News From The Nest: Issue #8

Hello Elm Street School Families and Friends!

It was another joyful and busy week at the Nest! Thanks to our Elm PAC the Discovery Museum came to Elm to visit with the second grade and enrich their study of the states of matter on Wednesday. Our kindergarten classes also got some of their flexible seating they ordered through the Fall PAC grant cycle and students have been learning how to use these tools to do their best learning. We closed the week with our October assembly where grade 4 hosted the share and did a fantastic job sharing all about Hispanic Heritage Month.

In this edition of our newsletter you will find more information about:

• upcoming dates and celebrations for October
• Counseling Corner: November Counseling Newsletter (mindfulness and dealing with stress, holiday assistance, social emotional learning lessons preview)
• Essentialist Newsletter: MUSIC with Ms. Gopalakrishnan
• Black and Orange Day (10/30) REMINDER
• Fall Festival Update
• A Heads Up About Lice Prevention
• School Council Spirit Days
• Fall Conferences (11/12, 11/13, and 11/17) LINKS INCLUDED
• Math Corner
• SEPAC Meeting: 10/28
• Elm PAC Corner
• Year at a Glance at Elm
• Walpole Youth Street Hockey Tournament
• 2026 - 2027 School Calendar
• Lunch Menus
• Walpole Virtual Backpack (community notices)

A HUGE THANK YOU to our Educator Appreciation Team from PAC and the Kindergarten families for hosting this past week's Educator Appreciation breakfast. The fall themed treats were just what our team needed for a mid week pick me up and your generosity and thoughtfulness brought smiles to us all!

I hope everyone enjoys the weekend and we will see all of our Eagles back at the Nest on Monday!

Jen

At the beginning of each month I will share a calendar of some upcoming Elm events as well as upcoming cultural celebrations and heritage months with hyperlinks to more information if you are interested in learning more. Below is information for October.

If there are cultural celebrations that are important to you and your family that you would like to share with the adult Elm community, please email me so I can be sure to include them in upcoming newsletters. If you have any questions about anything you see on our calendar, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly.

October

• Disabilities Awareness Month

• 9/25 - 10/2 Sukkot

• 10/2 National Custodian Day

• 10/6 World Cerebral Palsy Day

• 10/8 6:45p School Committee Meeting

• 10/9 Early Release Day

• 10/11 National Coming Out Day, Navratri

Friday October 30th we will be having our second spirit day of the month with a special Black and Orange Day on Friday October 30th. Come dressed in all black, all orange, or a combination of both!

We ask that students do not wear or bring their Halloween costumes on this day.

In case you haven’t heard, the 2026 Elm Street Fall Festival is coming up on Sunday, November 8th, from 12pm-3pm at school!

The fall festival is an annual fun, family-friendly event for all Elm families to enjoy. Please consider joining us for a great time!

Wristbands are $10 per child (all ages and siblings welcome!), with a maximum of $25 per family. A wristband allows access to ALL activities AND 3 raffle tickets! Venmo and Cash accepted. Payment will be collected at the entrance.

The Fall Fest fun will include:

• Carnival games and prizes

• Mini Golf

• Giant Legos

• Raffle prizes (additional tickets for purchase)

• Pizza, drinks, popcorn, and cotton candy for purchase (to benefit Fifth Grade Celebration)

• Other fun activities!

Ways to Contribute:

• Volunteer the day of the event! Sign Up Genius IS OPEN!!!!

• If you have a middle schooler or high schooler, we could use their help! Email elmfallfest@gmail.com for info.

• Sponsorship - Your family, small business, local businesses, corporate businesses or any other contribution could be a huge asset to make our day a success. We are looking to have a few more raffle prizes sponsored. If you or your company are interested in sponsoring, please reach out. We could keep this donation anonymous or we could use a logo to promote your business name!

We look forward to seeing EVERYONE enjoying this day! Please be in touch with Mrs. Buller if your family needs financial assistance to participate in this FUN day!

Contact the fall festival committee with any questions, or sponsorship opportunities at elmfallfest@gmail.com.

Thank you all for your continued support!

We want to share a friendly reminder that this is the time of year when we often see an increase in head lice cases. While head lice are a nuisance, it is important to remember that they do not spread disease and are not a reflection of hygiene or cleanliness. They simply love hair!

PEAK AT THE WEEK

The best defense is a proactive offense. We encourage you to perform a quick "peek at the week"-a 60-second head check every Sunday night to catch any issues early.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

• Persistent Itching: Especially behind the ears or at the nape of the neck.
• The "Nits": Tiny, teardrop-shaped eggs that are "glued" to the hair shaft. Unlike dandruff, they cannot be flicked or blown away.
• Live Lice: Small, tan-to-gray insects about the size of a sesame seed.

