Pine Hill Post

Dear Pine Hill Families,

Happy March! Spring is almost here! Our clocks moved forward this past weekend and I know students are eager for more sunshine and the warmer weather that follows.

Thanks to kindness, generosity, and overwhelming support demonstrated through the PTO fundraiser, students had a bevy of rewards for their hard work. The final reward was having the opportunity to tape me to the gym wall on Friday, 2/28. A great time was had by all!

Core Values

This past month Pine Hill has rolled out its four core values: Be Kind, Be Responsible, Be Inclusive,

and Persevere. Each month through the end of the year we will be highlighting one of these values to focus on. For the past month, our focus value has been “Be Kind”. Please check-in with your student for examples of kindness at Pine Hill. We’re excited to celebrate acts of Kindness at our next whole school assembly on March 19th. Next month we will be focusing on responsibility! I can’t wait to see all of the great ways our students live out these values.

Parent Conferences

Spring parent conferences will take place on the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, April 9th, and the afternoon of Wednesday, April 30th. Your student’s teacher will be in touch with you to schedule your conference.

MCAS Dates

As we enter Spring our students and teachers are hard at work preparing for MCAS testing. Please see the attached calendar for dates for each grade level. For all MCAS tests we ask families to help their students get a good night’s sleep, have something to eat in the morning, and encourage them to take their time and give it their best effort.

You made it! Thank you for taking the time to read all the way to the end. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this information.

Thank you so much,
Reid and Tom

Sincerely,

Reid Jones and Tom Millett

Dear Pine Hill Families,

I am writing to share an exciting opportunity for parents, guardians, grandparents, friend to participate in here at the Pine Hill School.

The new Parent Read Aloud program promoted by the Office of Student Services and designed to expose students to various types of disabilities across grade levels officially launches this month. We are in need of more parent/community member volunteers for the January books, and we would love for you to volunteer to read aloud to students.

Readers must submit a CORI form and a copy of their driver's license to Jenny Abdou to get an active CORI on file.

Please contact Mercedes Carrasco (mercedescarrasco@gmail.com) with any questions, or if you are interested in volunteering (you can also use the Sign-up Genius link). Mercedes Carrasco is the Parent Coordinator. She will be working with volunteers to make sure their experience runs smoothly, and will be in contact with more instructions the week you volunteer to read.

Below are the dates and times still open and in need of parent/community volunteers. There is also a letter linked at the bottom from Student Services Director Sue Maselli sharing more details about the Parent Read Aloud Program.

Program Welcome Letter from Sue Maselli

In Partnership,

Reid Jones and Samantha Bean

Below are important dates and events for families to know about.

January 2 - Back to school

January 8 - Early Release

January 10 - Math League Begins

January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 22 - Early Release

January 31 - Report Cards will be accessible in ASPEN after 4:00 PM

New Faces at Pine Hill

There are many new faces at Pine Hill this year! We will be spotlighting some of those folks each month until we have gotten the chance to meet them all.

Janet Carfagna - School Psychologist (started this week!)

​​Greetings Pine Hill Community! My name is Janet Carfagna and I am very excited to be joining the Pine Hill Community as your School Psychologist. This is my 22nd year working as a School Psychologist, having previously worked in Attleboro, and most recently, North Attleboro. I have my Master’s degree in Applied Educational Psychology and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in School Psychology from Northeastern University. I am also working toward becoming a Licensed Educational Psychologist as an Allied Mental Health Professional through the Commonwealth. I currently hold my certification through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and am board certified as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Furthermore, I am a member of the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association.

As a School Psychologist, I enjoy watching children overcome obstacles by developing the skills needed to reach their highest potential. I take pride watching them make strides on their journey toward excellence. I strongly believe it takes a village to assist students in meeting success. This would not be possible without the collaboration among educators, parents, and stakeholders. I enjoy working as a Team, with each individual bringing unique expertise to support the best

interest of students.

On a personal level, I grew up in West Roxbury, where my family still resides. I have two

children, one in college, and one a senior in high school. In my spare time, I enjoy participating in Krav Maga, in which I have a first degree black belt. I also enjoy walking, beach days, spending time with friends, listening to music, bike riding, and shopping.

I am looking forward to getting to know the staff, students, and families at Pinehill and am eager to make a positive contribution to the school community.

Winter Weather at Pine Hill

Now that we’ve had our first snowy day, I wanted to reach out to families with some important information regarding winter weather and outside play.

We will go outside (to start our day and/or at recess time), even in snowy weather, unless it is an unsafe temperature. For Westwood Public Schools, students will stay inside if the temperature is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. We will also not have outside recess if the conditions are too icy or rainy. Please make sure you are dressed for the winter temperatures, so you can play outside comfortably and safely.

On snowy days, please make sure you have snow pants and snow boots. Without this gear, you will need to play on the blacktop areas of the playground, which is a lot less fun than playing in the snow on the field or playground. Please bring a pair of shoes in addition to snow boots, so you can change when you come inside. This will help you stay comfortable and keep our hallways and classrooms clean and dry throughout the day.

You made it! Thank you for taking the time to read all the way to the end. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this information.

Thank you so much,
Reid & Samantha

Sincerely,

Reid J. Jones Samantha Bean

Reid Jones Samantha Bean

Principal Assistant Principal

rjones@westwood.k12.ma.us sbean@westwood.k12.ma.us

Dear Pine Hill Elementary Families,

As the holiday season approaches, we want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your unwavering support and dedication throughout the year. This year has been filled with growth, learning, and memorable moments, and none of this would be possible without the incredible partnership we share with our families.

We hope that this holiday season brings you joy, rest, and cherished time with loved ones. May the New Year be filled with new opportunities, happiness, and continued success for you and your family. We look forward to another year of working together to create an inspiring and nurturing environment for our students.

Thank you for being an essential part of the Pine Hill Elementary School community. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Warmly,
Reid & Sam
Pine Hill Elementary School