Dear Woodland Families,

As we begin the month of May, I want to take a moment to shine a spotlight on something very close to my heart—our incredible teachers. Having been a teacher at Powder Mill for over 20 years, I know the time, work, and patience that goes into being an educator. It is not an easy job, but it is certainly a rewarding one!

Next week, May 6–10, is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I cannot express enough how grateful I am for the dedication, compassion, and creativity our teachers bring to school each and every day.

Our teachers do so much more than teach. They inspire, nurture, and believe in our children. They create safe spaces for learning and growing, and they consistently go above and beyond to meet the needs of every student. I see their hard work daily—in the early mornings, the late nights, and the countless moments in between where they give their best with heart and purpose. It has been an absolute pleasure working with these educators!

I encourage families to join me in celebrating them next week. Whether it’s a kind note, a student’s drawing, or a few heartfelt words of thanks, those small gestures go a long way in showing how much we value their impact. We can't wait to see the love shared next week! 💖

Yesterday, I was showered with love for Principal's Day in the form of an office filled with balloons from your wonderful and mischievous children! Bonus: there was not one, but TWO glitter balloons! Here at Woodland we work hard, we play hard, and we prank hard!

Finally, over the past month, we’ve been thoughtfully finalizing student placements for the upcoming school year. This is a deliberate and collaborative process that involves carefully considering each student’s personality and learning style in relation to the teaching styles of our educators. We also ensure that every student is paired with a positive peer partner to support a successful classroom experience. We kindly ask that you trust our professional judgment in these decisions, as a great deal of time and care has gone into the process. Because of this thoughtful planning, we are not able to accommodate changes to placements.

Best regards,

Emma and Kayla

May 2 - Pedestrian Safety Sessions, Grades 1 & 2

May 7 - PTO meeting @5:30 at Powder Mill

May 15 - School Council @4:15 in Library

May 16 - Spring Concert (see details below)

May 22 - Family Night 5:30-7:00

May 23 - 1/2 day Collaboration Day, Dismissal @ 12

May 26 - No School, Memorial Day

May 29-30 - Kindergarten Screenings

May 7 - Southwick Tour, Grade 2, Kimball

May 8 - AJ Stables, Preschool, Hogan

May 9 - Southwick Tour, Grade 2, Guyott & Stearns

May 7 - Southwick Tour, Grade 2, Tampone & Giroux

May 20 - AJ Stables, Preschool, Joyal

May 27 - Gran-Val Scoop, Kindergarten, Abbe & Garvey

During the month of April, students in physical education class have been learning about the power of teamwork!

We have been getting ready for Field Day by playing team games in class like PinBall and CastleBall.

Students have also been working on their sportsmanship skills! They have been focusing on self-control while playing the games and how to control their emotions after the game if they win or lose.

Field Day is on Wednesday, June 4th with a rain date of Thursday, June 5th. If you would like to volunteer please contact the school office at wes_office@stgrsd.org.

Thanks,

Mr. A

Spring has sprung in the art room and we could not be happier about it! Mrs. Brown and I have been working on a beautiful collaborative project across all grades in preparation for the spring concert, and we can't wait for you to see it! Students have been working hard on a lot of different projects over the last couple of weeks and I'm so proud of their hard work.

Hello Woodland families,

Spring is always a busy time here in the STEM room and this year is no exception! Before April break, students in all grades learned about engineering. And engineer is "a person who solves a problem by making things or building things." They also got to try their hands at being engineers with different engineering challenges! Students in all grades also talked about animal engineers. 2nd and 1st grade worked to make beaver dams out of different materials to hold back water, while kindergarten learned about different types of bird nests and made nests of their own.

Speaking of birds... This week students found out that we will be hatching baby chicks in the STEM room! I started the eggs in the incubator over break, and the expected hatching date is May 12th. The chicks will be in the STEM room for a few days after they hatch before going to my friend's farm where they will live as pet chickens. Be sure to ask your students for updates on the excitement!

Finally, STEM and art have collaborated to make the art display for the upcoming spring concert. In STEM, 2nd graders used bubble wrap and paint to print a honeycomb pattern onto large hexagon tessellations (which we learned about back in December). Be on the lookout for them at the concert in a couple of weeks!

