Lowell Family Newsletter
January 29, 2022
WELCOME! TO TRANSLATE THIS NEWSLETTER, CLICK ON IT THEN USE THE LINK TO THE RIGHT.
To translate this newsletter, click on it then use the link to the right.
If you are on a computer, open this in a new page. Then to translate this newsletter, click on the link to the right. If you are on a phone, touch the person in the black circle to get the translate button.
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Se você estiver em um computador, abra uma nova página. Em seguida, para traduzir esta newsletter, clique no link à direita. Se você estiver em um telefone, toque na pessoa no círculo preto para obter o botão de tradução.
(Portuguese)
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Si está en una computadora, abra esto en una nueva página. Luego, para traducir este boletín, haga clic en el enlace a la derecha. Si está en un teléfono, toque a la persona en el círculo negro para obtener el botón de traducción.
(Spanish)
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إذا كنت تستخدم جهاز كمبيوتر ، فافتح هذا في صفحة جديدة. بعد ذلك ، لترجمة هذه النشرة الإخبارية ، انقر فوق الارتباط الموجود على اليمين.
إذا كنت تستخدم الهاتف ، فالمس الشخص الموجود في الدائرة السوداء للحصول على زر الترجمة. (Arabic)
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Եթե համակարգիչ եք, բացեք սա նոր էջում: Ապա, այս տեղեկագիրը թարգմանելու համար կտտացրեք աջ հղմանը: Եթե հեռախոսով եք, դիպչեք սև շրջանի անձին ՝ թարգմանության կոճակը ստանալու համար: (Armenian)
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Если вы работаете на компьютере, откройте это на новой странице. Затем, чтобы перевести этот информационный бюллетень, щелкните ссылку справа. Если вы разговариваете по телефону, коснитесь человека в черном кружке, чтобы получить кнопку перевода. (Russian)
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Bilgisayar kullanıyorsanız, bunu yeni bir sayfada açın. Ardından, bu bülteni çevirmek için sağdaki bağlantıya tıklayın. Telefonda iseniz, çevir düğmesini almak için siyah daire içindeki kişiye dokunun. (Turkish)
Resources to Celebrate Black History Month
Table of Contents
Black History Month- Resources
Message from Mrs. Phelan
National Wear Red Day
Message from Dr. Galdston
Spanish Departments Newsletter
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Council
Parent Resources- Social Stories
Report Cards and i-Ready Parent Reports go home February 4th
Pool Testing Monday, January 31st
Nurse's Message
Scenes from Lowell- Ms. Seward's Second Grade
Lunch Menu for this Week
Scenes from Lowell-Ms. Altobello's Room
Upcoming Events and Save the Dates
Kingian Non-Violence
Ed Tech Classes for Parents
Ms. Hudon is Asking Everyone to Wear Red on Friday, February 4th!
Friday, February 4 is the National Go Red for Women Day. Join me in honoring and celebrating the research and strides that have been made for all individuals with Heart Disease!
Dr. Galdston's Newsletter - Free Weekly At-Home Antigen Testing - Sign Up Now!
Message from Principal Phelan
Greetings Lowell School,
I love snowstorms, and this one is turning one is living up to all the meteorologists' predictions. I hope you're warm and cozy indoors. I think tomorrow will prove to be the perfect day for sledding.
Teachers have been packing and purging in preparation for our move. Many teachers were hoping to come in today until we got hit with this massive storm. We plan to open Lowell, Lowell West, and Phillips the next two Saturdays to allow teachers to get a head start. We continue to work on many small details related to the move and school in our new buildings. Movers will be on-site after school and into the night on February 9th, 10th, 11th, 15th,16th, and 17th. On Friday, February 18th, there is no school as faculty and staff will be unpacking in the new building.
The following week we will hold three caregiver forums to answer questions related to our move. The parents' meetings will take place:
Tuesday, February 1st at 6:00 pm
Wednesday, February 2nd at 9:00 am
Thursday, February 3rd at 6:00 pm
We will also hold parent forums for our families who need an interpreter. Those meetings will be announced soon.
A few parents have asked if they can tour the Phillips Building and Lowell West before the first day of school on February 28th. Yes!
