MHS/WES Newsletter

The last day of school is: Monday, June 16 at NOON.

May 26: No School ~ Memorial Day

May 19-23 Grade 5 ~ Nature's Classroom Week

May 28: 1/2 day, Noon dismissal

May 29: PTO Meeting at 6:30 PM

June 11: 5th Grade Promotion Night at 6:30 PM

June 16: Last day of school, Noon dismissal

This is a friendly reminder that placement letters are due this Friday, May 23rd.

Starting next week, our teachers will begin the important work of creating class lists for the 2025-2026 school year. Due to the increasing complexity of balancing all students' needs and creating well-rounded classroom communities, we cannot accommodate late information.

If you have any concerns about your child's placement for next year, please be sure to email us by the end of the day on Friday.

Thank you for helping us stay on schedule as we begin to prepare for another wonderful school year!

This year has gone by so quickly! It feels like just yesterday we were greeting our new students and getting to know each other; now they are moving onto 5th grade. They've come so far this year and we are so proud to see how much they've persevered and grown.

We were also so proud to see how hard students worked during the MCAS testing. It was a long 4 (silent) days, but students had the stamina and focus necessary to complete it to the best of their ability!

On Tuesday, we went to the Hanover Theater to watch "Ada Twist: Scientist" which was a wonderful play about the love of learning, thinking outside of the box, and working together to solve a problem. Students were a wonderful, respectful audience.

As much as we are counting down the days, we are also continuing to work hard in all of our subjects. We're reviewing multiplication strategies and beginning division in math. In science, we're learning about the different types of energy and how energy moves from one object to another.

Have a wonderful summer break.

In fifth grade, the Outdoor Classroom week is officially in full swing! We have students at Camp Cody in NH and we have some students at “Outdoor Classroom South” back at WES experiencing nature inspired activities as well! Both camps went on a hike today.

Be sure that you are checking out the WES Daily Updates as photos and updates are being posted daily to give you a glimpse into their adventures! That link was sent out to fifth grade families on Monday!

We hope everyone has a restful long weekend- we know all students will need it! Next week we will be visiting Overlook Middle School on Thursday morning. Parent Night at Overlook is Tuesday at 5:30PM.

For the month of May, we have been learning Wiffle Ball in PE class. Wiffle Ball is the same thing as baseball and softball, but plastic equipment is used for safety reasons. This is a great unit to learn near the end of the year as Wiffle Ball is a popular summer game that can be played in your backyard, at the beach, at a park or anywhere really!

Students have been working on throwing and catching, running the bases, batting, and fielding skills all of which provide strength and cardiovascular benefits. In addition, wiffle ball also develops hand-eye coordination, quick thinking and reaction skills, as well as communication and social skills. The younger grades have mostly been working on throwing and catching, batting from a tee, and running the bases, while the older grades got into gameplay with pitching as well.

After Wiffle Ball, we will play Kick Ball and then we will be practicing Field Day stations to get ready for the big day! I have included the info about the K-4 Field Day and the 5th grade Field Day as well!!!

- SUMMER BAND CAMP at Westminster Elementary School!!!!

The WES Music Department would like to invite all upcoming 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders for the 2025-26 school year to attend an Instrumental Band Camp to be held at Westminster Elementary School on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday (June 17th, 18th and 20th), AND Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (June 23rd, 24th, and 25th), from 9-10:30 am each day. Our goals for these 6 six days are to let the student be able to try an instrument for three days, have an instructor work with them at the camp, the child can bring home the instrument during the 1st and 2nd days, and then at the end of the 3rd day, we will try to have a short 5-10 minute performance for parents, and then repeat the process for days 4, 5, and 6. At that point, parents will have the option of starting summer lessons/learn how to rent an instrument, or wait until September, and know what instrument they would like to start taking lessons on when we return in the start of school.

For anyone who might be interested in trying snare drum, there will also be an introduction to playing snare drum on Thursday, June 26th, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at WES. Regardless if you want to attend the 6 days of camp, or the 6 days + the 1 day of snare drum, or just the snare drum day, please fill out the entire form below, so we can prepare enough instruments for the kids. There will be a nominal charge of $10 for band camp that will be added to our Music Scholarship Fund for students/families in need financial assistance through the school year. Checks should be made payable to "WES Instrumental Program". Please view the instrumental videos embedded below prior to completing this Form. We understand vacations are coming, so if you can only make one of the weeks instead of both, that works too. For those families who will be gone and can't attend the camp, you can still look at these videos, come back in September and attend our sign up/rental night. We will contact you with further details if needed as we get closer to the camp dates.

