Growing By Leaps and Bounds

Martha Jones Motto:

Be Kind. Be Curious. Be Respectful. Be Responsible.

Westwood Public Schools | Martha Jones School | Martha Jones PTO

October 16, 2026 - Issue 3

I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight our PEER program (which stands for Promoting Education and Effective Relationships), a specialized, centralized program housed right here at Martha Jones for elementary students with moderate Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The overarching goal of the PEER program is to help students build independent skills across all areas, including academics, communication, social interaction, self-care, and behavior management.

Having both the lower and upper PEER classrooms unified under our roof this year has been a wonderful development. It has allowed our staff to collaborate more effectively across grade levels, fostering deeper partnerships with classroom teachers and delivering targeted support for our students. While these specialized classrooms offer tailored pull-out support when needed, every PEER student is also meaningfully included in our general education classrooms.

If you were able to join us for my Principal’s Address at Curriculum Night, you might recall me sharing one of my core values: celebrating growth. While Martha Jones consistently performs well on state standardized tests and accountability measures, what I value most is the daily, individual growth our students demonstrate. Growth looks different for every child in our building, whether it’s understanding an author’s intent, crafting an engaging hook for an essay, mastering the standard multiplication algorithm, developing an ability to play Hot Cross Buns on the recorder, or practicing flexibility when taking turns in line.

As a community, we are incredibly fortunate to have such strong parent engagement in our school. As you walk through our hallways or visit the library, you may see students working hard to build self-regulation (learning how to work with big feelings) skills or navigating transitions with flexibility. Equally inspiring is watching our student community learn and grow alongside one another in genuine inclusion, building meaningful friendships across all learning styles. At Martha Jones, we believe every step forward matters, and we are proud to foster an environment where all types of growth are recognized, supported, and celebrated together.

Matt

The Westwood Department of Public Works announced that a recycling audit will begin Monday, October 5. The audit is expected to last about two weeks, through October 26.The recycling audit will help the Town determine the current residue (contamination) rate in its curbside recycling. During this time period, it is critical that residents do not place any contaminants in recycling barrels.

As part of the audit, Westwood’s recycling processing facility will collect samples from inbound recycling loads from the Town. The samples will be hand-sorted and analyzed to determine what percentage of the loads contain items that do not belong in the recycling stream. The Town’s recycling processing facility has established a contamination threshold of 10%; as of October 2023, Westwood’s contamination rate was 17.6%. Contamination levels above the 10% threshold are subject to a financial penalty, which could result in additional costs to the Town. Additionally, the results of the audit will provide the Town with important information about its current recycling practices, including where additional education and outreach may be needed.

Every household plays an important role in keeping Westwood’s recycling stream clean. You can find information about whether an item belongs in recycling or trash at https://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/departments/public-works/recycling-waste-management/recyclopedia.

Please take an extra few moments before placing something in your recycling barrel to determine if it is an accepted recyclable material. By keeping non-recyclable items out of the recycling stream, you will help protect the quality of our recycling, reduce contamination, and help Westwood to avoid unnecessary costs

Please see this update from Lateefah Franck.

• Wednesday, October 28th - Early Release/Parent Teacher Conferences, 12:00pm

• Friday, October 30th - PTO Haunted Hallway

• Wednesday, November 4th - Early Release/Parent Teacher Conferences, 12:00pm

• Wednesday, November 11th - No School - Holiday

• Wednesday, November 26th - Special Early Dismissal Day, 12:10pm

• Thursday, November 26th - No School - Holiday

• Friday, November 27th - No School - Holiday

• Monday, November 30th - No School - Professional Development

• Wednesday, December 9th - Early Release, 12:00pm

• Wednesday, December 23 - Early Release

• Thursday, December 24 - Friday, January 1st - No School - Vacation

• Monday, January 4 - School Resumes

Picture Retake Day has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 28th.

If you have any questions regarding portraits, payments, or ordering images, please contact the CoffeePond Customer Care department directly. They will have faster answers for any question about ordering. Contact Customer Care at Lifeguards@coffeepond.com or 508-907-6633 ext. 0.

It is District policy that children do NOT switch buses. All bus numbers are listed in SDM so parents can select the appropriate bus for their child but switching buses is still not allowed.

Below please find the link to bus registration and information on the district website along with the section noting the non-switching of bus policy.

https://www.westwood.k12.ma.us/o/wps/page/bus-transportation

Can children be dropped off at a different stop on the way home?
Students may only ride their assigned buses. Transporting students to an alternative, yet existing, stop on the student’s same route may be granted if done so on a regular basis (example: three days per week). Requests for alternative stops should be made in writing to Scherie Ciarrocchi, Bus Coordinator (sciarrocchi@westwood.k12.ma.us) and sent to Westwood Public Schools, 220 Nahatan Street, Westwood, MA 02090. Transporting students for play dates, lessons, or other reasons is not permitted.

