Winthrop Wednesday Weekly

Of my 25 “first days” of school as an educator, I have to say this one was the best.

As a Winthrop parent, I’ve always felt that our school was a special place. Now that I’m a member of the Winthrop staff, I know why! Our teachers, paraprofessionals, lunch monitors, specialists, coaches, cooks, and custodians truly care about your children. They want your children to enjoy school, feel successful, and know that they belong- and they know how to make that happen.

I hope your kiddos arrived home today feeling happy, cared for, and excited to come back tomorrow. I certainly am!

Thank you to all of our families who helped to make our new arrival and dismissal plan work so well. We can tell you did your homework 😀

An even bigger THANK YOU for bringing your children to school well-rested and ready to learn!

As a reminder, tomorrow is our first early release at 1:50 p.m. (this occurs every Thursday).

Then Friday, September 4th - Monday, September 7th we are closed for Labor Day Weekend.

Tuesday, September 8th we'll be back at it and ready to welcome our kindergarteners and PreK students! Kindergarten Parent Coffee, hosted by FRIES, immediately follows drop-off on the 8th.

A committee worked throughout the summer, carefully considering input from staff members, families, and community members, and developed proposed new procedures. We’re excited to put these changes into place and appreciate everyone’s flexibility and partnership as we work together to make arrival and dismissal safe, smooth, and successful for everyone.

Please take some time to review our new Arrival & Dismissal Procedures, as they go into place September 2nd!

Portuguese Translation

Spanish Translation

Pashto Translation

Please note that arrival is the same as last year, from a caregiver perspective. You are still welcome to walk your child to the building- please just do not go past the gates.

Dismissal is a bit different in an effort to minimize pick-up traffic. Fingers crossed it works!

PRE-K DROP OFF & PICK-UP

Pre-K families park and walk their children to Door #3 at 9:00 a.m. This is the door just through the gate to the left of the building. Pre-K families are welcome to pass through the gate for drop-off and pick-up!

Pick-up is at 2:45 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays.

Pick-up is at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays & Thursdays.

The first day of Pre-K is Tuesday, September 8th!

PLEASE be sure to update your School Dismissal Manager if you have not yet.

We still have a few students without updated plans.

Bike and Walk Home permission forms for 4th and 5th graders were sent home today.

Meals are free for all students at our school! Even though families do not need to pay for school lunch, we ask that you please complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application in your child's folder. The information families provide is confidential and is used to help determine the amount of federal and state funding our school receives. Completing the application helps ensure that our school receives the resources and funding we are eligible for to support our students and programs. Every application makes a difference!

I have received several questions from families regarding whether or not personal devices are allowed at Winthrop School...

To help students stay focused, connected, and engaged during the school day, non-school-assigned digital devices are not permitted during school hours. This includes cell phones, smart watches, and other personal electronic devices.

We understand that students who walk or ride their bikes to school may need to carry a device so they can communicate with their families before arriving at school or after leaving for the day. Personal devices are welcome at school for this purpose; however, once students arrive, devices must be turned off and kept safely in their backpacks for the entire school day.

Exceptions may be made for medical reasons or other circumstances approved by the school.

Please note that the school is not responsible for the loss, theft, or damage of personal electronic devices brought to school.

The Winthrop Green Team is looking forward to another fun-filled year!

Who are we? All students (pre-K - 5), parents, friends, family, and fans of Winthrop School who want to 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

• Green Team ACE programs

• Holiday Toy and Clothing Swap

• Gardening Clubs

• Earth Day - Community Clean-up

• Waste Reduction Awareness/Composting

• Eco-bin for recycled clothing

• Ipswich No Idling Campaign

Are there any upcoming events? Yes!

• We are partnering with Russell Orchards again this fall and look forward to receiving fresh, local apples for our students each week!
• We will host a September cleat swap in partnership with Ipswich Youth Soccer (see flyer below) to keep gently used equipment from ending up in a landfill
• Our first Harvest of the Month will be served at lunch in a few weeks - stay tuned!

If you are interested in learning more about the Green Team, please reach out to Molly Dugdale at mduffy345@gmail.com to join our monthly mailing list!

Curriculum Night for Grades 3-5

Tuesday, September 15th

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Curriculum Night for Grades PreK-2

Tuesday, September 22nd

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Winthrop & Doyon FRIES Social Event

Wednesday, September 23rd

5:00 p.m.

Marini Farm, Linebrook Rd.

School Picture Day!

Friday, September 25th

CTMYC is a free, non-profit youth chorus that rehearses after school in Ipswich on

Thursday afternoons. We have students from Beverly, Rowley, and Ipswich!

We have a received a donation of school supplies from J Barrett & Co. These gorgeous backpacks and other items are available for pick-up. Our "store" is currently located in the lost-and-found area.

We have a LOT of backpacks for smaller children. Pre-K and Kinder kids who do not yet have a pack should definitely stop by 😀

We have a brand new Instagram page, created to share the wonders of Winthrop School with our community- check us out!

Please note that we will not share any photos of children without caregiver permission. If you are open to having your child featured on our Instagram page, or in this Wednesday Weekly newsletter, there is a photo permission form you can sign that will be sent home in your child's classroom folder on the first day of school.