News From The Nest: Issue #32

Hello Elm Street School Families and Friends!

We had a busy first week back from the April Break! It has been so great having all of our Eagles back at the Nest, ready for the last, and very full, weeks until the end of the school year.

The week kicked off with a visit from the Discovery Museum to first grade to support their study of sound. Grades 3 and 4 came back focused, worked hard, and completed their Math MCAS sessions. On Thursday evening our Drama Club visited the School Committee meeting to share about how the club got started and also gave an amazing teaser performance of "Circle of Life" from their upcoming show Lion King Jr.

In this edition of our newsletter you will find more information about:

• upcoming dates and celebrations for April
• Elm Street School Counseling Corner for May: topics include- Mental Health Awareness Month, SEL lessons for May
• Essentialist Newsletter: MUSIC
• Spring Picture Day at Elm
• Elm Street School Spring Dance
• District Art Show (May 6)
• Math Coach's Corner: Math Games
• Principal's Office Podcast: Social Emotional Learning with Tori Dore and Shannon Songin
• Bus Registration for 2026-2027 School Year
• MCAS Schedule and Information
• Terrific Tray Voting
• Elm Street School at WooSox
• Reminders from previous newsletters: Attendance, Arrival, Dismissal Form, 2026 - 2027 School Calendar, Attendance Information, Walpole Food Pantry
• Lunch Menus
• Walpole Virtual Backpack (community notices)

These next 7 weeks are packed with special events and activities, so please be sure to keep an eye on the calendar, your email, and notes home from your child(ren)'s teacher(s). I hope you all have a great weekend and that I will see many of you at next week's upcoming Art Show on Wednesday.

Jen

At the beginning of each month I will share a calendar of some upcoming Elm events as well as upcoming cultural celebrations and heritage months with hyperlinks to more information if you are interested in learning more. Below is information for May.

If there are cultural celebrations that are important to you and your family that you would like to share with the adult Elm community, please email me so I can be sure to include them in upcoming newsletters. If you have any questions about anything you see on our calendar, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly.

May

• Asian American, Native Hawai'ian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month

• Mental Health Awareness Month

• 5/1: School Lunch Hero Day, Grade 4 Math MCAS Session 2, Vesak

• 5/4-8: Educator Appreciation Week

• 5/4 7:30p Town Meeting

• 5/5: Cinco de Mayo, Grade 5 Math MCAS Session 1

• 5/6: Grade 5 Math MCAS Session 2, 6:00p District Wide Art Show

• 5/8 : Spring Concerts (K: 9:15a, Grade 1: 10:00a)

• 5/10: Mother's Day

• 5/12: Spring Photo Day

• 5/13 Grade 5 STE MCAS Session 1, 6:30p Incoming Kindergarten Family Meeting

• 5/14: Grade 5 STE MCAS Session 2, 6:45p School Committee Meeting

• 5/15: Early Release Day, 6:00p Elm School Dance

• 5/19-20: Incoming Kindergarten Screening Days

• 5/21: Spring Concerts (Grade 2: 9:15a, Grade 3: 10:00a)

• 6:30p Drama Club Lion King family performance, 7:00p Elm PAC meeting

• 5/22: Twin Spirit Day

• 5/25: Memorial Day SCHOOL CLOSED

• 5/26 7:00p Elm PAC meeting

• 5/28 Wellness Day, 6:45p School Committee meeting

• 5/29: Spring Concerts (Grade 4: 9:15a, Grade 5: 10:00a)

Picture Day is coming up on 05/12/2026! Order before Picture Day to receive FREE SHIPPING to the school. Order online at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/0457SSF

It's finally feeling like spring out there, so it's time to start thinking about our annual Elm Street Spring Dance!

On Friday, May 15 from 6-8pm, join us in the school gym for a "Dance Through the Decades" themed dance! Dress from your favorite decade (or just come as you are) and get ready for dancing, games, pizza, and fun! The dance is free to all.

Please RSVP here to let us know who will be attending from your family.

Spring is here, which brings warmer temperatures (we hope!), but it also means we are entering into a very busy time of year! Sports, recitals, family events, special days can all create a very hectic schedule of car trips, siblings at each other’s practices and events with the odd 10 minutes here,15 minutes there to fill. Taking out a good book to read is always a possibility, but there are also some great quick math games that need very little in the way of materials that can help fill the time, engage the sibling that is “along for the ride,” and build number sense all at the same time!

The best math games include both strategy and some luck so that anyone has a chance to win regardless of their academic level. Games that allow students to explore operations, test their ideas, see patterns and think like a mathematician will boost number sense, fact fluency and math disposition because they are fun! Here is an article with directions for five engaging math-rich games that families can play anytime in less than ten minutes.

Prep a one gallon ziploc bag to keep in your car or sports bag with these items to pull out at any time:

• at least one six-sided die (if you have 2 or 3 even better!)

• a deck of cards (most games remove Jacks, Kings-Aces are 1, and Queens serve as 0)

• Cards and dice are interchangeable for most games, sometimes cards are easier as children can move them around and manipulate them in different positions for place value

• Pencils and paper, or dry erase board/marker (if you have it; paper works just as well)

Visit our Family Math Website for more fun activities and games that will reduce screen time, engage your child and boost math skills & disposition!

