Phenomenal Phelps Facts

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, let us remember a quote of his, "The time is always right to do what is right." May we strive to always do what is right for our children, families, staff members, and our community. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead. Stay warm and safe.

Phelps couldn't offer programs, field trips, and fun activities without our Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Members. Our PAC Leadership plans and works on fundraising activities so that Phelps Elementary students and families have access to special activities and programs.

Our PAC Leadership team and those that attend our meetings all have full-time jobs and support Phelps through volunteering their time to plan and work at our many events. This work is a team effort, and Phelps Elementary truly appreciates the efforts of our PAC. A big thank you needs to go out to our PAC Leadership Team:

Tracy O'Donnell, President

Heather Pratt, Vice President

Alex Dacey, Vice President

Kristen Woods, Treasurer

Shannon Howard, Treasurer

Amy Lynch, Secretary

And many thanks to those who regularly attend our meetings to support Phelps Elementary School.

What Does Phelps Elementary School PAC Do?

• Fundraise for field trips, transportation (buses for field trips) and special events.
• Report to School Committee on fundraising events and programs.
• Bring in programs & special speakers.
• Volunteer to help at our school events.
• Help us raise funds for charity (Turkey Feather Challenge) and shop for families in need of support. We were able to buy eight holiday meals for local families for Thanksgiving, and eight more for Christmas. They shopped and provided the meals for us to give out.
• Continue to support those in need throughout the year through various fundraising and collections.
• Plan and fund end of year events--Field Day, field trips, grade 4 graduation, grade 4 yearbooks, and so much more!
• Provide thank-you luncheons and surprises for staff for the first day of school for staff and for Teacher Appreciation Week.
• Fundraise for PAC sponsored scholarships for our Rockland Seniors graduating from high school.
• Sponsor and fund school assemblies.
• Run Book Fairs & Holiday Shopping Days for our students and families.

If Phelps Elementary did not have our PAC team, we would be unable to run so many programs for our students. We would love to have more families join our monthly PAC meetings. If you are unable to attend the meetings, reach out to volunteer some time to set up events, prepare materials, make phone calls to businesses for support, or find programs to bring to our school. The Phelps PAC email is phelpspac@rocklandschools.org. We need you!

Happy 2025! To kick off the New Year, Phelps Elementary has sent home an optional "Reading Resolution" challenge. Please see the photo above. If your child did not bring one home, please let their teacher know.

We encourage all families to set reading goals and log completed books/chapters on our raffle tickets from January 6-February 14. These raffle tickets have also been sent home. Check out the photos of our raffle winners so far throughout this newsletter.

Also, from now until February break, all students will complete their Mid-Year i-READY diagnostic in Reading & Math. As classes complete these assessments, scores will be sent home. We look forward to celebrating the growth and hard work of your children.

Just a reminder that students enjoy a 20 minute recess each day. Recess will be held outdoors each day, unless we have inclement weather (rain or snow) or if temperatures fall below 25 degrees. Please be sure your child is prepared with a winter coat, hat, and gloves/mittens for the cold weather. If you need help getting a warm coat, hat, or mittens/gloves for your child, please send an email to our school nurse, Shani McGarry, our school adjustment counselor, Holly Gage, or the school principal, Michelle Scheufele. Scroll all the way down to the end of this newsletter for contact information. We are happy to help!

This year, Phelps Elementary grade level concerts will take place during the school day, one per month, beginning this month. Please see the schedule for concerts below. Due to parking and school lunch start times, we ask parents to leave immediately after the program ends. Looking forward to beautiful music filling our cafeteria stage!

February 4: Grade 1 Music Concerts

• 8:30-9:00 am--Mrs. Booth's Grade 1 Classes
• 9:15-9:45 am--Mr. Popadic's Grade 1 Classes
  

March 4: Grade 4 Music Concerts

• 8:15-8:45 am--Mrs. Booth's Grade 4 Classes
• 9:00-9:30 am--Mr. Popadic's Grade 4 Classes

April 15: Grade 3 Music Concerts

• 8:15-8:45 am--Mrs. Booth's Grade 3 Classes
• 9:00-9:30 am--Mr. Popadic's Grade 3 Classes

**The Grade 3 & 4 Chorus Concert will take place at 6:00 pm on January 28, 2025 during our Winter Arts Night.

Phelps Winter Arts Night: January 28, 2025

• 5:30-7:30 pm--Art Displays on Phelps Second Floor of Building
• 6:00 pm--Phelps Third and Fourth Grade Chorus Performance in Cafeteria

Our next school-wide project will be creating valentine cards for senior citizens in Rockland. We will be working with the Rockland Senior Center, Meals on Wheels, and the Webster Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center to deliver valentines to senior citizens in Rockland. This project is being organized and run by our Grade 4 Student Council.

