Boyden Weekly Update

October 13, 2023

Dear Boyden Families,

We had a great week at Boyden!

The collaboration between schools and families is an important component of a child's success. At Boyden, we firmly believe that a strong home-school partnership is essential for fostering a nurturing, supportive, and effective learning environment. To facilitate this partnership, we provide various opportunities for families. Parent-teacher conferences are an important one and begin on October 25th. Please be sure to sign up for a conference below.

Have a nice weekend!

Brendan

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Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences will be held at the end of October and the beginning of November. We will offer an in-person ONLY night, a virtual ONLY night, and a combined virtual/in-person afternoon. If you are a parent with more than one child at Boyden, please allow for at least 10 minutes between your conferences. We have found that back-to-back conferences do not allow for travel from classroom to classroom.

If you have a Grade 4 or Grade 5 student please sign up with their CLASSROOM TEACHER ONLY.

Click on the day you would like to attend and sign up with each teacher you would like to meet with. All our classroom teachers and specialists are listed.

Wednesday Evening "In-Person Only" - October 25th - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Friday Afternoon "Virtual and In-Person" - October 27th - 1:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Thursday Evening "Virtual Only" - November 2nd - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

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Trunk or Treat

The PAC is excited about the upcoming Trunk or Treat at Boyden on Friday, October 27th from 6:00-7:30 PM. For this to be successful we need parent volunteers. Please click the link below to volunteer.

SIGN UP FOR A TRUNK and/or VOLUNTEER HERE

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Black and Orange Day

Tuesday, October 31st, will be Black and Orange Day at Boyden. Students and staff are encouraged to wear black and orange to school on Tuesday. We ask that students do not wear or bring Halloween costumes to school. Thank you!

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Math Update

With conferences coming at the end of the month, it is usually a time when parents ask, “What can I do at home to support my student,” or “How can I help with math work when it looks so different from how I learned it?” Your conference time is precious so, hopefully, we can provide a few tips here to help answer those questions. First, our Family Math Site is full of tips, suggestions, and ideas for how to support your child in math and how to support yourself in the process! If you click on the Parents/Caregivers Link you will find the section on FAQs for Math Today. Here you will find podcasts, videos, and articles that help explain why math has moved away from just teaching formulas and procedures, to embedding concepts in real math situations so students can see there is more than one way to solve a problem, regardless of the operation needed.

When you are supporting your students at home with math work, two things you want to do are: try to understand your child’s thinking and build on what they know. You can ask them open-ended questions like, “Tell me about this problem…,” or “What do you notice about the situation….”, this will help you zone in on what your child already knows and maybe where they are getting stuck. Some basic questions that work in almost any situation include:

What do you notice?
How did you figure that out?
How can you show your thinking? (e.g., picture, model, equation)
Do you see any patterns?

Finally, please remember, that their way of solving a problem might not be the most efficient way right now, but they are building conceptual knowledge and problem-solving skills that will get them there. Getting your child to teach you “their way” deepens their understanding of the concept, so encourage them to share and teach you!

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Picture Day...Smile!

Lifetouch will be taking individual student and class pictures on Wednesday, October 18th. Order envelopes went home this week and you can order online by clicking here and using the Picture Day ID: EVTDNWQ7X

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Cellular Phones/Electronic Devices

Per the Walpole Public Schools Elementary Student and Parent School Handbook (Page 19), students may not use cellular phones, smart watches, or other electronic devices during the day. If students need to have one of the above devices for an out-of-school purpose, the device must be kept turned off and remain in the backpack. If a student is found to have an electronic device in his or her possession, outside of the backpack, it will be kept in the office until a parent is able to pick it up.

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MCAS Scores

This coming week, the Walpole Public Schools will be mailing MCAS results home to families. It is important to understand that the MCAS are one of the many ways we measure student progress across the curriculum. We also use many ongoing assessments in classrooms not only to measure student progress but also to assess the success of our district curriculum. Parent-teacher conferences will be taking place over the next two weeks and this is a great opportunity to hear about specific aspects of the grade-level standards that going well for your child and other areas that may be a challenge.

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Multilingual Learner Parent Advisory Council (MLPAC)

Walpole Public Schools invites families of multilingual learners to attend MLPAC to discuss opportunities for the educational success of students who are currently or were formerly in the English Language Education (ELE) program. It is also a time to network with other families as we continue to build collaborative partnerships.

MEETING INFORMATION

DATE: Wednesday, October 18, 2023

PLACE: Walpole High School Media Center

TIME: 6:00 - 7:00 P.M.

AGENDA

Announcements
Speaker: Meet the ELE Department
Discussion: MLPAC Bylaws & Leadership
Questions / Suggestions

Please contact the Multilingual Learner Family Engagement Center at mlfec@walpole.k12.ma.us or at (508) 660-7257 ext. 5033 for further information or to request an interpreter or child care for the event.

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What's Happening in STEM/Media?

The Boyden Media Center underwent an exciting transformation this summer. With the addition of new furniture and a new layout, we were able to create a more welcoming, collaborative environment. The new tables, chairs, and rug allow for flexible seating arrangements and space for collaborative projects and whole-group learning. Lower, modern bookcases allow students more opportunities to access our collection of books and other resources. We also have new STEM materials for robotics and engineering projects. Students have spent the last several weeks reviewing library routines and recently started book checkout. We look forward to a media/STEM year that promotes literacy, and encourages curiosity and a love of learning.

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Book Fair Returns to Boyden!

Get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming back to Boyden. It will take place in the Boyden media center during parent-teacher conferences.

Wednesday, October 25th, 6:00-8:00 pm

Friday, October 27th, 1:00-3:00 pm

Thursday, November 2nd, 6:00-8:00 pm

Students have the opportunity to browse and create a small wishlist during their media period. Families are then invited during conference times to browse the fair and make purchases. Choosing their own books empowers students and inspires them on their journey to becoming lifelong readers. It’s a great way for families to see popular titles that excite young readers. Every purchase benefits the Boyden Media Center and classroom libraries. Stay tuned for more details and volunteer opportunities.

Social media book fair post

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Resources

Due to the continued conflicts and wars around the globe, we offer this resource to help navigate conservations with your children:

How to talk to children about conflict and war.
How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War (Common Sense Media tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about the toughest topics)
Tips for Parents and Educators - Talking to Children about Violence (Infographic from National Association of School Psychologists)

If further conversation is needed, our counselors are always available.

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Counselor's Corner

Check out the information from Mrs. Audet and Mrs. Naples our two school counselors.

October Counselor's Corner

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PAC News

Walpole Wheel of Fortune

If you aren't a member of the Walpole Wheel of Fortune facebook page, join us! The wheel is a fundraising page managed by the Boyden PAC where items are raffled to raise funds for the school. Raffles will be held weekly on Wednesday or Thursday nights.

Volunteer Opportunities

The Boyden PAC needs you! Check out the sign-up genius below for many exciting opportunities to volunteer and enrich the Boyden community during the 2023-2024 school year. You can help with a Halloween Trunk or Treat, work on the school's Scholastic Book Fair, connect teachers and parents for your student's grade, and much more! Volunteer HERE

Direct Donations

PAC fundraising supports activities that benefit Boyden students, teachers, and staff throughout the year. Information on how to make a donation can be found here or on the direct donation flyer sent home with students. Thank you!

Boyden Friendship Directory

Want to add your child's name to the Boyden Friendship Directory? Fill out this quick form and you will be all set! CLICK HERE