With the cold weather on our doorstop many unlabelled fleeces and jackets are ending up in our lost and found. Please be sure your child's items are labelled with a name or initials. Here in the office we do our best to get labelled items back to their forever homes. Items without labels get sent to the donation bin after 3 weeks.

(For those who remember Ms. Santangelo uses the old Filene's Basement method - date and check 😉)

Student safety is one of our utmost concerns. With the days getting shorter we kindly ask that you are mindful in the carline and parking areas when you are coming to MJ to drop off and collect your child. This is especially important when coming to MJ for afterschool activities (mini-courses, extended day, and other school or PTO sponsored events).

The safety of all students depends on all drivers obeying the rules and speed limits.

Thank you

Please note MJ opens for normal supervised school hours at 8:40AM. For child safety we kindly ask that you adhere to the normal supervised drop off time of 8:40.

Exceptions are allowed for pre-planned before school events (i.e., Student Council, Math League - beginning in November, Sponsor a Shelf in the Library, etc) where earlier drop off times have been coordinated beforehand with Staff / Parent advisors and where the Staff/Parent advisors are responsible for supervision for those events.

Thank you to all our wonderful MJ Community Members for volunteering. Please note all volunteers must have a completed CORI background check before volunteering or chaperoning of any kind. People who have completed a CORI through another town department (ex. Parks & Rec) must still complete a CORI for the School Department. The WPS CORI policy requires all volunteers must complete a CORI every three years.

Also note the CORI Form submission is not considered complete until it is also accompanied with a copy of your current picture ID (License or Passport).

Thank you for adhering to the District Safety practices.

Third graders in Mrs. Luskin's class are learning how to ask questions as they are reading to improve comprehension. The photos are showing reading partners stopping at a Memory Moment in the text and asking, "Why is this important to the story?"

First graders are learning about shadows and the sun in our first science unit. Students investigated how to make the shadows of stationary objects (paper gnomes) move using flashlights. Students then made connections to how shadows change throughout the day based on the sun’s position/time of day.

Mr. Hagel's art classes created impressive drawings for the school-wide Martha Jones Square 1 Art fundraiser. Our students had so much fun learning about the elements of art and the principles of design while creating. Keep an eye out for ordering catalogs that will be coming home with all students soon. You will have the option if you would like to order your child's artwork to be printed on a wide range of keepsakes such as stickers, mugs, ornaments and other gifts. The school earns a percentage of the sales and the money raised will support the Martha Jones School.

PTO News

Get ready to celebrate Halloween with Martha Jones October 30th from 6PM to 8PM! (6-6:30p.m. Sensory Friendly). A Walk-Through Haunted Bus Lane will be set up, and your favorite scary and not-so-scary monsters will be back in action! Have your student come in their costume and enjoy a DJ, photobooth, games and more!

We will have lots of treats and tricks up our sleeves, but we need your help! Volunteer shifts are listed by job through Membership App or Website. (Click on volunteer, PTO Committees, then scroll down for Haunted Halloween Party,) You don’t have to be a PTO member to volunteer. We need volunteers to set up, clean up, work as party monitors/guides, and dress up as characters in the Haunted Bus Lane.

This event is free and open to all MJ students, siblings, and families! Instead of purchasing a ticket, we ask each person to bring an item from the Food Pantry Donations List to support the Westwood Food Pantry. The Cub Scouts will be collecting donations at the donation table.

Math League is open to 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders of all math abilities! We welcome all students who like solving puzzles, working with their friends, and having fun! Students meet before school and practice solving math problems in teams. Although the types of problems are often new, children learn how to tackle them by applying the skills they have already learned in school.

The goal is to make math fun and accessible by showing kids they have the ability to successfully take on new math challenges.

Starting November 6th, Math League will meet roughly every other Friday morning before school at Martha Jones School from 7:50-8:40 AM. It runs through March 19th. At the end of those weeks, each grade will compete in a district-wide Math Meet. This year’s meet is tentatively scheduled on Wednesday, March 31st.

We do still need volunteers for the program to run. We ask that parents/guardians sign-up to volunteer for at least 3 sessions. Please let us know if this is not possible for your family, and we will do our best to accommodate. Parents/guardians must have an active CORI to volunteer.

Registration is open until Monday, October 26th.

