December Updates
As we enter the month of December, I want to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for the continued support and partnership of our wonderful WPS community! The 2024-2025 schoo year has been filled with growth, learning, and resilience, and I am so proud of our students and staff for their dedication.
With the holiday season upon us, it’s a time to reflect on all that we have accomplished together and to look forward to the opportunities in the coming year. As we prepare for winter break, I encourage you to spend quality time with your family, rest, and recharge.
We have a number of exciting activities planned in the month of December, including grade level events and classroom celebrations. Please be sure to check the Roderick School Events Calendar
for important dates and updates.
Thank you once again for your continued support. Wishing you and your family a great holiday season!
All the best,
Dr. Kevin Martes
Principal
PTO Updates
Our organization is committed to supporting the education and development of our students by fostering a strong partnership between parents, teachers, and the community. The PTO is run by dedicated volunteers who organize events, fundraisers, and programs that benefit our students and staff. We are proud to be part of a community that values education and invests in the success of our children.
We encourage all parents and guardians to get involved with the PTO, whether by attending meetings, volunteering at events, or sharing ideas for how we can improve our school. Your support and participation are essential to the success of our organization and to the success of our students.
We are excited to share with you the upcoming events organized by the PTO! We have planned a variety of activities for our students and families throughout the school year to support their learning, growth, and well-being.
Upcoming Events
12/8 - Providence Bruins Group Outing at 3:05pm - Tickets are $25/person (See Flyer Attached)
12/11 - Chipotle Fundraiser - Grab a meal at Chipotle with a special promo code and a portion of the sales will be donated to the Wrentham PTO. Stay tuned for details on the promo code on our social media channels.
Debevino Winery - Parent’s night out. Stay tuned for more information.
Staff Holiday Breakfast - Date TBD. Every year the PTO hosts a Holiday Breakfast for the staff at WPS to send them off on a well deserved Holiday break with full hearts and bellies as a thank them for their hard work and dedication to our amazing school community. We love hosting this event and we know they appreciate it as well.
THE CHER SHOW! - The PTO is once again securing group discount tickets at Providence Performing Arts Center to see The Cher Show, the musical about her life. The show is Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $41.00 all fees included and you can choose seating in side Orchestra or First Dress Balcony. Join us for a fun night out - friends and family are welcome. Reserve tickets here.
Committee Sign Up
If you were unable to attend our first meeting and would like to join any of our available committees please see our sign up sheet for all of our events. Your help in planning these events are crucial to their success!
Upcoming January Events
1/2 - Cupcake Charlie’s Fundraiser. Details will be posted on our social media channels.
1/13 - Papa Gino’s Fundraiser - Purchase any meal from Papa Ginos with a promotion code and a portion of the sales will be donated back to the Wrentham PTO. Promotion code and flyer will be posted to our social media channels.
1/16 - Chuck E Cheese Social - Beat the cold and take the kids for some indoor fun at Chuck E Cheese.
1/20 - Goldfish Swim Social - 1:30 - 3:30pm grab a friend and spend the afternoon swimming. Stay tuned for more details and pricing in the coming weeks.
There will be NO PTO Meeting in January - see you again in February.
Ongoing Fundraisers
Minted
Purchase your holiday cards at minted and use the promo code FUNDRAISEWRENTHAM and receive 20% off your minted items (excluding fine art prints). Minted will then donate 15% of net sales associated with the promo code back to the Wrentham PTO!!!
Box Tops
Help us earn money for our schools each month by downloading the Box Tops app, select Wrentham Public Schools as your school and scan your digital or paper receipts after shopping. It’s that easy! Please see the link below for more on this and to scan the QR code and download the app to start using today!
https://1drv.ms/b/s!Ats78z1R96V1gV5r43IjAmhVCVML
Baystate Textile Bin
Do you have any old clothing, towels, linens or other textiles laying around your house that you are looking to donate? Drop them at our 2 bins located in the Delaney parking lot. Wrentham PTO receives a rebate each month from Bay State Textiles based on the amount of textiles donated. So far this year the PTO has raised over $800 to help our schools! See link below for more information and what items are accepted. No books should be placed in the bins. https://www.baystatetextiles.com/what-we-do-dont-accept/
Please join us at our next PTO meeting on December 9th at 7pm in the Roderick School library. All are welcome with no commitment to help!
Wrentham Elementary PTO Board
Heather Townsend & Laurel Smith - Co-Presidents
Charesse Blood - Corresponding Secretary
Andrea Murphy - Secretary
Mandi Kesmetis - Treasurer
WEST Updates
We are proud to announce that the first round of grants for the WPS 2024-2025 school year have been approved! We awarded a total of $35K in grant money this year! Thank you to the teachers, staff and admin at Wrentham Public Schools for your support and making the magic happen for our students!
Need Labels?
Winter is coming...that means snow gear! It's a great time to invest in Mabel's Labels for your kiddos! WEST has partnered with Mabel’s Labels so if you place an order WEST will receive 20% back to go towards educational grants for the Wrentham Elementary schools. The labels hold up well in the dishwasher for water bottles and more too.
Follow the link and search for Wrentham Elementary Schools Trust to order. https://mabelslabels.com/fundraising/support
FUN Drive!
We are still collecting items! Please see the flyer for more details.
Coming soon!
December – Shining Stars
January – Adult Trivia night 1/31
March – Spelling Bee 3/6
Contact us!