IF INTERESTED, PLEASE COMPLETE 1 FORM PER CHILD BY FRIDAY, MAY 29TH, 2025.

Any questions can be directed to Mr. Lucander, Music Teacher/Band Director: klucander@awrsd.org or Mrs. Popik. Assistant Band Director, wesmusicprogram01473@gmail.com. We are looking forward to playing music with your students at band camp, to get them excited for the upcoming school year!

https://forms.gle/hpAXPnhLe5FGHno28

GENERAL SCHEDULE:

WEEK #1

Tuesday June 17 -9am - arrive in the WES cafeteria, get assigned one of your two instrument choices.

-Lessons (play in your instrument group) with with our team of instructors

-10:30am - get picked up, take instrument home to practice!

Wednesday June 18 -9am - arrive with your instrument, go to Lessons.

-10:30am - get picked up, take instrument home again to practice!

Thursday June -9am - arrive with your instrument, go to Lessons.

-10am - Parent meeting (find out more about our band program)

-10:30am - student performance for parents

-10:45am - students leave instrument #1 at WES, get picked up

WEEK #2

Monday June 23 -9am - arrive in the WES cafeteria, get assigned of your two instrument choices.

-Lessons (play in your instrument group) with with our team of instructors

-10:30am - get picked up, take instrument #2 home to practice!

Tuesday June 24 -9am - arrive with your instrument, go to Lessons.

-10:30am - get picked up, take instrument home again to practice!

Wednesday June 25 -9am - arrive with your instrument, go to Lessons.

-10am - Parent meeting (find out more about our band program)

-10:30am - student performance for parents

-10:45am - students leave instrument #2 at WES, get picked up

SNARE DRUM DAY (optional)

Thursday June 26 -9am - arrive in the WES cafeteria,

-Group rhythm lesson, develop hand coordination, counting/reading skill

-10am - Parent meeting (find out more about our band program)

-10:30am - student performance for parents

-10:45am - students leave

NEXT POSSIBLE STEPS...

Information available to learn how to:

-start summer private lessons before September (to get a jump start)

-learn how to rent to own an instrument with David French Music Co. (see online for more)

-wait to sign up in September at WES for private lessons/beginner band/rent to own an instrument

https://forms.gle/hpAXPnhLe5FGHno28

Registration is now open for the 2025 Daughter's Choice Dance: Let's Glow Crazy! You can sign up at https://westminster.ptboard.com/formvw.

Please reach out to westminsterpto@gmail.com or Mrs. Taylor if you need financial assistance to attend the event.

Please remember when you are calling your child out absent, to call the school that they attend.

MHS~ Pre-K , K and 1: 978-874-0163

WES~2, 3, 4, and 5 grade: 978-874-2043

Westminster Elementary School is excited to partner once again with Hannaford grocery stores for this year's Hannaford Helps Schools program, running from March 16 to June 7!

Through this program, shoppers will earn 3 School Dollars for every 4 participating products purchased. At checkout, customers will receive a School Dollar printout they can redeem online to donate to any school in this program.

To redeem School Dollars, all shoppers need to do is enter the unique printout code and store number on the Hannaford Helps Schools program website and select their school. Each School Dollar printout has a QR code that will bring shoppers directly to this link, ensuring that redeeming School Dollars is as easy as possible. Please note that the in-store collection tower has been eliminated.

In the past, Westminster Elementary has earned anywhere from $500 to $1000. This money goes to scholarships for field trips that support students in both MHS and WES. Thank you for your continued support!

If your child forgets to bring their water bottle or Chromebook, you DO NOT have to bring it to the school. They can use the bubbler and borrow a Chromebook. This helps not to interrupt the classroom teaching that is taking place. Thank you for your time.

Did you know that MHS/WES is on Instagram? Check it out!! principalkt24

All students have a bus number assigned to them as well as stops. Please click on the button at the end of this newsletter to see your child's bus number and stop. HOWEVER, if your child is going to be a parent pick up, walker, walker to MHS, or going to extended day, it is VERY IMPORTANT to send in a note with your child's first and last name to the school. One note is sufficient for the year with their schedule, but if it changes at all, we need to know. The safety of your child is our priority. Thank you

Emergency Early Dismissal Policy

In the event of an unforeseen emergency that necessitates the dismissal of students prior to the end of the school day, parent notification will be provided through the automated phone and email system. Typical emergency situations that may precipitate an early dismissal include, but are not necessarily limited to, severe weather conditions, fire and absence of heat or water.

