OPR Weekly Update
April 26, 2024
Dear OPR Families,
It's a very exciting time of the year when many events take place to celebrate learning and allow our students to feel proud of their accomplishments. See below for the District Art Show invitation, the OPR Musical Concert invitation and more. Coming up next weekend, May 4th, is the PAC Fun Run and Spring Festival. Don't miss it! More information is below.
Next week, the Lost & Found will be outside for a few days. Stop by to pick up lost winter clothing and sweatshirts!
As part of our curriculum review process, Walpole Public Schools is actively evaluating our current and prospective K-5 Literacy Curriculum programs. Part of this process is gathering feedback from families about our current K-5 Literacy curriculum and instruction. Please take a few moments to complete this form to provide us with your insight as part of our curriculum review process. The form will close on May 10th.
Please watch this week's OPR Video News. Everyone learned about India : Click here to watch the OPR Video News.
Have a great weekend!
David N. Barner, Principal
dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
MAY
1 WPS District Art Show at the Walpole Public Library from 6-8 PM - Families are invited!
2 Grade 1 Field Trip to Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary
4 PAC sponsored Fun Run and Spring Fair! - Family Event!
8 PAC Meeting, STEM Lab and Virtual at 7:00 PM
11 Walpole Day
14 Grade 3 Field Trip to Lego Discovery Center
15 PAC sponsored school assembly: Mark Rothstein's World of Jump Rope
15 Incoming Kindergarten Orientation at 6:30 PM
16 PAC sponsored High Touch High Tech Grade 3 Presentation: Friction Gives Me Traction
16 PAC sponsored Grade 4 Presentation: Southwick's Traveling Zoo Program
17 Early Release; Dismissal is at 11:55 AM (beginning at 11:49)
17 Student Council Spirit Day: Students Dress Like Teachers and Teacher Dress Like Students
17 Grade 4 VIP Event - Grade 4 Students' Grandparents will be invited. More to come!
18 PAC Parents Night Out
21 Kindergarten Concert followed by Kindergarten Curriculum Walk, 9:00 - Families are invited!
21 Grade 1 Concert at 9:45 - Families are invited!
22 Senior Walk: Walpole High Seniors who were OPR Students visit OPR! 8:45
23 Grade 2 Field Trip to Southwick's Zoo
23 Incoming Kindergarten Student Screening by Appointment
23 Grade 4 Concert at 9:00 - Families are invited!
23 Grade 5 Concert at 9:45 - Families are invited!
24 Grade 2 Concert at 9:00 - Families are invited!
24 Grade 3 Concert at 9:45 - Families are invited!
27 No School - Memorial Day
29 Grade 5 Math Day in Bird Park
JUNE
1 Hot Hoppers travel to Keene, NH
3 Grade 5 Field Trip to Museum of Fine Arts
4 Grade 5 All School Field Day
6 Grade 5 Students Tour Incoming Kindergarten Families
7 PAC Meeting, STEM Lab and Virtual at 7:00 PM
7 OPR Field Day (Rain Date 6/10)
13 Grade 5 Clap Out at 8:45 - Families are invited!
13 Day 180 - Last Day of School - Early Release at 11:55 (Starting at 11:49)
Arrival: 8:15-8:25 AM
Tardy Bell is at 8:25 AM. (Students must be signed in at the office by an adult if tardy.)
Early Release Dismissal: 11:55 (Dismissal begins at 11:49)
Dismissal: 2:55 PM (Dismissal begins at 2:49)
If your child is going to be absent or tardy, please call the OPR office before school (508-660-7219) and press 1 for the absence line. The automated attendance verification system is in use. Those students marked absent and who have not called in will receive an automated phone call.
The WPS Summer Learning Program enrollment form is now open to families. The form in the link below is to enroll your current K-5 student(s) in the program. Please note: you will need to complete a separate form for each child you are enrolling. Be sure to pay attention when entering your student’s grade level and school. All enrollment forms must be completed by Tuesday, May 29th. Due to high demand and limited staffing, some grades and sessions may be limited on a first come first serve basis. As always, if there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact us by using the email provided below.
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form
Enrollment Forms in other languages are below.
Thank you,
Jill Masterson,WPS Summer Learning Program Coordinator
summerlearning@walpole.k12.ma.us
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Arabic)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Mandarin)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Creole-Haitian)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Nepali)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Portuguese)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Russian)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Chinese)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Spanish)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Ukrainian)
PE with Mrs. Green
K - 2:
Overhand throwing & catching practice; step with opposite foot, L-shape, back, step, throw. Underhand throwing practice as well. Students played a game to practice throwing. Two teams try to catch the most balls and get extra points if it’s thrown into the basket.
Rugby throwing and catching with a sideways pop throw and torpedo throw.
Gymnastics is underway for three weeks. All students look forward to this time of year, where we transform the gym into climbing and rolling apparatus.
Soon, we will go outside and practice throwing frisbees.
3-5:
Students re-took the Pacer, running test. All students put great effort into this and many improved on their scores from the fall.
Handball was played. This is a throw and catch game, where two teams play against each other and try to score by throwing it into the net. If the ball is dropped the opposing team gets it. The person with the ball cannot run with the ball. This is a great game to teach how to space out and work together as a team.
Gymnastics is underway for three weeks. Students are looking forward to creating gymnastics sequences with partner groups within the next couple of weeks.
We will get outdoors shortly and play Ultimate Frisbee.
Field Day is coming up soon!
