West Bridgewater Students, Staff and Families,

The weather is finally getting nicer and the days are getting longer! It has been great to see the sun and the starting of warmer temperatures.

This is the time of year we are also working on the FY25 Budget. We have had 2 budget presentations to the School Committee and they approved the FY25 School Budget at their meeting on March 11th. Next we present our budget to the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee next week.

Here is a copy of our presentation. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Superintendent Mark Bodwell at mbodwell@wbridgewater.com As always it is our goal to present a financially responsible budget that meets the needs of our students and staff in the district. We thank the town and residents for their continued support!

Come out to the World Culture Night on Thursday, March 21st from 5:30-7:00 pm. This annual event is always well attended and a great time is had by everyone. Anyone can attend it is open to all students, families and community members. For just $6 per person you can sample food from all around the globe and it is delicious! You can also experience a variety of different cultures, workshops, art and music.

Raffle tickets for this prize are $2 each. Tickets are available to purchase using the order form below.

The winning ticket will be pulled on Wednesday, April 3rd. The drawing will be shared via the schools’ social media accounts. Arrangements for this fun and special prize will be made with the winner’s family immediately after the drawing. The ride will take place the week of April 8th!

* Thank you to Chief Thibeault and the WBFD for their continued support and generosity. *

* You must be a WB student to win this prize (WB resident or school choice). *

* RLM Student Council is hosting this special fundraiser in loving memory of
Jase Russell and Bella DuBois and for our ongoing support of Kash Doughty. *

Check out the flyer for more information

Once again the district will be hosting the Academic, Technology and Fine Arts Showcase at the Middle/Senior High School on May 9th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm At this event you will see staff and students representing Grades K-12 and all subject areas. All are invited to attend! Much more information will be coming in the future!

To help parents and community members know the best way to communicate with the school we have created a chain of command guideline that should be a helpful resource. By contacting the following people in the order listed your questions and concerns can be dealt with most efficiently. This information is found on the website under "Contact"

The WB PTO will be hosting a cereal box drive from April 1st -11th. During that time they will be accepting donations of unopened cereal boxes. Check out the flyer for more information. All boxes of cereal will be donated to the local food pantries.

Massachusetts defines chronically absent as missing at least 10 percent of days enrolled (for instance, 18 days absent if enrolled for a typical school year of 180 days), regardless of the reason for the absence. Being chronically absent can have a significant impact on a student's academic progress and their ability to access the variety of academic and non-academic supports that schools provide.

Families we need your help. We know that students get sick and have days that they are not able to attend school (funerals, college visits etc) but if students are just not feeling great please work to encourage them to attend school. Every day a student misses is a day missed of learning and for social and emotional development. They are also breaking the school routine which sometimes can create negative habits. If you have questions or concerns or need assistance please reach out to the building administrator, main office or a trusted staff member. We want to make sure we are partnering with you to help you in whatever way possible.

Here is the Winter/Spring 2024 Multilingual Department Newsletter. Thank you to Mrs. Cashman and her department for all their hard work and dedication! Keep up the great work!

Multilingual Night at the WB Town Library - The purpose of this event on March 6th was to engage families and promote literacy in a casual setting, where kids could have fun playing games and exploring books with their peers, and where parents could begin to consider a relationship with the librarians while learning about the many resources available. Parents were also informed about the language learning program called Mango, and a future activity called "conversation circles" that will be offered at the library, to help adults develop and grow their social English language skills. Below are some pictures from the event.

WELCOME School Resource Officer Chris Packard - He has been on the West Bridgewater Police Department for 10 years, is a Marine Corps veteran, a Swat Team member, and a father of two boys in the district. He is also a graduate of West Bridgewater MSHS. We are excited to have SRO Packard working in the schools!

Information regarding Preschool for the 2024-2025 School year is now available. Please click the link below for more information.

