News From The Nest: Issue #10

Hello Elm Street School Families and Friends!

This week at the Nest was full of excitement and engagement! In addition to strong work across all our curriculum in each class, we welcomed Grade 1 families into the building for a fall craft day on Thursday afternoon, our kindergarten and grade 5 students worked together to plant over 150 tulip bulbs around the tree in the front loop, and students in all grades have been learning about resilience, courage, humility, teamwork, and curiosity through our Glow Run Star Quest 5 lessons and activities. Our Glow Run is helping raising critical funds for field trips, cultural arts, and much needed playground renovations for accessibility and increased safety.

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

• upcoming dates and celebrations for November
• Elm Street School Counselor November: topics include- nurturing gratitude in the family, assistance for Elm families, and upcoming SEL lessons in each grade level
• Essentialist Newsletter: ART
• Enrichment Session 2 Registration
• Fall Family Educator Conferences
• Assistance for Elm Families
• Multicultural Potluck (November 19th)- with clickable registration link!
• Walpole Food Pantry
• Walpole Wednesdays
• Walpole SEPAC Upcoming Meetings
• Reminders from previous newsletters: MCAS 2026 Dates, Attendance Information, front office reminders
• Lunch Menus
• Walpole Virtual Backpack (community notices)

This Sunday (11/2) is our Fall Festival which is free for all families at Elm. Please come on over from 11:00a - 2:00p to enjoy carnival games, inflatables and much more. Hope to see you all there!

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 November.

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.

November

• • Native American Heritage Month

  • 11/1 All Saints Day

  • 11/1 - 2 Day of the Dead

  • 11/2 11:00a - 2:00p Elm Fall Festival

  • 11/3 Glow Run

  • 11/4 Election Day

  • 11/11 Veterans Day, School Closed

  • 11/13 5:00 - 7:00p Family Educator Conferences, 6:45p School Committee meeting

  • 11/14 Early Release Day- Family Educator Conferences

  • 11/18 5:00 - 7:00p Family Educator Conferences

  • 11/19 6:30p Elm Multicultural Potluck

  • 11/20 Transgender Day of Remembrance, 7:00p Elm PAC Meeting

  • 11/26 Early Release Day, Elm Turkey Trot

  • 11/27 - 28 School Closed

  • 11/27 Thanksgiving, National Day of Mourning

Registration for the second session of enrichment classes at Elm is now open and will close on Monday evening. As a reminder we use a lottery system for enrollment for classes that have more interest than available slots (with the exception of Coach Mike's class). Families will be notified on Tuesday (11/4) about enrollment and wait lists. We added in a morning class this session in addition to afternoon enrichments. Also new this session we are working on providing access to enrichment for students who may not have been able to participate before because of a lack of transportation. You will notice on the form a "Need A Ride" or "Can Give A Ride" check box. Please check "Need A Ride" only if transportation is a barrier to participation for your child(ren). If you are able to offer a ride home in the afternoon or to school in the morning for students requiring a ride to access programming, please check off "Can Give A Ride". Thank you for helping make our enrichment classes accessible to all!

November 10 - December 19

(6 class sessions)

MONDAYS

11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15

Junior Bead Artists presented by LIVIN Every Breath

Grade: 1-3 (max 15)

Day: Monday 3:40-4:40

Price per student: $30

Let your child’s creativity shine in this hands-on beading adventure! Each week, Junior Bead Artists will explore color, shape, and simple patterns while creating their own bracelets and keychains. Through beading, kids will strengthen fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and focus — all while expressing their unique personality and having tons of fun!

TUESDAYS

11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16

Dodgeball with Mr. I

Grades: 3-5 (max 20)

Day: Tuesday 3:40-4:40

Price per student: $15

Get ready to duck, dip, dive, and dodge! In this high-energy after-school program, students in grades 3–5 will learn teamwork, sportsmanship, and agility through exciting and safe games of dodgeball. Each session focuses on skill-building—such as throwing accuracy, quick reflexes, and strategic thinking—while emphasizing respect, fair play, and fun.

Bead Designers presented by LIVIN Every Breath

Grades: 3-5 (max 20)

Day: Tuesday 3:40-4:40

Price per student: $35

For kids ready to take their creativity to the next level! Bead Designers will learn to plan, design, and craft bracelets and keychains that reflect their personality and style. From color symbolism to pattern mastery, each session encourages creative thinking, problem-solving, and self-expression. By the end of the series, students will have a collection of meaningful, handmade creations they can be proud of.

WEDNESDAY

11/12, 11/19, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17

Coach Mike Mobile Sports

Grades: K-2 (Space Limited)

Day: Wednesday 3:40-4:40

Price per student: $150

Coach Mike (formerly of Kids In Sports) has 10 years of experience teaching children the fundamentals of sports in an organized, safe, fun and supportive environment. Coach Mike’s after school program will teach children different sports each week: baseball, basketball, football, floor hockey, volleyball & soccer. Through fun activities, sports drills and competitive games, the kids will improve on their skills and learn good

sportsmanship. The class will be held in the school gym immediately after school. Enroll for this after school programs online at:

https://campscui.active.com/orgs/CoachMikesMobileSports#/selectSessions/3715245

THURSDAY

11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18

Dash & Design Lab with Ms. Edwards

Grades: 4 & 5 (max 21)

Day: Thursday Mornings 7:50-8:50

Price per student: $15

Calling all creators, coders, and problem-solvers! Students in grades 4 and 5 are invited to join a hands-on enrichment experience combining robotics, coding, and engineering design using Dash, our interactive robot.