Math with Mrs. Rinaldi
As educators we still hear groups of people asking about so-called “new math.” The math is not really new, we are still teaching the major 4 operations, problem solving, fact knowledge, etc. What is new, is that the goal now is not just about getting the correct answer, but building students as mathematicians and not rote calculators.
In today’s elementary classroom, our goal as educators is to build mathematicians who look at each problem and choose the best strategy to solve that particular problem, with those particular numbers. We thought it might be helpful to share the differences between these math terms and some examples of each to help parents and caregivers understand why their child might be doing math a little differently than they did, and why we ask you not to introduce certain algorithms before your student is developmentally and conceptually ready for them.
Algorithm: a series of steps to solve any problem of that type. The same method for every problem, regardless of the number/structure. All the steps, all the time.
Strategy: letting the numbers/structure influence how you solve. Not the same method for every problem. Only the moves you need.
Model: representation of a strategy, of relationships, some models can be tools. Students might use the same model with different strategies or the same strategy with different models.Want to know more, or see specific examples? Check out this resource: Pam Harris, Math is FigureOutAble, The Most Important Numeracy Strategies, or listen to these podcast episodes by Pam Harris (also linked on the FAQs page of our Family Math Resources site): Ep 55: For Parents: Why All the "New Math"? and Ep 56: For Parents: Why Does "New Math" Look Different?
News from the Nurse
One of the most common spring health issues is SEASONAL ALLERGIES.
Children can have allergies just as severely as an adult and can develop them at ANY TIME.
Up to 40 percent of children in the United States suffer from seasonal allergies, according to Parents.com.
Look out for common symptoms which include repetitive sneezing, heavy breathing, runny nose, and itchy eyes, ears and throat.
Fever is not associated with allergies, so if your child is running a high temperature, she is likely sick versus experiencing a seasonal allergy.
Please talk with your child’s pediatrician for the best allergy treatment.
Enjoy the great outdoors, but don't forget about the threat of ticks.
While it is a good idea to take preventive measures against ticks year-round, be extra cautious in warmer months (April-September) when ticks are most active.
Ticks can carry several diseases, including Lyme disease.
Wearing tick-repellent clothing, tucking long pants into socks, having long sleeves, using insect repellent, and staying to the center of paths, is the best way for people to prevent tick bites when they venture outdoors.
An estimated three quarters of all Lyme disease cases are acquired from ticks picked up during activities around the home. Children aged 2 to 13 are particularly at risk.
For detailed information about tick prevention and control, see Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Avoiding Ticks.
The Health Office would greatly appreciate donations of gently used clothing, sizes 8-10, 11-12 both genders, as our supplies are running low. If your child may need a change of clothes during the school day, please pack some in their backpack in case of emergencies! Thank you so much!
Here is a link to the WPS Health Services website. On this site you can find links to forms (i.e. medication administration, over the counter medication consent forms), medication policies, and information regarding illnesses, concussions and injuries.
Mrs. Kowalsky
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
phone: 508-660-7219 ext 5804
fax: 866.809.6567
PAC NEWS
Please join us for the OPR PAC Meeting on Wednesday, May 8th at 7:00 PM in the OPR STEM LAB or virtually via ZOOM: Link to be sent later.
Who loves OPR? We do! Sign up here to volunteer to coordinate one of our great events or fundraisers this year. PAC Coordinator Sign up:
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/9040e49a4aa2ba2fb6-oprpac1
mabel's labels
https://mabelslabels.com/en_US/fundraising/support/
Starting to lose those water bottles? Put a label on it! Please navigate to Support a Fundraiser and select Old Post Road Parent Advisory Committee.
Box Tops
Download the App for BoxTops for Education and scan receipt within 14 days of purchase. Assign Credit by selecting the Star and entering the Teacher’s Last name before you hit submit.
PAC Socal Media / Contact Info.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPR.PAC
please add: Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/oprpacwalpole
Email with questions: oprpacwalpole@gmail.com
OPR Textile Bin Donations
Massachusetts no longer allows clothing to be disposed of in the trash. Clothing must be donated or recycled. RECYCLE your clothing and textiles in the OPR Collection Bin and OPR receives money.
The collections resulted in the following:
2022 Calendar Year Total - $907.50
January 2023 - $102.00
February 2023 - $83.25
March 2023 - $95.50
April 2023 - $93.00
May 2023 - $88.20
June 2023 - $126.90
July 2023 - $100.20
August 2023 - $92.40
September 2023 - $118.80
October 2023 - $90.60
November 2023 - $113.70
December 2023 - $81.30
2023 Calendar Year Total - $1210.60
January 2024 - $85.80
February 2024 - $104.10
March 2024 - $71.70
Multilingual Learner PAC (MLPAC) Meeting
Please contact the Multilingual Learner Family Engagement Center at mlfec@walpole.k12.ma.us or at (508) 660-7257 ext. 5033 for further information or to request an interpreter or child care for the event.
WPS Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) MEETING
Please note the following contact information for Walpole’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Co-Chairs are Sue Pace and Deborah Mulroy. The SEPAC can be reached by email at walpolesepac@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/walpolespedpac. Notices of future events can be found in this Weekly Update as they are scheduled.
About Us
OPR Mission Statement
The Old Post Road School community educates all students to excel and become productive citizens.
OPR Vision
OPR students will be motivated to learn in a supportive and safe environment. The faculty will foster self-confidence in the students and encourage them to make positive choices. Students will learn to accept responsibility for their behavior and will mature into responsible citizens and lifelong learners. All students will appreciate that they are part of a diverse, global society.
Instagram: OLDPOSTROADSCHOOL_WALPOLE
Twitter: @oprschool
Email: dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
508-660-7219
