Shaw Community Update

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, and Community Members,

Spring is here and the beautiful weather is slowly becoming a daily occurrence. The student's energy levels are increasing and the eagerness to be outside enjoying the spring weather is ever-present here at Shaw.

With March behind us, the annual MCAS testing season has begun. Teachers and students have been preparing for this all year long, and together, we can make this a positive and successful time. Emails and texts will go out to families the night before each test session reminding you to make sure your child's Chromebook is fully charged and offering you some suggestions to help your child prepare for their testing days.

Your input and support continue to be invaluable to us. Our doors are always open, and we encourage you to reach out to us at any time.

Warm regards,

Andrew Tuccio & Erin Rosenkranz
Raymond E. Shaw Leadership Team

6th Grade Families:

• Students entering 7th grade must have a physical form for their health record within thirteen months of the first day of school for the 2025-2026 school year.

• Students entering 7th grade must have mandated immunizations:

• TDAP

• MenACWY

If your student has already had these requirements and you have not sent in a physical and immunization form please forward to the Shaw School Nurse, Mrs. Perkins, so she can update their health record. Letters for students whose records indicate they still need to meet these mandated requirements were sent home with them at the end of March.

If your student is scheduled for a physical and immunizations after the last day of the 24/25 school year, please send the forms to the Jr./Sr. High School Health Clinic. If your student has a religious or health reason for not receiving mandated immunizations please send in an exemption letter for that reason to the Jr./Sr. Health Clinic. This is required annually.

Nature’s Classroom & Medication

If your child requires medication of any kind, prescription or over the counter, while they are at Nature’s Classroom, please fill out the Medication Administration Form with the medication, dose, and time of administration exactly as the prescription label reads or as they receive an over the counter medication. The medications should be in their original container, whether it is a prescription or over the counter. The medication should be brought to the Shaw School Nurse, Mrs. Perkins, by April 8th before the day of the trip. Your child should not have any medication with them in the cabins. Mrs. Perkins assures all of the medications and instructions are labeled, boxed up, and delivered to the Nature’s Classroom Nurse by a Shaw staff member. If your child has an inhaler or EpiPen, they will be given to their field group leader daily, who will carry them during the day in case your child needs them. In the evenings, inhalers and EpiPens will be given to the dorm chaperone so they are available if needed. If the nurse is needed, she can go directly to the dorm and the medication will be there.

If your child has a health concern of any kind or any other concern while at camp, please don’t hesitate to call Mrs. Perkins, the Shaw School Nurse, to discuss at 508-865-0870. The sooner she knows your concerns the sooner she can assure there is a plan in place.

Millbury Public Schools School Calendar 2024-2025

The use of personal electronic devices is prohibited in school. Devices that are in school shall be turned off and placed in the student’s locker for the duration of the school day. This applies to all personal electronic devices including but not limited to cell phones and smartwatches. The expectation at Shaw is that students keep their devices turned off and kept in their bag while it is stored in their locker for the duration of the entire school day. Students are also not allowed to use such devices on school buses. We appreciate your support.

The following can be be found on page 98 of the Millbury Public School District Handbook:

Consequences:

• 1st offense
• Item will be confiscated and given to an administrator.
• Parents/Guardians will be notified of action and may be required to retrieve the confiscated item.
• Student may have a consequence deemed appropriate by administration.
• 2nd offense
• Item will be confiscated and given to an administrator.
• Parents/Guardians will be notified that the next infraction may result in an in school suspension.
• A parent/guardian must retrieve the confiscated item.
• Student will have a consequence deemed appropriate by administration.
• 3rd offense
• Item confiscated will be given to an administrator.
• Parents/Guardians will be notified.
• Student will have a consequence deemed appropriate by administration.
• Parent/Guardian must retrieve the confiscated item on the last day of school.

Nature's Classroom is April 9 - 11. We are offering three options again this year.

• Cost: $350 Overnight / Ext. Day $265 / $120 Days Only

• The Millbury Parents' Club fully funds transportation

• Overnight: Depart 8:30 Wednesday April 9th & Return 1:30 pm Friday, April 11th

• Day: Depart at 8:30 am and return at 1:30 pm. Daily

• Ext. Day: Depart at 8:30 am and return at approximately 9:15 pm. Daily

• (Depart Charlton at 8:45pm)

• Students will be able to take a bus to and from school and have breakfast at Shaw

• Lodging and all meals (Overnight / Sleep Away)
• Lunch (Day)
• Lunch & Dinner (Ext. Day)

• Limited financial assistance is available for students. If you are in need of financial assistance, please contact Mr. Tuccio at (508) 865-3541 or atuccio@millburyschools.org

