Forestdale School News

It has been a relatively smooth beginning of the school year for students. Grades 1 & 2 began the year on Tuesday, September 3rd, kindergarten Family Day was on Wednesday the 4th, with their 1st day of school on Thursday, September 5th.

I was impressed with the flexibility of students being able to either voice their need for help finding their classroom or independently finding it on their own. All kindergarten students walked to their rooms for the 1st few days of school. Our goal is for students to gain independence early in the school year, as independence leads to self-confidence.

Student Arrival/Parent Pick-Up

Part of the smooth start to the year is parent support during arrival and dismissal. I appreciate families allowing staff to help students out of the car w/out families getting out during arrival. This keeps our traffic flowing and doesn't hold up buses trying to enter the bus loop. It is also appreciated that families have been accessing Pick-Up Patrol to help teachers get students to the correct dismissal areas. Please have an ID available and use the Pick Up Patrol (PUP) app to identify who will be picking up your student.

One Last Point

I have been in communication with the town regarding the new traffic light and the timing of the light leaving Forestdale School. It has caused some heavy back-ups in the morning and afternoon causing many buses to have later than normal drop-offs in the afternoon. I have just been informed by the town that the light has been adjusted and we should see an improvement with cars exiting Bill Richards Road.

Please support the Sandwich Police Shop with Cop program with the purchase of a Sandwich Police sticker. Stickers are $4 and are available at our front office. All proceeds go to Shop With A Cop.

Shop With A Cop supports selected Sandwich students shopping for Christmas presents with Sandwich Police Officers during the holiday season.

Please support the Sandwich Police Shop With Cop program with the purchase of a Sandwich Police sticker. Stickers are $4 and are available at our front office. All proceeds go to Shop With A Cop.

Shop With A Cop supports selected Sandwich students shopping for Christmas presents with Sandwich Police Officers during the holiday season.

Dear Parents,

Vision, hearing and BMI screenings are mandated by Massachusetts Code of Regulations (CMR). Screenings are not diagnostic, but rather, help to identify children who might need further evaluation. Please see below for information on the screenings that will be done based on your child's grade and when your child will be screened:

Tuesday 9/17

• Vision screening of preschool students who were not screened at their most recent physical exam
• Vision screening of kindergarten students who were not screened at their most recent physical exam.

Thursday 9/19 and Friday 9/20

• Vision, hearing and BMI screening of first grade students
• Vision and hearing screening of second grade students

• Hearing screening of kindergarten students

If your child has difficulties with their vision or hearing screening we will send a referral home for them to be seen by an eye or hearing specialist. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Join the Sandwich Elementary PTA Gardening Club!

Exciting news for our K-2 students! Starting September 25th, our Gardening Club will kick off a 6-week session on Wednesdays at 2:30 PM at Forestdale. Dive into the world of gardening with hands-on activities like growing flowers and veggies, making compost bins, and exploring soil science. Each session runs for 1 hour after school, and we’re looking for 1-2 enthusiastic volunteers to help with distributing supplies and managing materials. Don’t miss out on this green-thumb adventure—pre-registration is required. Sign up using the Google form linked here. We can't wait to grow with you!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqVLMPdwqfUtaF0Ie1jW9mcBhBd1cIWTvHMhF6VUW3dI0FjQ/viewform

Kindergarten-4:30 pm-5:30 pm

Grade 1-5:30 pm-6:30 pm

Grade 2-6:30 pm-7:30 pm

*Each session will start in the multi purpose room. I encourage this to be adults only unless childcare isn't available.

October 8, 2024 6-7 pm @ Oak Ridge

November 12, 2024 4-5 pm @ Forestdale

December 10, 2024 6-7 pm @ Oak Ridge

January 14, 2025 6-7 pm @ Forestdale

February 11, 2025 6-7 pm @ Oak Ridge

March 11, 2025 6-7 pm @ Forestdale

April 8, 2025 4-5 pm @ Oak Ridge

May 13, 2025 6-7 pm @ Forestdale

June 10, 2025 6-7 pm @ Oak Ridge