Fisher Family Update
October 10, 2025
Dear Fisher Families,
The Boosterthon “Fun Run” kicked off yesterday at Fisher School. You should have received information in backpacks this week and we sent home the lanyards today. Here’s how it works: over the next couple of weeks, students will learn about teamwork, fitness, and character through fun daily videos and activities. Family and friends can support students by making pledges for minutes run during the Fun Run event (30-35). On the big day, students will run, jog, or walk laps outside while cheering on their classmates—it’s always one of the most exciting days of the year!
Students can earn fun prizes for their participation and pledges, with new prizes unlocked as they reach different pledge levels. There will also be class and schoolwide rewards for reaching fundraising goals—so every student’s effort counts! Please be aware, there is NO donation required, every student will get to participate on the day of the run. The school earns incentive prizes on the percentage of students registered. Please register via the link below.
Have a great weekend,
Brian
Ms. Boyajian's class put on their "poet glasses" to investigate the elements of poetry
Students in 2nd Grade enjoyed their fieldtrip to Franklin Park Zoo.
Miss Romano’s bunch goes wild at Franklin Park Zoo!
Story time outdoors with Mrs. Viola's class
Mrs. Penfield’s and Mrs. McMillan’s class got together for the first time and had a morning meeting. We all got to learn more about our buddy!
Kindergarten and 4th grade morning meeting
Readers Workshop in Mrs. Farrell's room
Our educators at Fisher have many ways to check your child’s reading development and growth, including an early literacy universal screening assessment. Early literacy universal screening assessments are brief tests that provide information about your child’s early reading skills.
Screening makes it possible to see if a student is at risk of developing reading difficulties, including risk of dyslexia. Screening does not diagnose dyslexia or other disabilities, but it does help us understand which students may need additional support to be successful readers. We are required to assess students in grades K-3 at least twice per year consistent with Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 28.03(1)(f).
Our district uses the screening assessment called iReady. This screening assessment is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Your child will be assessed two or three times during the school year, depending on grade level. Grades 1-3 will be given the computer adaptive assessment in the Fall. Kindergarten will be given the computer adaptive assessment in the Winter and Spring. Assessments given in the Winter and Spring will also include offline literacy task assessments for grades K-3.
The tentative schedule for this school year is shown below:
Screening Assessment Months (Subject to Change)
Kindergarten
1. January
2. May
Grade 1, 2, 3
1. September
2. January
3. May
Following the screening assessment, a team at our school will review all students’ results. If your child scores significantly below benchmarks, we will contact you to discuss how we can support your child.
Screening is another step that helps students at our school become proficient readers, and we are grateful for the continued support and partnership with the Fisher families. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
This month, the Walpole Public Schools will be mailing MCAS results home to families. It is important to understand that the MCAS are one of the many ways we measure student progress 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 district 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 going well for your child and other areas that may be a challenge.
In our fast-paced world filled with standards and expectations, goals and grades, one essential part of learning, no matter what subject or age of student, often gets overlooked-the power of play. Brandon Smith, the head mathematician for Mind Education and ST Math puts it best , “None of this is wasted time. It’s the brain at work, wiring itself for problem-solving, social understanding, and persistence. Play is the most natural laboratory the brain has. It sparks curiosity, lowers fear, and keeps learners engaged long enough to wrestle with big ideas.” (Read the full article, “When Math Begins with Play, Everything Changes”)
Fortunately, play is embedded in our math curriculum in Walpole. Through ST Math, Work Places in Bridges, Number Corner activities and the wide variety of math games our teachers use, students are actively learning math while having fun.
Families often ask educators what they can do to support their child’s learning at home. After a long day of school, some homework and probably an activity or sport one of the best things you can encourage after school is simple: play! Board games, card games, and even some computer games (though we do encourage more socially interactive games) will have your child engaging in a fun activity while boosting their pathways for flexible thinking, problem solving and number sense! Our Family Math site includes a whole section on games that can support your child’s growth as a mathematician. The next time you are wondering what might help your child the most, remember the wise words of Mr. Rogers…
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.
But for children, play is serious learning.
Play is really the work of childhood.” - Mr. Rogers
Fisher School will be hosting the Scholastic Book Fair in November! Student previews will be held during the day on November 10th, 12th and 13th. Books and items will be available for purchase during parent-teacher conferences on the evenings on November 13th and 18th as well as the afternoon of November 14th. Parents are encouraged to help! Please see the below sign-up. All day preview volunteers must have an active CORI background check on file.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080448A8AE28A4FA7-59167091-2025#/
Please click here for more information and to sign up for the PAC Trunk or Treat event.