Email: info@wrenthamwest.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrentham.west/
Facebook: WEST - Wrentham Elementary Schools Trust
Website: www.wrenthamwest.org
Computer Science Education Week
CSEdWeek is held annually in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (Dec. 9, 1906). Admiral Hopper is known for popularizing the idea of machine-independent programming languages, which led to the development of the programming languages we have today. A programming language is what a computer reads to execute all of its functions. Coding is the process of writing that language out in organized patterns for computers to read. Think of English as a programming language and writing a recipe as coding. Humans are the computer that reads the code in the English language and makes the recipe.
CSEd Week is designed to promote and introduce computer science education to students. The part of CSEd Week we participate in is an Hour of Code, which challenges students to complete an hour of coding related activities during the week. Coding and computer science continue to be important skills for an increasing number of career paths. We think it is important to provide students a foundational knowledge of coding and computer science so they are prepared for the ever changing workplace. When students leave the Wrentham Public Schools and head to their next educational opportunity we want them to have a favorable impression of computer science.
The characteristics that make someone successful at coding and computer science are ones that will serve students well in all aspects of their lives. Resilience, problem solving, creativity, brainstorming, and innovation are all skills that coding and computer science develop that have real connections to almost every area of learning.
Among the ways we'll be participating in CSEd Week this year are:
Technology Classes - Mrs. Moon and Mrs. Fox will be taking their Technology Classes through the Hour of Code with age appropriate challenges.
Bingo Challenge - Students and their families will be receiving a bingo card with different coding activities they can complete and return to Mrs. Moon in the Delaney School or Mrs. Fox in the Roderick School.
Code an Administrator - 3rd through 6th grade students will display their coding practice through an interactive assembly where they'll code an administrator to complete a task.
We hope this week of activities will engage and inspire our students. Take a moment at home to ask your student about what they are learning and explore the Bingo Challenge together.
Roderick School Nurses Notes
Winter break is almost here! It certainly has been busy here in the nurses’ office! Here are a few quick reminders!
*Illness-there are colds and GI bugs going around! If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home. Students must be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school. If they are dismissed from school due to illness, they must stay home the next day. If there is any doubt, don’t hesitate to contact the office, 781-847-5316, or email montic@wrenthamschools.org if unsure when to keep your child home.
*Screenings-4th and 5th grade screenings have been completed. 6th grade screenings are starting on Monday, December 2nd.
*Snacks and Water-Please remember to pack your child a reusable water bottle and snack. There are limited supplies available in the nurses’ office.
*Clothing Donations- Doing some winter cleaning and organizing? The nurses’ office is in need of boys pants large (size 10-12) and x-large (size 14-16).
TRAILS to Wellness Unit 2: Self Management
We are so grateful for your continued interest and investment in your student’s social and emotional learning (SEL). Your student has been working hard developing skills related to identifying strong thoughts and feelings. They will build upon this progress as they start to learn self-management skills in the coming weeks. Self-management skills help us manage our strong feelings in order to make behavior choices that are positive, healthy, and appropriate.
The following topics will be covered:
Acting opposite: Each emotion we have serves a purpose and is accompanied by an initial impulse to act. For example, when we feel fearful, we have the urge to hide or avoid; when we feel angry, we have the impulse to attack. At this age, students are often dealing with very strong emotions and find it somewhat difficult to control their initial reactions. Choosing behavior that is the opposite of our initial impulse can regulate the strong emotions we’re experiencing and prevent our situation from getting worse. Your student will learn about Acting Opposite (opens in a new window) to help them understand that they have options for how to act when they have strong emotions.
Try this activity with your student at home:
Create challenges in your home to help your student practice opposite action. For example, if your student has been on the couch all weekend, encourage them to get active. If your student is afraid of reaching out to a new classmate, challenge them to face their fears! See how your student’s feelings (and your feelings!) change after acting opposite.Getting active: Increasing physical activity has been shown to improve mood and motivation and is another form of acting opposite. When we’re feeling down, our urge is to lay around and isolate; instead, we can get active. Getting active is a simple strategy that students can use to improve their mood anytime they notice they’re feeling low, lethargic, or sedentary. For fun ways to get active, start with the videos below.
Try one of these activities with your student at home:
GoNoodle - Go Bananas (opens in a new window) (2:06)
GoNoodle - Shake it Off (opens in a new window) (1:18)Relaxation: Strong emotions, like anxiety and anger, can feel physically uncomfortable – our jaws clench, our muscles tighten, and our body temperatures rise. Students will learn relaxation skills to calm these uncomfortable physical feelings that accompanying strong emotions. As students learn to reduce the intensity of these uncomfortable feelings, they gain more control over their emotions and behaviors.
Try one of these activities with your student at home:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (opens in a new window)
Cloud Relaxation Script (opens in a new window)Self-Care: Caring for ourselves both mentally and physically can impact our ability to manage our emotions, learn, and relate to others. Students will examine the different needs of their bodies, minds, and hearts. They will discuss specific strategies for self-care using the Taking Care of Myself (opens in a new window) worksheet. Bringing awareness to students’ current habits can help motivate them to engage in healthy activities to care for themselves, manage their moods, and perform their best.
Try this activity with your student at home:
Post in your home or reference Taking Care of Myself (opens in a new window). Set a goal with your student to do at least one activity each day to take care of yourself at every level (mind, heart, and body) and share with each other what activities you chose. Be sure to model this yourself! If possible, let your student know when you are engaging in self-care, e.g., “I’m drinking water to take care of my body.”
We encourage you to discuss and practice these skills at home to help your student continue to expand and strengthen their “toolbox” of social and emotional skills!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Sincerely,
The Roderick Elementary School Mental Health Team
Alyssa Celentano, School Adjustment Counselor, celentanoa@wrenthamschools.org
Sara Lazzaro, School Adjustment Counselor, lazzaros@wrenthamschools.org
Rachel Duffy, School Psychologist, duffyr@wrenthamschools.org