Varnum Brook Weekly Update

February 7, 2025

Dear Families and Caregivers,

Student Council will be hosting our Spirit Week next week and our SOUPerbowl fundraiser; see flyers attached!

School Committee Budget Adoption Meeting is scheduled for 2/26/25.

Families with an incoming Kindergartener - Mark your calendars: Incoming Kindergarten Information Night - March 6

It has been a very tough few weeks with illness. If your child is sick, please keep them home and call the Absent Line to let us know. Plesae see helpful health guidelines from our Nurses attached below.

Our School report card has been released; I am so pleased to report that our school performed greater than 60% of schools in Massachusetts. We are making tremndous strides towards our targets while also helping to instill core values in our students. A winning combination for sure. Please see the attached letter from me and information/links to access the report card.

We go outside most regulary throughout the winter for recess; the criteria for staying indoors is a "real feel" of 22 degrees. Please have your student prepared each day. Labeling gear and clothing is encouraged. In order to play "in the snow" students must have snow gear on.

On Wednesday, February 12th at 6 pm, the North Middlesex Regional School District will host the fourth session of our strategic planning workshop meetings. This meeting will focus on exploring the Curriculum and Instruction strategic initiative. Participants will complete hands-on tabletop activities to better understand and prioritize current strategic actions under this initiative (see below), as well as identify potential additional actions in the area of curriculum and instruction for the district to explore. All members of our school community (students, families, and NMRSD Staff) as well as residents of Ashby, Pepperell, or Townsend are invited to attend.

Curriculum and Instruction Strategic Actions

Elementary teachers will be using scientifically researched and highly rated instructional materials across all four CORE content areas that expose students to rigorous content and deeper learning experiences
All staff will contribute meaningfully and consistently to a culture of self-evaluation and professional learning that improves instructional routines and practices
Educator working groups in all grade bands will regularly evaluate curricular materials to ensure students are given standards-aligned and culturally and linguistically sustainable learning opportunities in all content areas from K-12
District staff will utilize an established data collection and analysis system for all students in grades prek-12

In order for us to plan accordingly for the meeting, please register here.

Our February Title I Family Engagement Newsletter is here! Inside, you’ll find:
Program Updates & upcoming events
Reading Milestones by Grade Level to track your child’s progress
Fun Activities to support learning at home

Plus, don’t forget to RSVP for our upcoming Family Literacy Night! Join us for an evening of interactive literacy activities and strategies to support your child’s reading success.

RSVP Here: Google Form Link

Check out the attached newsletter for helpful tips and resources. As always, feel free to reach out with any questions!

Lisa Comeau, Director of Title I & Early Literacy, lcomeau@nmrsd.org, 978-597-8713 (ext. 1303)