Dear Winthrop Families,

As we prepare to wrap up the year, we have some exciting updates and important reminders to share with you. I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying the holiday season. Looking ahead to the New Year, we have a wonderful opportunity for families with young children to learn more about our Integrated Preschool program. Please join us for our upcoming Integrated Preschool Information Night on January 16th at 6 PM. This evening will provide you with valuable details about the curriculum, enrollment, and the unique benefits of our preschool.

What is an Integrated Preschool?

The Ipswich Integrated Preschool offers a multi-age learning environment where children engage in play, exploration, and hands-on experiences. Our program is designed to meet the varied needs of children with diverse abilities and learning styles. By integrating both peer models and students with disabilities, we foster an inclusive setting that promotes social, academic, and language development.

Targeted areas of growth include social-emotional skills, literacy, math, science, fine and gross motor skills. A unique feature of our program is that preschoolers are integrated within the broader school community. They participate in weekly Art, Physical Education, Music, and Library classes, as well as school-wide Assemblies. This exposure to the larger school setting helps ensure a smooth transition to Kindergarten. If you have a child who will be 3 or 4 years old by September 1, 2025, and are interested in learning more, we invite you to attend our Information Night to explore our program further. Please see the flyer below and visit our Preschool website for additional details.

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A Message from Nurse Stafford

As we enter the winter months, we’ve seen a rise in cases of both mononucleosis (mono) and the flu at school. In order to keep everyone healthy, we want to share some important reminders about symptoms and when to keep your child home:

• Mononucleosis: Fatigue, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, and sometimes an enlarged spleen.
• Flu: Fever, chills, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue, and occasionally nausea or vomiting.

If your child shows symptoms of either illness, please consult a healthcare provider for guidance. Additionally, please keep your child home if they have a fever of 100.5°F or higher, or if they are vomiting, and ensure they stay home until they are symptom-free for the appropriate amount of time.

We also encourage reinforcing good hygiene habits at home, such as frequent handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes with an elbow.

Thank you for helping us keep our community safe and healthy. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our health office.

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Thank you for your continued support and partnership. As we manage the busyness of the next two weeks leading up to the December break, I wish you all a peaceful and joyful holiday season. We look forward to finishing the year on a strong note!

Warmly,

Amy

***Wednesday, December 11th: FRIES Meeting, 6:30 PM @ Winthrop Cafeteria- CANCELED***

Thursday, December 12th: Grade 5 Workout, 8 AM in the Gym

Thursday. December 12th: Early Release PK @ 1:30, K-5 @ 1:50. Free Mobile Mart @ dismissal

Thursday, December 12th: Grade 4 SLC Meeting, 2:00 -2:30 PM

Thursday, December 12th: No Place for Hate Meeting, 2:00-2:45 PM

Friday, December 13th: Harvest of the Month- Roasted Carrot Fries

Friday, December 13th: 1st Trimester Report Cards Sent Home

Wednesday, December 18th: FRIES-Sponsored In-School Event, PK Dance with High St. Studios

Thursday, December 19th: Grade 5 Workout, 8 AM in the Gym

Thursday, December 19th: Polished Dental Progam at Winthrop

Thursday. December 19th: Early Release PK @ 1:30, K-5 @ 1:50. Free Mobile Mart @ dismissal

Friday, December 20th: Schoolwide Pajama Day

Monday, December 23rd - Wednesday, January 1st: Winter Break

Thursday, January 2nd: Classes Resume

Winter Weather/Inclement Weather Procedures

In the event that we need to cancel, delay, or close school earlier than the regular dismissal time, we will make announcements on the following TV stations and send notifications via email and phone message. Additionally, a message will be posted on the school district’s Facebook account and the district website (www.ipsk12.net).

