Fisher Family Update

Dear Fisher Families,

This week Fisher School had a very successful "Spirit Week" spearheaded by the 5th Grade Student Council. Tuesday's theme was "being thankful". During our morning annoucements, an afternoon assembly and even some of the outfits worn by staff, Fisher school showed how much we all have to be thankful for. Whether its family, pets, teachers/staff, or health, it's nice to stop and think how lucky we all are. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break and are able to slow down and enjoy some time doing what you enjoy!

Have a great weekend,

Brian

November

23 Early Release 12:25pm - Thanksgiving Break

24/25 Thanksgiving Break

28 School Resumes

December

9 Early Release

26 Winter Recess Begins

January

3 Classes resume

13 No School - Professional Developement

Fisher School was recently given a supply of COVID tests to give out to families. Please fill out this form if you would like your child to bring home a Covid test kit. Tests will be given out the week after Thanksgiving. Disregard the expiration date on the box. The actual expiration date is 3 months later (January 2023). Please note, this is optional. Your child does not need to take home a test if you do not wish to receive one. In addition, test results are not required to be submitted to the school in order for your child to return on Monday, November 28th. Please contact Mrs. Moyes in the Health Office if your child tests positive for COVID over Thanksgiving Break. She can be reached by email at lmoyes@walpole.k12.ma.us

On Monday, please be on the lookout for an email asking families to take a WPS Districtwide Family Survey to learn more about your child’s experiences in our schools. To administer this survey, we have partnered with Panorama Education to conduct this Family Survey. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your responses confidential. Walpole Public Schools values your feedback, and we thank you for your continuing to be a valuable source of information as we work to create the best learning environment for our students.

Check out Fisher School’s has a new podcast! You can search “Fisher School” on Spotify or you can use this link. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe!

Please click on the virtual backpack for the newest and latest information about sign ups, fundraisers and upcoming events in and around our community.

Student enjoyed a visit from JIJI, our ST Math mascot who came to celebrate Fisher's phenomenal puzzle progress! Keep up the great work everyone!

Grade 5 was treated to a pizza party today to celebrate their coin challenge win!!! They raised a total of $1413.65!

Last weekend’s Fisher Scene was a huge success!!!! The Walpole Country Club was packed with Fisher supporters and the night did not disappoint bringing in more than $15,000 to support the children of Fisher Elementary School!!! Such an event is a huge undertaking and we are so thankful to Lori Winer and Kristi McPhee as well as their dedicated committee who put in so many hours leading up to this event! Anyone who took an ornament off the Giving Tree is asked to return your item(s) by December 15th right to the main office. Thank you, again, for a fabulous Fisher Scene!

The Fisher PAC is happy to roll out our Teacher Wish Lists!!! Click on our website and look through the grade levels to see what they want. If you can help out, great! We have also included the Math Household Items wish lists on here, too, to keep it all in one place!!! Teachers will be updating these lists throughout the year so keep checking back!

Fisher PAC

https://sites.google.com/walpole.k12.ma.us/fisherpac/home?authuser=3

Happy Fall!

• Please remember if your child is ill with a fever (greater than 100) they need to remain at home for 24 hours without the use of an antipyretic (Tylenol, Motrin, fever reducing medication).
• Here is a link to the WPS Health Services website. On this site you can find links to forms (i.e. medication administration, over the counter medication consent forms), medication policies, and information regarding illnesses, concussions and injuries.
• Please pack an extra outfit in your child’s backpack in case of emergencies, this can be stored at the school in their locker or cubbies. Please be mindful of your child wearing appropriate shoes to minimize injuries at recess and PE- sneakers are best.
  

• The Health Office will gladly accept donations of new or gently used clothes of all sizes and gender. We are in need of leggings (size women's small/medium) presently. We really appreciate it! Here is the Fisher health office wish list.

As always, please feel free to send me an email with any questions or concerns regarding your child.

The four elementary schools rotate start and end times every three years. The 2022-2023 School Year represents year one of the next rotation. For the next 3 years, Boyden and Fisher School will start at 8:55 a.m. and end at 3:25 p.m.

Doors open at 8:45am and the doors will be locked at 8:53. If your child arrives after 8:53 they will be marked as tardy. Instruction/learning begins promptly at 8:55am

We are excited to have our students back at Fisher School! Please see below some guidelines for attendance. Any questions can be emailed to fisher-secretaries@walpole.k12.ma.us

If your student will be absent or tardy for any reason, call 508 660 7234 and press 1 and leave a message as to the reason before school begins at 8:55 am. Our automated absence calls go out at 9:30. If we do not have a reason noted for the absence you will receive an automated phone call and email. This is for your student’s safety, to ensure that all are accounted for.

The front doors will be closed at 8:53 as students are expected to be sitting in their seats at 8:55. If your student is arriving tardy, please ring the front doorbell and you will enter the building to sign your student in. A student must be accompanied by a parent/guardian when arriving. There is a sign in sheet with a column to indicate the reason for the tardy arrival.

Please note: We mark all students having school lunch in Aspen with a “L”. This does not mean the student was marked Late. We use T for tardy.

If you are dismissing your student early or changing the way they go home, send a written note on the day of dismissal that includes your student’s first and last name. The teacher will note the dismissal and plan accordingly, and the note goes to the office so we can enter it into our Aspen system. An email sent during the day may be missed by your student’s teacher.

Please avoid calling with an early dismissal change or a change in the way your student goes home. When this happens we need to call the classroom to let the teacher know and this disrupts learning time.

We cannot change the way a student goes home based on them telling the office or their teacher. We need to hear from a parent/guardian via note or phone call to make that change. If they are scheduled for Extended Day and we do not hear otherwise, we will send them to Extended Day.

Arrival/Dismissal procedures will be the same as they were last year. Please click HERE for all details regarding car drop off and pick up. Staff will be outside everyday to assist you student. Please do not exit your vehicle.

If your student is a "walker" at dismissal time.....

• Please do not park in the Fisher parking lot - You could park on Cobb terrace and walk down but the parking lot is not a safe option at dismissal time
• You may walk down to door 18 (by the Fisher Garden) to pick up your student

Please be aware that we are required to see you in the office with your CORI form. We need to ascertain that whoever we are checking is in fact the correct person. We will take a copy of your license while you are here. Also, please try to avoid arrival and dismissal times if possible when you are coming in.

If you are interested or think that you will be later this year, please complete the "Volunteer Contract" and the CORI form below. The contract has some general "agreements'' that we need all volunteers to abide by and we appreciate your cooperation. We know the students really enjoy seeing their adults involved in the school and we hope you sign up to join us.

We are pleased to share that Massachusetts will continue to fund free school meals for all students, regardless of household income, under a one-year expansion of a free federal school lunch program. The state’s budgetary commitment will ensure 400,000 students statewide, who would not otherwise qualify for free school meals, continue to have access to free school lunch and breakfast for the next year.

What does this mean?

All Walpole Public School children will receive free school meals while at school.

Important: We still encourage all families to submit a school meal application if they believe they are income eligible to receive free meals. While your child will receive a free meal regardless of their free or reduced-price meal status, the meal application can qualify your family for additional benefits beyond free school meals.

You can access our on-line meal benefit application here: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application

This on-line application is available in multiple languages via a drop-down menu "Language" on the toolbar.

HERE is the school calendar for 2022-2023, including start dates, holidays and early dismissal days. This is continually updated over the course of the year if we have snow days.Please note that there are different start dates for Kindergarten students