Lowell Family Newsletter
March 6, 2022
Table of Contents
Kindergarten Registration
Message from Mrs. Phelan
Kindergarten Writing
Message from Dr. Galdston - Mask Mandate Update
Free Antigen Test- Sign Up Form
Tier Focused Monitoring
National Women's Heritage Month
Busing Update
Boys& Girls Club Closed March 15th
Please Label Clothes
Parent-Teacher Conferences
MCAS Dates
Lunch Menus Phillips and LW
Scenes from Lowell
Parents Recreational Softball Sign-up
Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming Events and Save the Dates
Kindergarten Information Night, Tuesday, March 8th
22-23 Lowell School's Kindergarten Information Night and Registration Process.
Mrs. Jacovides and I will host an in-person Kindergarten Information Night on Tuesday, March 8th at 6:30 PM. Via Zoom.
Stacy Phelan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/87984528437
Message from Principal Phelan
Greetings Lowell School,
We did it! We completed our first week in our new buildings. I spent most of the week going back and forth between locations. The students have transitioned nicely to each building. The most significant adjustment has been with busing. I will address busing separately below.
Students did a fantastic job learning how to navigate their new surroundings. What made the transition so successful was having the familiar faces of their teachers and classmates.
We did implement new schedules this week. Many kiddos did take a little time adjusting to lunch, snack, and recess times. I think second grade had one of the most significant adjustments. Having their specials first block of the morning was new to them. By the end of the week, they were getting the hang of it.
We performed a practice fill drill at Lowell West on Tuesday. It went exceptionally well. The only complaint from students was it was very chilly. We ended up postponing the Phillips fire drill until the weather gets a bit warmer. Hopefully, we'll be able to do one this week. It's always a good idea to practice one or two drills on our own before the fire department comes to do one with us.
Students were thrilled to see all the boxes gone and the rooms set up and ready to go. I came across one kindergarten student's writing. MJ certainly tells the story well.
Here's MJ's story about the move titled: The New School
"We packed up."
"Then we unpacked."
"Then we were all ready."
Yes, MJ, we are ready! Great job!
With a grateful heart,
Stacy
Kindergarten Writing, titled: The New School by Maribel Jane Brackett in Ms. Connors/Ms. Masters' Classroom
Message from Dr. Galdston, Superintendent
Read more in the Superintendent's Update
Important Bus Reminders
Busing continues to be our biggest challenge. Safety is our number one concern. If you become aware of a safety concern, please contact the Business Office by phone or email. The contact person is Shannon Dixon.
If you are concerned about student conduct or conflict on the bus, please contact Mr. Chen. Friday, we received an anonymous bullying report on the district's anonymous bullying reporting form. Unfortunately, we don't have enough information to effectively narrow our focus. If you have more information, please contact Mr. Chen directly. We will do everything we can to figure out who is not living up to our core values.
If there are any changes for your child's dismissal, please email both their teachers and Kara Flynn 24 hours in advance or at a minimum by 9:00 am. This is necessary so that we can give the appropriate people proper notice! If your child typically goes to LEPD and won't be on a specific day, you can also CC the LEPD director, Adam Vachon.
kara.flynn@watertown.k12.ma.us
adam.vachon@watertown.k12.ma.us
There have been many items forgotten on the busses. It is a great idea to label all your child's belongings so that we can find the owner and return them. Thank you!
We have reviewed bus expectations several times with the students in school. Please check in with your child about how their experience on the bus.
Watertown Boys & Girls Club will be Closed on Tuesday, March 15th
Please communicate with your child/children’s teacher(s) if you would like them to take the neighborhood bus (i.e., L1, L2, L3, L4, Van) home or if you’d like to pick them up at school.
CURIOSITY CHALLENGE!
Every year there is a big science event in nearby Cambridge: The Cambridge Science Festival. Students in Watertown have the chance to enter a contest called the Curiosity Challenge.
Students can create a picture or poem about one question that they are curious about!
(Examples are below)
- Submissions are due March 15th
- Students can bring in their projects to school and we are happy to submit their work
- Here is the website where if you scroll down you can see the past winning entries-takes a minute to load.
- Here is a YouTube read-aloud of Ada Twist the Scientist to spark that thinking.
Menu for the Week of March 7-11
Phillip Building
Lowell West
Scenes From Around Lowell
Parents' Recreational Softball League
A group of parents is trying to put together a recreational softball league for parents of kids in the Watertown schools. The idea is for it to be super relaxed and open to people of all skill levels. Teams would be school-based to give parents a fun opportunity to socialize and build community with other parents at their kid’s school.
If you might be interested in participating (or, even better, helping to organize!), please fill out the Google Doc below
Mark Your Calendar
Event Status Changed from in-person to zoom to accommodates all families
Kindergarten Information Night
Location: Phillips Gym
Tuesday, March 8, 6:30 pm
Lowell - School Council
Thursday, March 10, 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Stacy Phelan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Join Zoom Meeting https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/82594508095
FTO Meeting
Tuesday, March 15,⋅6:30 – 7:30 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83066822218?pwd=Z2w2eUNCSlAzemtjSEhCajZSVGdOZz09
Elementary School Evening Conferences- Zoom
Wednesday, March 23th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Elementary School Early Release
Thursday, March 24
12:15 pm
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Council - Adults
Thursday, March 24
7:00-8:00 PM
Elementary School Conferences
Thursday, March 24, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Elementary School Evening Conferences
Monday, March 28, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Anti-Bias Coalition Meeting
Monday, March 28, 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Description: Meetings will be held in a hybrid model. The physical location will be on the 3rd floor of the Phillips Building in room 301.
Join Zoom Meeting https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/82142739210?pwd=MjZZL3JURU5RdUtYc3ZNVHlockVCQT09
Elementary Schools Early Release
Tuesday, Marth 29th, 1:00-2:30 pm
Elementary School Conferences
Tuesday, March 29, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Council - Adults
Thursday, April 24, 2022 7:00-8:00 pm
MCAS Dates for Spring 2022
ELA: April 12th & 14th Grades 3, 4, & 5
Math: May 16th & 17th Grades 3, 4, & 5
Science: May 24th & 25 Grade 5 Only
Upcoming Events
Free Virtual Family Program
After-School Animal Encounters: Get Growing!
Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm ET. Advance Registration Required.
In the natural world, animals have all sorts of fascinating ways to grow. Growing up is a big part of life, from tadpoles changing into bullfrogs to baby turtles becoming goliaths! Learn about some of our favorite museum animals' different life cycles and life histories and how they’ve grown over time. Join human museum staffers Javier and Arielle as they lead you in a 45-minute program with live animals and specimens from the museum collections. This event will be fun for the whole family, so bring your questions and a sense of wonder.
You will need to download the free Zoom app in advance to join the program. If you already have Zoom, you do not need to download it again. For details on how to improve your Zoom experience, visit the How to Attend an HMSC Program webpage.
Upcoming Programs for Kids and Families:
4/6 After-School Animal Encounters: Super Skeletons
5/4 Afterschool Animal Encounters: Ancient Ancestors
5/15 In-person Family Workshop: Colossal Heads of Mexico
Lowell Elementary
30 Common Street
Watertown, Ma 02742
Telephone: 781-899-3701
Lowell West Location
175 Main Street
Waltham, Ma 02451
Telephone: 617-926-7770
Email: stacy.phelan@watertown.k12.ma
Website: http://watertownjrlowell.ss19.sharpschool.com/
Phone: 781-926-7770
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JRLowellElementary