MHS/WES Newsletter

Our classrooms are filled with energy and enthusiasm! The perseverance and effort our students put forth continues to amaze us. We're overjoyed to watch them continually broaden their understanding, master new skills, and fill our hearts with pride through their everyday successes.

Here's a quick look at what's happening in our schools:

• MCAS Testing: MCAS testing for grades 3-5 begins on April 1st. The complete schedule is posted below. Our teachers are currently exploring the online MCAS tools with their classes and preparing students to be as comfortable and confident as possible to take these tests.
• Report Cards - Trimester 2 report cards will be emailed out to families later today. For more information on our report card process, please visit our elementary report card webpage.
• Jim Basketball Jones Cultural Event - A heartfelt thank you to our PTO and the Westminster Cultural Council for sponsoring Jim Basketball Jones' visit to our schools! His program stands out as one of the best programs we've ever hosted. His message of positivity, perseverance, and kindness was truly inspiring to everyone involved. Please be sure to view the photos below to see these wonderful moments!
• Westminster Monthly Bugle - Check out our student generated school newspaper and our latest episode of MHS/WES School Scoops!

You're a vital part of your child's education! We appreciate your support and everything you do at home

March 20: Report cards go home

March 21: PTO "Fun With Your Son" Event, 6-8pm in WES Cafeteria and Gym

April 3: MHS/WES School Improvement Council 4:15 PM, WES Office

April 3: PTO Meeting 6:30 PM, MHS Cafeteria

April 9: 1/2 day of school, Noon dismissal

April 21-25: No School ~ April Break

The last day of school after snow days is: Monday, June 16 at NOON. Please take NOTE. As our winter/spring is still not over, that day could change as well. Please stay tuned.

Dear Westminster Parents/Guardians of future Meetinghouse School students:

Children who turn five years old on or before August 31, 2024 are eligible to register for kindergarten. Registration is now online. You can find the registration link at www.awrsd.org. If you have questions or require assistance to register, please reach out to Margaret Cooley in the Central Office at 978-827-1434 or enrollment@awrsd.org. If you have specific questions regarding kindergarten, please contact Meetinghouse School.

Kindergarten screenings will take place in May 2025 during the school day (9:00 AM - 2:00 PM). Once your child is fully registered for kindergarten, you will receive a link to sign up for a screening slot. An orientation to Meetinghouse School’s Kindergarten program (including classroom visits and a bus ride) will be scheduled in late August prior to the first day of kindergarten.

We are excited to welcome you and your child to Meetinghouse School. This is the beginning of a collaborative relationship that will enable your child to have a wonderful educational experience.

Sincerely,

Kathy Taylor

Principal

ktaylor@awrsd.org

Please remember when you are calling your child out absent, to call the school that they attend.

MHS~ Pre-K , K and 1: 978-874-0163

WES~2, 3, 4, and 5 grade: 978-874-2043

Spring is in full swing, and we have been busy exploring, learning, and growing! The children have enjoyed engaging in hands-on activities, creative projects, and exciting discoveries. As we continue through this season, we wanted to share a glimpse into what we've been learning and what’s coming up!

What We've Been Learning
During the past few months, we have explored some exciting themes:

• Community Helpers – The children loved learning about the important roles people play in our community. From firefighters and doctors to mail carriers and teachers, we discussed how each profession helps keep our world running smoothly.

• Outer Space – We blasted off into space and learned about the planets, the sun, the moon, and the stars! The children especially enjoyed time in the dramatic play area, dressing up and pretending to be astronauts.

• Dinosaurs – We stepped back in time to learn about dinosaurs. The children explored fossils, dinosaur habitats, exploded a volcano, and even became a paleontologist and extracted a dinosaur from ice.

Looking Ahead
We have more exciting themes planned for the next few months:

• Plants – We will explore how plants grow, plant our own seeds, and learn what plants need to thrive.

• Butterflies – The children will discover the amazing life cycle of butterflies and observe real caterpillars as they transform!

• Worms – Get ready for some wiggly fun as we investigate the important role worms play in helping the earth.

Special Events

• Hatching Chicks – We are thrilled to have an incubator in our classroom! The children will have the opportunity to observe the egg-hatching process and watch baby chicks emerge.

• In-House Field Trip – Animal Adventures (End of May) – We are excited to welcome Animal Adventures for an interactive and educational experience where the children will get to meet and learn about a variety of animals.

