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

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

Administrative Assistant- Kathy Sullivan - ksullivan@maynard.k12.ma.us

Administrative Assistant- Nancy Dangelo - ndangelo@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

12/6 - Preschool Open House, 9:00 - 10:15

12/6 - Early Release Day, 11:45 dismissal, no Preschool

12/12 - Preschool Open House, 5:30 - 7:00 - This is a new date.

12/13 - Winter Concert for Grades 1-3, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

12/13 - Early Release Day, 11:45 dismissal, no Preschool

12/14 - Report Cards Published in Aspen

12/16 - 12/20 - Grade 2 Hour of Code Week

12/23 - 1/3 - Winter Break, No School

4/8 - 4/9 - Grade 3 ELA MCAS testing

5/6 - 5/7 - Grade 3 Math MCAS testing

We are committed to getting students outside for recess throughout the winter with the exception of extreme cold temperatures. The change of scenery, fresh air, and physical play all support a successful day of learning. Please send your child to school with the following items:

- winter coat

- gloves or mittens

- a hat

- snow boots

- snow pants

Items should be labeled with your child's name. If you have items your child has grown out of that you would like to donate to the school or your child needs any of these items, please reach out to Ann Rutherford at arutherford@maynard.k12.ma.us or Maria Bourgeois at mbourgeois@maynard.k12.ma.us.

Do you have a rising Preschool student? Please join us for our Green Meadow Preschool Open House opportunities on Friday, December 6, 9:00 -10:30 AM or Thursday, December 12, 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Visit our classrooms, meet our staff, and learn about our curriculum opportunities. Application forms will be available. Our preschool is located in the Green Meadow School, 5 Tiger Drive, Maynard. If you have any questions, please call 978-897-8246.

If your child currently attends our preschool you will be receiving an intent to return form after Thanksgiving break. We ask that this form be returned to us by December 20. New applicantions received by January 24, 2025, will be given priority. Families will be notified of acceptance by February 13, 2025. Additional registration paperwork and a deposit will be required upon acceptance.

Our Grade 2 students had the opportunity to hear from Jim Parks, a wildlife rehabilitator who specializes in birds of prey this week. His program, Wing Masters, focused on the adaptations of owls to enable their survival. Grade 2 students have been learning about owls during science and they were very prepared with thoughtful questions and connections. Many thanks to the Green Meadow PTO for funding this program.

This week we had our second fire drill of the year. Both the students and the staff did a great job safely exiting the building.

After the Thanksgiving break staff will be reviewing our Keeping Safe at Green Meadow presentation with students. Each class will practice what to do in the event of a lockdown or stay-in-place situation. Later next month, we will have a school-wide lockdown drill practice.

Hello Green Meadow families!

We are so excited to be hosting a winter concert for our first, second, and third graders! The concert will be on Friday, December 13th, in the Green Meadow cafeteria. Doors will open at 9 AM. It should last for about an hour, and we encourage you to stay the whole time to hear all the different grades. As for what to wear, your child is welcome to wear whatever they are most comfortable in. We ask them to stay away from any logos or big words on shirts, but other than that it is whatever they prefer. If you think you are able to attend, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/cLRzMNRLqAPsxUaw9. You do not have to fill it out to attend, but it will allow us to have an estimate about how many people are going to be in attendance. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me, nwong@maynard.k12.ma.us.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Natalie Wong

Green Meadow Music Teacher

The “Hour of Code” event takes place each year during Computer Science Education Week. It is held annually, typically in December, in recognition of the birthday (December 9, 1906) of Computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper. This year it will take place at GMS on December 16-20th. The program was designed to celebrate coding and raise awareness. It was intended to be a quick way to show that anybody can learn the basics of coding and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. Today it’s become a global movement, participating in 180 countries and 45 languages.

Green Meadow Grade 2 Parents and Caregivers are invited to attend a Computer Science class with their student. A Google form sign-up will be available to families through email.

The following is a schedule for Grade 2 classes:

Monday, Dec 16th Mrs. Jones (9:15-10:00)

Tuesday, Dec 17th Ms. LeBlanc (9:15-10:00)

Wednesday, Dec 18th Sra. Taveras (9:15-10:00)

Thursday, Dec 19th Mrs. Holly (9:15-10:00)

Friday, Dec 20th Ms. Norcross (9:15-10:00)

If you have not had a chance to read the memo sent home by Superintendent Haas regarding the recent radon testing completed at Green Meadow this week, here is a link: https://secure.smore.com/n/9uv5s

Please know that we take this information seriously. We are working closely with both the environmental experts and our building project manager to address the recent uptick in radon levels as a result of the construction work. While we continue to monitor the entire building, we are most closely monitoring our Preschool and Kindergarten wing. We have been following the recommended protocols for increasing ventilation throughout the entire wing. Further testing will be done over the next several weeks and we will continue to communicate to you through updates.

For more information about our new school building project, please visit:

https://www.maynard.k12.ma.us/o/green-meadow-school/page/gm-building-project-information

We continue to meet and work through the MSBA design development process.