Tuesday, February 22nd, parents and their children are welcome to come by the building and take a tour. We will hold three tour times: 9:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm.
Friday, February 25th, we will offer the same opportunity to families of the Phillips Building.
These are not official Open Houses, and teachers will not be on site. Mr. Chen and I will be there conducting the tours.
Enjoy the week ahead!
Stacy
In School Field Trips for Students Funded By Community Education Foundation
Elizabeth Kaplan, Math & Science K-7 Coordinator, recently applied for grants to the Community Education Foundation to bring several in-school field trips to our students in February. These are highly engaging and interactive. Below you will find a list of the programs by grade.
Thank you! Ms. Kaplan and Community Education Foundation, for sponsoring these events.
Our Spanish Team Ms. Quesada and Ms. Mitchell
Happy New Year 2022! We hope you are all doing well and staying healthy!
We are starting the year with the culmination of projects from Unit 1 across all grades, and we are beginning Unit 2. We are starting Unit 2, "My Body and My Clothes"; in first grade, students finished a book about the Lowell School. These books will be exhibit in the Lowell school library in the coming couple of weeks. In second grade, we finished Unit 1 about "My School" and we are starting Unit 2, "My Home Life." in third grade students finished presenting their projects "All About Me" from Unit 1 and we are starting a mini unit about the alphabet. In fourth and fifth grade, we wrapped up Unit 1 with interviews students practiced in the classroom and at home.
We look forward to continue learning and practicing Spanish with your child(ren)!
Saludos,
Señora Quesada & Señora Mitchell
Student Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Council
We will meet this week on Thursday and Friday
Thursday, February 5th
Grade 3 1:00- 1:30
Grade 4 1:30-2:00
Friday, February 4th
Grade K-2 8:30-9:00
Grade 5 1:45-2:15
Topic- Black History Month Spot Lights during morning announcements. Who do you want to see highlighted?
Social Stories to Read with Your Child at Home About Our Relocation.
Social Stories to facilitate conversation.
Report Cards and i-Ready Parent Reports will be sent home on Friday, February 4th
Friday, February 4th you will receive your child’s semester 1 report card and (in the case of students in grades 1-5) their updated i-Ready diagnostic assessment results. These are being sent home with students via backpack. Each of these reports will provide you with information about your child’s progress. In many cases, the two reports are in close alignment. In some cases, they may appear to differ. Keep in mind that the information from the teacher is a synthesis of many pieces of information while the information from i-Ready is one snapshot in time.
Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions regarding Standards-Based Report Cards and i-Ready assessment reports. I hope this is helpful to you as you review the information.
As always, feel free to reach out with additional questions!
Pool Testing Monday, January 31th
Pooled testing will take place on Monday morning for students and staff.
I saw this picture and wanted to share it with you. We are grateful to our nurses and technicians who keep us in school and safe! Big air hugs to our nurses!
Message from Nurse Taverna
Could you please send me your child's completed COVID- 2 doses information via email or hard copy? Your child's personal medical information will not be shared with anyone but the school nurse.
If you discover a case of covid in your home through an at-home test or other means, please communicate that to the nurse as well as administrators or teachers.
Thank you!
Scenes from Lowell
Big Week in Ms. Seward's Room!
This week two students were recognized for their hard work outside the classroom. Maria and Haddasa receive prizes for working many hours on Imagine Learning. It is an adaptive learning platform that provides students access to appropriate content for their ability levels. As students engage with the venue and content, the system adjusts the instruction based on student performance. Our second language learners can use this program in school and out of school.
Maria and Hadassa were recognized for putting in time at home to work. Maria was the district-wide winner for putting in most at-home time hours and successfully passing lessons. Hadassa was the Lowell School winner for time and assignments.
The most rewarding moment in the celebration was seeing how proud the students were of their peers for winning the award.
Maria receiving her award. Mrs. Phelan, Maria, Ms. Seward, and Ms. Phillipson, ESL Coordinator
Hadassa receiving her award. Mrs. Phelan, Hadassa, Ms. Seward, and Ms. Phillipson, ESL Coordinator.
Lenny Also Visited Ms. Seward's Second Grade Classroom this Week! Here are some scenes.
Lenny the Leopard had a wonderful time in second grade.
