OPR Weekly Update
October 11, 2024
Dear OPR Families,
On Thursday, October 31st, we will continue the long-standing tradition of the OPR Halloween Parade. The parade begins at 8:45 AM. Families may watch the parade from the front of the school. Spectators should assemble on the grass area island across from the front door. The parade will walk in the driveway and circle the island. If it happens to be raining, we have an indoor parade route that will allow families to watch from inside.
Remember:
Students can wear their costumes to school. Students should change out of costumes after the parade.
It is recommended that any makeup is minimal, as students will need to wear it all day.
Scary masks are not allowed.
No weapons (real or toy) are ever allowed in school. This includes parts of costumes - Ninja swords, firefighter’s ax, cowboy gun, bow and arrow, etc.
Alternate activities will be provided for those not participating.
Parents and guardians of students in grades 4 and 5 will be receiving MCAS scores. This week, the Walpole Public Schools mailed MCAS results home to families. It is important to understand that MCAS is one of the many ways we measure student progress, growth, and achievement across the curriculum. We also use many ongoing assessments in classrooms, not only to measure student progress, but also to assess the success of our curriculum. Parent-Teacher Conferences will be taking place in November and this is a great opportunity to hear about specific aspects of the grade-level standards that are going well for your child and other areas that may be challenges.
Keep the OPR office in the loop. If you are emailing your child's teacher about an absence, tardy, dismissal, or appointment, include the office email oproffice@walpole.k12.ma.us This will ensure the secretaries and nurse receive the email. Classroom teachers can't always check email during the day. Thank you!
Here's the link to this week's OPR Video News.
Have a great long weekend!
David N. Barner, Principal
dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
October
14 No School - Columbus Day
17 Grade 3 Field Trip to DeCordova Museum
30 Student Picture Retake Day - Only for students who need their picture retaken.
31 OPR Halloween Parade at 8:45 AM. Families welcome!
November
5 No School - Election Day - Professional Development Day for Teachers and Staff
7 PAC Meeting in the STEM Lab at 7:00 PM
11 No School - Veterans Day
12 Scholastic Book Fair Week on the Stage. Open during Conferences!
12 Parent-Teacher Conferences by Appointment, 5-7:00 PM
14 Parent-Teacher Conferences by Appointment, 5-7:00 PM
15 Parent-Teacher Conferences by Appointment, 1-3:00 PM
15 Early Release at 11:55 AM. Dismissal begins at 11:49.
16 PAC Sponsored Parents Night Out!
Martial Arts After School Program Grades K-2
LG Martial Arts is collaborating with OPR to bring a Kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 after school martial arts program!
Program Includes:
- 3 Week Course
- Finale at LG Martial Arts Studio
- Weekly Assignments
- Character Development
Important Dates:
Class 1: Thursday, Nov 7th, 3:00-3:40 pm
Class 2: Thursday, Nov 14th, 3:00-3:40 pm
Class 3: Thursday, Nov 21st, 3:00-3:40 pm
Finale: Sunday, Nov 24th, 10-11 am
Fundraiser Cost:
4 Classes (3 Weeks + Finale): $35
Check or Money Order to: Town Of Walpole
Dismissal is at the gym doors at 3:40 pm.
See the attached flyer for more information and a letter from LG Martial Arts.
Phones, Watches, and Electronic Devices
Per the Walpole Public Schools Elementary Student and Parent School Handbook (link below), students may not use cellular phones, smart watches, or other electronic devices during the day. If students need to have one of the above devices for an out of school purpose, the device must be kept turned off and remain in the backpack. If a student is found to have an electronic device in his or her possession, outside of the backpack, it will be kept in the office until a parent is able to pick it up.
PE with Mrs. Green
Grades K-2:
Soccer dribbling and stealing, 2v1 keep away, 2v2 soccer games with a timed switch as goalie.
Played the game of Pac-man, which is a tagging and locomotion game.
Throwing and catching while practicing L-shape, back, step, throw to partners and working together to reach a goal for amount of catches for distance.
Coming up will be throwing and fitness stations along with passing a ball using an implement. Monster Ball is a fun way to throw a ball at a target. Superman versus Batman is a fun target game played by all.
Grades 3-5:
Soccer dribbling, stealing, passing, lead passing, 2v2 lead passing and 5v5 soccer games.
