MHS/WES Newsletter
Thursday, January 12, 2023
WES Drop Off and Pick Ups
Please remember that if there is a line of cars coming to WES parking lot for drop off or pick ups, to drive up Academy Hill Road and back down to enter the school parking lot. Doing this will alleviate a back up on Main Street. Please be mindful of cutting the lines and respectful of others during the busyness of these times. Thank you
Kindergarten News
Happy New Year! We have been very busy in kindergarten. In our CKLA program we have covered the consonant sounds /m/,/t/,/d/,/c/,/g/,/f/,/s/,/v/,/n/,/h/, /p/,/b/,/z/,/l/,/w/,/r/ and vowel sounds /a/,/e/,/i/,/o/,/u/. Students are putting the sounds together to read and write words. We are writing words and phrases! In our Wit and Wisdom reading program, we are learning about our five senses. We will be reading a variety of texts to understand how our senses help us learn. Throughout an assortment of texts we will use question words (who, what, where, why, when, and how) to develop comprehension skills. You may even hear your child use the terms “notice” and “wonder”. In Math, we are introducing the concepts of addition and subtraction. We have talked about adding one more and have stressed the importance of knowing doubles (1+1, 2+2, 3+3,etc). The terms “greater than” and “less than” have also been taught in reference to numbers up to 10. Kindergarteners will soon be receiving fluency flashcards (addition and subtraction up to 5) to practice at home. When there is snow on the ground, students are allowed to play in the snow during afternoon recess. They need hats, boots, mittens/gloves, jackets, and snow pants. Please make sure to label your child’s gear! If you have not donated to your child’s classroom we are looking for tissues and cleaning wipes! We certainly do appreciate your help
News from 1st Grade
It is hard to believe we are almost half way through the school year. TIme flies when you are having fun! Now that kids are acclimated to our routine, we are expecting kids to use the routines and strategies we have taught them independently. There are a few things we need your help practicing at home!
Getting on and off boots also means getting on and off shoes. Many kids are still struggling with tying their own shoes and sadly, we just don’t have time to tie everyones’ shoes after recess. At this point your child should be able to independently tie and double knot his/her shoes. If your child can not tie/double knot please practice this at home. If your child is watching TV, have your child hold their shoe in their lap and practice tying. There are many great videos online to help teach tying. Here is the link to a video that we find very helpful: How to tie shoes video link
It is finally time to bring in snow clothes! Putting on and off snow gear can be difficult for many children. Also, storing the snow clothes can be tough. Please have your child practice putting on and taking off their snow clothes independently at home. Please pack the snow clothes in a separate bag. The snow clothes get wet outside so putting them in a backpack with school papers isn’t a good idea. It’s also tough to squeeze everything into a backpack. Please put your child’s name on everything! Things get easily mixed up in the mad dash of putting on and taking off snow clothes. We don’t want anyone going home without the things they need to enjoy the snow at home!
Thanks for all of your help!
Greetings from your School Counselors! We hope you were able to enjoy your holiday season!
Before the break, students in Social Learning engaged in activities related to healthy boundaries. They explored what their personal boundaries are, how to set them and make adjustments necessary to promote healthy relationships.
Our 4th and 5th grade students also got to participate in a Boston vs. Bullies program with the School Counselors and the School Resource Officer. This was an opportunity to hear from many Boston area athletes who share their experiences with bullying while helping to teach our students how to prevent and stop bullying in our schools. You can find out more about this program by going to www.bostonvsbullies.org
Did you know, January is Mental Wellness Month??
There is not a better time to begin to work on your mental wellness. It can be overwhelming to think and focus on a new years resolution so have a look at the tips below and choose one that will work for you.
You may decide to implement Tips 1-5 into your monthly calendar, choosing 1 day for each. On that day, your one goal is to accomplish that Tip. Eg. 01/15 - make time to do things I enjoy, 01/22- Connect with others and create joy etc.
