Sheehan Elementary

Dear Sheehan Families,

There was no shortage of school spirit at Sheehan on Friday! The Fun Run was such an exciting way to end the week with our entire school community. Our PTA put so much time and care into preparations for the Fun Run, and Friday was a wonderful reflection of that effort. Between the preparation, the generous support, and the cheering, our families and teachers helped make it a day our students could thoroughly enjoy. And Mr. O’Malley was in his element on the microphone. Our students were buzzing with excitement, with a little exhaustion mixed in, for the rest of the day. And the trail of silly string I left in the hallways suggests they enjoyed that part of the festivities, too. :)

You’ll also find a few attendance reminders in this week’s newsletter, including how absences are recorded and when families can expect to hear from us. I wanted to share that information now so the procedures feel familiar if you receive a notification later in the year. We know illnesses happen and circumstances vary from family to family. Please keep us in the loop if something is making attendance difficult so we can think it through together.

Thank you for helping make Friday such a great day for our students. I hope you’re enjoying the weekend. And, as always, thank you for taking a few moments to read our weekly newsletter.

Respectfully,

Stacy Mahoney and the Sheehan Team

Friday, October 2: Fun Run

Monday, October 12: NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, October 14: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal)

Friday, October 16 : PTA Parent Social, 7:00-10:00

Friday, October 23 : PTA Monster Mash, 5:30- 7:30 pm

Wednesday, October 28: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal)- Afternoon Conferences

Wednesday, October 28: Evening Conferences

Wednesday, November 4: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal) Afternoon Conferences

Wednesday, November 11: NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, November 25: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal)

Thursday, November 26: NO SCHOOL

Friday, November 27: NO SCHOOL

Now that we’re settling into the school year, I wanted to share a few reminders about attendance. Being at school regularly helps children feel connected to their classmates, build routines, and keep their learning moving forward. We also know that illnesses happen and every family’s circumstances are different.

Across Massachusetts, schools monitor both excused and unexcused absences. The state defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of the days a student is enrolled, or 18 days over a full school year. Tracking attendance helps us recognize when a child may benefit from additional support.

Our Elementary Handbook, pages 13–15, explains the district’s procedures. A few helpful points:

• Reporting an absence: Please use School Dismissal Manager by 8:30 a.m. and include the reason. For attendance or dismissal changes after 11:00 a.m., please call the main office.

• Excused and unexcused absences: Reporting an absence does not automatically make it excused. Under the handbook, absences may be excused following administrator review for reasons including illness documented by a medical provider, religious observances, bereavement or serious illness in the family, and other approved exceptional circumstances. Families are expected to schedule vacations during school breaks.

• Attendance notifications: District procedures include notifying families at five and ten absences. These notices keep families informed and give us an opportunity to discuss any circumstances affecting attendance and ways we can help.

Of course, children who are sick should stay home and recover. If your child has an ongoing health concern, is finding it difficult to come to school, or you have questions about how an absence is recorded, please reach out. We want to understand what your family is navigating and work together to support your child.