How can you help? If you have any valentine or heart stickers, or any other decorative stickers that would be great for our card-making, we will gladly accept donations until Friday, January 24. Please send all donations to the main office. Thanks for helping our students to spread love and kindness to others!

If you are interested in substitute teaching at Phelps Elementary, we are looking for you! Apply at the Superintendent's Office today. For more information on applying, please contact Betsy Low, our Human Resources Coordinator, at blow@rocklandschools.org or call 781-878-3893.

You are able to choose the level and school in which you'd like to substitute, and accept jobs according to your schedule. We would love to have you aboard at Phelps Elementary!

Please be sure the following dates are in your calendar for Phelps Early Release (10:45 am dismissal):

February 6

March 6

March 20

March 27

March 28

April 3

May 1

June 5

Thank you!

There are many ways to be connected to everything Phelps!

* First, connect to your child's teacher and all of Phelps Elementary through Class Dojo (directions will be given at Open House).

*Go to rocklandschools.org and click on Phelps Elementary. A live feed scroll of upcoming events and messages is located at the bottom of the page.

*Download the Rockland Public Schools App for live updates and upcoming events (see the directions above).

We are partners in your child's education and want to connect with YOU!

Breakfast and lunch will be free to all students this year. Please look at the lunch menu linked below (and available on the district webpage at rocklandschools.org). Breakfast will be served from 7:15-7:35 each morning, and students are offered a variety of choices.

January 21--Winter Enrichment Sessions Begin

January 28: 5:30-7:30 pm Phelps Winter Arts Night

• 5:30-7:30 pm--Art Displays on Phelps Second Floor of Building
• 6:00 pm--Phelps Third and Fourth Grade Chorus Performance in Cafeteria

February 4--Grade 1 Music Concerts (in Phelps Cafeteria)

• Mrs. Booth's Grade 1 Classes 8:30-9:00 am (Families invited, but must leave at 9:00 am due to parking)
• Mr. Popadic's Grade 1 Classes 9:15-9:45 am (Families invited, but must leave at 9:45 am due to lunches)

February 4-- Grades 1 & 2 Special Person Dance (information to come); 6:00-7:30 pm

February 5-- Grades 3 & 4 Special Person Dance (information to come); 6:00-7:30 pm
February 6--Early Release Day; 10:45 am Dismissal

February 14- PAC Meeting, 1:15-2:15 pm in the Library

February 24-March 3-- Gold Coins for Scholarships (stay tuned for information)

February 17-21--Winter Break

If you have any questions or concerns, here are some staff members you can call or email:

Jean Maloney, School Administrative Assistant, jmaloney@rocklandschools.org

Brenda Mallar-Reske, Administrative Assistant (Kidaccount/Dismissal), bmallar-reske@rocklandschools.org

Michelle Scheufele, Principal, mscheufele@rocklandschools.org

Kelsey Holbrook, Assistant Principal & Title One Director, kholbrook@rocklandschools.org

Chase Eschauzier, Assistant Principal, chaseeschauzier@rocklandschools.org

Amanda MacMillan, Phelps Special Education Coordinator, amacmillan@rocklandschools.org

Allison Sgambato, School Psychologist, asgambato@rocklandschools.org

Elizabeth Peckham, School Psychologist, epeckham@rocklandschools.org

Holly Gage, School Adjustment Counselor, hgage@rocklandschools.org

Taryn Muolo, School Adjustment Counselor, tmuolo@rocklandschools.org

Stephanie Sears, Substitute School Adjustment Counselor, stephaniesears@rocklandschools.org

Lizanne McCabe, Behaviorist, lmccabe@rocklandschools.org

Rebecca Varney, Behaviorist, rvarney@rocklandschools.org

Shani McGarry, Nurse, smcgarry@rocklandschools.org

Email: mscheufele@rocklandschools.org
Website: https://www.rocklandschools.org/o/phelps-elementary
Location: 1 Lt Col Brian Duffy Way, Rockland, MA, USA
Phone: 781-871-8585