Dear Mason Road Families:

Happy October to you all! Now that fall is here, Mason Road School is in full swing and the school is buzzing with excitement. Students are adapting to the rules and expectations within their classroom and throughout the school building. There are some areas we still need to work on (for some reason, the grade one bathrooms are like the playground for students) but I am confident that students are working toward expected behaviors throughout their day.

For some reason, the next few months typically fly by. With the holidays approaching (way faster than I would like), there are quite a few activities taking place. Be sure to read this entire newsletter so that you can plan ahead. Most importantly, next week is picture week for Mason Road! We want to make sure that everyone is ready and their smiles are on!

• Monday, October 7th - Preschool and Grade One students
• Tuesday, October 8th - Preschool and Kindergarten

Wishing you all a fabulous October! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at jdesto@dcrsd.org or check out our website page at MASON ROAD SCHOOL.

Sincerely,

Jen D.

On Monday, September 23rd, your child came home with a flyer that shared information regarding our school wide fundraiser. This fundraiser gives directly back to the classroom teacher. The teacher is then able to purchase items for his/her classroom. It is truly a remarkable fundraiser and I could not be anymore grateful for the fundraising efforts you have put into this.

Your child can also receive some goodies! Once your child is signed up, he/she will receive a "Book Buddy" that they may have been talking about. You do not need to purchase anything for your child to receive the "Book Buddy," but they need to be signed up. We do ask that you share the information with family and friends. This fundraiser lasts the entire school year so if you find that you have some time to shop, know that you are giving back to your child's classroom! We truly appreciate all the donations that are coming in from this fundraiser! THANK YOU!

School store sign up

Mason Road Code:153567

We have our dates scheduled for school pictures! Information will be sent home to families prior to picture day. Mark your calendars now so you are ready for it!!

PICTURE DAY: October 7th ~ GRADE 1 & Preschool
PICTURE DAY: October 8th ~ Kindergarten & Preschool

PICTURE RE-TAKE: November 19th - Anyone who missed picture day or needs to re-take pictures (pk students are asked to come to the school if they are not in session and need pictures/re-take)

If you have any questions, please contact the main office at (508) 943-4312.

If you wish to order pictures online please go to mylifetouch.com

Picture day ID EVT7XKSKP

If you have any changes to your address, phone number, or email, please be sure to contact the main office. It is imperative that our system is updated accordingly otherwise you may not receive important phone calls or emails. Please contact the main office with any new information.

On October 22nd, staff and students of Mason Road School will participate in a lockdown drill. All teachers will be preparing students on the necessary steps to take in such an event. The lockdown drill is always a "soft" drill and it is not meant to stress students out or cause anxiety. There is an expectation that these drills will take place 3 times throughout this school year. Again, ALL FAMILIES will be notified of any lockdown drills.

On Monday October, 28th (Kindergarten) and Tuesday, October 29th, Mason Road will be planning to host a Storybook Literacy Night where families are invited and students are welcome to wear their favorite storybook character costume. More information to come!

*Note: Dates are subject to change.

If your child participates in anything outside of school, and you want to share it, please send me a picture(s) and I will share it in our newsletter or on our district website (must be taken sideways)!

Hello Mason Road families!

Happy Fall! As we head into the cooler weather, we tend to see an uptick in asthma exacerbations, colds, flu, conjunctivitis (pink eye), stomach “bugs”, etc. Mason Road students are doing a fabulous job at washing their hands and covering their coughs and sneezes with their elbows. Please continue encouraging them to do their part in helping us all stay healthy at Mason Road School.

The mobile dentist will be visiting on October 30th. If you would like to sign your student up, please send in the form that was sent home or sign up online here at your earliest convenience.

Now that the student’s are well adjusted to their daily routine, I will be starting yearly screenings. Please ensure if your student wears glasses that they have them at school with them.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out via email smoisan@dcrsd.org or via phone 508.943.4312.

Thank you,

Nurse Moisan

Thanksgiving Dinner Assistance

Dear Mason Road Families:

It's that time of year when the National Honor Society (NHS) at Shepherd Hill works hard to make sure families in our district do not go without a special meal for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you need help providing a Thanksgiving meal for your household, please send an email to our School Adjustment Counselor, Rachael Shelburne, at rshelburne@dcrsd.org by Friday, November 1st at 12PM.

If you request help this Thanksgiving, you will be contacted by someone at Shepherd Hill to confirm your need for a meal. All coordination and delivery of the meals are completed by the NHS. If you your financial situation changes after Friday, November 1st, please contact Mrs. Shelburne directly.

Dear Mason Road Families:

The school year is well underway and the holidays are approaching quickly. We understand these times can be very difficult, both emotionally and financially for families. Each year, we work with local schools, companies, and organizations to help ease some of the financial burdens for those most in need by helping to provide holiday gifts for children.

If you need help providing some unwrapped gifts to your child(ren) this holiday season, please complete this form, Holiday Gift Help, by Friday November 8th.

This information is kept confidential; community members who sponsor your child(ren) are given no identifying information. If you have any questions or your financial situation changes after Friday, November 8th, please contact Mrs. Shelburne directly.

Emotions and Coping Skills

Throughout the month of October, SEL classroom visits will focus on emotions and coping skills. We’ll start off the month learning about many of the different emotions that we have. We’ll talk about how confusing it may feel to have more than one emotion at a time, and we will explore how emotions look and feel in the body. We’ll also talk about how all emotions are okay to feel, but it’s important how we respond to big emotions. Later in the month, we’ll be talking about coping skills and we’ll practice a couple of skills together as a class. Students will learn that coping skills can be used to help us manage both positive and negative emotions.

