Florence Sawyer School Happenings

Dear Families,

I want to extend my congratulations to our band members and Band Director Tim Kelly, who represented our school at NRSD Middle School Band Night at the Nashoba- Shepherd Hill football game this past Friday night.

In other FSS Music news, a number of our students will be singing the National Anthem at Opening Night for the Worcester Railers Hockey Team on Saturday, October 21 at the PTO's Annual Night at the Railers Game. More information can be found below.

I have two reminders for families for this week. This Thursday, October 19, we have school pictures. I'd like to thank our administrative assistant Deb Helfgott and our PTO for their work behind the scenes getting everything set up. Information regarding pictures can be found below. Also, there are several school events on Friday listed below.

Friday, October 20

Friday is an early dismissal day for students. Students will be dismissed at 12:15.

• Students in grades 6-8 may walk from campus to other points in Bolton (Library, Bolton Bean) with written parent permission. (Please email FSSAttendance@nrsd.net.) Students walking to points in Bolton will be dismissed with the other walkers. The expectation is that students will stay on the sidewalks when walking and display appropriate behavior. Please share with your child that this is a special privilege that can be revoked if these expectations are not met.
  
  
• Friday, our students in grades 5-8 will participate in an ALICE Drill at 10:30. The students in the Emerson Wing and students in grades 2 through 4 will not be participating in this drill. They will have a separate drill on a later date.
  
  
• On Friday, Minuteman Regional Technical Vocational High School will be on campus for their annual presentation to our 8th graders.

Finally tonight and by way of a gentle reminder, please note that students should not be dropped off before 8:25 unless they have a specific, prearranged purpose for being at school. We love extending the day for our students but I want to remind you that there is no general supervision until 8:25.

Yours in partnership,

Joel Bates,

Principal

On Tuesday October 24th the Florence Sawyer health office and middle school counseling staff will be conducting annual state-mandated health screenings for all students in grade 7. These will include vision and hearing screening, as well as SBIRT, which is a brief screening to assess substance use risk in students. There is a link to the district SBIRT letter below for more detailed information about this important screening.

Please remind your child to wear/ bring their glasses on the 24th! Thank you!

2023-2024 SBIRT Letter

2023-2024 SBIRT - Portuguese.docx

2023-2024 opt out screening letter

Nurse Karin and Nurse Audra

Working in partnership with our PTO, Fall School Pictures have been scheduled for Thursday, October 19th. Order forms will be coming home with students this week. Orders can also be placed online at the Coffee Pond website. The link is below. Parents who order online do not need to send anything with their student on picture day.

https://www.coffeepond.com/

The FSS Dean of Students, Dr. Mark Levine has arranged the first of several parent presentations in partnership with Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early's office. Our first offering will be a presentation on Cyber Safety and Bullying on November 1 from 6:00 to 7:30. A second presentation, on Healthy Relationships is already scheduled for December 8 This will be a virtual presentation. The link follows.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89202887356?pwd=crcbp1OOw6wpYrDCjvWsOakFo9H74p.1

Meeting ID: 892 0288 7356
Passcode: 808068

Overview for Cyber Safety and Bullying Presentation:

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.’s Office is excited

to bring our prevention education programs to the students, staff, and

parents at Florence Sawyer School. Our Cyber Safety and Bullying

presentations are the most requested prevention programs we offer.

This presentation includes topics such as defining bullying and the various

forms of harassment, including cyberbullying. This presentation will inform

participants of current issues encountered when using social media and the

legal ramifications of harassment. Internet safety tips are provided, along

with addressing how your personal use of social media can affect your

future opportunities and personal relationships. District Attorney Early’s

Office will also provide tips on how to recognize and resolve these

situations as both the target and as a bystander, as well as how to identify

who is your trusted adult.

Presentation provided by Hope Rudzinski, Community & School

Outreach, Office of District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr., Worcester, MA

We're excited to share the new NRSD App with you. The app posts the daily lunch as well as the school calendar and a feed where we will share pictures and other information about the goings on at school.