Information from the WB Town Clerks Office -THIS YEAR’S TOWN ELECTION IS SATURDAY, APRIL 13th. HOURS WILL BE 9 AM TO 5 PM. ABSENTEE VOTING IS ALWAYS AN OPTION IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO MAKE IT DURING THOSE HOURS. CONTACT THE TOWN CLERK’S OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION 508-894-1167 or TOWNCLERK@WBRIDGEWATER.COM

**Massachusetts Partnership For Youth (MPY) Parenting Solutions Quick Video Libraries

MPY is pleased to offer proven resources to help students' families thrive. Parents can watch or just listen to experts who get right to the point solving big and small challenges. Each Library includes 10-minute videos and handouts. The science behind child development and parenting is abundant. Peace At Home Parenting experts translate it into easy-to-use, strategies for long-lasting change. Tap into the power of the brain-body-behavior connection to gain clarity and confidence to help your family thrive.Please use this link to access the video library: https://peaceathomeparenting.com/mpy-solution-libraries/

**Our Implementation Team at the Howard School, joined by grade three ITL and the Director of Curriculum, partnered with the Ashburnham-Westminster school district for two days of in-person training on Data Protocols and Assessment Strategies; the training was held at the MSHS at the end of February. This collaboration was through a grant that Ashburnham-Westminster and West Bridgewater received this year to help implement Wit and Wisdom—these two days allowed us to learn better how to leverage our curriculum-based assessments and how to use the data from those sources with our other sources of data in the district. On Monday, 3/11/24, we had a virtual follow-up with the original team but added a few more members. A lot of learning and collaboration took place over a total of three days of training and it was great to work with Ashburnham-Westminster.

Calling all girls aged 10-15

In collaboration with the Center for the Advancement of STEM Education at Bridgewater State University-Greenlight for Girls is inviting 150 girls aged 10–15 to join us for a day packed with hands-on science workshops. They can interact with inspirational role models and discover the excitement of STEM!

Get ready to explore and dive into the world of science! We are so excited for you to learn about STEM through the amazing science workshops we have in store for you.

Our interactive workshops are designed to inspire female students to become curious about science, technology, engineering and mathematics!

Our April 6th event will be held at Bridgewater State University from 8.30 AM until 12.30 PM.

Interested in joining us for a fabulous day of inspiration and STEM discovery? Sign up to secure your place today and get ready to jump into the amazing world of STEM!

Please note that this is a free educational event.

To register for the event: please click on Greenlight for Girls registration.

Mr. Despier and the Social Studies Department have some exciting news to share!

At this past weekend’s regional competition of National History day two groups placed in the competition and will be moving on to represent West Bridgewater Middle Senior High School at the state level of the competition.

Ellis Island: by Charlotte Farrell-Fren, Hannah Dragonetti, and Abbigail Rudolph!

The Railroad: by Tristan Hambly, Arran Hambly, and Christopher Jones!

Congratulations to these seventh grade students and best of luck at States!

March 4, 2024

The objective of the Policy Subcommittee is to regularly review policies of the West Bridgewater School Committee to determine if they are current, consider the interests of stakeholders, and are in line with guidance from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. At the most recent school committee meeting on March 4, 2024, the following policies were reviewed and revised as indicated:

• EBAB: Pest Management Policy

• EC: Buildings And Grounds Management

• ECA: Buildings And Grounds Security

• ECAC: Vandalism

• ECAF: Security Cameras In Schools

• EDC: Authorized Use Of School-Owned Materials

• EFAB: Life Threatening Allergic Reactions

• EFE: Civil Rights Complaint Policy For Child Nutrition Programs

• KDCB: District Website And Social Media

Additionally, the following policies were opened and are scheduled for review at the next school committee meeting on April 8, 2024:

• GCA - Professional Staff Positions

• GCBA - Professional Staff Salary Schedules

• GCBB - Employment Of Principals

• GCBC - Professional Staff Supplementary Pay Plans

• GCE - Professional Staff Recruiting / Posting Of Vacancies

• GCF - Professional Staff Hiring

• GCG - Substitute Professional Staff Employment

For any questions or to provide feedback, please contact the policy subcommittee at kmilton@wbridgewater.com and rdragonetti@wbridgewater.com. A complete listing of policies can be found in the WB Policy Index at https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org under the School Committee tab.

