West Bridgewater Students, Staff and Families,

With the weather so warm today I think I should have changed the background from the winter scene to a beach scene! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thank you for taking the time to look through the district newsletter!

Here's information about the February Vacation Surround Care program.

February Vacation Week Surround Care

We are happy to announce that we will be holding a February School Vacation Week Surround Care Program for grades K-6.

Many of our regular Surround Care staff will be there to oversee the fun! Arts and crafts, gym games, outdoor play, walks to Friendship Park and lots of fun winter activities will be offered.

The program will be held at the Spring Street School from Tuesday, February 21st through Friday, February 24th. The hours are from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Snacks will be provided each day. Participants should bring a bagged lunch.

We are offering both daily and 4-day registrations. Cost is $75/day or $250 4 days.

Space is limited, so register early using the link below.

Prepayment is required to confirm your spot in the program.

Please use the following link to register: February Surround Care Vacation Club

February Vacation Surround Care

The English Learner Education Department is hosting a Multilingual Family Fun night on Wednesday, February 15, from 5:30-7:30 at the local library. This will be a time of food, games, conversation and growing friendships! We will be sharing community resources as well. (In case of poor weather, our families are asked to please check their emails on the day of this event!

Inclusion Matters' next webinar will be on Tuesday, March 14 from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom. Tiffany Goffer-Fitz of As I Am Learning will join us for Sexuality 101: How to Talk to Kids and Teens with Disabilities about Their Bodies, Healthy Relationships, and Safe Sex.

Tiffany will talk with parents, guardians, and caregivers about what they need to know to get the conversations started. Come learn how to start--and continue--conversations we need to have with our kids and teens about privacy, healthy bodies, healthy relationships, and sex.

Join via Zoom at https://bridgew.zoom.us/j/96663514586

More information is available on our event page at https://fb.me/e/4aNjKHnB2

Check out the District Report Card which is created by DESE https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org/page/dese-district-report-card

Update - The West Bridgewater School Committee approved the submission of the Howard School Statement of Interest at their last meeting. The SOI will be presented to the Board of Selectman in March. The submittal period is open until late April.

In the previous newsletters, we announced that West Bridgewater was selected for the MSBA Eligibility Period. The school district and the town will be following the MSBA process and work to review our district's greatest needs and look at all possible educational options for school consolidations. We are looking forward to our partnership with the MSBA and to working collaboratively to do what is best for our students, staff, and community.

As a district, we are committed to an open and transparent process and will continue to update all stakeholders through emails, newsletters, and scheduled meetings such as School Committee meetings, Superintendent Coffee Hours as well as scheduled informational meetings.

We currently have openings in our Preschool program. Children must be 3 years of age to enroll:

• Tuesday/Thursday 9:00-11:30 am
• Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday 12:10-2:40

Please contact Mrs. Ellis at Spring Street School for more information!

mellis@wbridgewater.com or 508-894-1233

WB Athletic Updates

I can’t believe we are down to the last couple weeks of our regular winter sports season! Check out some updates below!

Congrats on a strong end of the regular season to our Boys and Girls indoor track teams.

WB girls team finished 2nd overall in the meet, beating all the other teams in the mayflower league. A special congratulations to Aly Bassett, who not only finished 1st in 55m hurdles and long jump, but set a new school record in the 55 m dash! The WEB Boys Ice Hockey grabbed a big 6-4 win vs Middleboro and the WEB Girls battled hard against Ursuline but came up short 4-3 in overtime. Also congrats to our seniors on the WEB girls ice hockey who were celebrated on Senior Night. Congrats ladies! Our Varsity Boys B-ball team picked up a great win against a strong Westport team on Wednesday night, 61-45. The JV boys team also picked up a win over Westport 54-50 and the FR boys basketball team defeated Westport 60-36. The Girls Varsity Basketball team fought hard against a tough Westport team this week with a victory 49-35 and the Girls JV team beat Westport as well with a score of 50-28. Our Middle School Girls defeated Holbrook this week 39-13 and the Boy’s with a victory over Holbrook 51-34! Jumping over to the mats the Co-Op gymnastics Team of Bridgewater-Raynham and West Bridgewater finished their regular season 8-0 with a win over the newly co-op team of Falmouth/Mashpee/Barnstable on Feb 8th. BR/WB scored their season high of 145.35 to F/M/B's 140.0 and congratulations to the seniors on the BR/WB gymnastics team who celebrated their senior night! We wish you all the best of luck! Finally, a“Shout Out” to our cheer team for always supporting and cheering on our teams!! It has been an exciting week for the Wildcats! Congrats to all!

Check out some more important WBMSHS Athletic Info!

**WBMSHS Spring Sports are right around the corner! Sign up now! Please make sure your Athletic Fee is paid or you will NOT be able to participate in spring sports until this is taken care of. If you have any questions about the athletic fee payment or if you have a financial difficulty please contact me at jhammel@wbridgewater.com

**Any 7th or 8th grader that has signed up online for MS Unified Basketball, there will be a meeting in the gym on Tuesday, February 14th during Powerblock(10:30AM). Please see Ms. Hammel with any questions.