Questions? Call, text, or email Chris Dabek chrisdabek@yahoo.com or 703-629-6349

Participate in the PTO Birthday Book Program! Ms. Swinning has selected some fantastic books that students have requested, but the Martha Jones library does not currently have. During their birthday month, participating children are invited to the library to pick a brand new book from this collection. A bookplate commemorating your child’s birthday will be placed inside the front cover and they will be the very first student to borrow this book! Once they’ve finished reading it, the book will be returned to the library’s collection, where it can be enjoyed for years to come. The cost of this program is $20 per student.

The Martha Jones Store is officially open! This year, we’re offering brand new products for both Martha Jones and Westwood. Orders typically take about two weeks to process. You can choose to have your order shipped directly to your home or pick it up at Amerasport in Holliston. Be sure to place your orders soon so your items arrive in time for the holidays! Proceeds from all purchases will benefit the Martha Jones PTO, helping support our students and school community.

Thank you for your support — we can’t wait to see everyone showing their MJ and Westwood pride!

DO YOU FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM?

Love the reminders about all things MJ when you’re scrolling? Take a minute and like or comment to keep us showing up in the feed! Join our Facebook group or follow us on Instagram @marthajonespto

PTO CONTACT FOR EVENTS, NOTICES:

Have an event or notice for our PTO update? Email it to: PTO Secretary - Erika Gauthier

Martha Jones PTO Board 2025-2026

Lisa Lennon, Co-President

Lauren Maffei, Co-President

Monisha Dabek, Co-Treasurer

Nicholas Banov-Quiroz, Co-Treasurer

Erika Gautheir, Co-Secretary

Gina Ciampolillo, Co-Social Media

Lauren (Tumas) Wegner, Co-Social Media

Eileen Siegel, SEPAC

Please see the Westwood Special Education Parents Action Committee (SEPAC) website with all upcoming events. Join us on September 30th, 7:30 PM, Professional Development (PD) Conference Room

Westwood Schools District Offices, 200 Nahatan Street

Click this link for the Westwood 2026 - 2027 school calendar

Links to Westwood Community Resources. The link will take you to the Interface Referral Service for Mental Health Supports. This service helps to facilitate access to outpatient services. Additionally, on the page there are links to Westwood Youth and Family Services, the Food Pantry, Council on Aging, Westwood Community Chest, and many more.

Throughout the school year, there may be family, community, or broader world events that are impacting your family and child(ren). If you need some support with how to talk with your child about violence, loss, or scary events, please reach out to your child’s teacher, me or our School Psychologist, Ms. Annie Plummer. Additionally, I have found the following resources to be valuable:

How to talk to children about violence (1 page), (full) - NASP

How to talk about natural disasters and help children cope - NASP

Helping children cope with terrorism - NASP

Talking to Children about hate crimes and anti-semitism - National Child Traumatic Stress Network

For individuals seeking assistance connecting with mental health providers and services please refer to the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL).

The BHHL is a free statewide service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. BHHL clinicians can help individuals and families connect with mental health and substance use treatment providers, community-based supports, crisis services, and other behavioral health resources. Services are available by phone, text, and online chat, with interpretation available in more than 200 languages.

Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL)

• Call or text: 833-773-2445
• Website: www.masshelpline.com

Westwood Youth & Family Services Website has been supporting and advocating for the children and families in our community since 1986.

Westwood Community Chest is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity dedicated to helping Westwood residents in need through temporary financial assistance. Single parents in need of safe summer activities for their children through our “Campership” program. Children who need school supplies or medical treatment. Families who have experienced job loss or other financial crisis and are struggling to make ends meet.

The Westwood Food Pantry, located in Westwood, Massachusetts, is committed to providing essential provisions to individuals and families in our community who need temporary assistance.

Resources for Grief Support

Westwood Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation.

If you need this document translated, please call the Westwood Public Schools’ Student Services Department at 781-326-7500 ext. 1346 or email your request to lplouffe@westwood.k12.ma.us. Thank you.

如果您需要翻译本文档，请致电Westwood的公立学校的学生服务部在781 326-7500 ext. 1346 或电子邮件您的要求 lplouffe@westwood.k12.ma.us 谢谢你。

اذا بحاجة الى هذه الوثيقة المترجمة ، يرجى الاتصال على إدارة المدارس العامة ويستوود 'الخدمات الطلابية في 781 326-7500 ext. 1346 أو على البريد الالكتروني الخاص بك lplouffe@westwood.k12.ma.usلك. لطلب كنتشكرا

Если вам нужен этот документ переводится, пожалуйста, позвоните Вествудгосударственных школах "Студенческие службы Департамента по 781 326-7500 ext. 1346 или по электронной почте запрос на lplouffe@westwood.k12.ma.us Спасибо.