TRUSTED RESOURCES

• Walpole Public Schools Health Services
  Website
• Close Nit Lice Removal
• Walpole School Nurses

QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS CONTACT:

Linda Anderson M.Ed., BSN, RN

School Nurse Leader

landerson@walpole.k12.ma.us

We are excited to share with you this school year's spirit day theme schedule. Each month we will reach out with additional information and a reminder about the upcoming spirit day within the News From the Nest.

Spirit Days are completely optional and align most months with our all school assemblies so we have a chance to connect and celebrate together.

November 20

December 18

January 29

February 26

March 19

April 16

May 28

June 21

This November all of our educators will be offering conference times for parents/caregivers. These 10 minute conferences are a chance to learn about your child(ren)'s progress and goals in key academic and social emotional areas as well as ask questions of our team here at Elm. Please sign up for a conference with each of the educators that support your child(ren) across their day(s) including classroom teachers, specialists, counselors, and service providers. You are also welcome to sign up for a conference block with Mrs. Buller for any questions, connections, or feedback you would like to share.

To sign up for a conference with any our educators please access their appointment schedule through this spreadsheet and links.

This month in Math Corner, we will explore the importance of play in learning math.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

~ Fred Rogers

When children play math games, they aren't just having fun; they are practicing strategy, problem-solving, and critical thinking in an active, low-stress environment. Game-based learning also builds vital social-emotional skills like turn-taking, collaboration, following rules, and navigating healthy competition.

In Walpole math classrooms, play is everywhere! Whether our students are solving ST Math puzzles, playing Bridges workstation games, or participating in Number Corner routines, they are constantly applying concepts, making connections, and extending their thinking. As they play, students are prompted to explain their reasoning and rephrase their strategies—deepening their understanding of the math behind the game.

Parents often ask how they can support their child’s math progress and development. Playing board and card games at home is a wonderful way to strengthen these core skills as a family. (Digital math games offer great benefits too, when balanced in moderation!)

Check out our Family Math site includes a whole section on games that support your child’s growth as a mathematician.

The Walpole SEPAC serves as a support network for parents and caregivers and aims to provide essential resources, information, and educational opportunities on special education topics. The SEPAC will collaborate with the district to ensure that Walpole students receive appropriate education and support services.

Join us for our first meeting of the school year

Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Walpole Town Hall, Finance Committee Room

Discussion Topics:

1. Upcoming meeting topics for the school year

2. Learn how to get involved with the SEPAC

3. Q&A with Dr. Queally, Director of Student Services, about the Walpole Special Education

Our next meeting is November 5 at 7pm in the media room! We'd love to see you there!

The grants that were awarded at the last meeting are already being purchased and arriving at school! Be on th lookout for photos of them in use soon!

Our Teacher Appreciation committee provided a beautiful, fall themed breakfast for teachers today. Thank you to Kindergarten families for funding this special event!

Fall Fest is coming November 8th 12-3. This will be a fun day for all! There will be opportunities for parents to volunteer. Keep an eye out for sign ups in the next few weeks. If your child has food allergies and is hoping to attend Fall Fest and you'd like to have comparable safe foods for them, please email elmpac@gmail.com and we will figure out a plan!

Our annual Multicultural Potluck Event will take place on November 19th at 6pm. Please email elmpac@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering to help with this wonderful event!

The Garden Committee is selling holiday bulbs online. Here is the link to the fundraiser, which will support the purchase of a new garden shed.

The Friend Finder on the PAC website is a great feature that many parents use when sending birthday party invitations or organizing playdates. PAC can no longer update your child's grade level and classroom teacher for you. If you would like your information to be updated, please log on here and manually change their info.

On The Horizon...

November 8, Fall Festival

November 19, Multicultural Potluck

February 1, Glow Run Fundraiser Kickoff

February 5, Half Day Family Swim at Goldfish, Norwood

February 10, Glow Run

Check out our website for a complete list of dates and constantly updated information and be sure you are signed up for emails.

Looking for a fun activity for your kids on Veterans Day? Come play in the 2026 Walpole Youth Street Hockey Tournament hosted by the Walpole High School Boys Hockey Boosters! The tournament is open to boys and girls in grades 3–8, and no hockey experience is necessary — all skill levels are welcome. WHS Boys Hockey players will help coach and referee the games, and pizza and drinks will be provided.

Teams are made up of 5–7 players, and registration is $25 per player. All proceeds benefit the Walpole Boys Hockey Boosters and support the Walpole High School Boys Hockey program.

Veterans Day — Wednesday, November 11
Walpole High School Tennis Courts
Registration deadline: Wednesday, October 28

Please see the attached flyer for details and registration information.

Email: jbuller@walpole.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/o/ess
Location: 415 Elm Street, Walpole, MA, USA
Phone: 508.660.7374

Instagram: ElmStSchool