TV Stations:

• WBZ – Channel 4
• WCVB – Channel 5
• WFXT (Boston 25) – Channel 25

Delayed Openings

In the case of a delayed opening, schools will begin two hours later than usual, and buses will pick up two hours later than their normal times. The morning Extended Day Program (EDP) will also start two hours late.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

• Thursday, January 23 grade 4 Show 7:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 11 grade 3 Concert 7:00 p.m.

First Trimester Report Cards

First trimester report cards will be sent home on December 13th. Ipswich Public Schools uses a standards-based report card at the elementary level.

Report Card Ratings

The purpose of the Ipswich Elementary Schools report card is to share your child’s learning progress with parents/guardians and students. This standards-based report card reflects your child's learning in relation to the Massachusetts state standards and frameworks for their grade level. Student progress is assessed through multiple measures, including assessments, student work, and informal observations.

Our goal is to support students in consistently meeting the standards, represented by an "M" (Meeting the standard). Along the way, you may see ratings like "N" (Not Yet demonstrating progress toward meeting the standard) or "P" (Progressing toward meeting the standard).

We’ve removed the "B" (Beginning to progress toward meeting the standard) rating from previous report cards, as we believe the "P" rating more effectively communicates progress toward each grade-level standard. If your child demonstrates learning that exceeds grade-level expectations for a particular standard, you’ll see an "E/I" (Exceeding beyond the standard, consistently demonstrating and independently applying related skills).

You may also notice some standards are grayed out. This indicates that these standards have not yet been covered in your child’s instruction.

Report Cards and IEPs

Standards-based report cards provide a clear metric of progress toward grade-level standards for all students. If your child has an IEP, you will receive a separate progress report based on your child’s individualized goals along with the standards-based report card. This progress report will be mailed separately.

On Friday, December 20th all students are invited to wear their pj's to school to celebrate the last day before December vacation.

We have plenty of extra, new pajamas for any student who would like a pair. Please reach out to your child's teacher or Principal Sullivan if your child may need a new set and we will send them home (discreetly) ahead of time. We will also have plenty of extra new pj's ready for any student who may forget theirs on the 20th.

Participating in PJ day is optional. Comfy clothes and sweats are perfectly acceptable, too.

Dear Winthrop Families,

During this holiday season, the Winthrop School community has a great deal to be thankful for. This time of year we try very consciously to help children focus on the giving and sharing aspects of the season and to develop a sense of how fortunate we all are to have school, families, and our health, when many in the world and our town are still in need.

We have a long-standing tradition at Winthrop School with Ipswich Caring.Ipswich Caring makes significant contributions to Ipswich families during the holiday season, as well as throughout the year with its many programs. We would greatly appreciate it if you would forego giving gifts to the staff at this time. Those of you who feel the need to give are encouraged to make a donation to Ipswich Caring. If you’d like to make a contribution, please fill out the form below and return it with your contribution to the Winthrop School office. The teacher(s) you are honoring will be given a copy. Your contribution can be sent in cash or as a check made out to Ipswich Caring, along with the form, and dropped off at the office.

Thank you for honoring our request.

Wishing you health and happiness over the holidays!

The Winthrop Staf

We are canceling this month's FRIES meeting- oringally scheduled for tonight! We look forward to reconnecting with everyone in the new year at our January meeting. Happy holidays to all!

HOTM Carrots

This Friday, December 13 students will have the opportunity to try roasted carrots through the Harvest of the Month program. Encourage your child to give them a whirl!

Seed Saving Workshops

Save the dates for these upcoming after school workshops! They are open to any and all Winthrop families who would like to participate. Students need to be accompanied by a parent/guardian/chaperone. Please remember all visitors are required to check in at the front office. The first seed collection workshop was a hit!

SEED SAVING - mostly an indoor activity, sorting and labeling seeds for future sowing

Thursday, December 19, 2-3pm

SEED SHARING - an outdoor activity, giving away seeds to community for at-home planting

Email: winthrop@ipsk12.net
Website: https://www.ipsk12.net/Domain/185
Location: 65 Central Street, Ipswich, MA, USA
Phone: 9783562976