Continued Learning
Along with these exciting themes, we are continuing to practice our letters, numbers, colors, and shapes through engaging activities, songs, and hands-on learning experiences. These foundational skills are being reinforced daily through games, art, movement, and storytelling.

Thank you for your continued support! We look forward to a fun-filled spring full of growth and new experiences.

Our 100th day of school pet supply project was a huge success!!!! We far exceeded our grade level goal. It was heartwarming to see the excitement in the children’s eyes as they knew they were making a difference in an animal's life. Items were donated to the Gardner Animal Shelter. Thank you for supporting this meaningful community building project and for your generous donations for these pets in need!

There are so many exciting upcoming events for second graders. We are excited that Zen Yoga is returning to MHS/WES! The PTO is sponsoring a mindfulness class for all students. Over the next few weeks, every second grade class will have their own turn.

Everyone is getting excited about our field trip to Theater at the Mount on April 10th. Curious George and the Golden Meatball is a musical adaptation of the inquisitive, lovable little monkey Curious George. With every swing and flip, George takes the audience through a fun-filled adventure in which he learns more about Rome, meatballs and the secret ingredient to cooking!

Students will get to experience storytelling in a new way and see how actors can bring characters to life on stage.

In Physical Education we started a Volleyball unit. Volleyball is a very popular lifetime sport that was invented on February 9, 1895 by William G. Morgan, who was a teacher at a YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Volleyball is a fun sport that can be learned at a young age and is a great social activity. It strengthens the upper body, abdominals and the lower body, it helps to improve cardio, hand eye-coordination, reflexes and balance, and ensures the students are working on communication skills with teammates. In order for their teams to be successful on the court, they must work together!

During our unit, students will be learning basic skills, such as how to serve, pass (set and bump) and volley over the net. The younger grades will be using beach balls and will do a lead up game of Clean Up the Garbage. The older students will be using oversized volleyball trainers and they will play some small sided Volleyball games as well as Four Square Volleyball.

Looking forward, our next unit will be the Rock Wall and Bowling unit. Students will be able to work in teams to complete relays on the rock wall as well as complete challenges individually, like choosing one color of the rock holds to only be able to touch to get across the wall. We will also do some spelling challenges where students have to climb across the wall and spell words using the magnetic letters attached to the wall. The rock wall helps students develop decision making skills, full body muscular strength, team building skills, and set goals/challenges for themselves.

During the bowling portion, the older students in grades 2-5 will play bowling bingo and learn some bowling vocabulary, like strike, spare, split, and gutterball to name a few. Grades K + 1 will learn how to properly hold the ball and roll it towards the bowling pins with proper form. They will get to play a bowling tag game, use bowling lanes, and play a group game of PinBall. This will be a great unit for developing hand eye coordination, taking turns, and promoting social skills.

We hope you will join us for the 2025 Son's Event on March 21 from 6:00-8:00. It will be a night of games and fun. To sign up please go to https://westminster.ptboard.com. There is also information on how to volunteer, if you are interested. Reach out to westminsterpto@gmail.com with any questions.

Westminster Elementary School is excited to partner once again with Hannaford grocery stores for this year's Hannaford Helps Schools program, running from March 16 to June 7!

Through this program, shoppers will earn 3 School Dollars for every 4 participating products purchased. At checkout, customers will receive a School Dollar printout they can redeem online to donate to any school in this program.

To redeem School Dollars, all shoppers need to do is enter the unique printout code and store number on the Hannaford Helps Schools program website and select their school. Each School Dollar printout has a QR code that will bring shoppers directly to this link, ensuring that redeeming School Dollars is as easy as possible. Please note that the in-store collection tower has been eliminated.

In the past, Westminster Elementary has earned anywhere from $500 to $1000. This money goes to scholarships for field trips that support students in both MHS and WES. Thank you for your continued support!

If your child forgets to bring their water bottle or Chromebook, you DO NOT have to bring it to the school. They can use the bubbler and borrow a Chromebook. This helps not to interrupt the classroom teaching that is taking place. Thank you for your time.

Did you know that MHS/WES is on Instagram? Check it out!! principalkt24

All students have a bus number assigned to them as well as stops. Please click on the button at the end of this newsletter to see your child's bus number and stop. HOWEVER, if your child is going to be a parent pick up, walker, walker to MHS, or going to extended day, it is VERY IMPORTANT to send in a note with your child's first and last name to the school. One note is sufficient for the year with their schedule, but if it changes at all, we need to know. The safety of your child is our priority. Thank you

Emergency Early Dismissal Policy

In the event of an unforeseen emergency that necessitates the dismissal of students prior to the end of the school day, parent notification will be provided through the automated phone and email system. Typical emergency situations that may precipitate an early dismissal include, but are not necessarily limited to, severe weather conditions, fire and absence of heat or water.

