Dear Fisher Families,

The students successfully completed their first 5 day week in a while! It was a challenging week with gloomy weather and indoor recess but the teachers and I continue to be impressed with the students' positive work ethic and best efforts. These efforts and student progress will be commented on in the Term I report cards which will be shared with families on Friday, February 10th. The report cards will be available via the Aspen Family Portal and directions on how to access the report will be shared in an upcoming Fisher Family Update.

The Term I report card communicates student progress toward meeting end of the year learning standards. A slight, but important, change to the descriptors of the Academic Performance Levels is the phrase “at this time”. The purpose of adding this phrase is to share with families where their students are academically, at this time of the year.

Teachers assess student performance against these learning standards, which are specific and observable grade level skills. Our report cards reflect the learning standards as outlined in the current Massachusetts State Frameworks. Teachers assess by measuring individual student performance against the identified concrete learning standards, rather than in relation to the performance of other students.

WPS website with each grade level’s Standard Based Report Card and Parent/Guardian Guide: WPS-SBRC

Please read through this edition of the Fisher Family Update for important updates and upcoming events.

I hope you all enjoy the weekend,

Brian

If your student forgets any school or personal items at home, please plan on having your student bring them the next day. The school also has water and snacks available. We would like to limit the amount of class disruptions throughout the day which impacts students' focus and learning.

January

30 5th Grade End of Year planning meeting (details below)

February

10 Early Release 12:25

10 Reports Cards available on Aspen

18 PAC Meeting 7pm

20-24 February vacation

27 Classes resume

Check out Fisher School’s new podcast! You can search “Fisher School” on Spotify or you can use this link. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe!

Please click on the virtual backpack for the newest and latest information about sign ups, fundraisers and upcoming events in and around our community.

New peer applications for the 2023-2024 school year will be available on January 3, 2023, at 8:30 AM on the DFP website. It will also be emailed through our email list and shared via the elementary Principals' weekly notes.

Please note: returning peers and siblings are prioritized.

*Children must be three years old and toilet trained to be considered for a peer slot.

Please make note of the following dates when scheduling appointments for your student in the spring.

The Fisher Stem Lab has new furniture! The lower right picture is a "before" view.

Parents helped teach Kindergartners about the Chinese New Year! Happy New Year!

Grade 4 shares realistic fiction books with kindergarten buddies!

Grade 4 math games with Mrs McDonald and Mrs. Sullivan’s fourth graders!

Kindergarten Scientists! We observed signs of Winter outside and the changes with our class tree. We also did an experiment to see how animals with fur stay warm in the Winter. We made our predictions and then tested it out. We put our bare skin in ice cold water and then with it wrapped in fur. We found that the fur kept our bodies warm. We recorded our observations.

Second graders learning about measuring in feet and yards.

An exciting experiment today in kindergarten. We proved that blubber works to keep animals warm by using Crisco to make blubber gloves and tested it by putting our blubber glove in ice water.

There will be a 5th Grade planning meeting on Monday, January 30th at 7pm in the Media Center. We will be discussing all end of the year events for the 5th grade!

"We are excited to be partnering with FUN PASTA FUNDRAISING! Shop now and order some creative, delicious pasta goodies. It's simple, and you'll love the selection. Check out the sports, music and other fun options! There are also soups!

-Orders over $65.00 earn 40% of the sale for the PAC and free shipping!

-Orders under $65.00 earn 35% of the sale for the PAC and a flat rate of $8.95 for shipping!

-Your order will be shipped from Nashville, TN within 3-5 days."

The Fisher PAC is happy to roll out our Teacher Wish Lists!!! Click on our website and look through the grade levels to see what they want. If you can help out, great! We have also included the Math Household Items wish lists on here, too, to keep it all in one place!!! Teachers will be updating these lists throughout the year so keep checking back!

Fisher PAC

https://sites.google.com/walpole.k12.ma.us/fisherpac/home?authuser=3

The Walpole Police Department is now selling sweatshirts/tshirts to help raise money for local families in need. CLICK HERE to order your Walpole Police/Walple police community dog, "Rebel" sweatshirts and T-shirts with our friend Rebel on the back.

The Walpole Public Schools Music Department is pleased to announce the spring session for our Private Lesson Program for students in grades 4 - 12. If your child is interested in taking private instrument or voice lessons, here is your chance. Lessons are offered in flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, piano, percussion, violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice. All lessons are taught by accomplished performers on their respective instruments. Most lessons are currently being taught virtually.

Session 2 will run February 6 to June 16. Registration is open Monday, January 9th through Friday, January 27th.

