Green Meadow Weekly Update

Principal, Karen Lindquist - klindquist@maynard.k12.ma.us

Assistant Principal, Kate Murray - kmurray@maynard.k12.ma.us

School Nurse, Maria Bourgeois - mbourgeois@maynard.k12.ma.us

Main Office Line - (978) 897-8246

Absentee Phone Line - (978)897-0310

8/27 - Meet and Greet for K-3 Families, 2:00 - 2:30

8/27 - PTO Playdate for All Students, 2:30 - 3:30

8/28 - First Day of School for K-3, 2024-2025

8/29 - PreK Meet and Greet, 9:00 - 9:30 - Ms. Viros and Ms. DiLuca

8/29 - PreK Meet and Greet, 9:30 - 10:00 - Ms. Cohen and Ms. Gonsalves

8/30 - No School, Labor Day Weekend

9/2 - No School, Labor Day Weekend

9/3 - First Day of PreK, 2024-2025

9/13 - Early Release Day, GM dismissal 11:45 AM, No PreK

9/25 - School Picture Day

9/27 - Early Release Day, GM dismissal 11:45 AM, No PreK

9/26 - Back to School Night for Parents and Caregivers

All Green Meadow students are invited to our Back to School Meet and Greet on Tuesday, August 27, from 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM. Families may enter the building through the main entrance. Students can visit classrooms, meet teachers, visit the Art, Computer Science, Music, Library, and Gym spaces, and see the cafeteria. We ask that parents and caregivers supervise students during the event. The PTO is sponsoring a Green Meadow Playdate on the playground from 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM. This is a great time for adults and students to meet new people and make connections.

K-3 Arrival

School begins promptly at 8:30 AM. Students should arrive at school between 8:15 and 8:30 AM. Students should not arrive at school prior to 8:15 AM as there is no supervision. (An early arrival program is available for all students through the BASEC program. Please contact Michael Clark, Director at michael.clark@maynardbasec.org if you are interested.)

Morning Routines

K-3 students arrive between 8:15-8:25 AM. Students line up outdoors near the Library and Gym entrance on fair-weather days or line-up inside the building with teacher supervision on inclement-weather days. Upon arrival, staff will notify students whether to follow the indoor or outdoor arrival procedures. Staff are located throughout the building to support students if needed.

If outdoors (as often possible):

• Students in Grades 1-3 Staff will supervise student lines from 8:15 AM - 8:25 AM. Our goal is to have students in class by 8:30 AM to start their day.

• Kindergarten students will arrive and dismiss from classroom doors along the Crowe Park side of the building.

• Preschool students and families wait outside the main entrance of the school. Staff will start assisting students at 8:35. At 8:40, staff will walk students to classes to start the day.

Tardiness

Students who have not entered the school building by 8:30 are considered tardy and must check in at the school office for a pass. Tardiness affects not only the late child but disrupts the morning routines of the entire class and takes away from learning time. Help us get a positive start to each day by ensuring that your child arrives on time.

Benefits of Arriving on Time

Every minute counts in school! When children arrive on time, they begin their day with a positive outlook. Students have responsibilities early in the day:

1. Sign in

2. Order lunch

3. Unpack materials

4. Begin morning work to settle into the day

5. Begin small group work

When children arrive on time, they support the classroom focus on learning. Research has shown that attendance is critical for school success. A student who is 5-10 minutes late every day will miss the equivalent of a week of school.

Dismissal

Students will be dismissed at 2:50 PM on full days and at 11:45 AM on early release days.

• Students will be released only according to the dismissal plan that parents/guardians have provided to the school.

• For the safety of all children, any changes in dismissal must be submitted to the office in writing no later than the morning the change is to occur.

• Students should not walk to and from school unaccompanied. A responsible adult or caregiver should pick up students at dismissal.

• All adults picking up a child should be prepared to show a valid photo I.D. In addition, the school must have written permission from the parents to release any child.

• Students in grades 1-3 who are being picked-up at dismissal will exit by the Library door (this is a change from previous years) and be dismissed by the classroom teacher to a responsible caregiver.

• Kindergarten students will be dismissed directly at their classroom door to the designated adult.

• Preschool students will be dismissed from the main entrance by preschool staff.

