Pingree Family Newsletter

I wanted to take a moment to interrupt your summer to introduce myself and provide you with some Back to School Information.

My name is Diane Babcock, and I am honored to be the new Principal of the Lawrence W. Pingree School. I have been a member of the Weymouth community as a parent for the past 14 years and have two children who attend Weymouth High School. Outside of school, you can often find me cheering from the sidelines of a soccer field or basketball court.

I began my career in education more than 20 years ago as a Special Education teacher, primarily working with students with language-based learning disabilities. My foundation has always been in literacy and specialized reading instruction, and I remain passionate about helping every child become a confident learner.

Over the past nine years, I have had the privilege of serving as an Assistant Principal in the Quincy Public Schools. During that time, I expanded my experience in curriculum and instruction, family engagement, and school leadership. My background in both Special Education and educational leadership has prepared me to take on this important role, and I am excited to partner with the Pingree community to support the success and well-being of every student.

I look forward to getting to know our students, families, and staff and to working together to make this an exceptional school year. I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of your summer, and I can't wait to welcome everyone back to school soon!

Now back to summer!!!😀

• WPS District Academic Calendar
• August 21st Teachers assignment and bus stops will be available in Aspen at 3pm on Friday, (New this year: K families will be able to see their teachers as well, with the exception of those who have not been screened yet...screenings will take place at Adams Admin building during the week of 8/24. Details will be shared soon!
• September 1 ~ Back to School Popsicle Social (see below for details)
• September 1 ~ First Day for Staff

• September 2: No School/Staff Development
• September 3: First Day of School, Grades 1-6 & 9 - Early Release Day. Dismissal at 11:50
• September 4: First Day of School, Kindergarten, Grades 7-8, 10-12 - Full Day of School
• September 7: No School: Labor Day
• September 8: First Day of School, Pre-K
• September 21: Open House 6:00PM-8:00PM

• Kindergarten Orientation will also take place on Thursday, September 3rd, between 9:30 and 11:30 am. Kindergarten families will receive an email on Friday, August 21st, with an assigned time for your child's orientation session.

• The first day of school for kindergarten students will be on Friday, September 4th. This is a full day of school for all students. The school day begins at 8:50am and ends at 3:15pm.

We have had a few staff changes over the summer that I wanted to share with you.

Kathy Lander will be transitioning into a Special Education Curriculum Coordinator role for the district. We wish Kathy the very best in her new position! Although I have only had the opportunity to work with her for a short time, it is clear to me what a tremendous impact she has had on the Pingree staff, students, and families. Thankfully, Kathy has assured me that she will continue to check in with us a few times each month and will remain a resource and support for our community.

Additionally, Nicole Busa will be moving just up the street to Chapman. The Chapman community is very lucky to have her! We are grateful for all that Nicole has contributed to Pingree and wish her the very best in her new role.

We are excited to welcome Ms. Antoinette Deluca as Pingree's new school nurse. Over the past several years, Ms. Deluca has worked as a substitute nurse within the district, so she already knows our schools and community well. We are thrilled to welcome her to Pingree and look forward to all she will bring to our students and families.

Please join me in wishing Kathy and Nicole the very best and welcoming Antoinette to the Pingree community!

Hopefully you have had the opportunity to find time to read over the summer. Summer reading can prevent learning loss, it helps to expand vocabulary, and builds long-term habits. Try to encourage your child to read or listen to a book that sparks their interests (i.e sports, animals, music ) Linked here is the district resource for Summer reading

Our parent Council has donated Take Home Communication folders for every student. We do however ask parents to send in supplies for

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Strong schools are built through strong partnerships with families. One of the ways we can build that partnership is through consistent, clear communication. My goal is to make sure families always feel informed, connected, and welcomed as part of our school community.

Every Sunday evening, you can expect a message from me through our Smore platform. (with the exception of today's Frday message) The next newsletter will be Sunday August 23rd.

Think of these weekly messages as our family information hub for the week ahead. They will include important updates, upcoming events, reminders, and the school schedule.

You can expect to find information about events happening during the school day, as well as Parent Council events and other opportunities for families to connect with our school community outside of the school day.

I encourage you to make these Sunday messages part of your weekly routine. My hope is that they make it easier for families to stay informed and, most importantly, find opportunities to be active partners in our school community.

Our Pingree Family Board ❤️

I would love to add to our Pingree Family Board in the front lobby! If you are comfortable, please email me a photo of your family, or feel free to print a photo and send it in. I will be happy to add it to our board.

To protect everyone’s privacy, no names, grades, or class information will be posted with the photos.

I hope this board will be a wonderful way for our Pingree community to celebrate the families who make our school such a special place!

Save the Date:

• September 1st. Back to School Popsicles Social. Kindergarten: 4:00PM-5:00PM and Grades 1-5: 5:00PM-6:00PM.

• October 23rd- FUN RUN (More info to follow) Rain Date: October 30th.

Parent Council proposed Meeting Schedule: ( Please note these days maybe subject to change)

• September 16
• October 21
• November 18
• December 16
• January 13
• February 10
• March 17
• April 7
• May 19
• June 16

• ASPEN Log Information
• Pingree School Information
• Student Handbook
• Pingree Parent Council Facebook
• Pingree Parent Council Instagram

District Links & Information:

• WPS Calendar
• Technology Support for Families
• Champions After School Care
• Weymouth Wrap Around Center
• WPS Transportation Website
• WPS Food Services
• Weymouth Food Pantry Schedule