The Apparel Store is open. I am working on sharing some of the promo codes that were sent in the email below. Feel free to share!

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/massachusetts/westbridgewater/west-bridgewater-high-school

It has been about 1 month since the last update so I wanted to send you something about our building project.

We are moving ahead following the MSBA guidelines. Here are some updates for you:

• The OPM (Owners Project Manager) subcommittee has met to review the 10 submissions by firms.
• 4 firms were selected to be interviewed.
• The interviews were conducted at the MSHS in the Learning Commons on March 6th
• We have met again to move forward with a firm and have set a date to enter into negotiations
• The full School Building Committee will meet on March 26th where we will present the firm and most likely have them at the meeting
• Information is due to the MSBA on the OPM process by April 10th
• We are scheduled to go to the MSBA OPM selection panel on May 6th.
• Once approved by the MSBA we will begin the process of hiring a Designer/Architect for the Feasibility Study

Once we have the OPM and Designer on board the work will really begin. Some of the things we will be doing for the elementary staff and with the community will be:

• Discussing in more detail the consolidation potential plans
• Discussing design needs for the new building
• Conducting feedback sessions with all interested staff to get your thoughts and ideas
• Conducting Educational Visioning sessions
• We will be getting input from staff, families and the community

Again it is our goal to keep you and the community updated as much as possible as we go through this process. As always if you have any questions please reach out mbodwell@wbridgewater.com .

We are happy to announce that we will be offering an April Vacation Surround Care Camp at Spring Street School for children in grades K-4. The program will run from Tuesday, April 16 through Friday, April 19th from 7:30 AM till 4:00 PM. The cost is $80/day or $275/week.

Daily or weekly registration is available.

Join us for arts & crafts, outdoor play, movies, walking trips to the park and more!

Register at: April Vacation Surround Care Registration

"Surf's Up with School Breakfast" National School Breakfast Week was a big success. New menu items and promotions at every school! Some highlights included the Surf's Up Cinnamon roll bake at the MSHS and Whole Grain Brownie Breakfast parfaits at all schools!

Menus - Click on WB Food Services to find March's menus. Amazingly, locally grown apples from CN Smith Farm are still being served each week.

New Menu Items! WB's School Nutrition Staff have been busy making and serving new menu items at each school. March is a good time to try new items with students as we get ready to plan next year's menu.

Food Assistance- Project Bread Food Source Hotline , West Bridgewater Food Pantry.

Position available- Great at social media and interested in food photography? There is a stipend available for an individual to promote our School Nutrition program on social media. Hours are very flexible and variable but the applicant will need to be available during the day.

School Gardens- School gardens are being started at each school. It's exciting to think of students being involved in growing fresh food that can eventually be served in school meals. Mrs. Warnock's Living with the Land Club is already providing fresh herbs! Donations of materials and seeds are welcome.

Questions, concerns, suggestions? Contact Ann Marie Grinder, Food Service Director at agrinder@wbridgewater.com or (508)894-1220.

Registration is now open. Come join the fun!

Summer Surround Care will be available from June 24 through August 15 2024 at the Middle Senior High School. The program will run Monday through Thursday. Daily and weekly rates are available to best fit your schedule The program is open to students who are entering grades 1-6.

Activities will include: Arts & Crafts, Indoor and Outdoor Free Play, Music, Games, Waterplay & Sports. We will take walking trips to local places such as Friendship Park and Town Park. Registration and more information at: Summer Surround Care

The Superintendent Morning Meeting (formerly known as Coffee Hour) with Mr. Bodwell was held at the Spring Street School on Friday, March 15th at 9:15. The next meeting will be on Friday, April 12th at 9:15 am at the Spring Street School. All are invited to attend and we hope to see you there!!

Check out the March WB Principals newsletters!

MSHS https://www.smore.com/n/hjv70

Howard School https://www.smore.com/n/2dspb

Rose L MacDonald School https://www.smore.com/n/ke1spc

Spring Street School https://www.smore.com/n/1j3q5

We are always looking for qualified persons to fill substitute teaching positions. If you are interested, please visit https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org/page/substitute-teaching for more information or contact one of the building principals for more information.

