WINTHROP WEEKLY UPDATE

Dear Families and Caregivers,

Thank you to all who were able to attend our recent Curriculum Evenings. It was wonderful to welcome so many of you into the building and to see the strong home-school connection in action.

Families had the opportunity to visit their child’s classroom, hear directly from teachers about the year ahead, and meet our specialist educators. Each grade level created engaging bulletin board displays featuring student work and highlighting this year’s theme of adaptability, a core value we are embracing across the school.

During the evening, teachers also shared information about our new English Language Arts curriculum, which is already fostering strong engagement and growth in student learning. In addition, families learned more about the Illustrative Math program, which supports students in building deep mathematical understanding through hands-on problem-solving and collaboration. It has been exciting to see how students thriving with both programs.

We also introduced our ACE Program—our after-school enrichment initiative. This program offers students opportunities to explore new interests and strengthen skills in a fun, supportive environment. We encourage all families to consider taking advantage of this fantastic resource.

Administrators met with families to highlight the core values we are emphasizing throughout the school: Respect, Responsibility, and Safety. These values are woven into our daily routines and reinforced in classrooms to help build a positive, inclusive school community.

We are pleased to share that students have made a smooth and enthusiastic transition into the new school year. There is a strong sense of positive energy, and we are already seeing students deeply engaged in learning and supporting one another in meaningful ways

Thank you for your continued partnership. We look forward to all the growth, learning, and shared successes this year will bring.

Sincerely,

Dr. Maureen Lueke and Mr. Aarron Clark

Winthrop Administration Team

Winthrop Green Team

The Winthrop Green Team is excited to hit the ground running this school year!

Who are we? All students (pre-K - 5), parents, friends, family, and fans of Winthrop School who help make our community cleaner and greener. While the Student Leadership Council (SLC) Green Team includes a group of student leaders who work hard on initiatives during the school day, the Winthrop Green Team provides an opportunity for all Winthrop families to get involved with events and initiatives in our community, often after school hours.

What do we do? Host annual events, seasonal programming, and year-long initiatives to help our community make sustainable choices that support our environment.

What are some examples of Winthrop Green Team events and initiatives?

• Harvest of the Month - bringing local produce to our school cafeteria

• Green Team ACE programs (4 weeks in fall and 4 weeks in spring)

• Holiday Toy and Clothing Swap (late fall/winter)

• Gardening Clubs

• Earth Day - Community Clean-up (spring)

• Waste Reduction Awareness/Composting

• Eco-bin for recycled clothing

• Ipswich No Idling Campaign

Are there any upcoming events? Yes!

• Harvest of the Month - meets one Friday per month from about 9am - 2pm in the Winthrop cafe to serve local, healthy, farm fresh fruits and veggies to students and staff. Next Friday, September 19 is the first HOTM this year, and we’ll be serving pico de gallo with fresh tomatoes from a local Beverly farm. Parent volunteers are welcome! Let us know if you can help.
• New Garden Beds - HUGE shoutout to Winthrop parent Grace Garrison for an epic effort leading the way to get new garden beds ordered, delivered, and built at Winthrop School! Teachers will be able to take advantage of the new space by weaving gardening into their classroom curriculum. There will also likely be some extra space to plant some fun fall seeds and flowers - stay tuned for more!
• Halloween Costumes - Doyon is collecting gently-used, elementary-aged costumes for their annual Spooky Walk Costume Swap on Oct 4th. There is a bin outside the front office at Doyon for all donations. The Costume Swap is FREE with the purchase of Spooky Walk tickets.
• Zumi’s Board Refresh - We are partnering with Zumi’s to give their sustainability board (area with clipboards by the back entrance) a refresh. This month, kids will create artwork on 8x11 sized paper to capture the theme, “What can I do to take care of the earth?" Be creative! Kids can return their artwork to the Winthrop front offices by September 17. Each month will feature a different theme - stay tuned for more opportunities!

If you are interested in helping with any of these events, or interested in joining the Green Team mailing list, please reach out to Molly Dugdale at mduffy345@gmail.com. Looking forward to a fun year ahead!

Third graders are invited to register for Book Buddies, a monthly after-school book club at the Ipswich Public Library. Book Buddies meets one Thursday a month, October through May, from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Children read an assigned, age-appropriate novel in advance of each meeting and then join their peers to discuss the book and enjoy a snack.

https://ipswichlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/book-buddies-a-53/

First graders are invited to register for First Grade Junior Great Books, which meets one Wednesday a month, October through May, from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Based on the acclaimed Junior Great Books curriculum, children are exposed to high quality stories, which they talk about with their peers, followed by a simple craft project. Snacks are provided.

https://ipswichlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/first-grade-junior-great-books-40/