Boo Your kids and Boo Your friends! Boo Bags are $10 and all proceeds go to Fisher’s 5th grade class to help fund graduation celebrations. Order with this Link:
Booing will take place 10/27-10/30 between 5:30-8 PM. We do the booing for you, delivering your goody bag to anyone in Walpole. Anyone outside of Walpole can still get a goodie bag but we will send it home with your student or you can arrange for pick up. You can also sponsor a bag for a child who might not otherwise get one.
Each goody bag will have some candy and goodies. Candy will not contain nuts but we can’t guarantee it is not produced in a facility where cross contamination can occur. We can provide a goodie only bag, upon request.
Last day to order is October 20. Email Kristine Buttaro, krissiebell@hotmail.com, with any questions.
This letter is to inform you of the upcoming state mandated screenings that will be happening soon at Fisher Elementary School. While most children see their pediatricians annually, this program frequently identifies problems that arise between doctors’ visits.
State regulations require vision and hearing screenings for all students enrolled in public schools. Screenings are done at selected intervals throughout the school years. At Fisher Elementary all grades will have vision screening and grades K-3 will have hearing screening.
In addition, we will continue to collect BMI’s for grades 1 and 4. A Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a measure that is used to show a person’s “weight for height for age.” It is calculated using an individual’s height and weight. Just like a blood pressure reading or an eye screening test, a BMI can be a useful tool in identifying possible health risks.
Massachusetts schools have taken heights and weights of students each year since the 1950’s. According to the state’s new BMI screening regulation which passed in April 2009, schools must now collect the heights and weights of students in grades 1, 4, 7 and 10. Each child’s height and weight will then be used to calculate their BMI. The results will be kept in your child’s school health record. Unlike recent years, these results will not be sent home but will continue to be reported as aggregate data to the state. No personal information will be included.
If you would like to opt out of the screening(s), please let me know and provide a copy of your child's most recent physical with their vision, hearing and/or height and weight recorded within the last calendar year.
Lindsey Moyes, M. Ed, BSN, RN
LMoyes@walpole.k12.ma.us
Fisher Elementary School
65 Gould Street, Walpole 02081
Health office phone: (508) 660-7234 Option 2
Health office fax: (866) 898-5919
Dear Fisher Parents and Guardians,
The School Store is opening next month! Our first date will be October 1st.
What is the School Store?
For students in grades 3,4 and 5 organized and run by PAC volunteers
Open on Wednesdays during lunch. Students can only come up to shop after they have finished their lunch.
Students can purchase pens, pencils, erasers and other novelty items
Items are priced from .25¢ - $2.00. Spending limit of $2.00 per visit.
Grades 3,4 and 5 are split into two groups and shop once per month. Groups and the starting schedule are below.
Group 1: Boyajian, Hughes, Barend, Fomenko, Brogan, O'Neill
Group 2: Penfield, Winer, McDonald, Sullivan, Terranova, Wesinger
Student Walker Permission Form
Families with students that walk home have the option to pick up their student at Door #18 or allow them to walk home. Please sign this form if you give permission for your child to walk home unaccompanied by an adult.
Reminder: Per School Handbook: Only 5th grade students are allowed to ride bikes to and from school.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures - Please read: Changes for the 2025-2026 school year
Walkers will be dismissed from door #18 at 3:00pm. Parents are expected to meet their students outside of Door 18. Students are not allowed to cross driveways unattended. This is a change from last year. Due to safety concerns, parents are not allowed to park in the Fisher School parking lots to retrieve their children.
Click HERE to view our arrival and dismissal procedures
Walpole Public School App
For this coming school year, we are asking families to download the WPS app. We will be reserving SMS text messaging for urgent messages only. When sending non-urgent messages to families, we will be using the Live Feed as the delivery tool (through the WPS App). You will receive a detailed email from our tech department with further information and instructions.
Urgent alerts are considered to be "must read right now" messages, such as school closings, late buses, absence notifications, and emergencies. Non urgent alerts are considered to be reminders for spirit days, special events after school, etc.
Walpole Public Schools 2025-2026 school year calendar
Please click here for all district calendar/times information
The school day will begin at 8:30am
Dismissal will be at 3:00pm
Early Release Days - dismissal will be 11:55am
Main Office Information
Absences: If your student is going to be absent or tardy, please call the absence line and let us know in advance. You may call this line at anytime and leave a message. The telephone number is 508-660-7234 and then press 1
Early Dismissals: Please send a hand written note with your student in the morning or fill out this form with at least 2 hours advance notice.
Afterschool dismissal changes: If your student is changing their typical way of leaving Fisher at 3:00pm, please send a note into school with the plan that morning.
We understand that there are unavoidable last minute changes, however, please be mindful that we must call the classroom and upset time on leaning with each change.
Please feel free to email the front office: fisher-secretaries@walpole.k12.ma.us