NRSD App for Google Play

NRSD APP for IPhone

The Florence Sawyer School Staff serves up a yearly pasta dinner to raise money for the McRell scholarship which is awarded annually to an FSS alum.

FSS Family Pasta Dinner Fundraiser

Cost:

• Adult: $12 each

• Child: $7 each

• If you cannot make it to our event, please consider making a donation!

How do you make reservations?

Send the order form below and a check made to “Bolton Teachers Sunshine Fund” to your child’s teacher

In addition to salad, pasta, and bread; vendors will be here for early holiday shopping!

Please place your order by Tuesday,October 31st!

Co-Advisors: Miss Richards & Mrs. Scudiere

Tuesday mornings, 7:45 – 8:25 (Emerson wing Art Room)

Limited to 15 students

The K-2 ASL Club Fall Session will be starting on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 before school from 7:45-8:25. New members of the Club will learn the basics of ASL and returning students will be building on the skills they’ve learned previously. We will walk any second graders to the Sawyer Wing for the start of school.

The following are the Fall Session Tuesday morning dates:

October 17

October 24

October 31

November 7

November 14

November 21

We will meet students between 7:40-7:50 by the front door of Emerson Wing every Tuesday morning of Club. If school is delayed or cancelled for the day, Club will not meet.

The first meeting of the 2023-24 RAK Club will be on Wednesday, October 18th at 7:45 am in Ms. Scudiere’s Room #160. Interested students in grades 3-8 who wish to continue in or join the club should complete a permission form and return it to Miss Richards by the first meeting.

Drop off for RAK Club: Mrs. Scudiere or Miss Richards will be at the front door of FSS from 7:40-7:50 am to let club members into the building. We ask that students be on time for club.

We will meet Wednesday mornings throughout the school year to organize and plan a variety of new kindness activities leading into Kindness Month currently scheduled in May 2024 (more details to come).

The Florence Sawyer School is sponsoring an intramural basketball program for students in grades 6-8 beginning on October 10. The sessions begin after school and end at 4:30. The schedule is as follows

Tuesday, October 10

Wednesday, October 11

Friday, October 13

Monday, October 16

Tuesday, October 17

Monday, October 23

Tuesday, October 24

Friday, October 27

Monday, October 30

Wednesday, November 1

Any Florence Sawyer middle school student who meets the eligibility requirements can participate in this program with your written permission. Permission slips will be available in the gym and on the Virtual Backpack. Mr. Towne will supervise the program. Participants must be picked up at 4:30 at Sawyer.

There is no user fee associated with the intramural program. Please contact Mr McCutcheon if you have any questions.

Florence Sawyer School Clubs and Activities

NRSD Before and After School Program (Extended Learning)

Come tune up for your basketball season with fundamental skills and drills with Coach Seabury and Coach Manyak along with help from the boys & girls coaching staff as well as HS student-athletes.

Dates: October 24, 25, and 26

Time: 6:30 – 8:00PM

Location: Nashoba Regional HS

Girls and Boys Grades 4-8

Registration: Complete the online form - https://forms.gle/2ipaRAjqh2f88TLd8

Cost: $75/player

Check payable to Nashoba Athletic Booster Club (NABC). Send check to Nashoba Regional High School, c/o Athletics Department, 12 Green Rd., Bolton, MA 01740.

On Tuesday, October 24th, the NRHS Instrumental Ensembles will hold our annual Fall Concert. This concert will feature our 2 Jazz Bands and our Concert Band. The concert begins at 7pm in the NRHS Auditorium and admission is $5. Students, Seniors, and NRSD Employees are free. We hope to see you there and support our amazing musicians.

On Sunday, October 29th at 3 p.m., Nashoba Symphonic Band will open its 2023-24 season with a program entitled “Vive la France!” in the NRHS auditorium. The concert includes Norman Dello Joio's Scenes from “The Louvre,” Pavane pour une Infante defunte by Maurice Ravel, and the dazzling Paris Sketches by Martin Ellerby. The concert is free to one and all. Now in its eighth season, the 90-piece Nashoba Symphonic Band is a multi-generational performing group composed of students, parents, educators and members of the greater Nashoba community and surrounding towns.

