Greetings FitzGerald Families!

We hope that everyone is enjoying a wonderful summer, filled with relaxation and fun!

Here are some upcoming items to keep in mind for planning purposes:

1. First Day- The first day of school for Grades 1-5 is Tuesday August 27th.

2. Kindergarten Screening- Kindergarten Screening is taking place August 27th, August 28th and August 29th. FitzGerald Kindergarten students will have their screening appointments at FitzGerald School on the date/time scheduled. If you are the parent/guardian of an incoming Kindergarten student and do not know what time your Kindergarten Screening appointment is, please contact the Parent Information Center, or Mrs. Santillo, for your child's date/time.

3. First Day for Kindergarten- The first day for PreK and Kindergarten is Tuesday September 3rd.

4. FitzGerald Welcome Back to School Social- The entire FitzGerald community is invited to kick off the new school year with us on Monday August 26th, from 4:00-5:00pm, on the large playground and fields. Come enjoy a cool treat (Ritchie's Italian Ice in multiple flavors) and say hello to friends, before we begin the year! Students in Grades 1-5 will also be able to practice walking to their classroom doors during this event, so that they know where they are going on Day 1.

5. Classroom Homeroom Assignments- Grades 1-5 students will receive their homeroom assignments in mid August. Incoming Kindergarten students will receive their homeroom assignments on the afternoon of August 29th.

6. School Supply Lists- School supply lists are listed in the section below and are also on the FitzGerald School website.

7. Summer Reading Challenge- Don't forget! If 70% of students in upcoming Grades 1-5 bring back their reading log in August, we will have a raffle for a few different prizes: 1. Principal for a Day (1 winner), 2. Assistant Principal for the Day (1 winner) , 3. Pie the Principal or Assistant Principal (2 winners per grade)! Here we go FitzGerald School!

Link to Summer Reading Parent Letter in English, Spanish, and Portuguese

8. Bus Routes- Bus routes will be posted during the week before school begins.

9. Before and After School Child Care at FitzGerald- FitzGerald School partners with the Waltham YMCA to offer before and after school childcare on site. If you are interested in before or after school care options on site at FitzGerald School, please contact the Waltham YMCA directly or look here for more information:

https://ymcaboston.org/youth-and-family/youth-education/before-after-school/

We will send out one more FitzGerald School update the week before school begins. Please tell all of the students that we say hello and that we can't wait to see them at the end of this month! Enjoy the rest of your summer vacation!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Santillo, Principal- jennifersantillo@walthampublicschools.org

Mrs. Lamoly, Assistant Principal- julielamoly@walthampublicschools.org

Grade K Letter- Ms. DeFranco, Ms. Venuto, Mrs. Scruggs, Mrs. Church

Grade 1 Letter- Mrs. Coyne, Mrs. Walsh, Ms. Sherman

Grade 2 Letter- Mrs. Frost, Mrs. Ebert, Mrs. Sarkissian

Grade 3 Letter-- English/Spanish- Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Clifford, Ms. McNally, Ms. Fusaro

Grade 4 Letter- Mrs. Foley, Mr. Pinsoneault, Mrs. Klie

Grade 5 Letter- Mrs. Siegal, Mrs. Kearney, Mrs. Zises

1. Kindergarten Registration: Kindergarten Registration is under way for 2024-2025! If you have a child entering Kindergarten next school year and you have not yet registered, please click on this link to learn more about how to begin the process:

https://walthamma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/wps/page/kindergarten-registration-information

2. Next FitzGerald Incoming Kindergarten Playground Time- August 22nd from 10:00-10:45am on the FitzGerald playground

To encourage students to read widely and often this summer, all students are encouraged to participate in our summer reading challenge. If 70% of students complete the challenge, the whole school will earn a very special reward in the fall.

To help get books in all student's hands, we have teamed up with the Waltham Public Library who have ordered extra copies of suggested books from our curated summer reading lists and library staff will be offering incentives to students who participate in our school reading challenge throughout the summer. For every twenty minutes of reading, students are entered into a raffle to win prizes, so bring your Fitz reading challenge with you when you visit the public library.

Link to Summer Reading Parent Letter in English, Spanish, and Portuguese

Link to Reading Challenges in English & Spanish

Link to Library Events Flyer

Here are math activities for the summer months!

Please see the information below on the FitzGerald summer math information, as well as information for students moving to the middle schools next year.

Update to come in late August 2024!

Ongoing FUNDRAISING through BOX TOPS, RAISE RIGHT, MABELS LABELS

Stay in touch! PTO website – Facebook – Instagram

The FitzGerald School Council is a group that includes parent, staff, and community representatives that discuss items such as budget, School Improvement Plan, etc. Approved meeting minutes are posted in the Fitzy's Flyer office communication.

The first FitzGerald School Site Council update will come after the start of the school year.

*Breakfast and Lunch are available for free again for all students next school year!

** All students should bring one snack and a water bottle to school each day.

Every Friday is "Fitzy Friday" at FitzGerald! Everyone is invited to wear Fitzy Spirit Wear or the colors blue and/or yellow to school, if they would like to!

Monday August 26th- FitzGerald Welcome Back to School Social- 4:00-5:00pm

Tuesday August 27th- First Day of School, Grades 1-5

Tuesday August 27th-August 29th- Kindergarten Screening

Thursday August 29th- Kindergarten Classroom Assignments Sent Out

Friday August 30th- No School

Monday September 2nd- No School

Tuesday September 3rd- First Day of School for Kindergarten

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Clever is an app we use at school that makes it easy for students to access many online learning programs and resources with their Waltham Public Schools Google account. Students can also access Clever at home on a personal device. Click HERE for directions.

Email: jennifersantillo@walthampublicschools.org
Website: https://www.walthampublicschools.org/o/fitzgerald
Location: 138 Beal Road, Waltham, MA, USA
Phone: 781-314-5680