MHS/WES NEWSLETTER
April 2, 2026
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
April 2 ~ MCAS Testing Grade 5 (ELA Session 1)
April 6 ~ MCAS Testing Grade 3 (ELA Session 2)
April 7 ~ MCAS Testing Grade 4 (ELA Session 2)
April 7 ~ PTO Meeting, 6:00 PM MHS Cafeteria
April 8 ~ Noon Dismissal, Professional Development
April 9 ~ MCAS Testing Grade 5 (ELA Session 2)
April 10 ~ PTO Daughter Dance 6:30-8:00 PM
Happy Spring!
With the Spring comes warmer weather, sunshine, and hopefully more time for all to enjoy outdoor sports, hiking, gardening, or just playing outside. This is a good time to remind everyone that the prevalence of ticks will also be increasing. Be sure to check your student(s) and yourselves daily after spending some time outside, as ticks like to share your living and playing places! For more information on ticks, please click on the following link. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html
Seasonal Allergies
If your student suffers from seasonal allergies, please note that the nurse’s office does not have medications to be able to administer to them at school to help with their symptoms.
Illnesses
We are still seeing a number of illnesses circulating in our school. If your student is not feeling well, please check their temperature, and check in with them about their symptoms before sending them to school. We have seen a number of students who are medicated with fever-reducing medications prior to coming to school, and when they wear off they are later sent home due to having an elevated temperature amongst other symptoms, after having exposed their classmates and staff.
Good Health Hygiene
Good personal hygiene plays a critical role in promoting a positive self-image and reinforces healthy habits. We encourage these good hygiene practices at school and encourage you to do the same at home. Good personal hygiene consists of cleaning different areas of the body that need to be addressed daily.
The following are examples of good DAILY hygiene practices:
Shower or bathe every day
Use deodorant or antiperspirant at least once a day
Brush teeth at least twice a day and floss daily
Wear clean clothes every day
Wear clean socks and underwear everyday
Wash hands ALWAYS after:
Using the restroom
Before and after eating
Playing outdoors
Touching animals
As recommended, maintain general health through regular wellness visits with medical providers, through exercise, plenty of rest and good nutrition.
Health Screenings
Massachusetts requires all health screenings to be completed by the end of the school year.
Vision screenings are done on all students in grades K-5; stereopsis is an additional vision screening done with students in grades K-3. Hearing screenings are done on students in grades K-3. Notices of any failures are sent to the parent by the school nurse for follow-up. Results of the follow up will be returned to the school nurse.
Height and weight screenings are completed in 1st grade and 4th grade.
All 5th grade students are checked for scoliosis, unless notification from the parent/guardian has been received by the school nurse to opt out. If you prefer for your student to not participate in this screening, and have not already notified the school nurse, please do so by sending an email, or written note with your request to opt out. Parents/guardians are notified if additional evaluation is needed by the student’s primary care physician.
Physical Exams
Please continue to send in your student’s physical exam documentation from their medical provider. AWRSD requires that all kindergarten and third grade students have a current physical exam on file in the nursing office.
Donations
The WES nursing office is looking for donations of new/unused socks, and gently used leggings sizes 6-14 please. All other items are not needed at this point in time, thank you.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns ashea@awrsd.org or by calling 978-874-2043 x 3.
The snow has melted, the birds are chirping, and Spring is in the air. Our literary fourth graders are participating in the English Language Arts MCAS assessment over the next two weeks. We know our students have been working hard to grow as readers, writers, listeners, and speakers, and will do their best.
Our mathematicians have completed their study of addition and subtraction strategies, place value, measurement, and developing number sense. Our next unit will concentrate on geometry, and we will tackle MCAS math in May.
In Social Studies, students continue to travel across the United States, learning about the five regions. Fourth-grade scientists have finished investigating the features of the Earth’s surface, including the rapid and gradual processes (volcanic eruptions, weathering, and erosion) that impact the Earth. We will begin learning about energy and energy transfer next.
Wow and just like that- it’s April! Fifth grade at Westminster Elementary School continues to fly by! It is busy here in fifth grade as we continue to make progress in all subjects while gearing up for MCAS too. We are multiplying fractions and wrapping up our wordplay unit.
