Blue Knight Highlights

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Many thanks to the Companion Animal Program (CAP) of Cape Cod, the Chatham-based non-profit organization that brings wonderful companion dogs and qualified handlers to hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, schools, libraries, and other community programs from Bourne to Provincetown. As part of their "Tales for Tails" Program, CAP is bringing companion dogs to the Forestdale School so our youngest students may read to them. In addition to the non-judgmental pooches becoming smarter, research shows that this practice leads to improved literacy in children by the dog providing positive reinforcement that improves both self-esteem and motivation in the child.

Pictured above are students from Sarah Boen's first grade class this week in the Forestdale Multi-Purpose Room. The CAP Program will visit once a month and first grade classrooms will rotate through.

Last week the senior class attended Cape Cod 5's annual Credit for Life Fair. The fair is a fun, interactive simulation of saving, spending, and budgeting based on career choices and lifestyle decisions. Cape Cod 5 sponsors Credit for Life, a nationally recognized financial literacy platform where high school students assume the role of a 25-year-old adult and are given the opportunity to make personal financial decisions. The bank partners with area schools to share financial know-how tips and offer guidance to students on the impact of those decisions on their overall budget and financial well-being. SMHS's longstanding partnership with Cape Cod 5 has played an integral part in preparing students for life after high school with the essential practice of navigating financial obligations versus choices and understanding the economic impact both have in their lifestyle.

Thank you to the Sandwich Arts Alliance who has graciously provided a space at their location in the Old Sandwich Town Hall (130 Main Street) for a rotating exhibit of student art work, spanning grades K-12. Along with all art teachers in district and high school interns (Stephen B, Thomas S, Isabelle A and Lee S, pictured above), SMHS Art Teacher Dan Dobbins has been gathering work to be part of the first round of this Young Artist Gallery. The high school interns are working with Mr. Dobbins and the Sandwich Arts Alliance to learn the process of preparing a gallery space, including matting, framing and hanging all of the work.

The first show will officially open to the public this coming Tuesday, October 15. The SAA Gallery is open each Tuesday-Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will also be an Open House & Reception for the artists and their families on Wednesday, October 23 from 5:30-7:30 pm. New artwork from our students will be displayed quarterly.

The Sandwich Elementary PTA is pleased to share the schedules for the Fun Run fundraiser that will be held on October 18 at Forestdale and October 25 at Oak Ridge. This is a once-a-year event where students run, walk, shuffle, scoot, grapevine, wheel, skip around a small track, roughly 30 times, as families, teachers, and staff cheer them on! To see the schedule for each school, by grade level, please click on the photos.

Good luck & enjoy the day!

Ways to get involved! 👏

All of our schools have begun performing health screenings as mandated by the State of Massachusetts. The screenings vary by grade. See below for information about each grade’s screening:

Screening requirements are posted on the school website and the Mass.gov site. A parent may opt their student out of any screening if the child has a physical examination on file conducted within the past 12 months that addresses the required screening(s). All requests for “opting out” must be submitted in writing directly to the school nurse prior to the start of screening. Be sure to check your email frequently for details on your child’s class screening schedule.

For more information about each screening, click on the links below.

HEARING SCREENING

VISION SCREENINGS - NEAR, FAR AND STEREOPSIS

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT SCREENING (BMI)

POSTURAL SCREENING

SBIRT

Please be aware that the voting locations in the Town of Sandwich have changed. The Wing, Forestdale, and Oak Ridge Schools are no longer being used for Election Day voting. Voters in precincts 1, 2, and 3 will now vote at the Corpus Christi Parish Hall, 324 Quaker Meetinghouse Road. Voters in precincts 4, 5, and 6 will now vote at the Center for Active Living, 70 Quaker Meetinghouse Road. The polls for the November 5th State Election will be open from 7am to 8pm. If you have any questions, please contact the Town Clerk’s office at (508) 888-0340 or use this link for answers to common questions. Thank you!