Greetings FitzGerald Families!

School starts in only a few days and there is so much excitement already happening within the walls of the school! Colorful bulletin boards are up, the school has been cleaned from corner to corner, and smiles are far and wide across the school building! We can't wait for the students to come next week!

FitzGerald Back to School Social Information:

We hope to see everyone at the Welcome Back to School Social on the FitzGerald School playground scheduled for Monday August 26th from 4:00-5:00pm. Please see below for more information about this event:

4:00-4:30pm:

- Ritchies Italian Ice will be served (Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, and Lemon flavors will be available)

- Playground areas will be open (come see our newly renovated playground space!)

- A school bus will be in the parking lot for any student who would like to practice how to use the seatbelt, practice getting on and off the bus, etc. before the first day.

4:30-4:45pm:

Mrs. Santillo will make an announcement around 4:30pm that students (and the adult that came with them) can practice entering the school and walking to the door of their new classroom. Classrooms will not be open, but this will provide students with a chance to practice walking to their new rooms before they start the year.

Please make sure to review your child’s homeroom assignment before coming to the social, so that you can remind your child of their room number for this part of the event.

Reminders from the August 6th Fitzy's Flyer:

1. First Day- The first day of school for Grades 1-5 is Tuesday August 27th.

2. Kindergarten Screening- Kindergarten Screening is taking place August 27th and August 28th. FitzGerald Kindergarten students will have their screening appointments at FitzGerald School on the date/time scheduled. If you are the parent/guardian of an incoming Kindergarten student and do not know what time your Kindergarten Screening appointment is, please contact the Parent Information Center, or Mrs. Santillo, for your child's date/time.

3. First Day for Kindergarten- The first day for PreK and Kindergarten is Tuesday September 3rd.

4. School Supply Lists- School supply lists are listed in the section below and are also on the FitzGerald School website.

5. Summer Reading Challenge- Don't forget! If 70% of students in upcoming Grades 1-5 bring back their reading log in August, we will have a raffle for a few different prizes: 1. Principal for a Day (1 winner), 2. Assistant Principal for the Day (1 winner) , 3. Pie the Principal or Assistant Principal (2 winners per grade)! Here we go FitzGerald School!

Link to Summer Reading Parent Letter in English, Spanish, and Portuguese

6. Before and After School Child Care at FitzGerald- FitzGerald School partners with the Waltham YMCA to offer before and after school childcare on site. If you are interested in before or after school care options on site at FitzGerald School, please contact the Waltham YMCA directly or look here for more information:

https://ymcaboston.org/youth-and-family/youth-education/before-after-school/

PTO Volunteer Opportunities

The FitzGerald Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) does an incredible amount to support our school, through items such as enrichment, field trip funds, community events, fundraising, and so much more! The PTO is looking for two more volunteer board roles to be filled at this time. If interested in volunteering for either role on the board, or to learn more about how you can help, please email FitzGeraldPTO@gmail.com.

* Director of Communications
2 year position (maximum of 4 years)
Communicate PTO related information to the FitzGerald community. Point of contact between school staff and PTO regarding any PTO related communications.

• Maintain and manage PTO website

• Maintain and manage PTO email account

• Communicate posts on social media

*Director of Finance

• Shadow Treasurer so that you may assume that role in the future
• Handle cash box at events

We are very excited to begin school next week! It is going to be a FANTASTIC school year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Santillo, Principal- jennifersantillo@walthampublicschools.org

Mrs. Lamoly, Assistant Principal- julielamoly@walthampublicschools.org

Grade K Letter- Ms. DeFranco, Ms. Venuto, Mrs. Scruggs, Mrs. Church

Grade 1 Letter- Mrs. Coyne, Mrs. Walsh, Ms. Sherman

Grade 2 Letter- Mrs. Frost, Mrs. Ebert, Mrs. Sarkissian

Grade 3 Letter-- English/Spanish- Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Clifford, Ms. McNally, Ms. Fusaro

Grade 4 Letter- Mrs. Foley, Mr. Pinsoneault, Mrs. Klie

Grade 5 Letter- Mrs. Siegal, Mrs. Kearney, Mrs. Zises

General Information:

Between 8:25am-8:42am and 2:55pm-3:15pm, the Beal Road side of FitzGerald School is a live drop off and pick up area. If you will be dropping off or picking up your child during these times, please use the Warren Street entrance to Beal Road to keep all traffic flowing in one direction and ensure student safety.

