Lowell News
October 13, 2023
Early Release Thursday, October 19th
Dismissal is at 12:15.
A Message from Mrs. Phelan
Greetings Lowell,
We successfully transitioned into our new building, reuniting staff and students under one roof. Older siblings seeing younger siblings in the same building was heartwarming. Our new schedule allows for reading and math WIN five days a week. Students adjusted well to the new environment, with the cafeteria being the biggest adjustment, but also bringing the greatest joy. The lunch selections and ability to make choices in person thrilled the kids. We set expectations up front and created social stories to help them preview the environment before participating in activities.
Please allow me to change my tone and sentiment for a moment. As the week has progressed the news and social media has focused on the war in Israel is causing immense sadness for members of our Jewish and Muslim communities. Everyone is effected either directly or indirectly. My hearts breaks as we witness the devastating loss of life and destruction this war is having on so many lives. Lowell's staff sends you our thoughts and prayers. We are here for you and will take good care of your children while they are in our care. If you have any concerns or feel the need to speak with one of our SEL team, please contact us directly. I've included a contact list at the bottom of this newsletter.
This Wednesday, we will be hosting our annual Open House. This year, we have decided to do things a little differently. Instead of just having adults visit the classrooms alone, we are inviting your entire family to come and explore the school. The event will start in the students' classrooms, where you can get a glimpse of their learning environment. After that, you will be given a scavenger card to guide you through the building, allowing you to explore all the wonderful learning spaces we have to offer. The event will take place from 6:00-7:30 PM.
Parents of fourth and fifth graders, please be informed that we have sent home your child's MCAS results on Thursday, October 12th. Expect to receive them in the mail within the next few days. If you require translations, we have also included those documents for your convenience.
We have several exciting events coming up at our school this week. In addition to our Open House, we will be hosting Caregiver Conferences this week. These conferences are a great opportunity for us to share assessment data and student progress with you.
We understand that everyone has different preferences and circumstances, so we are offering two options for attending the conferences. You can either join us in person or participate via Zoom. We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to be involved.
To sign up for the conferences, please visit our school's Website. You will find the sign-up links there, along with more information about the conferences.
We look forward to seeing you at the Caregiver Conferences and discussing your child's progress. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
Thank you for your continued support.
With a grateful heart!
Stacy
It's Official, Our Address has Changed
J. R. Lowell Elementary School
123 Lowell Ave.
Watertown, Ma 02472
Scenes from This Week!
Curriculum Corner
Elementary Literacy Curriculum Update
October 2023
This year Watertown Public Schools is piloting two literacy programs in 1st and 4th grades. While we remain committed to utilizing Fundations as our core phonics program, we are moving away from using the Units of Study and will be more closely aligning our curriculum to approaches that better align with research on the Science of Reading (SOR).
The two programs selected for this pilot are Expeditionary Learning (EL) and Wit & Wisdom. Beginning next week, first and fourth-grade classroom, special ed, and English as a Second Language teachers across the three elementary schools will begin teaching the first unit of Expeditionary Learning (EL).
In grade 1, this is a thematic unit entitled “Tools & Work”.
Students in grade 4 will engage in a unit titled, “Poetry, Poets, and Becoming Writers.” These modules will take place during the Reading and Writing blocks on the student's schedule.
In preparation for the pilot, participating teachers are engaging in ongoing professional development with the curriculum company and our instructional coaches. We will update parents/caretakers in Principal Newsletters intermittently throughout the pilot months. We look forward to seeing both of these innovative curricula in action and to hearing about the experiences of students, teachers, and families in the evaluation of each program. This information will help us to make the very best decision about which program we will adopt and begin implementing across the elementary schools in the 2024-2025 school year.
Open House
Wednesday October 18, 2023 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Students and Families Begin in their Homeroom
Parent/Caregiver Conferences
Sign-ups for parent/caregiver conferences will be live on Monday, October 9th. You can access your child's teacher's page using the following link.
Message from Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Councils
Please join us this Sunday, 10/15, at 11:30 AM at the Embrace Sculpture, located in Boston Common. Street parking in Boston is free on Sundays and you can also take the T to the Park Street station.
Though we were unable to have someone from Embrace Boston meet us in person to talk about the sculpture, we can access the Embrace Boston Digital Experience. Within this application, we can utilize audio stories, pictures, and details about the monument and the 1965 Freedom Plaza honorees that surround the monument.
It could be helpful to visit this page with your student before attending the monument, so they are more familiar with the experience of the monument beforehand.
