Dear Lowell Elementary School Parents and Caregivers:

As we prepare for the minor delay in moving into the new Lowell Elementary School, we would like to share some information with you regarding the 4 ½ weeks we will be spending at Lowell Phillips and Lowell West.

Location: Students entering grades K-2 will attend school at Lowell Phillips (30 Common Street) and students entering grades 3-5 will attend school at Lowell West (175 Main Street, Waltham) for the first 4 ½ weeks of school. Students supported by ISP will be assigned to the building associated with the assigned grades. We are optimistic that we will be able to move into the new school over the weekend of October 7, 2023. The first day in the new Lowell will more than likely be Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

Moving Day: If the move occurs over the first weekend of October, Lowell Elementary School students will have no school on Tuesday, October 10th to give teachers a day to move in and set up their classrooms. Lowell will make up for the missed day by attending school on Tuesday, November 7th which is currently a planned professional development day for the district. There will also be a ½ day on Friday, October 6.

Busing: Given the short duration of time in the swing space, there won’t be busing to Lowell Phillips for students in grades K-2, and limited busing to Lowell West for students in grades 3-5. We will offer busing to Lowell West students if your family lives greater than 1.5 miles from Lowell West. If you need busing, please use the following link to sign up by June 16. Please note that there will not be busing to the new Lowell Elementary School once it is open, and therefore we encourage families to drive their children to Lowell West beginning in September. This will allow for a more smooth transition and will help out the Lowell West School administration tremendously.

Extended Day and Morning Program: The Extended Day Program will begin the year as planned and continue to run at the Phillips until we return to the renovated Lowell. Lowell West students attending LEDP for morning care and/or after school will be transported by bus from and to the Phillips to attend these programs.

The Extended Day Program will not run on Friday, October 6th to allow the moving company access to the Phillips Building.

Thank you for your understanding as we complete the construction of our amazing Lowell Elementary School. There will be a Lowell Community Forum tonight, Wednesday, June 7 at 6:00 pm to discuss the delay via Zoom, and a second forum on Friday morning, June 9, at 8:30 via Zoom.

Best,

Dede Galdston, Superintendent

Stacy Phelan, Lowell Elementary School Principal

Class Placement Information

Classroom/teacher assignments will be emailed to families in early August. This allows us to make adjustments in the best interests of students if we have enrollment or staffing shifts between now and then. We appreciate your understanding of this.

School Supply Lists

As we did last year, the district will provide K-5 WPS students with basic school supplies. There will be no school supply lists sent home. Students should have a backpack and a water bottle.

School Success Plan

This past week I present the School Success Plan for next year with Principal Phelan (Lowell) and Principal Ciarlone (Cunniff). We have worked collaboratively to develop a plan aligned to District strategy and look forward to our continued growth as a district. You can see the plan here.

Deb Opar, K-7 Literacy/SS Coordinator

As we head into next school year, our literacy plans will continue to build on the effective, evidence-based work from the last several years.

During the current school year, the District Literacy Study Team (DLT) worked collaboratively and effectively to: (1) update our Elementary Literacy Vision, (2) examine the Science of Reading research and read the book Shifting the Balance by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates, and (3) engage in protocols to review high quality, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)-approved core programs. Using the DESE CURATE rubric and keeping the following specific considerations in mind, we’ve decided to pilot two evidence-based programs next school year.

• Our strengths in the effective implementation of Fundations, DIBELS, i-Ready and other resources, including Geodes & Heggerty

• Our student demographics in WPS and focus on supporting all students, particularly our Multilingual Learners

The programs are:

1. Expeditionary Learning (EL)

2. Wit & Wisdom

We will conduct a pilot study in grades 1 and 4, evaluate it, then adopt a program for full implementation during the 2024 - 2025 school year. Additionally during the 2023 - 2024 school year, all teachers in grades K -5 will be utilizing DIBELS (Early Literacy Screening tool) to monitor student progress and Fundations (Phonics) will expand into grade 3 (K - 3).

This program helps students make connections between the organized nonviolent actions of the civil rights movement and civic action for justice today. By examining photographs of less well-known civil rights activists and learning how they used the tools of democracy to fight for justice and equality, students discover what led President Kennedy to deliver his Televised Address on Civil Rights. Students use a graphic organizer in the exhibit galleries to identify civic actions taken during the Kennedy Administration and make connections to civic engagement today.

6/15/2023 (Thursday)

12:30 PM Grade 5 Moving On Ceremony

6/16/2023 (Friday) - Last Day of School!

Progress Report / Report Cards To Go Home

8:30AM - 10:30AM Talent Show (Grades 3, 4, 5)

12:15 PM Early Release