We have more senior celebrations this week! Come on out and cheer our seniors on!

Girls Basketball, Basketball and Cheer will celebrate on 2/15 in between their 2 games. Girls Play at 4 and Boy play at 5:30

Boys Ice Hockey- 2/15 8PM at the Bridgewater Ice Arena

Boys and Girls Track will celebrate their senior at their end of season banquet on 2/27

Important Links:

**You can find the schedule on the Arbiter Live Website: https://arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=25160

Check out the link below to the MIAA Power Rankings:

https://miaa.net/power-rankings/

**Basketball tickets to HOME regular season games are being sold online: https://gofan.co/app/school/MA14770

Make sure to follow along on Twitter for all your athletic updates

WBMSHS Athletics (@WBMSHSAthletics) / Twitter

Update - The District Plan for Success was presented to the School Committee at their next meeting. At the meeting members of the administrative team will discuss the strategic objectives and strategic initiatives. The administrative team has selected priority strategic initiatives to work on for the remainder of the school year and has written action plans for each initiative.

Student Success

1. Provide students with an array of opportunities to ensure all students achieve the Vision of the Graduate that is diverse, equitable and inclusive.

Curriculum

2. Establish and implement cohesive, rigorous equitable PreK -12 curricula.

3. Promote the implementation of curricular materials with consistency to ensure student success academically and social and emotionally.

Staff Development

4. Ensure appropriate staffing and support to address the growing academic and social-emotional needs of students and staff.

Facilities and Resources

5. Ensure that the facilities and resources provide effective learning environments to meet the educational and social-emotional needs of all students and staff.

School Choice applications are now being accepted for the 2023-2024 school year. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Kim LaCroix at 508-894-1230 or klacroix@wbridgewater.com Click on the link below for more information and the application. All Applications must be electronically submitted by 12:00 noon on February 28, 2023

Thank you to the participants in today's Superintendent Coffee Hour meeting which was held at the Howard School. Thank you to Mr. Leeman and Mr. Collins for their participation in the meeting. Topics that were discussed were:

• MSBA Update - New Elementary School Project

• FY24 Budget Process and Priorities

• School Choice Information

• Capital Budget Request - Elementary Technology

• Cyber Security Training and Planning

• WB District Plan for Success

• Winter Sports

• Future Guest Speakers for Coffee Hours

• Newsletters Feedback

The next meeting is on Friday, March 17th at 9:15 am. The location is TBA (most likely Rose L MacDonald or Spring Street School). We hope to see you there!

Stess, Mental Health and Your Heart (Excerpt from the American Heart Association)

Mental health can positively or negatively impact your physical health and risk factors for heart disease and stroke, according to “Psychological Health, Well-Being, and the Mind-Heart-Body Connection,” a scientific statement in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

Stress may contribute to poor health behaviors linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke, such as:

• Smoking
• Overeating
• Lack of physical activity
• Unhealthy diet
• Being overweight
• Not taking medications as prescribed

Your body’s response to stress may be:

• A headache
• Back strain
• Stomach pains

Stress can also:

• Zap your energy
• Wreak havoc on your sleep
• Make you feel cranky, forgetful or out of control

A stressful situation sets off a chain of events. Your body releases adrenaline, a hormone that temporarily causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up and your blood pressure to rise. These reactions prepare you to deal with the situation — the “fight or flight” response.

What is chronic stress?

Chronic stress is when stress is constant and your body is in high gear off and on for days or weeks at a time. Chronic stress may lead to high blood pressure, which can increase risk for heart attack and stroke.

Can managing stress reduce or prevent heart disease?

Managing stress is good for your health and well-being. Negative psychological health / mental health is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. But positive psychological health is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and death.

Negative mental health conditions include:

• Depression
• Chronic stress
• Anxiety
• Anger
• Pessimism
• Dissatisfaction with life

These conditions are associated with potentially harmful responses in our bodies such as:

• Irregular heart rate and rhythm
• Increased digestive problems
• Increased blood pressure
• Inflammation
• Reduced blood flow to the heart

Positive mental health characteristics include:

• Happiness
• Optimism
• Gratitude
• Sense of purpose, life satisfaction
• Mindfulness

People with positive mental health are also more likely to have health factors linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease:

• Lower blood pressure
• Better glucose control
• Less inflammation
• Lower cholesterol

What can I do about stress?

Fortunately, you can manage stress in ways such as:

• Exercising regularly. It can relieve stress, tension, anxiety and depression. Consider a nature walk, meditation or yoga.
• Making time for friends and family. It’s important to maintain social connections and talk with people you trust.
• Getting enough sleep. Adults should aim for seven to nine hours a night.
• Maintaining a positive attitude.
• Practicing relaxation techniques while listening to music.
• Finding a stimulating hobby that can be fun and distract you from negative thoughts or worries.

Adopting serenity in the face of life’s challenges may help improve your perception of stress and result in better quality of life and heart health.

Hello Parents/Guardians!

