This is a VERY meaty newsletter, so I'll keep this brief; it's been an absolute JOY starting the year with your children. We have had a few bumps and wrinkles, but nothing we can't figure out and work through. This is a great group of kids and teachers, and I'm thrilled to be here.

Our PRIDE theme of the month is Respect. Talk to your kiddos at home about what respect means to you. Who do you respect? How to you show respect? What does respect look like in school? at home?

I'd love to include some super cute pictures of students I've taken, but we've only had a small percentage of families complete the Aspen re-registration. Please check this off your to-do list today! You can find the instructions here.

Please join us for curriculum night on Thursday, September 12th. 5:00 - 6:30pm.

At 5pm families will be able to hear from the principal, school psychologist, and school nurse.

At 5:30 families will visit classrooms. A second session will begin at 6:00 to accommodate families with students in multiple grades.

6th grade families will follow a different schedule to give you an opportunity to see teacher individually. If you have a 6th grade student AND a 4th or 5th grader, you won't have time to follow the full 6th grade schedule, but you can prioritize which 6th grade classrooms to visit. See the visual schedule below.

Order ahead by visiting mylifetouch.com and using Picture Day Code EVTRRF7WP.

1. Do not take a left into the Howard loop. It can create quite a traffic jam.

2. Form one line until after dropping off / picking up in front of the school. After that, you may proceed with CAUTION in two lines.

3a. In the morning, please do not use the teacher parking lot or block access to the teacher parking lot.

3b. In the afternoon, you may extend the pick up line into the teachers parking lot.

See maps below.

Welcome back everyone! I’ve enjoyed getting to know your children over the first two weeks at Howard School. Here is some helpful information as we aim to keep everyone safe and healthy while at school this year.

Please complete the Annual Student Health Update form at your earliest convenience, if you haven’t done so already . If your child requires any medications to be given at school, please bring in labeled medications in the original containers with physician orders. Please DO NOT SEND ANY MEDICATIONS WITH YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL.

Communication throughout the school year is also very important, so please reach out to me if any health information changes or if your child isn’t feeling well. I will be checking in periodically if anything arises while your child is at school or to follow up on prolonged absences.

As always, please feel free to reach Nurse Mando if you have any questions or concerns: smando@wbridgewater.com or 508-894-1250 ext. 3115.

Otherwise, we want to keep everyone healthy while at school so please keep them home if they are not feeling well. Please refer to our Sick Child Guidelines and school health policies at https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org/page/health-services and reach out to me directly with any concerns.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is recognized every September by childhood cancer organizations around the world. With a goal to increase awareness, we encourage everyone to wear gold (or yellow) Friday 9/27 in honor of kids with cancer, especially those in our community.

Fourth graders are learning the ropes, meeting important staff members and touring the building. (The scent of Mrs. Giuffre’s office is quite appealing, if hallway chatter is to be believed.) They’ve taken STAR benchmark tests and are beginning to dive into academic work.

Fifth graders are practicing math fluency - ask your child how many multiplication questions they can answer in one minute! They've also been enjoying their choice reading time. Specials are a fun way to learn about teamwork and cooperation.

6th graders have started their first novel, Bud Not Buddy. They’ve begun working on the foundations of algebra, exploring the tools used in social studies, and the criteria for life in Science. Projects Across the Curriculum (PAC) with Ms. Berry is an opportunity for students to dive deeper into all subjects. Currently, PAC is focusing on building students’ Google skills.

Ms. Zukauskas has always know she would be a teacher. As a child she spent her birthday money on a whiteboard. She made attendance sheets with made-up names and created math work sheets. When she's not living out her childhood dreams, she loves to play with her 4 (soon to be 5!) adorable nieces and nephews. A graduate of Bridgewater State University, her favorite book is The Secret Garden.

Look out, 6th grade! Ms. Berry's favorite TV show of all time is Impractical Jokers. Not that she'll have much time to plan out pranks to play on you - she stays busy with her family. She has three outstanding kiddos - Abigail (11), Brogan (8) , and Bradlee Rae (5). The handsome doggo in the photo is Remi (6). While not wrangling children and pups, Ms. Berry makes personalized wooden signs, ornaments, and home decor! She's excited to be at Howard School and is looking forward Nature's Classroom.

Ryan Otto graduated from Mansfield High School and went on to Westfield State. He's looking forward to getting kids excited about movement and healthy lifestyles. He also loves to coach and looks forward to coaching at West Bridgewater.

When Ms. Delano was a little girl, she aspired to become a marine biologist. Four years at Saint Anselm College and a graduate degree from UMass Boston has her sailing different seas - ours! She's excited to get to know the students at Howard and getting involved in the community. She and her husband love hiking with their two dogs, Winnie and Mac.

The War that Saved My Life - historical fiction by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Click here to listen to Ms. Giuffre attempt a working class London accent.

Co-ed Middle School Unified Bocce signups are live! Students from grades 5-8 are invited to join in the season which will last from October 7-November 8. Practices will be held from 2:30-3:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and matches will begin at 3:30 on game days. The unified sports fee is $50 (covers unified bocce, unified basketball, and unified cornhole) unless you have already paid the athletic fee for the year. If interested, please sign up on the athletics website or reach out to Nikki Maloney at nmaloney@wbridgewater.com with questions!

I'll leave you with this picture. We are so lucky to have partnerships with local businesses like CN Smith Farm to provide our students with fresh, local produce. Have a great weekend!