Anne T. Dunphy Newsletter

We hope that you all had some down-time over the break. If you like snow, this was a great break! At school, we are hoping for a reprieve from the chaotic schedules that New England weather can sometimes bring, and are looking forward to some consistent school schedules!

However, moving on from break means the 2026 Winter Olympics are done. As someone who loves the Olympics, I was really proud when a kiddo sadly asked me in the lunch line if the Olympics were done. They all enjoyed watching various events during lunch leading up to break! With a little bit of exposure during that week, the students are enjoying the new posters of flags from around the world that line our lunch-line wall!

This newsletter is full of lots of information about upcoming events - with several "Click here" options! Be sure to pull our your calendars and mark all of the important dates coming up!

~Stacey

Our 4th graders have been busy exploring Energy and Engineering in science class! Recently, we’ve been learning about energy in motion (kinetic energy) and energy related to gravity (potential energy). Roller coasters have been a perfect real-world example to help us understand these concepts.

We discovered that the biggest hill on a roller coaster is always the first hill. That first climb gives the coaster cars the potential energy they need, and as they roll down, that energy turns into motion. The momentum from that first hill helps carry the cars through the rest of the ride—without needing additional energy!

We’ve also been discussing energy transfer. To make this concept more concrete, we looked at bumper cars and talked about how you can actually feel energy transfer when one car bumps into another.

During our lab work, students have been designing and building their own marble roller coasters. They’ve been experimenting with different heights and marble weights to observe how speed changes. Then, they tested how much energy was transferred when their moving marble hit a “bumper” marble waiting on the track below. It has been exciting to see students apply their understanding of momentum and energy transfer through hands-on engineering challenges!

Next, we are studying chain reaction machines, a la Rube Goldberg. Sometime soon we’ll be building our own chain reaction machines to show off our knowledge of kinetic and potential energy.

Are you tired of cooking dinner this winter? Take a night off, and support the PTO at the same time!

It's time for our spring Caregiver conferences. They will be held March 25, 26, and 27. Please remember that these are half days for students.

Use the link below to sign up! If you have trouble, please call the school and we are happy to help!

We are using HRHS' ticketing platform, so be sure to scroll down to "Matilda" shows!

Or better yet... buy tickets to BOTH!

Do you have items that we could borrow for the musical?

• Black dress shoes
• Ballet flats
• Loafers
• Mary Jane's or lace up oxfords
• sizes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5

• Hockey or football shoulder pads

Contact: sherriemarti@yahoo.com

Part of the work of the Williamsburg School Committee is to review and approve the school budget. Starting in January of each year, we work with Stacey to ground the budget conversation in the school's vision, in order to ensure that children are always at the center:

ATD School Vision

We wish to guide our children toward a lifelong love of learning for its own sake; toward an appreciation of the limitless power of knowledge; toward a vision of the future founded on lessons of the past; toward reverence for health of mind and body; toward dedication to principles of truth, friendship and justice in human affairs; and toward a desire to enjoy, to enhance and to preserve the beauty of the world in which their children will one day live.

Once we are in agreement about big picture priorities and commitments, the conversation becomes more detailed as we figure out how to best allocate funding. Come learn more about the process at our next monthly meeting on March 25th at 5:30pm!

For those early planners, next year's school calendar is linked below!

Sign Your Child Up Now for IGNITED 2026!

We’re excited to announce that Introduce a Girl/Non-binary Individual To Engineering Day (IGNITED) is back this spring, on Saturday, March 7th, 2026, at Smith College! Students in grades 5 through 8 will participate in hands-on workshops led by our enthusiastic engineering undergraduates, exploring the theme of "From Spark to Solution!" Here is the FULL online registration form: https://forms.gle/pMYFshVdUzo9a4op6 It is first-come, first-served and free! We prioritize registrations received by Saturday, February 14. Register quickly because spots fill fast! Any questions? Reach out to swe@smith.edu!

March

March 5: Family Literacy Night (info above)

March 5: PTO Meeting, 3:15

March 9: HRHS Musical Preview (grades 4-6)

March 13: 1/2 day for students (11:45 dismissal)

March 16: Family Feast Lunch (12:00 grades 4-6, 12:30 grades K-3)

March 25: School Committee, 5:30 (Public Budget Hearing)

March 25-27: Caregiver Conferences

March 27 & 28: Matilda the Musical!

MCAS Dates

April 7 & 8: ELA MCAS (grades 3-6)

May 12 & 13: Math MCAS (grades 3-6)

May 19 & 20: Science/Technology MCAS (grade 5)

CFCE Friday Playgroup: Fridays 10:00-11:30 in the ATD gym!

Email: sjenkins@hr-k12.org
Website: www.burgyschool.org
Location: 1 Petticoat Hill Road, Williamsburg, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 268-8421
Facebook: Williamsburg Schools