Mayo News

Dear Mayo Families,

I can't believe there are only a few short weeks until the start of the 2023-2024 school year! I will be sending more updates, but please contact me if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime.

I will be at the Gale Free Library on Monday, August 21st at 11:00 for a Story Time. I hope to see many Mayo Students there!

Sorry for the length of this update, but I believe "the more information, the better" at the beginning of a new school year!

Kindly,

Carolan Kasper, Principal

Mayo will be holding a Drop-In Meet & Greet Hour for incoming students on:

Wednesday, August 30th

This will allow the students to see their room, meet their teachers, and see new friends. This will also give the teachers the opportunity to discuss procedures and routines with the families. The nurse will also be available to review important information with you.

We are splitting the classes into morning and afternoon drop-in times based on Last Name

Student visit schedules are listed below:

Last Names beginning with A-M 10:00-11:00

Last Names beginning with N-Z 1:00-2:00

We are hopeful this will relieve some of the student nerves (and Mom and Dad’s, too!) Please enter through the main entrance and you will be directed to your child’s classroom.

We look forward to meeting our Mayo Class of 2029!

HERE is a great article entitled: Separation Anxiety: How to Handle First Day Fears

UPDATE: All Kindergarten Students will receive a name tag at the Meet and Greet drop in sessions to be used for the first day of school. This will include child name, teacher, and method of dismissal.

Here is an update of the new faces coming to Mayo!

Kelly Trefry - School Secretary

Amy Hovan - Grade 5

Amanda Gevry - Grade 3

Lauren Murphy - Grade 3

Nikki DiPalli - School Adjustment Counselor

Eileen Ahern - School Psychologist/TEAM Chair

Christa Olson - Special Education Teacher

Maria Walsh - Speech & Language Pathologist Assistant

Erica Gemme - Para-Professional

Carrie Griffin Catino - Para-Professional

Mia Proulx - Para-Professional

Scott Aker - Sr. Custodian

In case you haven't received this yet, HERE are the Classroom Supply Lists.

I can't stress enough that if you have trouble with this list, please reach out to me confidentially.

OFFICE HOURS:

School office hours are 8:10 AM to 4:10 PM.

SCHOOL DAY HOURS:

Grades K-5:

AM: 8:50- 9:00 arrival. Students who are late should report to the office for a late pass and will be escorted to their classrooms. Parents should accompany any tardy students into the office area until they have received their late pass.

NOTE: Supervision of students by staff does not begin until 8:50. Therefore students must not be left off at school unattended by parent/guardian prior to that time.

Absences

If your child is going to be out of school for the day, it is important that you call school first thing in the morning. This is informational as well as a safety check. A message can be left at (508) 829-3203. If you know in advance that your child will not be in school, please send an email to their homeroom teacher and our school secretary (kelly_trefry@wrsd.net) notifying us. Please include the child's first and last name, homeroom teacher, reason for absence and duration of absence.

Late Arrival Policy

If a pupil arrives at school after 9:00 A.M., they must be accompanied by a parent/guardian to the Main Office where a tardy slip (which is to be presented to the teacher by the pupil) is issued. It is important to have your child arrive for school on time. When a child is late it causes a disruption in their classroom routine and he/she may miss specific instructional opportunities.

Early Dismissal Policy

Early dismissal (before 3:20 P.M.) of pupils can be arranged through the office. Please see that your child brings a note stating the reason for dismissal and the time he/she is to be dismissed. The child should then be picked up at the office at the early dismissal time. Please refrain from dismissals after 3:20 as the office gets busy with dismissal preparations.

Dismissal Changes

Do not email the teacher or secretary regarding dismissal changes as the messages may not be received in time. Please call with any dismissal changes.

Regular Dismissal Time Parent Pick-Up

If a parent wishes to pick up a child at the regular dismissal time, (instead of the usual walking or taking the bus) please send a note with the child in the morning. In order to facilitate end of the day dismissal for the entire school, students who are parent pick-ups will be dismissed from the cafeteria door. Parents are to use the main driveway around to the back of the building for pick-up. If you arrive early and are waiting for your child to be dismissed please do not leave your car idling as the exhaust from the cars is drawn into the building.

Before School Drop off

Walkers cross Bullard Street with the crossing guard and use the path beside the school, then enter the building through the front doors. At the end of the day, walkers meet our two crossing guards in the front foyer and are dismissed with them through the front door. They accompany students to Bullard St and cross them safely there.