Our School Nurses:

• MSHS/LEAD NURSE

• Julie Diedrichsen 508-894-1220 x1305 or jdiedrichsen@wbridgewater.com

• HOWARD SCHOOL

• Peggy Linskey 508-894-1250 x3115 or mlinskey@wbridgewater.com

• ROSE L. MACDONALD SCHOOL

• Lynn Moniz 508-894-1240 x4102 or lmoniz@wbridgewater.com

• SPRING STREET SCHOOL

• Sara Mando 508-894-1230 x2122 or smando@wbridgewater.com

For more information about sick child guidelines, health related policies and state mandates, please visit the Health Services website at https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org/page/health-services

Inclusion Matters partners with families with children with special needs, including children with IEPs and 504 Plans.

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Inclusion Matters was begun by a group of parents in response to the school district's need for a SEPAC. As an official 501(c)3, Inclusion Matters now offers workshops for caregivers and families, IEP and 504 consulting, an annual conference (on hold due to the pandemic), and family events for families with and without special needs in communities across the South Shore of Massachusetts.

Check out our Sports scores, highlights and posts below! Congratulations to all of our Winter Sports athletes and good luck to all athletes trying out for Spring Sports! We will recognize all of the Winter Awards Winners when all lists have been released. Thank you to all who have come out to support our athletes throughout the winter season! As always make sure to check out our coaches Twitter as well as @WBMSHSAthletics for updates on the schedule and highlights from games and matches.

WBMSHS Spring Sports Info

Link to Register for Spring Sports;

https://students.arbitersports.com/west-bridgewater-middle-senior-hs-activities-and-fees/west-bridgewater-2023-2024-west-bridgewater-athletics-registration

**If you have questions about whether or not you are signed up on Arbiter Sports make sure to check in with Ms. Hammel.**

**If you have questions about a specific sport. Please contact the coach.**

**Also, please be aware that some sports may have games over April Vacation.**

Girls Spring Track and Field- Head Coach Kyla Daley, kdaley@wbridgewater.com

Monday, 3/18 - Athletes should meet in the gym right after school (before changing) and we will go over procedures at that time before sending them to change and head out to the track. Practice will be until 4pm each day.

Boys Spring Track and Field- Head Coach- Jon Pike, jpike@wbridgewater.com

Monday, 3/18- Athletes should meet in the gym right after school (before changing) and we will go over procedures at that time before sending them to change and head out to the track. Practice will be until 4pm each day.

V/JV Softball - Head Coach, Mike Hyde- mhyde@wbridgewater.com

Monday, 3/18-- Practice 2:45-4:30 at the WBYAA town fields. Dress to play softball and bring your gloves.

V/JV Baseball- Head Coach, Jay Costantino, jay@costantinorealty.com

Monday, 3/18- Tryouts 2:30-4:00 for Grades 7 & 8. Tryouts 4:00-6:00 for Grades 9-12. Players should bring cleats, sneakers, gloves, baseball pants, sweatshirt/jacket, and bat. Meet on the baseball field in front of the WBMSHS.

Boys Tennis- Head Coach, Mike Antonio, mantonio@wbridgewater.com, practice begins, Monday, 3/18, 2:15PM-3:15PM. Meet at tennis courts behind the school.

Girls Tennis- Head Coach - Steve Reddington. sreddington@wbridgewater.com practice begins Monday, 3/18, 3:15PM-4:15PM. Meet at tennis courts behind the school.

Boys Lacrosse: Practices will be held Monday-Friday at East Bridgewater around 2:30PM. More info to follow.

Co-Ed Unified Cornhole: We are so excited to be adding a Unified Cornhole team this Spring! It is available for students in grades 5-8 it will run from April 22-May 24. Registration is open!

Please make sure you have an up to date physical on file.