During this program, students will:

• Learn the basics of block-based coding to control Dash’s movements, sounds, and reactions

• Design and build custom attachments or structures to help Dash complete specific engineering tasks

• Tackle real-world-style challenges—like navigating obstacle courses, transporting objects, or solving teamwork missions

• Apply the engineering design process: plan, build, test, and improve!

Diamond Art with Miss Torigian and Miss Sarkis

Grades: 2-5 (max 18)

Day: Thursday 3:40 - 4:40

Price per student: $15

Get ready to sparkle! In this relaxing and creative enrichment, students will explore the colorful world of diamond art. Each week, we’ll complete a new dazzling project, including garden stakes, bookmarks, magnets, coasters, keychains, and stickers!

Diamond art is more than just fun — it helps build fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, focus, patience, and spatial awareness. These skills are useful not just in art, but in math, puzzles, and everyday problem-solving. So while it may seem like a simple, relaxing craft, it’s actually doing a lot of quiet brain-boosting work

Animation Club with Ms. Fun

Grades: 3-5 (max 16)

Day: Thursday 3:40-4:40

Price per student: $15

Welcome to the Animation Club. Where imagination comes to life, one frame at a time! In this fun and creative club, students will learn the basics of animation using simple tools like drawings, stop-motion, and beginner-friendly digital apps. Whether it's making a stick figure dance, telling a short story with clay characters, or creating a cartoon with voiceovers, everyone gets a chance to be a storyteller and artist! Bring your creativity and curiosity!

***Please fill out the below form if you are interested in doing an enrichment program. All classes will be filled using a lottery system. Families will be notified on 11/4 of registrations. Payment is due by 11/6 to secure registration. If payment is not received by 11/6 the student's spot(s) may be given to the next available student on the waitlist.

Registration link: https://forms.gle/kGc1vA5Pt8gSVT1T7

Twice a year we offer blocks of time for Family Educator conferences, one set of days in November and another set in March. These conferences are a great time to connect with your child(ren)'s teacher(s) and discuss academic and social emotional goals and progress as well as learn more about how your child(ren) is(are) connecting with the grade level curriculum.

This Fall our conference schedule is:

Thursday November 13th from 5:00 - 7:00p

Friday November 14th from 1:00 - 3:30p

Tuesday November 18th from 5:00 -7:00p

We utilize Google Appointments to schedule these conference and encourage all families to schedule time with all of the educators who work with and support your child(ren). You can access the links to each educator's appointment schedules here. If you are having trouble with the link or finding an appointment time, please reach out to that educator directly.

The Elm Street School team is aware of the growing concerns about the SNAP benefit funding expiration. If your family will be affected by this shut down, please reach out to one of us and we will direct you to the assistance needed.

In addition, each year we reach out to all of our Elm families to offer assistance with winter gear (coats, hats, mittens, gloves, boots, snow pants) and holiday meals and gifts. If your family is in need of assistance this year because of financial hardship please reach out to myself (jbuller@walpole.k12.ma.us) or a member of our Guidance Team (Shannon Songin- ssongin@walpole.k12.ma.us Tori Dore- vwintersdore@walpole.k12.ma.us). Because of the generosity of our community here in Walpole we are able to support all families with need. When contacting us please share the ages and gender identity/expression of anyone living in the home under the age of 18, coat sizes, and the total number of people living in the home. Please know that all information will be kept confidential amongst myself, Ms. Songin, and Mrs. Dore.

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

Bring your questions about, IEP’s, Walpole’s special education program, or any general topics. For specific questions or concerns, please contact your child’s team directly.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

7:00 PM

Walpole Library Stone Room

Functional Behavioral Assessments

Emily Luth, BCBA

Emily is a former Walpole School BCBA and now an educational consultant who helps families navigate special education services and supports.

Want to connect with other parents? Join the SEPAC committee for an informal chat at Tessie’s after the meeting.

Below is the schedule for MCAS that will take place in the Spring of this school year. We will share more information about MCAS and testing dates as we get closer. For now, please mark these dates in your calendar and help ensure that your child(ren) are present for each testing session for their grade level.

Grade 3

ELA Session 1: Tuesday March 31

ELA Session 2: Wednesday April 1

Math Session 1: Tuesday April 28

Math Session 2: Wednesday April 29

Grade 4

ELA Session 1: Thursday April 2

ELA Session 2: Tuesday April 7

Math Session 1: Thursday April 30

Math Session 2: Friday May 1

Grade 5

ELA Session 1: Wednesday April 8

ELA Session 2: Thursday April 9

Math Session 1: Tuesday May 5

Math Session 2: Wednesday May 6

STE Session 1: Wednesday May 13

STE Session 2: Thursday May 14

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 508-660-7374 and then press 1

Early Dismissals: Please send a hand written note with your student in the morning or email the classroom teacher and Ms. Torigian in the main office (atorigian@walpole.k12.ma.us)

Afterschool dismissal changes: If your student is changing their typical way of leaving Elm Street School at 3:30pm, please send a note into school with the plan that morning.

*If you haven't already filled out the dismissal plan form sent by Ms. Torigian, please do so as soon as possible.

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.

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