Click on the link to read the lastest school lunch menu options: https://www.fdmealplanner.com/

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 next PTO meeting will be virtual on Tuesday, October 8, at 7:00. Please see the PTO website for the meeting link.

As a holiday tradition, the GM PTO is again sponsoring the Holiday Shoppe, a gift-purchasing event for the children. The event gives children the opportunity to purchase a special gift for their family/friends. This event is for Green Meadow students in grades K-3 only. Gifts range from $.25 to $10 with most being in the $5 range.

This year, the Holiday Shoppe will run on Saturday, December 14th at the Boys and Girls Club from 9am-12pm. All children wanting to participate will need to sign up for a time slot. Parents will bring their child(ren) to the club at their designated time slot and then wait outside while their child(ren) shop. Volunteers will be there to shop with your child(ren) and bring them back to you when completed. If you have a child that may be anxious or need extra support we are happy to allow one parent to shop with them – please email kim@gmpto.org if needed.

Time slots are on a first come, first serve basis. Make sure to sign-up each of your children for a timeslot, not yourself!

Register at this link: Holiday Shoppe Student Sign-Up

This event would not be possible without the help of our volunteers. Please help keep this tradition going by signing up for a time slot. We need parents to shop with kids as well as do simple wrapping (put items in bags)!

Go to Holiday Shoppe Volunteer Sign-Up to sign up! You will need a CORI form on file prior to volunteering!

Questions? Contact Kim Pratt, Holiday Shoppe Coordinator, at kim@gmpto.org.

We are in need of bows and scotch tape for the holiday shoppe! You can drop them off in the box in the front lobby of the school or feel free to use the below Amazon wish list and have them shipped directly to the Holiday Shoppe coordinator. Thank you in advance for your help!

Holiday Shoppe Amazon Wish List

Mark your calendars for our Green Meadow and Fowler Parent/Caregiver Social with local band, Diet Disco Lemonade, on January 4, 2025! The event will take place at the Maynard Rod and Gun Club, from 7:00 - 11:00 PM. Stay tuned for more details.

ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) Resources

SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) Resources

Multilingual Learner Resources

Click on the photo to access the presentation provided by Heather Newman, Director of Student Services, for parents and caregives. The presentation shares information about how the IEP has changed. Individualized Education Plans are developed for students who are not able to access the general education curriculum and need specialized curriculum and instruction.

Mike Basile, the new WAVM Director at Maynard High School, has worked with his student team to get ready for the annual Beacon Santa telethon December 13th-15th. You can watch on our public access channel 28 Verizon 8 Comcast or our youtube page WAVMProductions. The WAVM team is very excited. You can donat to the telethon directly using the link below. Any donation is greatly appreciated.

https://donorbox.org/beacon-santa-telethon-2024-1

Celebrate Maynard Education Foundation's 25th anniversary this Giving Tuesday. Join the fun by making a $25 donation, donating on the 25th of every month, or asking your employer if they offer charitable matches.

Every dollar donated allows us to provide grants to educators and students who are bringing innovation to our schools. Your contribution makes an immediate difference and is greatly appreciated. Simply visit www.maynardeducation.org to make a donation and learn more about MEF.

Bring in unwanted, good condition wrapping supplies and get new-to-you wrapping paper, gift bags, & more!

Donations are not required to participate. Find items like wrapping paper, gift bags, boxes, and gift tags.

Please note: Donations will be accepted Monday, December 2 - Thursday, December 5 during normal library hours only. NO donations will be accepted during the Wrapping Swap. We ask that everyone be respectful and plan to leave with what they can carry, and recommend bringing a reusable tote to take your new-to-you items home!

Remaining supplies will be used by the library for programs, donated, or recycled.

Read more at https://www.maynardpubliclibrary.org/wrapping-swap

Parents and Caregivers who would like assistance with holiday gifts for children can make a request to the Maynard Police Department. The request form can be completed ahead of your visit or at the station. Click on the link to access the form.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y6ty92JQy_b9O1XiWOdIXhPBBNl2iAxH/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113800926478881941843&rtpof=true&sd=true

You and your family may be eligible for Fuel Assistance! Massachusetts has a home energy assistance program (HEAP) to help eligible households pay a portion of winter heating bills. If you are found eligible, not only will part of your heating bills be paid, but you will get lower rates from your energy suppliers. This program is entirely free and there are no application costs.

On January 12, 12:00-4:0, Maynard resident, Jennifer Rifkin Tyler, will be at the High School to assist families with the application process. While drop-ins are welcome, it may be beneficial to set up an appointment. If you are interested in making an appointment or even just learning more about the program, please feel free to contact Jennifer at jennifer.rifkin@gmail.com. All appointments and email inquiries will be entirely confidential.

You can also learn more about HEAP at:

https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-home-heating-and-energy-assistance

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

The Maynard Food Pantry offers a weekly Backpack Program for all students in PreK-Grade 5 that aims to offer food assistance to families. Each backpack is filled with nutritious, non-perishable food at no cost. Forms were sent home to families in backpacks last week. If you need a form, they are available in the Green Meadow main office. You can also request one by emailing Kate Murray at kmurray@maynard.k12.ma.us.

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.