Recently, we started conducting our annual lockdown drills in our schools. Our first drill was successfully conducted this week at the High School. In the future, we will be conducting them in the other schools within the district as well. Each "drill" will be tailored to meet the needs of the specific staff and age of the students in each school. We are not seeking to scare or worry any student or staff member. We are also not discussing "active shooters" or violence with the younger elementary grades. These drills consist of staff and students securing themselves in their respective classrooms and discussing options on how to react to certain situations. At no point in time will there be any "threat" in the school. These drills are merely to help students have a plan in case of emergency and an open dialogue with staff to help alleviate any anxiety or concerns with these drills.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at tpope@wbpd.com"

Please help the Girl Scout Brownie Troop 64971 with collecting non-perishable foods for the West Bridgewater Pantry

Universal free school meals have helped support students and families the past two years. On average, 56,665 more Massachusetts children participated daily in school lunch in October 2022 compared to October 2019. Not having to pay for school meals could save families up to $1,200 per student per year (source: Project Bread). Legislation is being proposed in MA to make universal school meals permanent.

Adding funds to a student's lunch account. While breakfast and lunch continue to be offered at no cost, extra a la carte items such as bottled water, freshly baked cookies, ice cream and milk for students that bring lunch from home are offered for sale in the cafeteria. Students must have money on their lunch account to purchase any extra items. Cash and checks are accepted and electronic payments can be made through MySchoolBucks. You will need your child's 10-digit SASID# to register for a MySchoolBucks account.

Click on WB Food Services to find February's menus.

Food Assistance- Project Bread Food Source Hotline , West Bridgewater Food Pantry.

SUBSTITUTES needed! Interested individuals should contact Ann Marie Grinder, Food Service Director at agrinder@wbridgewater.com or (508)894-1220.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION - Please scan your shopping receipts! Every little bit helps our school! The program transitioned to a new digital format. You can now scan your shopping receipts from any store (like Market Basket, Trucchi’s, Target, Walmart, CVS, etc.) to earn money for our school. Download the app today or send your receipts to school. We are happy to scan them for you!

It's about that time of year again when we take on the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge. During the month of February, students will be participating in activities that educate about heart health and all of the heart components during physical education. Information to sign up online for the challenge will be sent out at a later date. We raised over $6,000 last year as a district and our goal is to beat that this year! Please reach out to Ellie Roberts with any questions-- eroberts@wbridgewater.com

Tuesday, February 21st 8:30AM-12:30PM

Wednesday, February 22nd 8:30AM-12:30PM

Thursday, February 23rd 8:30AM-12:30PM

West Bridgewater Middle Senior High School

155 W Center St, West Bridgewater

Come join in all your favorite enrichment activities! Brought to you by your favorite STEAM camp team, this enrichment week will allow students to participate in everything from visual arts to science experiments, from scavenger hunts to crazy sports, from sewing to sing-a-longs! Whatever your children love, they’ll have the option to do it here.

Come have a wonderful wacky winter week with us!

The fee for this February vacation mini camp is $215 per child, with

a $15 sibling discount for each subsequent child in the household.

Payment can be made via Venmo (@Sandy-Churchill-1) or by

check to Sandy Churchill, dropped off in the main office.

Any questions, email churchillenrichment@gmail.com.

Sign up by February 7th to guarantee your spot.

Ready to sign up your child? Click HERE!

News from the Policy Subcommittee

The objective of the Policy Subcommittee is to regularly review policies of the West Bridgewater School Committee to determine if they are current, consider the interests of stakeholders, and are in line with guidance from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. At the most recent school committee meeting on February 6, 2023, the following policies were reviewed and revised as indicated:

• DB - Annual Budget

• DBC - Budget Deadlines

• DBD - Budget Planning

• DBG - Budget Adoption Procedures

• DD - Grants, Proposals, and Special Projects

• DI - Fiscal Accounting and Reporting

• DIE - Audits

• DJ - Purchasing

Additionally, the following policies were opened and are scheduled for review at the next school committee meeting on March 6, 2023:

• DA - Fiscal Management Goals

• DEC - Federal Funds Supplement Not Supplant Policy

• DKC - Expense Reimbursements

• GBEA - Staff Ethics / Conflict Of Interest

• GBEBC - Gifts To And Solicitations By Staff

• GBEBD - Online Fundraising And Solicitations - Crowdfunding

• KCD - Public Gifts to the Schools

For any questions or to provide feedback, please contact the policy subcommittee at kmilton@wbridgewater.com and rdragonetti@wbridgewater.com. A complete listing of policies can be found in the WB Policy Index at https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org/page/school-committee.

Check out the latest newsletters from each of the schools in the district. Every 2 weeks they are also sending out newsletters. These are filled with great information!!

If you are interested or know someone interested in being a substitute teacher please click on the link below. If you are not sure and have any questions please feel free to reach out to the building principal and ask them any questions you may have about the position.

Mark Bodwell, Superintendent of Schools

Email: mbodwell@wbridgewater.com
Website: www.wbridgewaterschools.org
Location: 2 Spring Street, West Bridgewater, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 894-1230
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbridgewaterschools
Twitter: @WBPSwildcats