Center School Newsletter

January 12, 2025

This week:

January 13 and 14 - Artist-in-Residence Grades 1-3

January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Artist-in-Residence at Center School

Center School is thrilled to announce that local artist Elizabeth James-Perry will teach art classes in grades 1-3 on January 13 and 14, 2025. Students will learn about Eastern Woodlands/Algonquian traditional arts and create individual weavings on small looms with corn husks dyed with local natural plant materials.

Elizabeth James-Perry’s artwork is intimately tied to her Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal homeland on Martha’s Vineyard/Noepe. Highly regarded within her community and beyond for her woven wampum, twined basketry, quillwork, and sashes, she is considered one of the most accomplished Native artists working in New England today.

Please click on the link below to sign up to volunteer during art classes on January 13 or 14th.

https://volunteersignup.org/B8PBY

Third graders make the best of indoor recess this week!

Too cold to go outside!

First graders are working hard on place value with tens and ones in math.

Kindergarten Registration - Informational Webinar

A virtual Kindergarten Registration Information Session for all three elementary schools will be held on February 5, 2025, at 6 p.m. Here is the zoom link to join the session.

Kindergarten registration is currently available for next school year at elementary schools in the Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55. All Mattapoisett children who will reach the age of 5 before Sept. 1, 2025, are eligible to register to attend kindergarten at the elementary school in the town they reside in for the 2025-2026 school year.

Families must complete pre-registration for their kindergarten student via the elementary school website:
Click here for Center School in Mattapoisett

Once pre-registration is complete, the child’s records must be provided directly to the elementary school building. Paperwork can be dropped off at the school anytime during the school’s regular hours of operation.

The required documents include:

Child’s valid birth certificate and military records, if applicable
Proof of residency (i.e., property tax bill, mortgage statement, utility bill, current signed lease with dates and address)
Child’s medical records
Child’s updated record of immunization, including DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus), MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Hib, Polio, Hepatitis-B, Varicella, record of lead testing, TB screening, and vision screening/Stereopsis

Families are encouraged to complete the registration process by March 7, 2025.

Families that have completed the kindergarten registration process will receive an email with a link to sign up for kindergarten screening.

Screenings, which are required by state law, are completed to identify children who might have a special need so that the school can provide for the child’s needs appropriately. Screenings will take place at Center School on Monday, May 19, 2025, or Friday, May 23, 2025, with each appointment expected to take no longer than 30 minutes. Children need to be present for the screening, and parents will be able to wait in the lobby while their child is participating in the screening.

Additionally, a Kindergarten School Building Orientation will be held on March 27, 2025, at 6 p.m. This in-person orientation is an opportunity for parents/guardians to meet key staff members, learn about a student's daily schedule, and gain valuable insights into the transition to kindergarten.

Questions about the registration process should be directed to the Center School office at 508-758-2521.

2025-26 Project GROW Preschool Program Registration Opens Jan. 13

Project GROW was established to provide high-quality preschool to children in Mattapoisett.

The program aims to provide children with a part-day, high-quality preschool experience in a public school setting and an inclusive learning environment for children with special needs.

Center School, Mattapoisett (8:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.)

The program consists of two classes:

Tuesday and Thursday ($2,520/year)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday ($3,780/year)

All classes follow the ORR public school calendar.

This four-hour program is open to all children residing in Mattapoisett who will be 3 years of age before Sept. 1, 2025.

Parents and guardians are reminded that they are responsible for providing transportation to and from the program each day.

Each preschool class is staffed by a certified teacher and assistant. The program aligns with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and follows the High/Scope curriculum.

For more information or to register your child for the program, click here.

Fun Math for Cold Winter Days

Guess the weight

Guessing games are a fun and approachable way to get kids involved with math. For this game, you'll just need a kitchen scale, items to weigh, a piece of paper, and a pen or pencil.

You can then weigh each item together and write down the actual weight beside each guess. They'll love discovering how close their guesses were to the weight! For extra credit, ask your child to determine the difference between their guess and the actual weight.

Survey and Graph

This is a great way to get your child interacting with their siblings and/or friends and also think creatively. Let them come up with a topic such as sports, animals or plants. For example, they can ask their friends to choose their favorite sport from basketball, gymnastics, soccer or hockey.

Once they have recorded several answers, ask your child to display their results using blocks or Legos, placing sticky notes or pieces of paper to label each bar. For extra credit - Discuss the results and ask them to 'present' their findings to you.

Bullying and Harassment Prevention and Intervention Plan

From Dr. Curley, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services:

The Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55 is working to update their Bullying and Harassment Prevention and Intervention Plan. Each school district, charter school, non-public school, Department-approved private special education school, and collaborative school must create a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan (Plan) that prohibits bullying, cyberbullying, and retaliation. The Plan is to include information on reporting, notice to parents and guardians, notice to law enforcement as necessary, and counseling strategies and procedures for creating safety plans for victims. Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plans must be updated every other year (See M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O, added by Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010.) When developing the Plan, school districts, charter schools, Department-approved private special education schools, and collaborative schools must give notice and provide for a public comment period.

The Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55 is seeking the public's feedback on the draft, proposed Bullying and Harassment Prevention and Intervention Plan. Please provide any feedback on this Google Form here by January 31, 2025.

Health Office Update:

It’s that time of year when we are seeing an increase in illnesses at school. As a reminder, here are common reasons when a student should stay home from school:

Fever greater than 100 degrees (must be fever-free for at least 24 hrs without using fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen before returning to school)
Respiratory virus symptoms such as a cough or nasal congestion that are worsening or not improving and not better explained by another cause such as seasonal allergies
Vomiting and/or diarrhea within 24 hours of coming to school
Rash or skin sores of unknown origin
Lingering sore throat with or without fever
For illnesses such as strep throat, impetigo, or conjunctivitis, a student must be treated for 24 hours before returning to school.

In general, a child returning to school should be well enough to participate in school with improving symptoms. They should also be able to manage cough and congestion on their own, and be able to tolerate food and liquids. Parents and caregivers should consult their child’s healthcare providers with specific questions about their child’s condition or illness.

Click for Arrival and Dismissal Information

District Calendar

Breakfast and Lunch Menus

Click here for Breakfast and Lunch Menus

Community Flyers

Please click here to view Community Flyers. All flyers are posted online on the linked community page

PTA Events and Information

Amazon Wishlist: The PTA has a wishlist on Amazon that helps them support hospitality events and fulfill teacher requests. You can check it out through the provided link (http://bit.ly/mattapoisettpta)
Minted Fundraising: use the code FUNDRAISEMATTAPOISETT at Minted.com; saves you 20% while giving the PTA 15% back. A win-win for everyone!