  
  

Our Nature’s Classroom trip is right around the corner. We are excited for our students to experience this fantastic opportunity to grow both academically and in other ways. This program will most likely offer many “first-time” opportunities like foraging through a forest to being away from home for the night. Most students will be faced with a challenge they have never experienced before and we look forward to facing it together. Here is helpful information from the Nature’s Classroom staff:

Field Group

Field Groups consist of 12 students, the composition as determined by the schoolteachers. These groups remain consistent during the week and are assigned a Nature's Classroom teacher who will be their Field Group leader for the duration of their stay. Field Group occurs each morning and is a chance for the students to explore the natural environment and engage in outdoor activities that interest them. Each day the Field Group will focus on different topics and activities; they might investigate a stream or pond one morning to learn about aquatic ecosystems, another morning might focus on building stronger interpersonal relationships and self-confidence through team-building exercises. Spending each morning with their Field Group offers students the exciting opportunity to learn a great deal about the world and people around them.

Special Interest Classes

Each afternoon there are one or two class periods with several different classes offered. Each Nature’s Classroom teacher presents a different class and students get to choose a class that interests them. Each of our classes involve a hands-on activity or experience that help to illustrate the topic and make it more memorable. We collaborate with classroom teachers ahead of time to ensure our classes align with in-school curriculum and the goals of the trip. Examples of our most popular classes include: basics of physics illustrated by launching water rockets, anatomy classes with an animal dissection, math and geometry through building a geodesic dome, introductory yoga and meditation. Specific classes offered depend on the expertise and background of our teachers, as well as varying environmental factors.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the educators, parents, and volunteers who made this trip possible, especially to the Millbury Parents Club who funded the multiple bus runs to and from Charlton to accommodate our day, extended day, and overnight students and the truck rental for student luggage. Stay tuned for a photo gallery in the next monthly update.

The Shaw Spirit School Store is open, and we need your help to keep it going. Shaw’s school store allows students to use their Woolie Bucks to purchase various fun and educational items. We're seeking your support to help start keeping it stocked. If you’d like to help enhance our selection, please consider donating items from our Amazon Wishlist. Your generosity will benefit our students, giving them more choices and encouraging DREAM behavior. Some more expensive items will be used for school-wide raffles as part of the school store. Thank you for supporting our school community!

The Millbury Parents Club will have its February meeting on Tuesday, the 8th, at 7 p.m. location TBD.

As usual, they will have our Kidz Korner open. It will be staffed by members of the National Honor Society, who will be available to play and do crafts with small children. We hope to see you there!

Third Grade thoroughly enjoyed the “Rock Paper Scissors” bead battles during Shaw March Madness. Congratulations to the 6 classroom champions and our overall school champion, 3rd Grader Tessa Gasco!

Students participated in an 80-minute MCAS practice trial, engaging with the rigor of the 4th-grade MCAS texts and text-dependent questions, including constructed responses and a narrative writing task. This year’s practice test allowed students to self-check their work, encouraging accountability and reflection. After completing the trial, students took time to analyze their process, discussing the strategies they used and identifying both their strengths and challenges. Teachers extended this work into ELA lessons, guiding students through the planning, drafting, and revision process as they crafted creative stories about a lost sock and glove.

Investigating History Pilot:

This year, 4th grade is piloting Massachusetts’ new inquiry-based program, Investigating History. ELA teachers have participated in five professional development sessions to unpack the curriculum, experience lessons firsthand, and collaborate with educators from across the state. The pilot has been an exciting opportunity for students, who have shown significant growth in their ability to ask thoughtful questions, analyze historical sources, and synthesize information. Currently, students are exploring the topic of Westward Expansion, examining its impact on First People and the land. We look forward to seeing their critical thinking skills continue to develop through this engaging and rigorous program.

Fifth-grade students have been actively preparing for the English Language Arts MCAS testing. They’ve had the opportunity to review questions from previous tests, analyze various question types, and sharpen their writing skills. Additionally, students took on the role of teacher by evaluating MCAS-released essays and grading them using a rubric. They provided feedback, highlighting both the strengths and areas in need of improvement in the essays. This activity sparked valuable discussions and was an enriching experience for all.

Please enjoy the latest issues of our school newspaper, Woolie News Jr., published by Mrs. Hahn’s 6th-grade elective classes.

Woolie News Jr. (vol. 1, issue 3)

Woolie News Jr. (vol. 1, issue 4)

Band Instrument Donation Program

Do you have a band instrument that is no longer being used?

The band program at Shaw Elementary would like to provide the opportunity for every student, regardless of financial need, to learn how to play an instrument.