FIFTH GRADE MCAS DATES:
ELA MCAS APRIL 2 & APRIL 9
MATH MCAS: APRIL 30 & MAY 5
SCIENCE MCAS: MAY 8 & MAY 12
Reminders for MCAS Days:
-Chromebooks NEED to be FULLY CHARGED as they will be using this device for testing
-Arrival to school is important as we start early in the morning
-A healthy snack and breakfast is always helpful for test days
Outdoor Classroom Updates: Our trip is less than 50 days away!
-Medical forms are due back Friday April 10th.
-Cabin forms were emailed to parents on Monday afternoon and are due back by April 3rd.
-Please help your child fill this out so that we can build cabins that will be comfortable and successful for all children.
-The parent chaperone meeting will be April 9th at 6:30pm.
Greetings to all musicians at MHS and WES! March is “Music In Our Schools Month” and there certainly is much to talk about in the general music classroom, and each after school ensemble. Our students have been doing a great job this year and I love seeing them grow with music, which has endless benefits for all!
Grades K and 1 students have been singing and moving to many songs including I Have a Little Snowman, Sky Bears, 2 Famous Men, Cherry Tree, Ram Sam Sam, Down By the Bay, Sarasponda, and Boom Chicka Boom. The 1st graders have started to use xylophones as well. Soon both grades will start preparing to learn patriotic songs of America as they help observe Memorial Day.
Grade 2 students wrapped up their unit on Boomwhackers which are plastic tubes with pitches, that they learned several patterns, and playing simple songs in small groups. The grade 2 students are in a unit on Beethoven, seeing a movie, and video clips of important pieces of music, including Fur Elise, parts Symphony # 5, including different performances of Ode To Joy from his 9th symphony. They will soon start a unit on the Beatles!
Grade 3 students have been working real hard to learn the piano! They have learned where the notes are on the piano, and have started with a simple 5 finger-C position, so that they can learn simple songs. Each 3rd grader has a Keyboard Level 1 packet, that they should keep at home. They sit at their own keyboard, and have both group and individual time to learn. A google classroom has been set up for them so that they can learn songs by watching/playing along with videos that I will continue to add. It will be a great way to let them have additional time to play music at home if they are lucky enough to have either a piano, a keyboard, or even a piano app on perhaps an Ipad. They also started a unit on the great classical pianist, Franz Liszt. After watching a movie, they will learn about one of Liszt’s compositions called the Hungarian Rhapsody.
Grade 4 and 5 students have been working very hard at learning how to read music notation and play simple songs at the piano keyboards. They each completed a unit on a composer study, including a movie and parts of important video performances of their most famous compositions. Grade 4 are learning about Gioachinno Rossini, who made opera funny, and will soon learn about the Barber of Seville, William Tell, and the Cat Duet. Grade 5 students will learn about Johann Sebastian Bach, perhaps the greatest composer of all time, who made Toccata and Fugue in D-, Air, the Brandenburg Concertos, and the Cello Suites. They will also learn to play with chords as well. After that they will start their unit on learning to play the Ukuleles! Both grade levels will have google classrooms set up with various videos to help them at home.
B Band At this time, almost all beginning instrumentalists have spent many months learning material from the method book to prepare them for the next level of playing in A Band. B Band has officially stopped and most kids are in A Band now.
A Band Students continue to improve at the Thursday rehearsals. They should ALL be using their google classroom which I have made videos of their individual parts so that they can learn/practice along with the videos at home. Speaking of practicing, there is a 500 Minute Club, which means every time they get to 500 minutes at home, they write it down on the paper we provided at the back of the newsletter. Then the parent signs it, and the private instructor signs it, and they are entered into prizes given out at the spring concert. Our first performance for A Band on District band night was very successful and can be viewed on TV and at the website for Ashburnham Westminster Community Access. The concert showcased the concert bands at each of the AWRSD schools and a few songs where all students play together at the same time. The spring concerts are currently scheduled for May 29 (9am for Veterans/Grandparents) and June 2 (9am at WES for the school, and 6:30pm at ORHS for parents).
Jazz Band students have been practicing on Wednesdays. Sometimes I add students based on need and ability for some students in A Band to our Jazz Band for students who have progressed to a certain point. Their first performance is District Jazz Night and is scheduled for April 16 which will showcase the jazz bands at each of the AWRSD schools and a few songs where all students play together at the same time. The next performance is at the WES Celebration night on May 13 from 6-6:30pm. A permission slip is coming soon. The spring concerts are currently scheduled for May 29 (9am for Veterans/Grandparents) and June 2 (9am at WES for the school, and 6:30pm at ORHS for parents).