On Wednesday, November 1st at 7 p.m. Nashoba Regional High School will present the Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, Tenor and Bass Choir, Unified Music, and the newly-formed Treble Choir for the Fall Choral Concert. Concert Choir will perform some of their exciting festival pieces, including a Haitian song, Wangolo. Look forward to singing along with Unified Music, and hearing Treble Choir's debut! The concert begins at 7pm in the NRHS Auditorium and admission is $5. Students, Seniors and NRSD Employees are free.

Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey in education? Are you interested in supplementing your income, but would like a work schedule that is within your control? Are you interested in a position that matches your child's school day schedule? Florence Sawyer School is thrilled to offer you the opportunity to join our dynamic team of substitute teachers!

📚 Why Choose Florence Sawyer School?

🌟 A Welcoming Community: Join a warm and welcoming community of educators and staff dedicated to creating a positive learning environment for all students.

🌟 Varied Opportunities: Experience teaching in diverse grade levels and subjects, gaining valuable insights into different teaching styles and classroom dynamics.

🌟 Flexibility: Enjoy the flexibility of choosing your assignments and schedule, allowing you to balance work with your other commitments.

🌟 Professional Growth: Build your teaching portfolio and expand your skill set as you collaborate with experienced educators and staff.

🌟 Make a Difference: Have a meaningful impact on the lives of young learners and contribute to their educational journey.

Qualifications:

• 2 Years of College are required for Substitute Teachers.

• Certified Teachers for assignments of eight weeks or more.

For more information, click here.

We have created the Virtual Backpack as a convenience for our families to capture forms, flyers, calendars, and other information that might have traditionally come home in a backpack.

Included on the Virtual Backpack page is a Community Events and Activities page where you can find non-school sponsored activities such community events, youth sports, community information for families, and other activities for children. We do our best to keep the CAEP updated.

Please join the FSS PTO and the chorus for a fun night at the Worcester Railers Hockey game. Students in grades 4 - 8 chorus are invited to sing the National Anthem on opening night! This is FSS 3rd year attending and it's always a great school event. $5 from every ticket will go back to the PTO for our students and teachers.

https://fevogm.com/event/Florencesawyer7

* Please note that there will be no school-based supervision of students at this event.

Celebrate back to school in style with some new FSS Spirit Wear! Children's t-shirts and tote bags will be available tonight and next week at the Open Houses and at the school store. All other items can be purchased here:

https://boltonpto.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Order now! We will stop taking orders on October 6th. Items will be delivered to classrooms/homerooms in November. Get your holiday shopping done early and support FSS teachers and students!

This Month

October 16 - FSS Investor's Club begins

October 17 - FSS Cross Country at Westborough

October 19 - School Picture Day

October 20 - Early Dismissal for students (12:15)

October 21 - FSS PTO - Opening Night at Worcester Railers - Chorus singing the National Anthem

October 27 - Student Council Dance (Grades 7 & 8 only) 7-9pm

October 31 - November 3 - Grade 7 at Nature's Classroom

Next Month

November 1- Virtual Family Presentation on Cyber Safety and Bullying

November 3 - Dodgeball Tournament

November 8 - Family Pasta Dinner Scholarship Fundraiser

November 10 - No School

November 16 - Early Dismissal for students - Conferences

November 17 - Full day for Conferences

November 22 - School Closed - Voting Day

November 23 - Thanksgiving
November 24 - School Closed

Looking Ahead

December 8 - Early Dismissal for students

December 25 - January 1 - Winter Break

Be your best self.

Pave your path.

Impact the world.

Website: https://sawyer.nrsd.net/
Location: 100 Mechanic Street, Bolton, MA, USA
Phone: (978) 779-2821

You can download the App by going to NRSD.net, scroll down to the bottom of the home page and click on the App Store or Google Play links.