Drop Off:

Drop off is from 8:25am-8:42am. Cars may pull into either of the two curb cuts in front of the school on Beal Rd. Members of the school staff will be outside to greet students. Students will exit their vehicles and walk down to the middle entrance door to enter the building. All walkers/drop offs will enter in the Beal Rd. side of the building.

Adults accompanying a walker in the morning may walk their child to the outside middle entrance door on Beal Rd. Students then enter into the building independently once arriving at the school entrance door. A parent that drives their child, but would like to walk their child to the door, should park on Beal Rd. (not in front of the school) and then walk their child to the Beal Rd. entrance door.

At 8:42am, the homeroom bell rings. Any student arriving after 8:42am will need to enter on the parking lot side of the building. Students that arrive after 8:42am are marked tardy and will need to check in at the main office.

All bus and van students are dropped off between 8:25am and 8:42am on the parking lot side of the building.

Pick Up:

The parking lot side of the school is for buses and vans only and is not a live pick up area. All walkers and pick ups will dismiss on the Beal Rd. side of the building.

Kindergarten, third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade students who are walkers or pick ups will exit out the middle entrance door on Beal Rd. (the same door as morning drop off). Kindergarten parents should wait in the area at the bottom of the stairs. Third, fourth, and fifth grade parents should wait on the grass area at the top of the stairs.

First and second grade students will exit out the gym door (on the left side of the building on Beal Rd.). Parents should wait on the grass area outside of the gym door.

If your child will be a pick up or a walker each day, please share with your child's teacher who the adult(s) will be that will have permission to pick up your child. Please keep in mind that students in Grades Kindergarten, first, and second grade will need to have an adult present before they can depart the building.

There is no double parking on Beal Rd.

Bus Students:

Please note that all Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students must be accompanied by an adult at the bus stop for all bus pick up and drop off times. Any K-2 student that does not have an adult present at the bus stop at drop off will be brought back to the school by the bus driver.

Thank you in advance for your help with following the drop off and pick up procedures and for keeping traffic flowing during these very busy times of the day.

FitzGerald Families:

This note is to inform you that a student and/or staff member has a severe latex allergy. This latex allergy is so severe that there could be a reaction simply being in the same room as a product containing latex. Latex particles become airborne and can cause a life-threatening reaction that may need emergency treatment. Strict avoidance of all latex products, most commonly balloons, is the only way to prevent a life-threatening allergic reaction. We are asking for your assistance in providing the student and/or staff member with a safe learning/work environment. To reduce the risk of exposure, the school is asking that no products made of or containing latex be brought into the building or are used at any school event. Any exposure to latex through contact or inhalation can cause a severe reaction. Thank you for your help in keeping all of our students and staff members safe.

Also, we kindly ask that all classroom snacks be nut and peanut free, until further notice is given about if a student in your child's classroom has a nut or peanut allergy. Nut and peanut products can be packed in a child's lunch box for their lunch in the cafeteria.

Update to come in the next Fitzy's Flyer!

Ongoing FUNDRAISING through BOX TOPS, RAISE RIGHT, MABELS LABELS

Stay in touch! PTO website – Facebook – Instagram

The FitzGerald School Council is a group that includes parent, staff, and community representatives that discuss items such as budget, School Improvement Plan, etc. Approved meeting minutes are posted in the Fitzy's Flyer office communication.

The first FitzGerald School Site Council update will come after the start of the school year.

*Breakfast and Lunch are available for free again for all students next school year!

** All students should bring one snack and a water bottle to school each day.

Every Friday is "Fitzy Friday" at FitzGerald! Everyone is invited to wear Fitzy Spirit Wear or the colors blue and/or yellow to school, if they would like to!

Monday August 26th- FitzGerald Welcome Back to School Social- 4:00-5:00pm

Tuesday August 27th- First Day of School, Grades 1-5

Tuesday August 27th-August 29th- Kindergarten Screening

Thursday August 29th- Kindergarten Classroom Assignments Sent Out

Friday August 30th- No School

Monday September 2nd- No School

Tuesday September 3rd- First Day of School for Kindergarten

Tuesday October 1st - Initial Picture Day

Tuesday November 19th - Retake Picture Day

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Clever is an app we use at school that makes it easy for students to access many online learning programs and resources with their Waltham Public Schools Google account. Students can also access Clever at home on a personal device. Click HERE for directions.

Email: jennifersantillo@walthampublicschools.org
Website: https://www.walthampublicschools.org/o/fitzgerald
Location: 138 Beal Road, Waltham, MA, USA
Phone: 781-314-5680