Chorus students have been practicing on Fridays. They have a google classroom so that they can practice singing along with videos that I have made. They have done well with single part music, which means everyone sings the same part. We will begin to add some more 2 Part singing which is certainly more challenging. Our first performance was the District Chorus Concert showcased the chorus from each of the AWRSD schools and a few songs where all students sang together at the same time. That concert is available on TV on the Ashburnham Westminster Community Media website. The next performance (date still needs to be confirmed) is a short informal one for the opening of the Walk for Cancer on Academy Hill on May 15 from 7-7:30pm, a permission slip will be made. The spring concerts are currently scheduled for May 29 (9am for Veterans/Grandparents) and June 2 (9am at WES for the school, and 6:30pm at ORHS for parents).
IMPORTANT MUSIC DATES
4/16 Jazz Band -District Jazz Night at ORHS 6:30pm (short rehearsal before concert)
5/11 WES Recital Night - Student must sign up beforehand with a prepared piece 6:30pm
-This is open to all Band/Chorus students
5/13 WES Celebration Creation Night -Jazz Band performance at 6pm-6:30pm
5/15? WES Chorus -Opening for the Walk for Cancer 7-7:30pm Academy Hill
5/22 MHS Grade K/1 -MHS Memorial Day Program 9am
5/22 Chorus (Grade 4 only) and A Band (grades 3+4 only) -WES Memorial Day Program (follows MHS program - @10am)
5/25 A Band -Memorial Day Parade (March/perform at program at Academy Hill)
5/29 WES Grandparent Concert - (Spring Concert just for Grandparents/Veterans!) 9am
6/2 Spring Concert -A Band/Chorus/Jazz Band
-Concert 1 at WES 9am
-Concert 2 at ORHS at 6:30pm
6/5 Great East Festival - Grade 4+5 A Band and Jazz Band members only @7am-6pm
PLEASE ALSO NOTE: A complete and detailed schedule of performance dates, times, locations, as well as rehearsal schedules with any date changes was sent out to your child/musician in the February newsletter. Please contact Mrs. Popik or myself if you are not getting any music newsletter/emails. Thank you.
Morning drop-off is one of those small but important moments that can set the tone for everyone’s day — children and grown-ups alike. We know mornings can be busy, and we’re so grateful for the care and effort families bring each and every day.
Here are a few friendly reminders to help make arrival and dismissal times safer and smoother for all our students:
We’re all in this together. The drop-off lane works best when everyone takes their turn. Even on those hectic mornings (we’ve all been there!), staying in line keeps traffic moving and, most importantly, keeps kids safe.
Stick to the plan. Our staff works hard to guide traffic in ways that protect children. Following their directions and using designated areas really does make a difference — even when it might not seem like it in the moment.
A little prep goes a long way. Having backpacks zipped and goodbyes mostly said before pulling up helps the line move quickly so every family can drop off safely and on time. A quick, cheerful send-off works wonders!
Stay present. We know phones are tempting, but keeping eyes up and phones down helps everyone stay alert — especially since kids can move in quick and unexpected ways.
You’re modeling something wonderful. Every moment of patience and kindness in the car line teaches our children how to handle busy situations with care and respect.
Thank you for being such an important part of keeping our school community safe. Drop-off doesn’t have to be stressful — and thanks to your cooperation and kindness, it truly isn’t. We appreciate you!
When an absence is unavoidable, the parent/guardian should notify the school by phone prior to 8:30 am on the day of the absence. Between 3:30 pm and 7:20 am you may leave a message on our answering machine. The office phone number at W.E.S. is 874-2043 and at M.H.S. is 874-0163. Additionally, the parent can email the offices at mhsoffice@awrsd.org or wesoffice@awrsd.org.
If the school is not notified before the school day starts, an automated voice message will come from the school first and if we do not receive a response, the school nurse OR secretary will attempt to contact you. This is done as a safety check to ensure each student’s well being.
Grades K-5
ARRIVAL
8:20 - 8:30 AM
DISMISSAL
2:55 PM
HALF DAYS - DISMISSAL
12:00 PM
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