Our latest episode of the Principal's Office Podcast is out on Spotify. Give it a listen here.

This month we are joined by our school counselors Mrs. Dore and and Ms. Songin who share about social emotional learning lessons (SOAR lessons) at Elm as well as the other various ways they support students and families at Elm.

Next month Mrs. Nalbach, our Team Chair, will be on the podcast to talk about levels of student supports and services.

Registration Options

Pay to Ride -

• If paid by June 18th: $300 per rider, Family Cap $600

• If paid after June 18th: $350 per rider, Family Cap $700

• If paid after July 1st: $400 per rider, Family Cap $800

Ride Free – Registration Required - Students in GRADES K-6 WHO LIVE OVER 2 MILES FROM THEIR ASSIGNED SCHOOL receive free bus transportation. A list of free streets can be found on the Walpole Public Schools website.

Ride Free – Registration Required - For families that meet Federal Low Income Guidelines for Free or Reduced School Lunch, students are eligible for free bus transportation.

To Register - Please click on the following QR code for registration and payment or visit www.myschoolbucks.com .

For more information please visit: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/article/2788908

Below is the remaining schedule for MCAS.. To help your child(ren) be as prepared as possible for MCAS testing days, please help them get a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast in the morning. For students who are absent on MCAS days we will schedule make up sessions when they return.

Grade 5

Math Session 1: Tuesday May 5

Math Session 2: Wednesday May 6

STE Session 1: Wednesday May 13

STE Session 2: Thursday May 14

Walpole Public Schools is proud to be in the running for the 2026 Terrific Tray of the Year, and we need your support! Our January-winning tray features a seasonally inspired Roasted Vegetable & Parmesan Crisp
Kale Salad, paired with local apple slices in celebration of Harvest of the Month. This fresh and flavorful meal highlights ingredients from regional partners, including:

• Joe Czajkowski Farm (Hadley, MA) – Brussels sprouts and carrots
• Brookdale Fruit Farm (Hollis, NH) – Apples
• The Good Crust (Maine) – Focaccia made with locally sourced grains

This recognition celebrates our commitment to serving nutritious, locally sourced meals to students across Walpole. Please take a moment to vote and help us earn the title!
Please vote before Friday, May 8, 2026. VOTE HERE

Thank you for supporting Walpole Public Schools and our school nutrition program!

We are continuing the fun tradition of hosting Elm families at a Worcester Red Sox (WooSox) game!

We will be at Polar Park on Sunday, June 7, at 1pm. Stay until the end of the game, when kids are allowed to run the bases! Tickets are $33 each and can be bought here.

If you've never been, Polar Park is an extremely family-friendly venue for all ages. There is even a playground near the outfield! So bring your whole crew and come have some fun.

$2 of each ticket will come back to the PAC. If you need financial assistance, please reach out to Mrs. Buller - we have you covered!

Hope to see you there!

We have officially transitioned to our new online reporting tool, the Elm Student Notification Form, to report absences, late arrivals, and changes to dismissal plans. You can also find the link to the form on the main page of our website by using the button labeled "ATTENDANCE"

• For ABSENCES and TARDIES, we ask that families do their best to complete this form as soon as possible in order to communicate with the main office. You will no longer need to leave messages on the Elm attendance line. We will be phasing out this number in the week after break.
• For EARLY DISMISSALS and CHANGES TO DISMISSAL PLANS, we ask that families complete this form no later than 2:00p when the form will be locked. This will minimize our front office staff calling and interrupting instruction. If there is an URGENT change in dismissal plans that occurs after 2:00p, families must call the main office to communicate the change.
• If families are reporting absences, tardies, early dismissals, and/or changes to dismissal plans for multiple students at the same time, please complete the form separately for each student.

By notifying our team in advance and centralizing information in one online platform we will be able to avoid interrupting instruction and avoid confusion and errors during dismissal.

What is Chronic Absenteeism?

A student is considered Chronically Absent when they miss 10% of the school year. In Massachusetts, this means a student who misses 18 or more days, regardless of an excused or unexcused reason, is classified as chronically absent. Just two missed days each month can lead to this status.

Why is school attendance so important?

Students who are in school consistently are more successful learners. Per the National Center for Education Statistics: A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn and interact with their classmates. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. This relationship between attendance and achievement may appear early in a child's school career. Greater absenteeism during the school year can lead to lower achievement in reading, math, and general knowledge. Poor attendance has serious implications for later outcomes as well. High school dropouts have been found to have exhibited a history of negative behaviors, including high levels of absenteeism throughout their childhood, at higher rates than high school graduates.

If your child starts to accumulate absences, we will work with families to figure out the best way to help improve your child's attendance at school.

The Walpole Food Pantry continues to support local families in need throughout the year. Donations of non-perishable food items, household essentials, and grocery store gift cards are always appreciated. You can help by dropping off contributions at the pantry during open hours or at one of the collection boxes located around town. Every donation—big or small—makes a meaningful difference for our neighbors in need.

https://www.wcfp.org/receiving-food

Email: jbuller@walpole.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/o/ess
Location: 415 Elm Street, Walpole, MA, USA
Phone: 508.660.7374

Instagram: ElmStSchool