Plympton Family Update

Dear Families,

We had a great time at the PTO Bingo Night last night! Thank you to all the volunteers who made the night a great success!

Our grade 4 students enjoyed a "traveling trunk" this week. Pictures are below.

Our literacy celebrations continue!

Pajama Day - Thursday, March 13:

Students are invited to wear jammies and read books related to nighttime. Ms. Halley will have a display of books to choose from if you want to pick a book for a read aloud in your classroom.

Vocabulary Day - Dress as Your Favorite Word - Thursday, March 20:

On Vocabulary Day, students wear a headband which they have decorated with a word of their choice and students can also choose to dress up as their word. No masks, please. The word needs to be visible on your headband. Headbands will be given out on Monday, March 17.

Literacy Night - Thursday, March 27. 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

More information will follow closer to the date!

Go Penguins!

Vamos Pinguinos!

Adrienne Norris and Amanda Brennan

Bookmark our homepage and also check out this resource!

Monday: Cinnamon Belgian Waffles

Tuesday: Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich with Tater Tots

Wednesday: Confetti Pancakes

Thursday: Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich with Tater Tots

Friday: Donut Holes

Please click here for Ms. Halley's Newsletter!

The Flu is surging again. Remember that your child needs to be not only fever free for 24 hours (without using fever reducing medicine), they need to be well enough to participate in the full school day activities. We are finding children need 4-5 days or more to recover. Encourage your child to drink lots of fluids, eat healthy foods and get a good 10 hours of sleep at night

Please let me know if your child has been diagnosed with the flu or strep throat that we might monitor the cases in our building. Call if you have any questions or concerns.

Stay well,

Ms. Duquette, RN 781-314-5763

sharonduquette@walthampublicschools.org

The 6th Annual Waltham Public Schools Parenting Awareness Conference will be held on Saturday, March 8th at Kennedy Middle School. Registration opens at 8:00 a.m. and the day begins with a Keynote Address by Brendan Mahan from ADHD Essentials. His topic is: “Parenting as Leadership (Being a Leader instead of a Boss).

The first set of sessions are from 9:05 - 10:35 and are scheduled to include the following presenters:

• Susan Maxwell, LICSW, Program Manager of Child Therapy Services & Sean Hoxie, LMHC, Clinical Therapist for Children and Adolescents @ Newton Wellesley Hospital

• Courtney Begley, Youth and Young Adult Mental Wellness Program Coordinator @ Families for Depression Awareness

• Jennifer-Ann Caruso, Waltham Public Schools Kindergarten Teacher from Northeast Elementary School

• Emily Torres-Cullinane, Chief of Community Engagement Division @ Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General

• Dr Mary Jo Rendon, Waltham High School Assistant Principal and Soledad Valencia, WPS Attendance Liaison.

The second set of sessions are from 11:15 - 12:45 and are scheduled to include the following topics presenters:

• Brendan Mahan, our Keynote Speaker

• Courtney Begley, Youth and Young Adult Mental Wellness Program Coordinator @ Families for Depression Awareness

• Emily Torres-Cullinane, Chief of Community Engagement Division @ Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General (Spanish Session)

• Elizabeth Garreau, Clinical Director, Nicole Diaz de Cardona, In Home Clinician, and Louis Duquette Holmes, Counselor from Wayside Youth and Family Support Network

• Jessica Herwick, Waltham Fields Community Farms

• Medjine Lucien, Career Exploration & Training Program Coordinator, Waltham Partnership for Youth

Parents can also visit many local organizations who will have information tables at the event. Confirmed organizations: Baker Center, ALPHA Agency BELPAC, Boys & Girls Club, Calmer Con, Representative from Congresswoman Katherine Clark’s Office, DCF/Foster Care, Families for Depression Awareness, MetroWest Nutrition and Therapy, National Grid, Opportunities for Inclusion - Adult Family Care, WPS/OPS table/Health Information, OUT Metrowest, Outreach Attorney General’s Office, REACH Domestic Violence, Waltham Family School, Waltham Fields Community Farm, Waltham Land Trust, Waltham Partnership for Youth, Waltham Special Education Parent Advisory Council, Wayside

Our day concludes at 12:45 with lunch and door prizes donated by area businesses and includes restaurant gift cards, gift baskets and children’s games.

Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and ASL interpreters will be available and child care - for school aged children - will also be available.

For more information, please contact Dr. Nadene Stein at 781-314-5428 or

nadenestein@walthampublicschools.org.

Registration can be found here at Parenting Awareness Conference Registration Link

Read-A-Thon pledge donations can be submitted via Plympton PTO Venmo.

Las donaciones de promesa de Read-A-Thon se pueden enviar a través de Plympton PTO Venmo.

• The WPY Know your Rights full-length presentation in English, see here.

• The WPY Know your Rights Spanish full-length version is linked here.

• Linked here is the information about the red Know Your Rights cards, which are available in 16 languages.

• WPY Handout (Link to handout)

March 12, 2025: Grades Close grades 2-5

March 12, 2025: Moving On Up Concert at Kennedy Middle School 7pm (featuring 5-12 band and orchestra students)

March 25, 2025: PTO meeting 6:30

March 26, 2025: Early Release - Conferences

March 27, 2025: Literacy Night 6:00 - 7:30

March 28, 2025: Report Cards grades 2-5

Absences: We have a separate phone number if a child is going to miss school. Please don't call the office directly; leave a message on the absentee line at 781-314-5770.

Dismissal plans: Please communicate any changes to your student's dismissal plan at the start of the day. Students may only ride the bus they are assigned and that assignment is based on home address.

Email: Adriennenorris@walthampublicschools.org
Website: https://www.walthampublicschools.org/o/plympton
Location: 20 Farnsworth St, Waltham, MA, USA
Phone: (781) 314-5760

This link has lots of great information about our school!

English Handbook

Spanish Handbook

Haitian Creole Handbook

Portuguese Handbook