Greetings MacArthur Families,
Happy Friday! Our first full week is in the books. We worked on building and sustaining our learning stamina through these five days. The first five day week is always a tough one for our youngest learners, but they stuck with it and sure did earn their weekend!
This Week: In our travels this week, we noted the presence of learning communities where students are active learners, talking in groups, and stretching their brains to take risks even when things are challenging. We just finished Day 12, but it was also amazing to see the ways in which students' personalities and voices are present in their classrooms. This includes ways that grade levels have worked to help their students set goals and reflect on their week to continue to learn in an environment that helps them stretch each day! We see the roots taking hold and are so excited to continue to see them grow into the Best Place to Learn for all students.
Finally, we announced at lunch our first Eagle Excellence recipients this week! Students excitedly celebrated their peers and had their picture taken to add to our board in the lobby. Congratulations to all of our students who worked to show our core values in action! It is always awesome to connect with the students while seeing them wearing their stickers to recognize that they have been identified as Being Kind, Being Respectful, Being Ready to Learn, Being Yourself, or Being a Leader!
Next Week: Our first virtual Principals' Forum will be held on Wednesday, September 17th at 9am. https://meet.google.com/swb-sxru-eoo During each month, we present updates to keep our community informed of the amazing work our students and educators engage in at MacArthur. September's update will focus on our start to the school year, introduce our new School Improvement Plan, and share information on our safety drills. We invite all families to join us.
In addition, Wednesday is also our first Early Release Day. Dismissal is at 1pm and lunch will be served. Please make sure to communicate with your children (and their teachers) about their dismissal plan for Wednesday prior to this early release day. Even if there is no change for your child, please make sure they are aware of their plan, as this shift in schedule can make students second guess their plans.
Later this Month: Thursday, September 25th - Join us for our PTO Meeting at 6:30pm in the MacArthur cafeteria for updates from each of us, as well as all the exciting plans in the works from the PTO this year.
Save the Date: PICTURE DAY! Tuesday, September 30th. Click here for more information.
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Volunteers Wanted for School Council: We are working to build up our School Council of MacArthur family members. Currently, we have representatives for Grades 1, 3, and 5. We would love to add family members for Grades K, 2, and 4. Meetings are held virtually from 3:45pm - 4:30 traditionally. Contact kevinkmiec@walthampublicschools.org for more information.
Speaking of communication: Waltham Public Schools is transitioning to a new family communication tool called ParentSquare. Please click here for more information on this tool and how to activate your account. Link The goal of this app is to condense communication for families at multiple levels across the district and organize them in one place. We look forward to transitioning all of our MacArthur communication to ParentSquare in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned for more information.
Save the Date - Back to School Night: 10/16/25 This special event will take place from 6pm - 7:30pm. Students and families are welcome to join us.
Finally, I would also like to share that we took the time on the morning announcements to recognize the anniversary of September 11th yesterday. The announcement we shared focused on the courage and kindness showed by countless first responders who worked to support those in need and save the lives of those at risk. We also spoke about honoring the spirit of these courageous individuals by being thoughtful community members.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful weekend!
In Partnership,
Mr. Kmiec and Mr. Howes