We will be bringing art supplies and a button maker to create our own art and buttons based on our experience of the sculpture!
Be well,
Hosmer, Cunnift and Lowell DIBCs
Message from the FTO
Hello Everyone,
I apologize for the confusion about the scheduled FTO Meeting this past Tuesday. I was dealing with a family emergency and unable to run the meeting. We hope you'll be able to join us for a rescheduled meeting this coming Thursday, October 19th at 6:30pm.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87001417529?pwd=RS9Hd0J5SjQ4cWgwcm50bjlVbVM0QT09
Password: Lowell
Thank you,
Brooke Burke
Lunch Menu
If You Are Interested in Volunteering Please Sign-up Below
Upcoming Events!
Annual Metro Boston Diaper Drive
It's that time of year again! We are gearing up for the 2023 Metro Boston Diaper Drive, which will run from Oct. 15 - 28. I'm wondering if you would be willing to publicize the Diaper Drive in your newsletter for Lowell Elementary, as you have in the past. I have attached our flyer and a blurb (see below) for your use.
Last year, donations declined for the first time in the history of the Drive, and yet need continues to grow. We get it. Donor fatigue is real, and there is no shortage of good causes. We continue to believe that ensuring that local babies have enough diapers is a high priority and fundamental need, and we can achieve it with your help! So if you're interested and able, here are a few other ways to help:
- Take a moment to share the Drive with your own network.
- Make a donation if you're able (the registries are up and running, so donations can be made anytime).
- Now that we have essentially returned to normalcy, we are also looking for people who are willing to get permission to put out boxes to collect donations at area schools and businesses and then deliver them to WIC in Somerville. If you would be able to do that, or know someone who would, please let me know. I want to be able to direct donors to boxes where they can donate loose diapers in person.
Thank you so much for your support!
Warmly, Kim
Did you know that SNAP and WIC benefits do not cover diapers? This leaves many families to make difficult decisions between food, diapers, and other needs. The annual Metro-Boston Diaper Drive gives all donated diapers to the Somerville WIC office, which serves Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Watertown, Lexington, Bedford, Lincoln and Belmont. This year’s Drive will run from October 15 - 28. Please visit mbdiapers.org to make a donation, or click directly on the links to the Amazon and Target registries. Please help us get 70,000 diapers onto the babies in the Metro-Boston area who need them! Read more about why diaper drives like the Metro-Boston Diaper Drive are so important HERE.
Links (in case you need them):
Amazon: https://amzn.to/48y09Cj
Target: https://bit.ly/3ZC9mFy
Upcoming Events
- Tuesday, October 17th Evening Adult & Teacher Conferences 4:30-6:30 pm
- Wednesday, October 18th - Open House, 6:00-7:30 pm Students and Adults are welcome.
- Thursday, October 19th - Day Adult & Teacher Conferences 1:00-2:30 pm and Early Release 12:15
- Thursday, October 19th - FTO Meeting 6:30-7:15 over Zoom
- Tuesday, October 24th - Day Adult & Teacher Conferences 1:00-2:30 pm and Early Release 12:15
- Thursday, October 26th - Evening Adult & Teacher Conferences 5:00-7:00 pm
- Friday, October 27th- Evening Event Trunk or Treat 6:00-7:00 pm Lowell Street
- Thursday, November 2nd- Elementary Combined Kick-off Meeting Hosting by Lowell 6:30-7:30 Childcare available.
- Tuesday, November 7th- Voting Day (Lowell Attends School as their make-up day) NO Voting at Lowell
Contact Us
J.R. Lowell Elementary School
123 Lowell Ave.
Watertown, Ma 02472
Phone: 1-617-926-7770
Principal- Stacy Phelan
stacy.phelan@watertown.k12.ma.us
Assistant Principal- Benjamin Kraus
benjamin.krausfriedmann@watertown.k12.ma
Administrative Assistant- Kara Flynn
kara.flynn@watertown.k12.ma.us
Receptionist- Jim Swift
james.swift@watertown.k12.ma.us
Nurse- Kathy Taverna
katherine.taverna@watertown.k12.ma.us
Guidance Melina Jacovides k-2
melina.jacovides@watertown.k12.ma.us
Guidance Brian Connors 3-5
brian.connors@watertown.k12.ma.us
Special Education Team Chair- Greg Roberts, ext. 37171
gregory.roberts@watertown.k12.ma.us
LEDP Site Coordinator- Adam Vachon
Lowell Elementary School Principal