Winthrop Weekly

Dear Winthrop Families,

As cooler mornings begin to hint at fall, our school year is already abuzz with energy and excitement. This week, we welcomed our youngest learners as our preschool and kindergarten students joined us, filling our halls with fresh curiosity and joy. It’s truly heartwarming to witness our school community coming together, embodying our theme of CARES—Cooperation, Assertiveness, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control—in every classroom, playground, and hallway.

Next week, we invite all parents to our first FRIES (Friends Of Ipswich Elementary Students) meeting on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other families, engage in meaningful discussions, and be part of the enriching activities planned for our students throughout the year. Following that, we have Parent Curriculum Nights scheduled for the week after (Grades 3-5 on 9/17 and PK-Grade 2 on 9/19), where you'll have the chance to walk in your child’s shoes and learn about the exciting curriculum they’ll be exploring this year. These nights are designed to give you a glimpse into the learning journey your child will undertake, showcasing the skills and knowledge that will shape their academic growth.

I also want to take a moment to highlight the importance of our School Council, a vital partnership between parents, teachers, and administrators. The School Council plays a key role in shaping the policies and initiatives that impact our students’ education and well-being. We encourage parents to get involved, share their insights, and contribute to making our school an even better place for our children to thrive. Please see more information below.

As we continue this journey together, please remember to sign up for the School Dismissal Manager program to ensure a smooth end to each school day. Also, School Picture Day, is just around the corner on 9/18. Let’s keep the spirit of CARES alive as we navigate this school year with cooperation, responsibility, and empathy, guiding our every step.

Warm regards,

Amy B. Sullivan

Thursday, September 5th: Early Release, PK disimissed @ 1:30 PM, K-5 dismissed @ 1:50 PM

Wednesday, September 11th: FRIES meeting, 6:30 PM, Winthrop Cafeteria

Thursday, September 12th: Early Release, PK dismissed @ 1:30 PM, K-5 dismissed @ 1:50 PM

Tuesday, September 17th: Grades 3-5 Parent Curriculum Night @ 6 PM

Wednesday, September 18th: School Picture Day

Thursday, September 19th: Early Release, PK disimissed @ 1:30 PM, K-5 dismissed @ 1:50 PM

Thursday, September 19th: PK-Grade 2 Parent Curriculum Night @ 6 PM

Thursday, September 26th: Early Release, PK disimissed @ 1:30 PM, K-5 dismissed @ 1:50 PM

We were fortunate to have the Winthrop campus paved this summer! Thanks to this upgrade, we’ve added over 20 parking spots, extended the sidewalk to the firehouse, leveled handicap spots, and reconfigured our crosswalks. As returning parents know, this project was long overdue and greatly needed.

Here are some key improvements and changes:

1. The cut-through between Manning Street and the fire station is now one-way. Cars can only exit the Winthrop campus through this cut-through; they cannot enter from Manning Street. Pedestrians walking to school from Manning Street should use the new sidewalk leading to the school entrance. Please avoid crossing between parking spaces or cutting across the lawn.

2. The crosswalk at the end of the connector has been relocated to prevent parked cars from obstructing it. Please use the new crosswalk (see picture below) to cross toward the school, to the left of Door 2.

3. As a bonus, we have designated 10 coned-off parking spots for PK near the sidewalk close to Door 3.

Are you interstested in serving as a parent represetntative on the Winthrop School Council?

What is a School Council?

A school council is a representative, school-building-based committee comprised of the principal, parents, teachers, and community members that work together to establish goals, shape the policies and programs of the school, and improve student achievement. The school council assists the principal in:

1. Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards

2. Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school

3. Reviewing the annual school building budget

4. Formulating a school improvement plan

School councils also serve as a voice and sounding board for the school community. Each member of the council is available to hear concerns and suggestions from parents, teachers, students, and the community at large.

The Winthrop School Advisory Council consists of parent representatives, teacher representatives, administrative representatives, and one community representative. The mission of the School Advisory Council is to develop the school improvement plan through monthly meetings with input from all different representatives involved in the school: parents, teachers, administration, and community members.

The Winthrop School Council typically meets once per month on a Tuesday at 7:00 PM alternating in-person and via zoom. Our first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 1st at 7:00 PM in the Winthrop Cafeteria. All school council meetings are open to the public and all parents are welcome to attend. Here is a list of the dates for the year:

• 10/1
• 11/1
• 12/2
• 1/7
• 2/4
• 3/4
• 4/1
• 5/1
• 6/3

If you are interested in joining the school council, please fill out this Google Form.