Since it is impractical for school officials to personally contact every parent in the event of an early dismissal, parents and particularly the parents of elementary age children, are encouraged to develop a clear and well-defined plan with their children in case of an early dismissal. Since children will be dismissed to their home, it is imperative that children know how to gain entry into their home and how and whom to call once they are there.

ABSENCES: Please call WES (978-874-2043) or MHS (978-874-0163) when your child will be absent or late for school. Please state your name, your child’s name, teacher, and the reason for absence. If you must speak to someone, please call after 7:45 AM. This system is to ensure the safety of your child. If we do not hear from you, we will contact you at home or work, and if we can’t reach someone we may send a school resource officer to the house to do a well child check. Absent notes are required when children return to school.

AM Arrivals: Bus drivers do not let children off the bus until 8:20 a.m. There is NO Supervision before 8:20 a.m. Walkers/students being dropped off should not arrive before 8:20 a.m. School starts at 8:30 a.m.

PM Dismissals: The school day ends at 2:55 p.m. The office needs to know your dismissal plan. If your child is a car-rider, you will be given a sign to display on your car dashboard to be used each day. Car riders will be dismissed to the cafeteria and called outside in the order cars line up. Please remain in your car. Signs will be posted. If you would like your older sibling to walk from WES to MHS pick-ups for dismissal in the afternoon, please send a note to the office and your child’s teacher.

If your child needs to be dismissed early, please send a note to his/her teacher stating the time and reason for dismissal. Early dismissals will be handled through the main office.

NOTES: Please use student’s (and parent’s) last names in all notes to the teacher/office. Please also date all notes so that we can be sure we are dealing with current messages. Notes are required for any change in dismissal. You may also email a note to mhsoffice@awrsd.org (MHS) or wesoffice@awrsd.org(WES).

MEDICATIONS: ALL Medications must be brought to the nurse by an adult at the beginning of the day. Medication is NOT TO BE TAKEN by any child on his/her own. The school nurse under the following circumstances will administer medication:

• A signed and dated note from a doctor and a parent is sent with the child’s name, dosage, reason for medication and time to be given.

• The prescription bottle is sent with only the amount which will be needed for the administration at school. (Pharmacies will dispense in two bottles if you ask.)

School Announcements:

Please make sure all phone numbers and email addresses are updated throughout the school year to ensure you receive all messages sent from the school or district.

RESTRICTIONS: Please provide the office with any LEGAL DOCUMENT which indicates any legal restrictions on the release of your child as per district policy. These restrictions CANNOT be honored unless we have a copy of the legal documents in your child’s file. Please remember that it is MOST IMPORTANT that your child knows who he/she is allowed to leave school with and restrictions of the same.

TARDINESS: It is important that your child be at school on time. Tardy students need to stop at the office for a tardy slip when they arrive later than 8:30 a.m. If excessive tardiness continues, it will be necessary for the parent and child to meet with the Principal so that we may remedy the situation.

ARRIVAL

8:20 - 8:30 AM

DISMISSAL

2:55 PM

HALF DAYS - DISMISSAL

12:00 PM

AM Session 8:45-11:10 AM

PM Session 12:00-2:30 PM

Full Day Session 8:45-2:30 PM (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Friday)

Please reach out with any questions you may have. We are happy to help!

• MHS - Kathi McCarthy 978-874-0163 ext. 0
• WES - Liz Maillet 978-874-2043 ext 0

General Ashburnham-Westminster Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) membership is open to all AWRSD parents/guardians of children with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans and other interested parties. We need volunteers to help plan workshops, staff tables at local school and community events, become future leaders, assist other parents, and plan new activities and projects. Learn more about us and our work on our website https://sites.google.com/view/ashburnham-westminster-sepac. You can also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ashwestsepac.

Bus passes will be issued for students riding their ASSIGNED bus but getting off at a different stop. A note or phone call from the parent/guardian is required to your child’s school office. The office will then issue the bus pass. Bus passes to ride a DIFFERENT bus will ONLY be issued in the event of an emergency. The school office must be notified by a parent/guardian that there is a circumstance beyond their control/emergency causing a student to ride a different bus. Bus passes are not issued for going to a friend’s house, dances, etc.

If you have specific questions or concerns regarding your child’s bussing, please reach out to bussing@awrsd.org.