Sheehan Elementary

Dear Sheehan Families,

We’re officially in the home stretch! There has been lots of activity at Sheehan this week as our staff gets ready for students, and it has been so nice to see the building coming to life. As we head into these last few days before school begins, I wanted to send along a few updates and reminders to help everyone feel ready for next week. I know there is always a lot of information coming your way this time of year, so hopefully having it all in one place is helpful!

We can’t wait to see everyone next week!

This week's newsletter includes information on the following:

• Important Dates
• Kindergarten Info for Wednesday, September 2 and Thursday, September 3
• Arrival, Car Line and Extended Day
• School Dismissal Manager
• Kindergarten and 1st Grade After School Opportunity
• Bus Behavior Expectations
• PTA News
• WPS School Engagement Survey
• Community Event
• Transportation
• Breakfast and Lunch
• New Communication Platform

Respectfully,

Stacy Mahoney and the Sheehan Team

A one-page printout of the updated 2026-2027 school calendar, including school hours, is available on the district website.

Wednesday, September 2

First Day for Students in Grades 1–5
Kindergarten Open House (9:30–10:30 a.m.)

Thursday, September 3
Kindergarten Transition Day -Kindergarten Dismissal at 12:00 p.m.

Friday, September 4: No School

Monday, September 7: No School

Thursday, September 10: PTA Back-to-School Family Picnic (5:30 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.)

Wednesday, September 16: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal)

Thursday, September 17: PTA Meeting (hybrid Zoom/ Sheehan Library 7:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.)

Friday, September 18: Picture Day

Monday, September 21: No School

Thursday, September 24: Curriculum Night

Wednesday, September 30: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal)

Friday, October 2: Fun Run

Monday, October 12: No School

Wednesday, October 14: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal)

Wednesday, October 28: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal)

Wednesday, September 2: Kindergarten Open House: We look forward to welcoming our Incoming K students for our Kindergarten Open House on Wednesday. We ask all Incoming Kindergarten students and their parents to meet on the Sheehan Playground near our United States map at 9:30. Mrs. Monteiro and Mrs. Truman will come out to meet you and bring you inside. Thank you!

Thursday, September 3: Kindergarten Transition Day: First day of school for kindergarten students. *This is an early release day for K students only. They will be dismissed at noon.

Students may arrive beginning at 8:40 a.m., when staff supervision begins. Please do not drop your child off before 8:40 AM, as we are not able to provide supervision prior to that time. For the first several days of school, all classroom teachers will be outside on the playground greeting and helping our students. During inclement weather, students report to the gym/cafeteria. The school day begins promptly at 8:55 a.m., so we appreciate your help in getting students to school on time.

Using the Car Line: For new families and those using our Car Line, please line up along the sidewalk on Pond Street. Our crossing guard will signal when it's time to enter the horseshoe driveway for AM drop-off or PM pick-up. At the start of the year, we ask all Car Line families to place a name sign on the right side of your windshield to help us identify our students' parents/guardians. Sign template here.

For information on Extended Day, please navigate HERE.

School dismissal manager credentials have been sent to all families. You can now login and set your child’s dismissal. If you have not received your login information please contact Mrs. Erwin as soon as possible at Eerwin@Westwood.k12.ma.us.

Please be sure to log into SDM to list your child’s dismissal. SDM is very user-friendly with an excellent self-help section to answer all your questions. Please click here to read the letter sent home to all families regarding SDM.

School dismissal manager is very user-friendly and can be used on your phone by downloading the SDM app or on your computer. There is also a help section with printouts or videos that you can watch if you’re unsure of how to set your child’s dismissal.

We're excited to share that Tobin School Westwood is launching a new afterschool program exclusively for Sheehan families, with transportation provided to Tobin, beginning this September! This option is available for Kindergarten and 1st grade students. See the attached flyer and enrollment contract for full details.

Please review our Bus Behavior Expectations with your child prior to the first day of school. Thank you for your support!

1. Stay in your seat until the bus stops.
2. Keep hands and feet to yourself.
3. Tell the bus driver about dangerous behavior.
4. Keep hands and objects inside the windows.
5. Limit 3 people to a seat. 5th graders sit at the back of the bus; Kindergarten students sit up front.
6. Use an "indoor voice" and kind words.
7. Be kind to everyone.

Please see the flyers for important updates from our Sheehan PTA.

Please join the PTA in the Sheehan Outdoor Learning Center for coffee and donuts and a Meet & Greet with our PTA. After the orientation, the PTA will be handing out goodie bags for all Kindergarten families!

We are excited to share that we have another new staff member joining the Sheehan Team. This is Mrs. Alexandra Hanley, an Occupational Therapist.

Dear WPS Families,

The WPS School Engagement Committee wants to make sure every family feels connected, supported, and included in our school community! We are working to help families build meaningful connections with one another and easily tap into existing initiatives across our schools.

Please take 2 minutes to fill out our quick Families in WPS - Get Connected interest form. By sharing your contact info and checking off the programs or efforts that interest you, we can help keep you connected and up to date on:

• Community & School Engagement: School/district committees, Welcome Clubs, and grade-level WhatsApp groups to connect with other parents.

• Special Education Support: Westwood SEPAC updates, events, and community resources.

• Volunteer Opportunities: Inclusive Read-Aloud programs in elementary classrooms.

• Cultural & Language Connection: Language Affinity Networks and coalition updates.

Checking a box simply signals your interest to the WPS School Engagement Committee and the WPS Equity Office. We will share your contact info and specific interests with the appropriate committee chairs or project coordinators so they can follow up with details and meeting links.

Click here to fill out the form

Thank you for helping us build a welcoming, connected community for all of our students and families!

Sincerely,

Lateefah Franck, Director of Equity, Integration, and Community Partnerships

Bus routes will be available through Aspen on Friday, August 28, late afternoon and on the district website.

If your family still needs to register for transportation, please visit this site.

This school year, Westwood Food Services will once again provide free breakfast and lunch to all students enrolled in Westwood Public Schools. Breakfast is served daily from 8:40–8:55 a.m. A variety of choices will be available at each school, including gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free options.

View the menu here: Sheehan Lunch Menu