadow. We recently completed assessing our students and today you will be receiving a copy of your child’s Earlybird Learning Early Literacy Screening report or the mClass DIBELS 8th Early Literacy Screening report. Both tools are approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The assessment process and reporting are part of the Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 28.03 (1)(f), which requires all public schools in the state to assess student’s reading skills in grades K-3 at least twice a year.

Early literacy universal screening is used to determine a student’s risk for reading difficulty and to guide us in providing reading instruction. It is not a diagnosis or determination of a disability. The assessment tools are used to assess skills that may predict future reading difficulties. These skills include alphabetic knowledge, phonemic awareness, word reading, reading comprehension, and rapid automatized naming (RAN). By identifying areas where a child may need explicit instruction or support we plan appropriate Tier 1 (core) instruction and determine if any Tier 2 interventions are necessary.

If your child’s composite score is “well-below benchmark” you will receive information about planned intervention within 30 days of the assessment.

Along with your child’s early literacy screening report, you will also receive a copy of your child’s MAP Growth report. MAP Growth is a tool to measure your child’s achievement and growth towards grade-level benchmarks in ELA and Math. This report is also an important part of the planning and instruction of our Tier 1 (core) curriculum.

Your child’s teacher can answer questions during your conference scheduled for the week of October 25, 2024.

Respectfully,

Karen Lindquist

Principal

MAP Growth Family Guide - English

Una guía familiar para el crecimiento de MAP Espanol

Um guia familiar para MAP Growth Portuguese

Teachers will be sharing sign-ups for conferences during the last two weeks of October. Our early release day on October 25, is dedicated to these meetings but teachers will post additional time slots throughout the two weeks depending on their availability. Please be sure to sign up to a time to discuss your child's start to the school year. If you would like translation services during your conference and your child's teacher has not already contacted you about setting this up, please let your child's teacher know as soon as possible.

Preschool will celebrate autumn by inviting one caregiver per child during an art class with Green Meadow art teacher Taylor Vanaria from 10:05 to 10:20 am at the end of October and in early November. Please see RSVP details in an incoming email from your child's pre-k teacher soon. If this celebration conflicts with your schedule, rest assured that other opportunities to visit the classroom will be offered throughout the year. Happy fall!

Ms. DiLuca: Monday, October 28

Ms. Viros: Tuesday, October 29

Ms. Cohen: Thursday, November 7

Ms. Gonsalves: Friday, November 8.

We had our first blasts this week and everyone did a great job! After a lot of anticipation, we had our first blasts this week and the majority of our students compared the blast sound and vibrations to a big clap of thunder at the beginning of a summer storm. You can view the first blast on the Maynard Fire Department's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/people/Maynard-MA-Fire-Department/100069229449008/?ref=embed_page

https://www.maynard.k12.ma.us/o/green-meadow-school/page/gm-building-project-information

We continue to meet and work through the MSBA design development process. We recently held a hybrid meeting to share where we are in the process.

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

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 next PTO meeting will be virtual on Tuesday, October 8, at 7:00. Please see the PTO website for the meeting link.

Come celebrate the Fall season with friends at the Green Meadow Pumpkin Palooza on Saturday, October 19, 12:00 - 2:00, at Green Meadow. This event is free to Green Meadow Families!

ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) Resources

SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) Resources

Multilingual Learner Resources

SEPAC is collaborating with other districts to offer a webinar about planning for post-graduation planning for students on IEPs on October 30, from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Please use the link below to sign-up for the event.

https://nesca-newton.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__erGkhPCR7iSpRY_kMYSzg

Maynard High School's Leaders for Change is hosting a Halloween event on Sunday, October 20.

Several Fowler students partnered their creative energy with their excitement and love for Ottis. The students’ work has been entered into a scarecrow creating contest (Ottis is not scaring anyone- let’s be honest) focused on mental health awareness and is part of a local fundraising effort to raise money. All proceeds benefit The National Alliance for Mental Health Central Middlesex.

You can vote by sending your donation via Venmo@namicentralmiddlesex

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

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.

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

Learn what's happening at the Fowler School by clicking here.

Learn what's happening at Maynard High School by clicking here.