For more information, visit:

https://sites.google.com/walpole.k12.ma.us/wpsmusic/private-lesson-program/overview

To register, visit:

https://www.familyid.com/walpole-public-schools/private-music-lessons-2022-2023-session-2

For questions, email:

Tim Fleming (K-12 Music Coordinator) at tfleming@walpole.k12.ma.us

The 2023 Rally Against Cancer season is underway and we are working towards our first goal of raising $5000 to help support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund. Since we began participating in the Rally Against Cancer in 2008, Fisher’s Finest has raised over $86,000 in support of cancer research and patient support at Dana-Farber and The Jimmy Fund Clinic. During this time, our students have been rewarded with three in-person player visits and one virtual player visit because of the COVID restrictions. Shane Victorino visited in 2015, followed by Jackie Bradley, Jr. in 2016. He had such a great time, he paid us a return visit in 2018! Kevin Plawecki joined the entire school at a Zoom meeting and thoroughly enjoyed speaking with the students and answering their questions. The Red Sox have also sent the 2018 World Series trophy to the school where every class and staff member was able to have a photo taken with it. Last year, Wally the Green Monster paid us a visit on Field Day and had a great time joining the students in different activities both inside and outside. Our team is well known at both Dana-Farber and Fenway Park for the outstanding work our students have done in support of this cause.

Thank you to everyone who has already sent in donations for our Green Monster Wall of Honor - we already have more than 30 baseballs up honoring loved ones. There’s plenty of room for more! Stop by and take a look the next time you’re at Fisher. It is located in the hallway leading to the auditorium.

Next month, we will start our Change for a Cure collection. For those who might not be familiar with this, here is how it works. Each classroom has a big jar and the students (and staff!) can bring in change to contribute to the jar. During the weeks we collect, the teachers have used the coins for math lessons and an assortment of other activities. The students get to see how just a few coins here and there can add up to make a big difference for someone going through cancer treatment or a doctor seeking funding for a research project to find a new way to treat cancer. At the end of the collection time, the class with the greatest average contribution per student wins an award. In the past, that class has won a meet and greet with the player (or Green Monster!) who was visiting the school or baseball caps.

Finally, one of the easiest ways to support our Fisher’s Finest team is to go to the Fisher's Finest Rally Against Cancer web page and join our team! When you donate $50 or more, you will receive an official Jimmy Fund rally cap! There are so many other great prizes you can win, too! Follow our Fisher’s Finest page on Facebook for more details.

We have a few more things coming up before Rally ends the first week in April, so stay tuned!!! Thanks again to all the families for your support. It means so much to so many.

If you have any questions or suggestions about Rally, please contact Mrs. McDonough (cmcdonough@walpole.k12.ma.us).

Winter Greetings!

• Please remember if your child is ill with a fever (greater than 100) they need to remain at home for 24 hours without the use of an antipyretic (Tylenol, Motrin, fever reducing medication).
• If your child has a viral stomach illness with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, please keep them home for an additional 24 hours after symptoms have subsided.
• If your child has been diagnosed with an infection requiring antibiotic treatment such as Strep Throat, Conjunctivitis, Impetigo, etc. they must be treated with the antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
• In addition, for Conjunctivitis, your child's eyes must be free of drainage. For Impetigo, lesions may not be oozing.
• Here is a link to the WPS Health Services website. On this site you can find links to forms (i.e. medication administration, over the counter medication consent forms), medication policies, and information regarding illnesses, concussions and injuries.
• 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.
  

• Here is the Fisher health office wish list.

As always, please feel free to send me an email with any questions or concerns regarding your child.

Please send a note in the morning with your student, it is the best way to inform all who need to know. Teachers are unable to check their emails during instruction time and the office needs to interrupt important learning time with messages. We do understand emergencies arise, however, whenever possible, please send a note.

Now that the snowy weather and conditions are upon us, please be sure to send your child to school with boots, snow pants, gloves etc. if they want to play in the snow at recess

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

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 will be the same as they were last year. Please click HERE for all details regarding car drop off and pick up. Staff will be outside everyday to assist you student. Please do not exit your vehicle.

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

Please be aware that we are required to see you in the office with your CORI form. We need to ascertain that whoever we are checking is in fact the correct person. We will take a copy of your license while you are here. Also, please try to avoid arrival and dismissal times if possible when you are coming in.

If you are interested or think that you will be later this year, please complete the "Volunteer Contract" and the CORI form below. The contract has some general "agreements'' that we need all volunteers to abide by and we appreciate your cooperation. We know the students really enjoy seeing their adults involved in the school and we hope you sign up to join us.

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.

HERE is the school calendar for 2022-2023, including start dates, holidays and early dismissal days. This is continually updated over the course of the year if we have snow days.Please note that there are different start dates for Kindergarten students