News From The Nest: Issue #7

Hello Elm Street School Families and Friends!

We had a busy short week at the Nest! On Monday Officer Hart and Birdie stopped by to help teach our kindergarteners our Emergency Preparedness protocols. They reinforced the importance of Stop, Look, and Listen and each class did such a great job staying so quiet and having their best listening ears while Birdie was napping.

Our fifth graders received their helper job assignments this week which include opportunities to help out in the preschool, supporting other classrooms, raising and lowering our flag each day, helping Mr. Kane with the recycling and much more. These jobs are one of the ways that our fifth graders can build their leadership and responsibility skills while making an impact on their school community.

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

upcoming dates and celebrations for September
Counseling Corner: September/October Counseling Newsletter (separation anxiety, social emotional learning lessons preview)
Essentialist Newsletter: PE with Mr. Iadarola
Health Screenings
October Spirit Days
Fall Conferences (11/12, 11/13, and 11/17) LINKS INCLUDED
Career Day Volunteers Needed! Volunteer Form Closes on 10/19
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)

I want to thank everyone who came out to the PAC meeting on Thursday night to learn about and support the many grants that were submitted that will undoubtedly enrich our students' experiences here at Elm. Please make sure you check out the PAC website for upcoming events (such as the Fall Festival on 11/8) and ways to get involved!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and we will see all of our Eagles back at the Nest on Monday for a full week culminating in our first monthly Spirit Day of the school year!

Jen

Upcoming Dates: October

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

10/12 SCHOOL CLOSED: Indigenous People’s Day, Columbus Day
10/15 7:00p Elm PAC Meeting
10/22 6:45p School Committee Meeting
10/31 Halloween

Health Screenings

This letter is to inform you of the upcoming state mandated screenings that will be happening at the Elm Street School. While most children see their pediatricians annually, this program frequently identifies problems that arise between doctors’ visits.

State regulations require vision and hearing screenings for all students enrolled in public schools. Screenings are done at selected intervals throughout the school years. At Elm Street School all grades will have a vision screening and grades K-3 will have their hearing screened.

In addition, we will continue to collect BMI’s for grades 1 and 4. A Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a measure that is used to show a person’s “weight for height for age.” It is calculated using an individual’s height and weight. According to the state’s BMI screening regulation which passed in April 2009, schools must now collect the heights and weights of students in grades 1, 4, 7 and 10. Each child’s height and weight will then be used to calculate their BMI. The results will be kept in your child’s school health record.

If you would like to opt out of the screening(s), please let me know and provide a copy of your child's most recent physical with their vision, hearing and/or height and weight recorded within the last calendar year. Please email me with any concerns or questions. Thank you!

Kindly,

Tina DiCicco

Elm St School Nurse

P- 508-660-7374

F866-810-4619

tdicicco@walpole.k12.ma.us

October Spirit Days

We will have TWO spirit days in October! Each month our Student Council plans a special spirit day for our school. Spirit Days are always optional and usually fall on an assembly day so we can have a chance to see how everyone connected to the theme. Students and our educators are invited to participate in these fun days that help bring us together as a community and share joy. We spread them out over the course of the whole year rather than just in one week so we can celebrate all year long! (Stay tuned for a full list of Spirit Days for the whole school year in next week's News From the Nest)

October 23rd: Cozy Autumn Spirit Day: Come dressed in some cozy autumn clothes and gear that reflect the season. Dress in the colors of the changing leaves, wear your favorite flannel, or think of another creative way to represent the season! Let's channel all those Fall vibes!

October 30th: Black and Orange Day: Dress in all black or all orange or a combination of both to help us get into the spirit! (We ask that students do not wear or bring in Halloween costumes on this day)

Family/Educator Fall Conferences at Elm

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.

Career Day Volunteers Needed!

We are excited to announce that we are planning a Career Day for our students in grades 3–5 on January 28th! This is a wonderful opportunity to inspire our young learners by showcasing the diverse careers and professions represented in our community.

We are looking for volunteers from all types of careers and professions. Examples may include (but are not limited to) automotive technicians, firefighters, EMTs/paramedics, graphic designers, hair stylists, healthcare workers, engineers, educators, landscapers, contractors, and more!

You are welcome to participate even if your child is not currently in grades 3–5.

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the form below. At this time, we are simply gathering interest as we continue planning. Participant spots will be limited, and additional details will be shared with selected volunteers.

Please submit this form by October 19, 2026 at 3:00 PM.

Thank you for considering this wonderful opportunity to support our students' learning and growth!

Elm PAC Corner

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

Thank you to all of our school council candidates. At last night's meeting, Jackie Petersen was elected to be the next school council representative.

We awarded several grants last night at the PAC meeting including grants submitted for flexible seating in Kindergarten, decodables in first grade and nonfiction texts in third grade and painting a map on the blacktop! See the full list and more details in the latest email from PAC.

Fall Fest is coming November 8th 12-3. 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 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.

Walpole Youth Street Hockey Tournament

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.

News From The Nest: Issue #7