Lead up drills for the game of Speed-ball which you can either throw or kick the ball into the net and get tagged if you carry the ball.
Throwing and catching with lead passes leading up to the game up Hand-ball, which is a throw and catch game to score into the net. The ball is turned over if it is dropped.
Coming up we have Pillo-Polo, which is a softer way to play hockey. This will be followed by a fun Throwing game called Superman versus Batman. Fitness testing will begin in November. This will include the Pacer test, push-up, sit-up, pull-up, chin-up, bar-hang and sit & reach tests. Grades 4 & 5 will get a chance to practice weight lifting using our 15 pound barbells for some power and olympic movements.
Math with Mrs. Rinaldi
Fall weather is a great time to be outdoors and mother nature provides many great opportunities to try some outdoor math! Why outdoor math you might ask? Well, it can provide several benefits that aren’t fulfilled by a worksheet or digital game.
Outdoor math activities are engaging, they spark interest in students because they are different and provide something fun to do during outside play time. They are hands-on and give children the opportunity to connect with nature. Children get to both, use concrete materials to make sense of abstract concepts, and also see the natural patterns, shapes and other phenomena in the world around them. Outdoor math activities are often multi-sensory which strengthens concept development, and since these experiences are fun, they reduce anxiety around math and help children improve their math disposition. (Brian Lee, 14 Best Outdoor Math Activities for Kids to Boost Math Skills)
Here are a few examples of suggested activities/games we found that your children might enjoy!
Place Value - Collect different types of nature items (twigs, leaves, acorns, stones, etc.). Have each represent a different place value. Give your child a number and have them represent the number with the items they have collected. Change the numbers in different ways to have them see how the value of the number changes as they move the objects around.
Geometry with Sticks! Collect different size sticks and have your child create different shapes. Depending on their grade level, you can begin with basic shapes and move on to different types of quadrilaterals, angles and vocabulary like parallel or perpendicular lines.
Soccer Place Value or Fact Practice - Have a friend? Practice passing the soccer ball the number of times necessary to answer a fact, or dribble that many steps, etc. If you have cones, you can also set up place value columns to dribble or pass through based on the number.
Resource: Third Space Blog 12 Awesome Fall Math Activities for Elementary School
Visit our Family Math Website for even more ideas of how to engage your child in some fun outdoor math! If it’s raining and you can’t get outside, don’t forget about the Bridges Math at Home site. These free activities align with the mathematical content of each Bridges curriculum unit happening in school. Click on your child’s grade level, then select a “set” of activities from the dropdown at the top. Set 2 correlates with Unit 2 that classes are working on now. Set 1 provides review of skills from Unit 1 in September. Thank you for promoting and inspiring mathematical exploration at home!
News from the Nurse
Hello from the Health Office!
We have seen several cases of pneumonia in the last two weeks. Please contact your child’s pediatrician with any new respiratory concerns your child may have. The Health Office is prepared to assist with administering any medication your child needs during the school day. Please obtain school medication orders from the doctor and bring in the medication in the original package attached with the correct prescription label. Contact the health office with any questions!
Please consider packing extra clothes in your child’s backpack for emergencies. Accidents do happen and your child may need comfortable clothing to change into.
The Health Office has a limited amount of clothes to borrow for emergencies. We will gladly accept gently used clothes donations. Please see our Amazon Wish list as well. Thank you so much!!! OPR Health Office Wish List
When to Keep Your Child Home Sick from School
The following criteria can be used to determine when a child should remain at home:
Has a cold in the contagious stage (first few days)
Sore throat and swollen neck glands accompanied by a fever
Undiagnosed rash or skin eruptions
Earache, red eyes or drainage from eyes
Any communicable disease (see paragraph below)
Fever of 100 degrees or higher during the past 24 hours
Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours
If your student develops a communicable disease, e.g., chicken pox, whooping cough, influenza, strep throat, scarlet fever or fifth disease, please notify the school nurse. This will enable us to monitor your child's progress and other student's exposure. Students should remain at home a minimum of one day following the resolution of an acute illness. Please check your child’s temperature; a child should be "fever free" for twenty-four hours without taking a fever-reducing medication such as Tylenol or Advil before returning to school.
