Fisher Family Update
October 21, 2022
Upcoming Dates and Events
October
10/24-11/3 - Scholastic Book Fair
26 Parent/Teacher Conferences 6pm-8pm
28 Early Release Day - Dismissal 12:25
28 Parent/Teacher Conferences 1pm-3pm
28 Trunk or Treat 6pm-8pm
November
3 Parent/Teacher Conferences 6pm-8pm
11 No School - Veterans' Day
16 Fisher PAC Meeting - 6pm-8pm Fisher Library
16 Lifetouch Picture Make Up/Retake Day
18 Fisher Scene 7pm
23 Early Release - Thanksgiving Break
24/25 Thanksgiving Break
28 School Resumes
2022 MCAS Results
On Tuesday October 25th, 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 over the next two weeks and this is a great opportunity to hear about specific aspects of the grade-level standards that are going well for your child and other areas that may be a challenge.
3rd graders from Mrs. Blake’s class working with math guru Greg Tang. We were working on numbers and word problems. The students were engaged and participated using their hands and whiteboards
Fisher Counselors Newsletter
Fisher Counselors’ Newsletter
October 2022
Counselors: Carly Mahoney & Erin Mansfield
Dear Families:
It is October and we are off to a great school year! Students have adjusted well to the new year, their new classes and teachers, and new routines. We have been helping students during this time of transition. We have been making sure that we are present and noticeable by all students - by popping into different classrooms, joining in during some lunch and recess periods, and being visible around the school building. As counselors, our main goal is to develop and maintain a positive and trusting rapport with all students. We know that not every student may need us; however, we want to make sure that the students who do feel comfortable enough to come to us for support. We strive to make sure that all students know that we are additional trusting adults that are here to help!
All students have been participating in guidance lessons, known as SWIM lessons, facilitated by one of the counselors. Each class engages in these SWIM lessons on a bi-weekly basis. The classroom teachers take part in these lessons as well. Students are able to learn about different social-emotional skills while having fun with different activities, books, and/or videos. During SWIM, September was spent on getting acquainted with the new school year and new people, and October has been focusing on recognizing our feelings and emotions, the Zones of Regulation, and learning ways and strategies to cope.
We are going to start putting together some lunch bunches for students. Lunch bunches are scheduled times when a small group of students can eat lunch together, with a counselor, and socialize with different games or activities. Sometimes, groups are purposefully put together for a variety of reasons, while other groups might be selected at random. Please reach out to one of the counselors if you would not want your child to participate in these groups.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to a counselor at any time!
Thank you,
Carly Mahoney & Erin Mansfield
Visit our website for more information and resources: https://sites.google.com/walpole.k12.ma.us/counselorscorner-callaghan/home
Math - Family Website
Fall weather coming makes me think of snuggling up with a good book! This week we are highlighting the section of our Family Math site that shares fun books to read with your children around math. Reading math story books together is an engaging way to show your children that math occurs every day all around us and reinforces classroom learning at home. The Best Children's Books website sorts books by mathematical concept, and suggests grades for each book. Save the site on your phone for reference during your family trips to the library. Math picture books build connections between what happens in our daily lives and how we apply math to situations. They present contexts and story problems, similar to our real life experiences, and encourage us to think of ways to solve them. Read aloud video link bookshelves are posted on the Online Games and Activities page. Enjoy together!
ST Math Challenge
This past week our school had five classrooms participate in ST Math's STEM Week Challenge, setting goals that focused on improving their problem solving habits. ST Math is a gamified visual instructional program that leverages the brain's innate spatial-temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems. Be sure to ask your child about their progress with Jiji, the beloved penguin. Students help JiJi overcome obstacles by solving math puzzles - and they associate JiJi with the thrill of challenge and success. JiJi crosses the screen every time a student demonstrates understanding of a math concept, leading the student to the next challenging puzzle. Check out the ST Math section on our Family Math Website with directions for how your child can log in at home to solve puzzles and develop their problem solving skills.
SEPAC
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 these e-notes as they are scheduled.
Fisher Scene - PAC Fundraiser
Fisher Scene is fast approaching!!! Fisher Scene is our adult night out fundraiser which is our biggest fundraiser of the year!!! More details on the event will be coming out later!
This year we are asking each grade to create a fun basket to raffle or auction off. Check out your child(ren)'s grade level sign up below to see if you want to contribute! Any questions? Email your grade level coordinator (on the sign up) or FisherSchoolPAC@gmail.com.
Kindergarten: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090a49adab2ea6fe3-kindergarten
First: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090a45aaab28a4fa7-1stgrade
Second: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0e4caeaf2babfc1-2ndgrade
Third: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090849acab2ea7fd0-3rdgrade
Fourth: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084eaaa622a5f58-4thgrade
Fifth: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0848a9ab23a20-5thgrade1
Book Fair
Hello Fisher parents! We are preparing for the annual Scholastic Book Fair and could use your help! We would like parent volunteers to come in during the day on Monday October 24th, Tuesday October 25th and Wednesday October 26th to help the students preview the books and make their wish lists. We also need parent volunteers to help during the teacher conference times when other parents come in to purchase books from the Book Fair. We need to cover the evenings of Wednesday October 26th and Thursday November 3rd as well as the afternoon of Friday October 28th. See the provided SignUpGenius below. Please direct any questions you may have to Michaela Stuart, michaelaj84@gmail.com. Thank you all!
ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST HAVE AN ACTIVE CORI ON RECORD
Kindergarten Art News
Dear Parent/Guardian,
We will be participating in Artsonia again this year. Artsonia is the world's largest collection of student art, published by teachers and students from around the world. Parents and family can view the art online, leave comments and order keepsakes featuring the artwork. In Art class I photograph and publish student art work periodically. Your child’s privacy is protected by not photographing their last name, only their first name and an assigned code. If you would like to participate in the program, please click the following link to submit your email and permission.
https://www.artsonia.com/connect/YCY46B3C
If you are having difficulty connecting with the above code, please visit www.artsonia.com for additional instructions.
I look forward to sharing your child’s artwork with you!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Joanne Hirschfeld
Elementary Art Teacher/Elementary Art Coordinator
Fisher School
Daniel Feeney Preschool - 2023-2024 Enrollment
If you are interested in sending your child to Daniel Feeney Preschool during the 2023-2024 school year, tours of the preschool will be offered on the following dates:
October 20, 25, and November 9 at 6:00 PM. Additionally, please complete THIS Google Form to indicate your interest. If you would like to learn more about Daniel Feeney, please sign up to receive weekly email updates:
https://lists.walpole.k12.ma.us/mailman/listinfo/feeneynews and/or contact Julie Martin, Director, at jmartin@walpole.k12.ma.us or 508-660-7374 ext. 5681.
2022-2023 Walpole Public Schools Calendar
Fisher School Hours
The four elementary schools rotate start and end times every three years. The 2022-2023 School Year represents year one of the next rotation. For the next 3 years, Boyden and Fisher School will start at 8:55 a.m. and end at 3:25 p.m.
Doors open at 8:45am and the doors will be locked at 8:53. If your child arrives after 8:53 they will be marked as tardy. Instruction/learning begins promptly at 8:55am
NOTES FROM THE FRONT OFFICE - ABSENT/TARDY/DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
We are excited to have our students back at Fisher School! Please see below some guidelines for attendance. Any questions can be emailed to fisher-secretaries@walpole.k12.ma.us
If your student will be absent or tardy for any reason, call 508 660 7234 and press 1 and leave a message as to the reason before school begins at 8:55 am. Our automated absence calls go out at 9:30. If we do not have a reason noted for the absence you will receive an automated phone call and email. This is for your student’s safety, to ensure that all are accounted for.
The front doors will be closed at 8:53 as students are expected to be sitting in their seats at 8:55. If your student is arriving tardy, please ring the front doorbell and you will enter the building to sign your student in. A student must be accompanied by a parent/guardian when arriving. There is a sign in sheet with a column to indicate the reason for the tardy arrival.
Please note: We mark all students having school lunch in Aspen with a “L”. This does not mean the student was marked Late. We use T for tardy.
If you are dismissing your student early or changing the way they go home, send a written note on the day of dismissal that includes your student’s first and last name. The teacher will note the dismissal and plan accordingly, and the note goes to the office so we can enter it into our Aspen system. An email sent during the day may be missed by your student’s teacher.
Please avoid calling with an early dismissal change or a change in the way your student goes home. When this happens we need to call the classroom to let the teacher know and this disrupts learning time.
We cannot change the way a student goes home based on them telling the office or their teacher. We need to hear from a parent/guardian via note or phone call to make that change. If they are scheduled for Extended Day and we do not hear otherwise, we will send them to Extended Day.
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
Walker Dismissal Procedures
If your student is a "walker" at dismissal time.....
- Please do not park in the Fisher parking lot - You could park on Cobb terrace and walk down but the parking lot is not a safe option at dismissal time
- You may walk down to door 18 (by the Fisher Garden) to pick up your student
Free Meals for Students 2022-2023
We are pleased to share that Massachusetts will continue to fund free school meals for all students, regardless of household income, under a one-year expansion of a free federal school lunch program. The state’s budgetary commitment will ensure 400,000 students statewide, who would not otherwise qualify for free school meals, continue to have access to free school lunch and breakfast for the next year.
What does this mean?
All Walpole Public School children will receive free school meals while at school.
Important: We still encourage all families to submit a school meal application if they believe they are income eligible to receive free meals. While your child will receive a free meal regardless of their free or reduced-price meal status, the meal application can qualify your family for additional benefits beyond free school meals.
You can access our on-line meal benefit application here: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application
This on-line application is available in multiple languages via a drop-down menu "Language" on the toolbar.
WPS Virtual Backpack
Click HERE to view the District's virtual backpack. Inside you will find flyers and notices about upcoming events in and around our community.
Health Office Updates
Happy Fall!
- Here is a link to the WPS Health Services website. On this site you can find links to forms (ie medication administration, over the counter medication consent forms), medication policies, and information regarding illnesses, concussions and injuries.
- Walpole Pharmacy (699 Main Street) has Flu Vaccines along with COVID vaccines (ages 9+) and boosters available. They accept walk ins for the flu vaccine but require appointments to be made for the COVID vaccines.
- Please pack an extra outfit in your child’s backpack in case of emergencies, this can be stored at the school in their locker or cubbies. Please be mindful of your child wearing appropriate shoes to minimize injuries at recess and PE- sneakers are best.
- The Health Office will gladly accept donations of new or gently used clothes of all sizes and gender. We are in need of kids shorts and pants presently. We really appreciate it! Here is the Fisher health office wish list. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/KPFDTT3GDQRG?ref_=wl_share
As always, please feel free to send me an email with any questions or concerns regarding your child.