Bus riders are delivered to the front of the school. Arrival is monitored by a staff member, who checks with the driver about student behavior and bus safety. Dismissal is monitored by teachers until students board their bus.

Carpool students are dropped off and dismissed from the back of the school. Both arrival and dismissal are monitored by staff members. Drivers go around the circle behind the school, always staying to the right. Move forward as directed by the staff in charge. Students will be dismissed to you and may not rush. They must never get out of the car in the middle of the lane and may not cross traffic. Adults should remain in the car and follow all directions in order to provide for safety.

The "For Parents" tab on wrsd.net is the key tool for accessing important district, school, and student specific information, including School Calendars, starting and dismissal times, PowerSchool Parent Access, Health Services, Food Service links, and CORI forms. All parents weishing to volunteer in some capacity at Mayo , must have a completed CORI on file. Don't wait until Spring with three days before the field trip!

With PowerSchool access information, families should now be able to access the Parent Portal to view bus, handbook and policy information. Teacher assignment information should be accessible on PowerSchool on 8/23/23

Should I provide the nurse with physicals yearly?

The Wachusett District requires updated physicals in kindergarten, 4th grade, 7th grade, and 10th grade. If there are changes to your child’s medical needs, please provide an updated physical and any other pertinent information/paperwork.

What do I do if my child needs medication during the school day?

If your child will need daily medication, or as needed medications, like epi-pens or inhalers, a physician’s order and parent consent must be on file with the nurse before the medication can be given. The medication forms can be found on the Mayo website under “Health Office.” Please take these to your physician and have your physician complete the forms and return them to the school nurse.

Medications should be brought to school by an adult and MUST be in a labeled pharmacy container. Medications CANNOT be transported on the bus by a child for safety concerns. If your child uses an inhaler, please send in the chamber along with the medication. If your child requires an epi-pen, it is recommended that you send in the twin pack (both pens together in the box).

Additional Health Office Information for NEW Mayo Families can be found HERE:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1968xzwqfCUZ9e5yBIR-ltKn2R3YCcxNKDH7zhMjotAs/edit?usp=sharing

A reminder that our staff works very hard to develop class lists. Former and future grade level teams, along with Special Education staff (when applicable) work together, with administration, to create classrooms that are in line with the goal of our WRSD School Committee Policy ("establish classes that will enhance the dynamics of the classroom by bringing students together who will work as a learning team, and challenge and compliment one another") Classroom placement is a very complex and time-consuming process that our staff takes very seriously.

A volunteer parent questionnaire was sent home last spring in order

to provide parents an opportunity to offer input related to their child's learning style and provide pertinent information that may support the Mayo staff in the placement process. Per School Committee Policy, parental requests for specific teachers are not to be considered in the placement process.

Please Note: Classroom Assignments are not considered final until they are posted on 8/23/23.

1) Please view the Beginning of School Message from the Food Services Department HERE

2) Kindergarten Students and Lunch Readiness: Lunch at school is very different from lunch at home and can be a big adjustment for our incoming kindergarteners. As we have a couple of weeks of summer left, this is a great time to prepare your child for lunch by practicing eating "school lunch". Click HERE for tips and ideas to make this transition smoother for your child.

3) AUGUST '23 SCHOOL MENU

4) SEPTEMBER '23 SCHOOL MENU

We are so lucky to have such a strong PTA organization working so hard for our Mayo students. For more information, here is the LINK to their website which has TONS of information as well as their Facebook link. Other contact information: mayopta01520@gmail.com

They have asked me to share the link to the Welcome Back to School Breakfast sign-up HERE

ALSO, Each Grade level at Mayo has a Facebook Page!

Here are the links!

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Wachusett Area Residents,

Hope your summer has been going well! Can't believe it is now August- which means it's almost Football Season!!

This is a first reminder to register for the upcoming season ASAP if you haven't already at www.wachusettflagfootball.com

The deadline for grades 4-8 is Sunday August 21st or sooner if roster capacities are hit. Registrations will not be accepted after 8/21 due to the player drafts taking place at that point.

The deadline for grades K-3 is Saturday September 9th or sooner if roster capacities are hit. Also, after August 21st, we will not be able to accommodate any special roster placement requests that we normally have for these younger grades due to roster formation timing.

Parents and players will be notified of team placement sometime between 8/25 and 8/27.

Practices will begin the week of 8/28 and first games are on 9/9.

Please refer to our FAQ page on our website for other important information.

Thank you and enjoy your summer!!

https://www.facebook.com/wachusettflagfootball