The school nurse should be notified by the parent/guardian of any:
Serious injury, illness, or hospitalization
Planned surgery
Communicable diseases such as chicken pox, strep throat, scarlet fever or fifth disease
New diagnosis or change in your child’s health status
Fracture, sprain, stitches, cast, or crutches (A Physician note is required for crutches and/or a wheelchair to be used on the school premises.)
New medication and/or dosing change.
Need to be excused from Physical Education.
In order to minimize the spread of infectious disease and to provide for a safe environment, the WPS Health Care Policy has been created to assist you. Please review this document as the nurses are required to adhere to these guidelines to help support the health of the entire school community. WPS Illness Protocol
It is Flu Season!
Influenza (flu) viruses typically spread in fall and winter, with activity peaking between December and February. Getting vaccinated in the fall can lower your chances of getting the flu.The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. It does not cause the flu and it helps keep kids and parents from getting sick.
AAP Recommendations for the Flu Vaccine
Please contact the Health Office with any concerns or questions! Remember that the essentials of good health are good nutrition, plentiful fluids, regular exercise and plenty of rest.
Kindly,
Bonnie Kowalsky, RN
508-660-7219 ext 5804
fax: 866.809.6567
OPR Links:
OPR ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
Walpole Public Schools Links:
WPS ELEMENTARY STUDENT & PARENT HANDBOOK/CODE OF CONDUCT
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.
mabel's labels
https://mabelslabels.com/en_US/fundraising/support/
Starting to lose those water bottles? Put a label on it! Please navigate to Support a Fundraiser and select Old Post Road Parent Advisory Committee.
Box Tops
Download the App for BoxTops for Education and scan receipt within 14 days of purchase. Assign Credit by selecting the Star and entering the Teacher’s Last name before you hit submit.
PAC Socal Media / Contact Info.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPR.PAC
please add: Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/oprpacwalpole
Email with questions: oprpacwalpole@gmail.com
Teacher Snack Cart Donations
Click to shop from our Amazon list. Questions: Melanie.D.Taylor@gmail.com
OPR Textile Bin Donations
Massachusetts no longer allows clothing to be disposed of in the trash. Clothing must be donated or recycled. RECYCLE your clothing and textiles in the OPR Collection Bin and OPR receives money.
The collections resulted in the following:
2022 Calendar Year Total - $907.50
2023 Calendar Year Total - $1210.60
January 2024 - $85.80
February 2024 - $104.10
March 2024 - $71.70
April 2024 - $83.70
May 2024 - $114.90
June 2024 - $100.50
July 2024 - $100.20
August 2024 - $115.80
September 2024 - $59.10
What's in the Walpole Community Backpack?
10/5 Walpole Youth Basketball Registration open until October 5, 2024 (Grades 2-8 and until December 5 for high school)
Ongoing Walpole Youth Basketball Sponsorship packages (see www.wyba.org/sponsorship)
10/9 October Teen Crafternoon Frankencat. Wednesday, 10/9 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Grades 6+. Limit of 15. Must register on-line.
10/11 One Up Games 1:00 p.m . - 4:00 p.m. at Walpole Library, Ages 10+; Drop in - no registration required
10/23 Teen Halloween Pop Up Art; 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.; Ages 13+; Lmit of 15; Must register online
Multilingual Learner PAC (MLPAC) Meeting
Please contact the Multilingual Learner Family Engagement Center at mlfec@walpole.k12.ma.us or at (508) 660-7257 ext. 5033 for further information or to request an interpreter or child care for the event.
Arrival: 8:15-8:25 AM
Tardy Bell is at 8:25 AM. (Students must be signed in at the office by an adult if tardy.)
Early Release Dismissal: 11:55 (Dismissal begins at 11:49)
Dismissal: 2:55 PM (Dismissal begins at 2:49)
If your child is going to be absent or tardy, please call the OPR office before school (508-660-7219) and press 1 for the absence line. The automated attendance verification system is in use. Those students marked absent and who have not called in will receive an automated phone call.
About Us
OPR Mission Statement
The Old Post Road School community educates all students to excel and become productive citizens.
OPR Vision
OPR students will be motivated to learn in a supportive and safe environment. The faculty will foster self-confidence in the students and encourage them to make positive choices. Students will learn to accept responsibility for their behavior and will mature into responsible citizens and lifelong learners. All students will appreciate that they are part of a diverse, global society.
Instagram: OLDPOSTROADSCHOOL_WALPOLE
Twitter: @oprschool
Email: dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
508-660-7219