Should there be a larger interest than spaces avaialble, elections will be held during Curriculum Nights and the information provided in the Google Form will be made public.

Geskus Studios will be at Winthrop on Wednesday, September 18th for school pictures. You can preview packages at geskusprints.com. Enter the code X6R57BWU. Hard copies of order forms will be sent home next Wednesday. If you feel your family would qualify for a financial voucher, please confidentially reach out to Principal Sullivan at asullivan@ipsk12.net.

We will be using the online program, School Dismissal Manager, again this year to streamline student dismissals.

Our online dismissal management system, School Dismissal Manager (SDM), is dependable, easy to use, and can be updated by parents and guardians from the convenience of their smartphones, tablets, and PCs.

Through the online dismissal management system, you can:

• Report student absences and late arrivals

• Schedule early departures from school

• Schedule after-school activities such as ACE programs., Student Leadership Meetings, and other school-sponsored activities (available later in the year).

• Make transportation changes as late as 2:05 PM on regular dismissal days and 12:50 PM on

early release Thursdays.

We will begin using SDM for dismissal on the first day of school- Wednesday, August 26th for Grades 1-5 and Tuesday, September 3rd for Kindergarten. Please note, that we do not use SDM for preschool Dismissal plans.

On Wednesday, August 14th, all families received an email from School Dismissal Manager prompting you with additional information. Please check your inbox, spam/junk and promotional folders if you missed this email.

Returning Families who used the program last year will receive a friendly reminder email on August 14th to log in to their existing accounts using their previous credentials. If you do not receive an email by August 14th, please check your spam, junk, social and/or promotional folders. When signing in, please note that your username is your email address. If you forgot your password, you can click on the forgot my password to have a reset link sent to your email. Once you have logged in, please make updates to your child(ren)'s dismissal plan(s) for the new school year. In order to prepare for the opening of school, please log in to SDM and update dismissal plans by Wednesday, August 21st.

New/Kindergarten Families will receive an email from School Dismissal Manager on August 14th with the following information:

• Parent Credentials *only sent to family members who have custody (sole or shared physical custody)

• Login information

• Directions to go to the School Dismissal Manager Website

• A detailed Welcome Letter about how to use the program

• Links to setup videos and frequently asked questions

Once you receive your credentials, please use them to log into the new system so that you can begin to familiarize yourself with it and set up your child’s default dismissal and routine. In order to prepare for the opening of school, please log in to SDM and update dismissal plans by Wednesday, August 21st.

Kindly take some time over the next week to acclimate yourself to the program. Of course, you may still call the school to report absences or dismissal changes but we hope you take some time to explore our online system. Please reach out to Jeanne Vlahos at jvlahos@ipsk12.net or 978-356-2976 with any questions.

Children in grades 1-5 who genuinely enjoy reading are invited to register for Ipswich Public Library

Children’s Room after-school monthly book clubs that run from October through May.

• Radical Readers is for children in grades four and five, and meets once a month on a Monday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Children read an assigned chapter book in advance of the meeting and then come together to discuss it, have a snack provided by that month’s host, and socialize. The host also reads aloud the questions and calls on their peers to answer.
• Book Buddies is for third graders, and meets once a month on a Thursday from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Children read a fun age-appropriate chapter book in advance of the meeting and then join with their peers to discuss it, have a snack provided by that month’s host, and socialize.
• Second Grade Junior Great Books is a program designed specifically for second graders using the Great Books curriculum of outstanding stories. Children read a story prior to the group meeting (alone or with a caregiver) and come to the library once a month on a Wednesday from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. to discuss it. A snack is provided by the library.
• First Grade Junior Great Books, which meets one Wednesday a month from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m., is a similar program using excellent picture books, which we read together, and also involves a simple craft. Children do not need to know how to read to participate in this program (but they should enjoy stories!). A snack is provided by the library.

Register for any of these programs at www.ipswichlibrary.org/events by going to the month of October and clicking on the appropriate link. Please note that some programs may have more than one session, depending on enrollment.

Email: winthrop@ipsk12.net
Website: https://www.ipsk12.net/Domain/185
Location: 65 Central Street, Ipswich, MA, USA
Phone: 9783562976