Since it is impractical for school officials to personally contact every parent in the event of an early dismissal, parents and particularly the parents of elementary age children, are encouraged to develop a clear and well-defined plan with their children in case of an early dismissal. Since children will be dismissed to their home, it is imperative that children know how to gain entry into their home and how and whom to call once they are there.

ABSENCES: Please call WES (978-874-2043) or MHS (978-874-0163) when your child will be absent or late for school. Please state your name, your child’s name, teacher, and the reason for absence. If you must speak to someone, please call after 7:45 AM. This system is to ensure the safety of your child. If we do not hear from you, we will contact you at home or work, and if we can’t reach someone we may send a school resource officer to the house to do a well child check. Absent notes are required when children return to school.

AM Arrivals: Bus drivers do not let children off the bus until 8:20 a.m. There is NO Supervision before 8:20 a.m. Walkers/students being dropped off should not arrive before 8:20 a.m. School starts at 8:30 a.m.

PM Dismissals: The school day ends at 2:55 p.m. The office needs to know your dismissal plan. If your child is a car-rider, you will be given a sign to display on your car dashboard to be used each day. Car riders will be dismissed to the cafeteria and called outside in the order cars line up. Please remain in your car. Signs will be posted. If you would like your older sibling to walk from WES to MHS pick-ups for dismissal in the afternoon, please send a note to the office and your child’s teacher.

If your child needs to be dismissed early, please send a note to his/her teacher stating the time and reason for dismissal. Early dismissals will be handled through the main office.

NOTES: Please use student’s (and parent’s) last names in all notes to the teacher/office. Please also date all notes so that we can be sure we are dealing with current messages. Notes are required for any change in dismissal. You may also email a note to mhsoffice@awrsd.org (MHS) or wesoffice@awrsd.org(WES).

MEDICATIONS: ALL Medications must be brought to the nurse by an adult at the beginning of the day. Medication is NOT TO BE TAKEN by any child on his/her own. The school nurse under the following circumstances will administer medication:

• A signed and dated note from a doctor and a parent is sent with the child’s name, dosage, reason for medication and time to be given.

• The prescription bottle is sent with only the amount which will be needed for the administration at school. (Pharmacies will dispense in two bottles if you ask.)

School Announcements:

Please make sure all phone numbers and email addresses are updated throughout the school year to ensure you receive all messages sent from the school or district.

RESTRICTIONS: Please provide the office with any LEGAL DOCUMENT which indicates any legal restrictions on the release of your child as per district policy. These restrictions CANNOT be honored unless we have a copy of the legal documents in your child’s file. Please remember that it is MOST IMPORTANT that your child knows who he/she is allowed to leave school with and restrictions of the same.

TARDINESS: It is important that your child be at school on time. Tardy students need to stop at the office for a tardy slip when they arrive later than 8:30 a.m. If excessive tardiness continues, it will be necessary for the parent and child to meet with the Principal so that we may remedy the situation.

ARRIVAL

8:20 - 8:30 AM

DISMISSAL

2:55 PM

HALF DAYS - DISMISSAL

12:00 PM

AM Session 8:45-11:10 AM

PM Session 12:00-2:30 PM

Full Day Session 8:45-2:30 PM (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Friday)

Please reach out with any questions you may have. We are happy to help!

• MHS - Kathi McCarthy 978-874-0163 ext. 0
• WES - Liz Maillet 978-874-2043 ext 0

General Ashburnham-Westminster Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) membership is open to all AWRSD parents/guardians of children with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans and other interested parties. We need volunteers to help plan workshops, staff tables at local school and community events, become future leaders, assist other parents, and plan new activities and projects. Learn more about us and our work on our website https://sites.google.com/view/ashburnham-westminster-sepac. You can also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ashwestsepac.

Bus passes will be issued for students riding their ASSIGNED bus but getting off at a different stop. A note or phone call from the parent/guardian is required to your child’s school office. The office will then issue the bus pass. Bus passes to ride a DIFFERENT bus will ONLY be issued in the event of an emergency. The school office must be notified by a parent/guardian that there is a circumstance beyond their control/emergency causing a student to ride a different bus. Bus passes are not issued for going to a friend’s house, dances, etc.

If you have specific questions or concerns regarding your child’s bussing, please reach out to bussing@awrsd.org.