At-Home Practice: Stuffed Animal Breathing

Have your child lie on their back. Place a small stuffed animal on their stomach. Have them slowly and gently breathe in to move the stuffed animal up, and out to move the stuffed animal down without it falling off. This helps teach your child to breathe slowly and deeply using their stomach when trying to calm down. Deep breathing is a great skill to use when managing both positive emotions (ie. hyperactivity due to excitement) as well as negative emotions (ie. sad, anxious, angry, etc).

Sincerely,

Rachael Shelburne

Adjustment Counselor

rshelburne@dcrsd.org

On January 3, 2023, the Commonwealth launched the new Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) and established 25 Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs). As part of the Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform, these programs are increasing access to mental health and substance treatment for people across Massachusetts, and offer insurance-blind behavioral health crisis services to anyone in the state.

Additionally, the Commonwealth has created a Behavioral Health Roadmap Toolkit, which includes pre-made public awareness and informational materials (including social media graphics, fact sheets, flyers, and more).

What to find out what's been taking place in unified arts? Please visit the Mason Road/Dudley Elementary Unified Arts Newsletter!

This years Winter Concert is going to be very different. For the first time, we are going to host a Winter Concert for a combined show of all Kindergarten students and all Grade One students. Due to the limited space at Mason Road, Shepherd Hill has opened its doors to let us use their auditorium. There will be trees lit up and the atmosphere may feel like Christmas. Please know that our concert is a Winter Concert.

SAVE THE DATE: December 16th - 6:00pm - SHRHS

Make-Up Date: December 18th

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The Mason Road School Council has been formed! I would like to thank the following individuals who have volunteered their time to work with me. Our 2024-2025 school council members are:

Stephanie Rice, Parent

Jillian Anderson, Parent

Nina Darling, Parent

Brittany Landry, Parent

Michelle Gray, Teacher

All meetings will be held virtually starting at 3:30pm. School Council will be meeting the following days:

Monday, October 21, 2024 - Welcome, Climate/Culture

Monday, January 21, 2025 - Budget

Monday, March 17, 2025 - School Improvement Plan

Monday, May 19, 2025 - Handbook/Building Policies

In June, school council members will be invited to the DCRSD School Committee where our school improvement plan will be presented.

* October 6th: Dudley PTO Family Fall Festival - SHRHS - see flyer below

* October 9th: School Committee Meeting - 6:30pm - SHRHS

* October 10th: Early release for all! Teacher Conferences (teacher will reach out to you to schedule a conference time)

* October 14th: Columbus Day - No School

* October 28th: Storybook Literacy (Kindergarten) - MRS - TBD

* October 29th: Storybook Literacy (Grade One) - MRS - TBD

* October 29th: Haunting on the Hill - 6:30pm - SHRHS

* November 5th: No School for Students - staff PD Day

* November 5th: Dudley PTO Meeting - 6:30 - DES Library

* November 11th: No School - Veterans Day

* November 13th:School Committee Meeting - 6:30pm - SHRHS

* November 27th: Early Release - All

* November 28th & 29th: No School - Happy Thanksgiving

* December 3rd: Dudley PTO Meeting - 6:30 - DES Library

* December 20th: Early Release - All

* December 23rd - January 2nd: Happy Holidays/Holiday Vacation/Happy New Year

Please refer to the District Calendar for future dates throughout the school year:

Dudley-Charlton Regional School District 2024-2025 School Year Calendar

The Dudley PTO have been a huge supporter of programs, field trips, etc. for Mason Road School, Dudley Elementary School, and Dudley Middle School. Throughout the school year, the Dudley PTO will be hosting numerous fundraisers. These fundraisers help to provide each school with the opportunity to have field trips, music shows, art shows, materials for the classrooms, etc.

The Dudley PTO is always looking for new members! Each one can contribute something so if you are interested, meetings are held every FIRST TUESDAY of the month at 6:30pm in the Dudley Elementary School Library.

If you are interested in joining the PTO or want to stay up to date on fundraisers, please click on the picture to access their website. You can also follow the Dudley PTO on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DudleyPTO

At this exciting event, get ready to sing along, shout “BINGO!” and win some amazing prizes! There will also be a Food Truck, Cash Bar & Raffles! Doors open at 6pm | Bingo begins at 7pm. All proceeds of the event will go to the Dudley-Charlton Education Foundation and will be distributed as grants to the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District.

Date: October 24, 2024

Time:6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Venue: Charlton Beagle ClubLocation

103 Bond Rd, Charlton, MA, 01507

Price: $30.00 – $32.00

***Tickets also available at the door for $35***

WE HAVE A NEW SCHOOL SPIRIT STORE!! A HUGE thank you to Kerrin Graphics, right in Dudley, for creating this amazing store for families to purchase School Sway at a low cost. Kerrin has done an amazing job on may of the things we use in our District. They are the ones who print our Principal Awards! SHOP AWAY by clicking the SPIRIT picture or by visiting Kerrin Graphics.

Mason Road School

20 Mason Road

Dudley, MA 01507

Telephone: (508) 943-4312

Fax: (508) 949-1005

Principal: Jennifer A. Desto

Email: jdesto@dcrsd.org

Administrative Assistant: Crissy Harris

Email: charris@dcrsd.org

School Hours PreSchool

AM: 9:10 am - 11:40 am

PM: 12:20 pm - 2:50 pm

School Hours K & 1

Arrival begins at 8:30 am

Late Bell at 8:40

Classes begin at 8:45 am

Dismissal begins at 3:00 pm