What type of donations are needed?

We are interested in brass, percussion, and woodwind instruments that are typically used in the elementary school band setting such as flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and snare drum.

Does the age and condition of the instrument matter?

Yes! Trying to learn how to play an instrument that does not work properly can be frustrating for a student. For this reason, we need to limit instrument donations that are of brand name (not purchased online or through a box store), in good to excellent condition, and no more than 15 -20 years old.

How do I make my donation?

Instrument donations may be dropped off with the Shaw Elementary office staff to be forwarded to Mr. Rollins.

Save the Dates!

Memorial Day Program

Thursday, May 22 @ 10 AM

Spring Band Concert

Thursday, May 29 @ 7 PM

bryt Family Resources & Support

The bryt model is grounded in the recognition that communication with, and support for, a student’s family is a core element of supporting that student—a “need to have” rather than a “nice to have.” This belief is so essential to us that family engagement is the only aspect of bryt to which we have assigned both a Team Leader and a sub-team of dedicated part-time coordinators. bryt’s Family Engagement Team works directly with school teams to help them support the families of the students in their bryt interventions through consultation and professional development, and provides a range of supports and resources directly to families.

• Parents Supporting Parent 2024-2025 Offerings

Cartwheel Clinical Services

Dear Millbury Families,

As a district we are committed to supporting the overall well-being of our students and believe mental health is an important part of overall health.

We currently partner with Cartwheel to support the mental health needs of our students via virtual therapy with licensed clinicians. Up until now, a student had to be identified and referred for these services by our school team.

Today, we are pleased to share that you can now request these services directly for your child. Oftentimes, families are the first to recognize that their child might need mental health support so we want to make it as easy as possible for your family to access these services.

Here are some signs to look out for to determine if your child might benefit from this support:

• Changes in mood or behavior

• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns

• Declining academic performance

• Withdrawal from friends or activities

• Increased anxiety or stress

• Expressing feelings of sadness or hopelessness

• Experiencing transition (related to life, family, peers, school)

• Exposure to a traumatic event

What types of support are available through Cartwheel, you ask?

All services are via telehealth:

• One-on-one evidence-based therapy (students in grades 3-12)

• Parent guidance sessions for parents/caregivers (students in all grades)

• Psychiatric evaluation and medication management (students in all grades)

• Family therapy

• Intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization services through our partner organizations

Cartwheel also offers care coordination, webinars, and referrals to other providers if needed.

Check out these FAQs about the types of challenges Cartwheel can support, how it works, and more.

Fill Out This Form if you feel your child may benefit from any of the offered services.

We understand how overwhelming navigating the mental health journey can be, and we want to do whatever we can to minimize that burden through our valued partnership with Cartwheel. This is our second contract year with them and when they recently announced that they were piloting a family identification pathway, we were so excited. Their services and guidance have been an invaluable asset to our mission to support our students holistically. Should you have any questions about this program, the services offered, or Cartwheel in general, please don't hesitate to reach out to a member of the counseling team.

Thank you,

The Shaw Clinical Team

Do you want to help promote the love of reading for students at Shaw? This year at Shaw we will once again have The Birthday Book Cart. Every day after a student has their birthday recognized during morning announcements they will get to choose a book they WANT to read and keep from The Birthday Book Cart. If you would like to support The Birthday Book Cart you can purchase a book from our Amazon Wish List or please feel free to drop off new books or donations to purchase new books at the main office at any time.

We are thrilled to continue offering lessons from the Choose Love curriculum to all students at Shaw. This curriculum teaches foundational concepts and skills of social-emotional learning through lessons on courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion in action. Click the following link for an introduction to Choose Love.

Curriculum information can be found on the District's Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment website.

• District Curriculum Resources

• MA Curriculum Frameworks

School Nutrition Services is looking forward to a great year! We are mainly going digital. Please fill out the following information if you would like to sign your children up for half-day lunches or to sign off on sharing information with other departments in the district.

• Half-Day Lunch Order Form
• Millbury Nutrition Services Website
• Millbury Nutrition Services Facebook

Email: shawadmin@millburyschools.org

Website: https://shaw.millburyschools.org/
Location: 58 Elmwood Street, Millbury, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 865-3541
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raymond.shaw.3150

The Millbury Public Schools ensures equal employment and educational opportunities for its employees and students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex or sexual orientation, gender identity (M.G.L. c. 151B and 151C, Title VI, Title VII, and Title IX), or on the basis of disability (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973/ADA) or homelessness. In addition, the Millbury Public Schools does not discriminate against its employees on the basis of age (M.G.L. 151B/ADEA) on the basis of veteran's status, or genetic information.