He enjoyed learning about Australia, Brazil, China and Japan as the students were talking and writing about the countries they have been busy researching.
Lenny was amazed with the magnificent mathematicians as they showed all of the different strategies they can use to add two and three digit numbers. Some of the problems had more than two addends!
Lunch Menu January 31st - 4th
Monday's Menu
Chicken Patty
Sweet Potato Crinkle Fries
Cucumber Wheels
Orange Wedges
Or
Stuffed Crust Pizza
Bring on the Blizzard, Ms. Altobello's Room
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ms. Altobello's room.
Independent reading "Make a stack, then read it back!"
Mark Your Calendar
Anti-Bias Coalition Meeting
Monday, January 31,⋅5:30 – 7:00 pm
Description: Meetings will be held in a hybrid model. The physical location will be on the 3rd floor of the Phillips Building in room 301. The recurring zoom link is listed below. Join Zoom Meeting https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/82142739210?pwd=MjZZL3JURU5RdUtYc3ZNVHlockVCQT09 Meeting ID: 821 4273 9210 Passcode: 474931
Parent Meetings to Discuss the Move
Tuesday, February 1st at 6:00 pm
Wednesday, February 2nd at 9:00 am
Thursday, February 3rd at 6:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/89913750385
FTO Meeting
Tuesday, February 8th, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Lowell - School Council
Thursday, February 10th 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/88084286109
Tuesday, February 22nd, parents and their children are welcome to come by the building and take a tour. We will hold three tour times: 9:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm.
Friday, February 25th, we will offer the same opportunity to families of the Phillips Building.
MCAS Dates for Spring 2022
ELA: April 12th & 14th Grades 3, 4, & 5
Math: May 16th & 17th Grades 3, 4, & 5
Science: May 24th & 25 Grade 5 Only
Save the Date - MCAS
ELA
April 12th & 14th Grades 3, 4, & 5
Math
May 16th & 17th Grades 3, 4, & 5
Science
May 24th & 25 Grade 5 Only
Kingian Response Team
Ed. Tech Classes for Parents & Guardians
Portuguese
Spanish
James Russell Lowell Elementary School
Main Office ext. 33001
Email: stacy.phelan@watertown.k12.ma.us
Website: https://lowell.watertown.k12.ma.us/
Location: 175 Orchard Street, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: (617) 926-7770
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JRLowellElementary
Message: Debi Cornelius, Director of Community Education
Dear Lowell Before School, Extended Day, and Late Bird Program Families:
Beginning February 6th, there will be movers present at the Lowell School in the afternoons as the school begins to transition to its two temporary site locations, Lowell West and Lowell at Phillips, ahead of the Lowell School construction. In talking with Principal Phelan, I feel confident that our program will be able to make adjustments around the daily afternoon move schedule and continue to run without issue each day. The only day we expect that the scheduled move will impact our programs will be Thursday, February 17th. Following school day dismissal on February 17th, the movers will begin to load desks, chairs, and tables into trucks. It will not be safe for us to have students present at Lowell as the movers are moving these furniture items and it will be difficult for our program to operate without chairs and tables.
The Lowell Extended Day Program and the Lowell Late Bird Program WILL NOT be open and WILL NOT run on Thursday, February 17th.
The Lowell Before School Program WILL be open and run at Lowell on Thursday, February 17th.
Watertown schools are closed to students on Friday, February 18th for a district-wide full-day, professional development day.
The Lowell Before School Program, The Lowell Extended Day Program, and The Lowell Late Bird Program will resume on Monday, February 28th. Beginning on Monday, February 28th, Lowell School students who are enrolled in the Lowell Before School Program, Extended Day Program, and Late Bird Program will attend these programs held at the Lowell School campus at the Phillips Administration Building. We are working on the drop-off and pick-up procedures and the bussing routes for students to and from these programs. We will have these details for you in the next couple of weeks.
I know that this program closure date for the Lowell Extended Day and Late Bird Program on Thursday, February 17th, may be challenging for families. I want to thank you in advance for your support and understanding. We will be issuing a credit to families whose students are scheduled to attend either of these programs on February 17th. I will follow up with an email letting you know the credit amount and how and when you can apply your credit.
Sincerely,
Debi