Brown Bears

Dear Families,

There are only about six more weeks left of school. I encourage you to check the school calendar and read any updates from your classroom teacher for any important dates and activities. For example, our next round of MCAS will be coming soon. The Math MCAS will happen on the following dates:

May 7th and 8th - 4th Grade Math

May 14th and 16th - 3rd Grade Math

Please encourage your child to get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast before these assessments. Thank you for your support!

Best,

Aidan McCann, Principal

1 - SPOTLIGHT ON PHYS ED

Hello Brown School Families!

We are excited that spring is finally here! Since the last newsletter, there has been so much that we have done. We have been working on basketball skills, castle ball, the adventure course, jump rope activities, and the 4th grade wrapped up the PACER. The jump rope unit included the students using short and long ropes to practice their jumping. They did a great job working hard to raise money for the American Heart Association.

All 4th grade parents, please take a moment and ask about how well they did on the PACER. We understand that it is a physically demanding activity that tests their aerobic capacity, however, everyone did a great job with it! Every 4th grade student worked hard to reach their goal. Overall, the entire 4th grade increased their PACER laps by seven laps! Mrs. Pestana and Mr. Dombroskas are very proud of the effort that everyone gave. They should all be very proud of themselves.

Field Day

It is that time of the year again! Field day will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2024. This year, field day will be held on one field (Kennedy Field). There will be two different sections for the day.

Grades 2, 3, and 4 will have field day from 9:00 – 11:00 am.

Grades K and 1 will have field day from 11:45 am – 1:45 pm.

We need volunteers to run the stations. If you are interested in helping out, please sign up using the Sign-up Genius form. Please remember to send your child to school with sneakers, sunscreen (applied at home), and plenty of water for field day.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Pestana

Mr. Dombroskas

2 - SPARK KINDNESS

“Tools for Resilience & Well-Being” hosted by SPARK Kindness is coming up on Mondays, May 6th, 13th and 20th from 6:30-8:30pm at the Cole Center in Natick. During these interactive workshops, parent educator and Natick mom, Laura McCarthy M.A. will share practical tips and ideas for parents and caregivers to support their kids, and themselves, navigating big feelings and everyday challenges.

Event Name: Tools for Resilience & Well-Being: Elementary Parent Workshop Series

Event Date: Mondays, May 6th, 13th, and 20th from 6:30-8:30pm at the Cole Center, Natick

Event Description: Laura McCarthy, MA, parent educator and Natick mom will share practical ideas and strategies to help you increase connection, manage emotions, behavior and stress, and build positive mindset and hope. Participants will strengthen these tools through empowering and validating conversation with other parents and caregivers.

This is an IN-PERSON event and you are registering for all 3 workshops in the series. Registration is limited to 25 spots (you will be notified if you are on the waitlist). Free childcare available for children ages 4+ - registration required. Light dinner will be offered.

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/71u7uWnyCsQbZDqx9

Free childcare for kids ages 5 years old and up is being offered during this event by Natick Recreation & Parks in the Cole Center game room. Pre-registration is required and space is limited, so sign-up early. Drop-off begins at 6:30pm, and pick-up through 8:45pm. Child-Care Registration Link: https://register.capturepoint.com/reg/cat_program_class_detail.cfm?season_id=31612&program_id=2227072

3 - 4th to 5th GRADE TRANSITION

Each year our 4th grade team and the KMS team collaborate to put together a transition process for our 4th grade students as they get ready to enter the 5th grade. I am sharing the transition timeline here so that you can see what happens over the next few months that will help students wrap up their time here at Brown and begin their new adventure at KMS.

4 - MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! To raise awareness, the Town of Natick is sponsoring various events, resources, and collaborations around Natick. All events are FREE & open to the public (some require registration). Scan the QR code or visit bit.ly/mentalhealth_natick for more event information. Follow @NatickSupportsMentalHealth on Facebook to stay updated on mental health resources and events all year round!

5 - NATICK SUMMER PROGRAMS

Students will enjoy week-long courses for enrichment, exploration, and fun–right here in Natick! The Summer Enrichment and Summer Scholars programs will allow your children to explore their interests and help prevent summer slide. Pre-approved students are welcomed into the Extended School Year (ESY) program and the High School Credit Recovery Program. Our Strength and Conditioning Program provides dynamic exercises and drills from some of the best coaches in the area.

Registration through Active.com is open now. Our popular Summer Enrichment program courses include Cooking, Arts and Crafts, Pondology, Chemistry, Sports, and much more. Students from rising Kindergarteners up through rising 8th graders are grouped by grade level.

NEW THIS YEAR: All participants in Summer Enrichment and Summer Scholars will receive a complete schedule of classes (subject to availability) running from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. every day. Join us this summer! Access our dedicated website for more information.

All the best to our families,

Aidan McCann, Principal

The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a volunteer organization made up of parents, teachers and staff with the goal of enriching the educational experience of our children at Brown School. We send out a weekly email newsletter that is separate from this one: please sign up to receive our updates at http://eepurl.com/gCRzwH and follow us at facebook.com/BrownSchoolPto. Questions? Want to volunteer? Contact us anytime at brownptonatick@gmail.com. The website is brownptonatick.org.

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5