Mental Wellness Tips
Tip #1: Take time to do the things you enjoy, especially outdoors. Research shows that being in nature helps reduce stress. Breathe the fresh air (and maybe feel some sun)!
Tip #2: Take care of your spirit. This can mean different things depending on the individual but essentially means connecting to whatever you find meaningful- whether through God, yourself, others, nature, art, etc.
Tip #3: Take some ‘me’ time. Take time to focus on yourself at least once a week.
Tip #4: Get moving! Physical activity has many benefits to your mental health. Movement can help relieve stress, tension, and anger, boost overall mood, and reduce anxiety and depression. Set a timer to remind yourself to take small breaks throughout the day to stretch, move, and walk!
Tip #5: Connect with others and create joy. Social connection is crucial to our mental health. Laughing decreases pain and promotes muscle relaxation. The good feelings we get from being around others can boost our ability to bounce back from stress. While we may not be able to connect with others the way we would like to right now, we can still make time to connect with family through eating together, playing games, enjoying common interests, going on a walk, creating something together (food, art, a birdhouse, garden), and making time for conversation. We can connect with those outside our homes through phone calls, Zoom (host a Zoom game night), or even writing letters.
Tip #6: Take care of yourself. Drink water, eat a nutritious breakfast, get plenty of sleep, take breaks from screen-time, floss, keep your medical/dental appointments. Think of how you may want to take better care of yourself and set a goal for how you can incorporate new habits into your daily routine. Modeling these habits will encourage your children to do the same.
Tip #7: Seek professional help. Knowing when you need to seek professional help for anything is a strength rather than a weakness. It is important to know when you just cannot help yourself any more and need some extra guidance. Some symptoms that you might experience when you might need to seek professional help are if you or people around you see changes in mood or appetite. Abusing drugs or food can often be a go-to method for people looking to cope with their issues. Feeling as though you are not yourself, whether due to a loss, traumatic event, or for seemingly no reason, can be a reason to seek help. (Lifeline Connections, 2020)
Recess updates
News from our MHS and WES Nurses
CLOTHING DONATIONS: WES is in need of clothing donations, specifically pants for both boys and girls. Leggings & sweatpants are great for us to offer students who may need a change of clothing. If you are cleaning out, please consider donating any gently used items to the Nurse’s office!
ILLNESS/ABSENCES: As with every Winter, we have seen an increase in illness in our schools. Please be sure to review the district’s illness guidance and reach out to your school nurse with any questions.
Please contact the main office in the morning if your child is to be absent and inform them why he/she will not be attending. If your child has been ill, he/she should be free of a temperature for 24 hours before returning to school without the use of fever reducing medication.
Testing is recommended for individuals with symptoms of COVID-19.
If students test positive for COVID-19, they must follow the CDC’s isolation guidance. Please contact your school nurse to confirm the date your student may return to school.
If your child is diagnosed with any communicable diseases please notify the nurse and follow the guidelines given by your medical provider. As a reminder, if your child has a fever they must be fever free for 24 hours without taking fever reducing medication (such as Tylenol/Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen/Motrin)
CRUTCHES: If your child has had an injury that requires them to use crutches, please contact the school nurse. We will need medical documentation as well as any activity restrictions that may be put into place per the doctor. This information will be shared with our gym teacher Ms. Luibil as well as their classroom teacher.
Snacks/Water Bottles: Sometimes mornings can be busy and hectic when trying to get your student(s) ready and out the door, and things may be understandably forgotten. However, we are noticing that many students are forgetting to bring in snacks and water bottles with them to school. While we do keep allergen friendly snacks and water bottles in the nurse's office, we are already running low upon return from vacation. MHS Nurse’s office is looking for small water bottle donations. Also, If you would like to donate snacks as well, please contact the nurses office directly to discuss the allergen friendly options we try to keep in office.
As always please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns
Bridget Hurley RN, BSN
Westminster Elementary School
P: 978-874-2043 ext 5
F: 978-874-0964
Cassandra Benes RN, BSN
Meetinghouse School
P: 978-874-0163 ext 304
F: 978-874-0726