**Game Schedule**:

Please check out the WB game schedule on Arbiter Live! Link is below.

https://arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=25160

Unified Basketball

The Wildcats Unified Basketball Team played an away game Tuesday against Pembroke! The team showed off some great passing and shooting skills to bring home the win with a final score of 79-68. Brianna DePalma, Theo Barrows, Ethan Syrek, Allie Edgerly, Mekenna Clark, and Jeremiah Barrows all put up points for the team. Captain Hunter Smith was a top scorer with 14 points as well as "B-Man" Brendan Hulme who hit three 3-pointers in row in the last five minutes of the game!! Thank you to everyone who has come out to support the team so far this season! We look forward to seeing you at our next game!

The Wildcats Unified Basketball Team won their game at home yesterday against North Attleboro 54-46. Gio Vieira, Mak Itani, Xavier Popotte, and Brendan Hulme all contributed 3's and Adri Guardione was the high scorer of the day putting up 10 points! Matt Navin led the team with assists and played great defense with Ethan Syrek, Rob Kellogg, Abby Kellogg, Jaxon Boyd, and Captain Hunter Smith. The wildcats play away at Foxboro next Thursday, March 21 at 3:30pm!

Other Athletic News:

Wildcats Athletic Store:

West Bridgewater Athletics have opened an online store where you are able to personalize and order gear. Check out the link below to create and order your Wildcats Gear. Let’s Go WB!!

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/massachusetts/westbridgewater/west-bridgewater-high-school

Are you a high school Sophomore wanting to compete in College Sports? Don't delay your initial eligibility.

http://on.ncaa.com/HSTimeline

**WB-CAM:

A big thank you to the WB-CAM for live streaming our athletic events! They do an amazing job! Please follow them on Twitter to find out which athletic events are being live streamed. Let's Go Wildcats!

Twitter: @WBCAM0998

We have some great events coming up for students in the coming months. Also, paw prints are back!! All the needed information for those events are on the flyers.

Please let me know if you have any questions! At the last PTO meeting we talked about trying to create more experiences for the kids as the Ziti with my Sweetie event was a big hit and families enjoyed the second year of Santa's Breakfast being back!

APRIL CAMP

If you're interested in April Vacation Mini Camp, registration is available now! The flyer is attached to this email, and you can sign up here: https://forms.gle/k26NeVzj4fKqo5SP9

SUMMER STEAM CAMP

Also, STEAM Camp SUMMER registration is coming soon! For now, save the dates:

Week 1: July 8th-11th

Week 2: July 22nd-25th

SPRING ENRICHMENT CLASSES

Please stay tuned for our Spring Enrichment classes, beginning mid-March! Class descriptions and dates coming shortly!

**West Bridgewater Field Day & Softball/Baseball Opening Day - April 28th, 2024**

Get ready for an action-packed day at West Bridgewater Field Day, marking the exciting start of the baseball/softball season!

**What’s Happening?**

- **FREE Painting & Balloon Animals:** Unleash your creativity and enjoy fun shapes!

- **Tasty Treats:** Enjoy delicious hotdogs, visit the Black Hat Food Truck, and don't miss out on our Ice Cream Truck for sweet delights!

- **Inflatable Obstacle Courses:** Challenge your friends and have a blast.

- **Exciting Softball Games:** Cheer on your favorite teams in friendly competitions including WB Fire Department vs WB Police Department, WBYAA Girl's Coaches vs WBYAA Boy's Coaches, and WBHS Teachers vs Elementary Teachers.

**Special Highlights:**

- **Kick-off Parade:** We start the day with a vibrant parade. Be part of the excitement!

- **Community Spirit:** Join us in making this event a memorable gathering of our wonderful community.

- **Amazing Raffles & Merch:** Don't miss the chance to win fabulous prizes and grab your West Bridgewater gear.

Let's come together to support our teams and enjoy a day filled with fun, laughter, and community spirit. This year, we're all about making memories that will last a lifetime.

Mark your calendars for **April 28th, 2024**. It's going to be a day to remember, similar to the 200th bicentennial day! We can't wait to see you there and kick off the baseball/softball season with a bang!

Mark Bodwell, Superintendent of Schools

Email: mbodwell@wbridgewater.com
Website: www.wbridgewaterschools.org
Location: 2 Spring Street, West Bridgewater, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 894-1230
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbridgewaterschools
Twitter: @WBPSwildcats