• Bus students will be walked to the bus by staff members.

Due to the new school construction, arrival and dismissal for Grades 1-3 will be done by the Library entrance. We anticipate that construction fencing will be installed over the next two weeks. There will be an access road that wraps around the back of the school starting from the Tiger Drive/Crowe Park side of the building. Staff will be available at the Meet and Greet and on the first day of school to answer any questions. Once the fencing has been installed we will share photos to better explain the changes.

We know that students and families have been waiting for this day! Class placement will be available in the Aspen portal Friday, August 16. You can access Aspen through this link: https://ma-maynard.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do. Parents and Guardians login with their Login ID and password. All new families received an email with this information earlier in the summer. If you need assistance with your Aspen Login ID and password, please email helpdesk@maynard.k12.ma.us for support. Please note, the district was notified today that the Aspen Portal will be down on Friday, August 16, from 2:00 -3:00, for maintenace. You should not have any issues outside of this time frame.

For more information about Aspen, you can click on: https://www.maynard.k12.ma.us/page/aspen-sis-student-information-system.

Breakfast

Breakfast is open to students at 8:15 AM and is supervised by staff. Students who will have breakfast at school should enter the building and go directly to the cafeteria as soon as they arrive. Students planning on having breakfast at school still need to be in class by 8:30 AM. Students who arrive close to this time have the option of a to-go breakfast. Please make sure your child is clear on whether they should attend breakfast.

Green Meadow School Council

The Green Meadow School Council is composed of parents, teachers, the School Principal, and an appointed community member. In accordance with the guidelines established by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the council meets regularly to participate in discussions and projects which guide the school’s growth and development. The charge of the School Council is to:

• Assist in the identification of the educational needs of the students attending the school;

• Make recommendations to the Principal for the development, implementation and assessment of the school improvement plan; and

• Assist in the review of the annual school budget.

Please contact Karen Lindquist at klindquist@maynard.k12.ma.us if you are interested in serving on the school council. Elections will take place during Back to School Night on September 26.

Calling All New Families - Check out our PTO website and join our email list to stay on top of news and events. We can't wait for you to get involved!

https://greenmeadowpto.membershiptoolkit.com/

The first PTO Meeting will be in-person at Green Meadow School, on September 26, immediately following the Back to School Night schedule.

ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) Resources

SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) Resources

Multilingual Learner Resources

Families who would like to register for bus transportation should use the link below and follow the directions. If you have questions, please reach out to Colleen Andrade at candrade@maynard.k12.ma.us.

https://www.maynard.k12.ma.us/page/bus-information

Help save lives! Massachusetts General Hospital is returning to Maynard for a Back to School Blood Drive! It will take place on Thursday, September 19th from 10:00AM - 3:30PM. Book your appointment at https://blooddonor.massgeneral.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/6287 - appointments typically take 30-40 minutes, but the actual donation is only about 5-7 minutes long! Contact Emily Chau with any questions via email at ec2696@s.maynard.k12.ma.us or text at 978-493-3044

MAynard Youth Soccer Fall registration opens June 17. For more information go to www.maynardyouthsoccer.org

MPY ANNOUNCES NEW PARENTING SOLUTIONS LIBRARY

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce its new, free MPY Parenting Solutions Library. Parents can watch or just listen to experts who get right to the point solving big and small challenges. The 24 library presentations focus on the topics below. Each presentation includes a 10-minute videos and handouts. The Home Parenting Library may easily be accessed using the link on MPY’s home page (www.mpyinc.org). No log in or passcode is needed.

The Open Table Food Pantry (www.opentable.org; 33 Main St, Maynard) is open on Tuesdays, 3:30 - 6:30 PM and Thursdays, 1 - 4:30 PM and offers free bags of groceries 1x/week. Open Table also allows families to pick up frozen meals for family members weekly.

The Maynard Food Pantry (www.maynardfoodpantry.com; 82 Main St., Maynard) is open on Mondays from 10 AM - 12 noon 1-2x/month

Interested in learning more about the Maynard community and the many wonderful things happening around town? Check out the monthly Maynard Advantage Newsletters by subscribing at maynardadvantage.org

Learn what's happening at the Fowler School by clicking here.

Learn what's happening at Maynard High School by clicking here.