Greetings MacArthur Families,
Thank you for reading this week's mid-week memo full of information to keep you updated as we wrap up January! This week's edition includes a special spirit day coming on Friday, 1/31, reminders from Nurse Danielle in the Health Office about illness going on around the building, and a February fundraiser to support the 5th grade!
Last Week at MacArthur: We celebrated our Halfway Day and moved onto the second half of the school year. Please note: Kindergarten and 1st grade report cards will go home on February 7th for Term 1 in students' backpacks. Our Duos and Trios Dress Up Day sponsored by Student Council made for a creative and fun Friday for all involved. Pictures Below.
This Week: Early Release Day on Wednesday, January 29th. Dismissal is at 1pm and lunch will be served.
Friday, January 31st is a Special Spirit Day: All students and staff are encouraged to wear pink on Friday 1/31! We invite all members of our MacArthur community to wear pink, in support of WPS Superintendent Dr. Mendonsa, as she continues to navigate her recent cancer diagnosis and surgery. We will send her pictures to show our support! Thank you in advance!
Finally, the Harlem Wizards will be in town this Friday, 1/31, at 7pm at Kennedy Middle School! They will join us for an assembly on Friday to promote Friday's game to promote the event and remind our students about the importance of working hard and setting goals. To buy tickets visit: https://www.harlemwizards.com/tickets/waltham. Make sure to select our school name from the drop down as your school of choice so that our PTO receives a portion of the ticket price. We will represent MacArthur for this fun, family event!
Health Office Update from Nurse Danielle: As is typical this time of year, we are seeing an increase in common childhood illnesses right now. There is a lot of stomach virus, strep throat and fever illness going around. If your student is sick, please keep them home until they have been fever free or vomiting free for 24 hours without the help of any medication.
If they haven ben prescribed antibiotics, they may return to school after receiving 24 hours worth of antibiotics. Good handwashing and getting plenty of sleep help a great deal this time of year.
As always, don't hesitate to call me with questions or concerns.
Upcoming: The Grade 5 Committee has organized a FUNdraiser for the month of February to bring fun to MacArthur and funds to their fundraising efforts! See the visuals below regarding our Coin Challenge or click here for more information. Coin Challenge Flier / Spanish. Winning class wins a special prize with Mr. Howes and Mr. Kmiec!
*Sharing for one more week* Please see below for our Grade 3-5 MCAS dates. The students prefer to take their assessments with their classmates, as opposed to in a small group on the makeup day, so please avoid any absences on testing day.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct an Integrated Monitoring Review of the Waltham Public Schools during the week of April 28, 2025 and not January 27, 2025. Please make note of this change. Each school district, charter school, vocational school, and virtual school undergoes an Integrated Monitoring Review every three years. The areas addressed during an Integrated Monitoring Review are organized into two groups, known as Group A Universal Standards and Group B Universal Standards. Click here for more information.
Finally, the new PTO Spirit Wear Store is open! See below for more information on how to access this site and the discount code now available through February 11th.
In Partnership,
Mr. Kmiec and Mr. Howes