--Mrs. Brown

In Digital Literacy with Mrs. Murray, students in all grades are getting ready to start some fun projects and use new robots. We are also working on typing, and starting a new typing contest next week!

For now, we are working on getting our center rotations down pat and learning a few new programs. Stay tuned for some fun project updates!

Hello Wonderful Woodland families!

Spring has Sprung! All students are busy getting ready for our Spring Concert, which is on Friday, May 16. We are also really excited for our new Musician of the Month - the Beatles!

Kindergarten students have finished listening to The Carnival of the Animals and we will be using Chrome Music Lab's Song Maker to create our own animal songs.

In First Grade, we have learned about notes that make long sounds and the "professional" names of the music notes.

Second Graders have been composing an original song - the World Premiere (well, Woodland World Premiere) will be at our Spring Concert. It is incredibly beautiful and I am so proud of these students!

I have uploaded some of our concert practice videos to my YouTube channel and students are very interested to check it out at home. Below, you will find a link to my channel. Don't worry - it's ALL kid-friendly songs we sing in the music room!

I can't wait to see you at the Spring Concert!

Mrs. Peirce

kpeirce@stgrsd.org

Kirsten Peirce - YouTube

The children have been working hard, and we can't wait to see you all on Friday, May 16 for the concert! Below are the times and some important concert information:

• Kindergarten: 12:45–1:15
• First Grade: 1:30–2:00
• Second Grade: 2:15–2:45

Entry and Exit Procedures:

• Please enter through the side gymnasium doors.
• After the concert, exit through the back doors into the lobby.

Dismissal Notes:
Thank you to everyone who has returned a dismissal note for their child. If you have not yet returned the flyer and wish to dismiss your child after the concert, you can still send in a written letter.

If we do not have a permission slip or note in advance, and you decide to dismiss your child, you will need to sign them out at the reception window.

Parent Pick-Up Process:
After the concert, dismissal will follow our usual afternoon parent pick-up procedures:

1. When you exit the gym, please form a line on the sidewalk to the left of the building (look for the sign).
2. A staff member will collect your pick-up numbers.
3. Students will be lined up and paired with adults in the order of the pick-up numbers.

If you do not have your pick-up number, please call the office at 413-569-6598 for assistance.

Due to the large number of dismissals after each concert, we kindly ask for your patience. The process will take approximately 10–15 minutes to ensure each student is safely paired with their adult.

We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we work to make the dismissal process as smooth as possible. We look forward to an amazing concert and can’t wait to see you there!

FIELD DAY

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Once again our annual field day is nearly upon us. Field day is a day of fun in which the students participate in 10 challenging events. It will be held on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 (rain date Thursday, June 5th.). The morning session will run from 9:40 – 11:00, and the afternoon session will run from 12:50 – 2:10. Volunteers will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to assist us, please contact the school office at wes_office@stgrsd.org as soon as possible. We will contact you shortly thereafter with further details.

Woodland School is excited to announce that enrollment for kindergarten for the 2025-2026 academic year is now open. Families with children who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2025, are encouraged to register their child by May 1, 2025. Early registration ensures eligibility for the Kindergarten Screenings, scheduled to take place on May 29 and 30, 2025.

How to Enroll To begin the enrollment process and learn more about the requirements, you can tap the picture above or visit the Woodland School enrollment page at:

https://www.stgrsd.org/community/enrollment

The enrollment page includes detailed information about necessary documentation and the steps to complete the registration process. Families are encouraged to complete all required forms promptly to secure their spot in this exciting program.

Don’t miss this important milestone in your child’s education! For questions or assistance with enrollment, please contact Woodland School at 413-569-6598 or WES_Office@stgrsd.org.

We look forward to welcoming your family to Woodland School and partnering with you in your child’s educational journey.

If you know families with kindergarten-aged children, please spread the word about this important opportunity!

Food services is looking for part-time substitutes in the school kitchens. Substitute positions may lead to permanent positions. If interested in applying, please email the Director of School Nutrition

Kkeady@stgrsd.org. We look forward to hearing from you.

Woodland School needs substitutes for the 24-25 school year. Being a substitute offers great flexibility, because you can choose the days you want to work! When teachers are absent, they leave the substitute a detailed lesson plan to follow. Interested? Have questions? Give us a call at 413-569-6598 or apply online: https://www.stgrsd.org/departments/human_resources/employment_opportunities.