Anne T. Dunphy Newsletter

We wish all of our families a wonderful holiday break filled with cozy moments surrounded by people you love! We also wish for snow...but only on the grass where kids can sled, and not on the roads on which you need to travel!

In the world of a school, we are lucky enough to get two "new years" ~ September & January! We look forward to beginning 2026 with new goals and visions for our school community. Wishing you peace in 2026!

This week, our 3rd graders baked some yummy cookies to deliver to our community helpers - including the library helpers, Fire and Police Departments, and the Highway Department!

Do you have a Florence Bank account?

If so, vote for the Anne T Dunphy School PTO in the annual Customer's Choice Community grant. We just need a minimum of 50 votes to get us in the running for an award!

Voting only takes a second: You can vote online at florencebank/vote or use a paper ballot (which are available at local bank branches, and will also be sent home with kids later this week). Voting opportunities available at pick up on Mondays. Voting ends 12/31/25

Please write Anne T Dunphy when filling out the ballot.

If your child participates in the Savings Makes Cents program, they can also vote! So please consider filling out a second entry for them.

More ballots can be found at the school and ballots can be photocopied.

SEND BALLOTS BACK TO SCHOOL & SPREAD THE WORD!

Anyone with a Florence Bank account can vote for ATD!!!

First grade spent much of November learning and talking about ways to be kind. We read a lot of books about being thankful. We learned what a mitzvah is - it is a good deed. We talked about different types of traditions people have around this time of year. We looked at how our traditions are similar to and different from each other.

• Monday was Under Cover Day (dress all in black)
• Wednesday was Dress Like Your Favorite Holiday
• Thursday was Anything But a Cup Day
• Friday was Flannel Day
• Monday was 6-7 Day... in honor of the 67th day of school!

Did you kiddo figure it out?! Stay tuned for information about a Spirit Week for everyone coming up in early winter!

We have enjoyed welcoming families into our school community for the recent Family Feast lunches. We we hold monthly Family Feast lunches on the dates listed below. There are no formalities or presentations - it's just a chance to have lunch with your child in our cafeteria!

At this point, we are not able to provide school lunches for family members, but you're welcome to bring your own lunch!

Wednesday, January 28th

Thursday, February 26th

Monday, March 13th

12:00-12:30 Lunch for grades 4-6

12:30-1:00 Lunch for grades K-3

Please note: This is not a high stakes event, so please don't worry if you aren't able to attend! We will share more dates as they are planned, and we will try to rotate the day of the week to catch as many folks' schedules as possible.

Preschoolers recently learned to stitch during art with Ms. Dias!

Our preschoolers recently earned a hot chocolate party through their class incentive goals! It was complete with hot chocolate, marshmallows, and twinkling lights!

As we head into a time of year with after school activities taking place (such as enrichment and musical rehearsals), just a reminder for families that students need to be in school by 10:45 in order to participate in an after school activity. Thanks!

Thank you to the PTO for our new sleds! They've gotten quite a work-out already this winter!! We've sledded our hill down to bare dirt!

Fourth grade led us in our All School Meeting this month! We played some fun movement games, and also learned about the Lowell Mills!

Some of the things the fourth graders are learning was about the large scale production of cloth and about the dependence on cotton from the south. They also learned about early factory life and the push and pull of independence, but also the long, hard hours of early factory work. On their field trip to the Lowell Mills National Historic Park, they got to see the boarding house where the "mill girls" squeezed into beds together and ate fancy meals. They also learned about how these "Mill Girls" were some of the first striking workers on America!

Second graders have welcomed more than 100 new classmates! On December 17th, we had a visit from the Roger Reed Fish Hatchery. Our class was eager to welcome the brook trout eggs and watched as they were placed into our tank. The tank temperature is set low, with the hope that our eggs will begin to hatch after our return from winter break.

Second graders are eager to learn about our Brook Trout. We will have the opportunity to observe the trout change stages, observe them in our classroom, and eventually release them into the river. The upcoming months will provide us with the opportunity to learn a great deal about animals and their environment.

How many eggs do you think we received?

Burgy Buddies is a group that has been organized by Ms. Michelle, Mr. O, and Karen Paltz (physical therapy) this year. This initiative pairs a small group of 6th grade mentor students with a group of students in younger grades. Through weekly participation in adult-facilitated activities, the 6th grade students work on building leadership and communication skills, while helping to foster a positive, inclusive school community. Younger students have opportunities to practice skills such as communication, problem solving, social awareness, team work, cooperative groups skills, motor planning, and coordination. This week, our Burgy Buddies participated in a family evening event during which their families had a chance to see some of the ways they're learning these skills!

My name is Stephen Turner, I’m your local School Committee Chair. Having grown up in the area I’m very happy to be part of the community and serve our school and our children. I enjoy spending time with my two children. Be it hikes along local woodland trails or relaxing watching movies as a family in the evening, this is the highlight of my day. As I sit here writing this with a light snow falling, I wish all of you the most filling of holiday seasons.

Our school committee meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5:30, and we are currently looking for new members! If you’re ever considering joining our great School Committee please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email to find out more! sturner@scm.hr-k12.org

The Planning Board is asking you to take an active role in shaping the future of Williamsburg. Please fill out our survey at: tinyurl.com/WilliamsburgGoals. Paper versions are available at the library. Strategy Sessions on how to achieve these goals will be held on the weekend of January 10 and 11, 2026 at the Anne T. Dunphy School. For more information: tinyurl.com/WilliamsburgCP. We'd like your input

December 22: Report Cards emailed to families

December 23: 1/2 day (11:45 dismissal)

December 24- Jan 4: Winter Holiday Break

January 5: School Begins

January 8: PTO, 3:15

January 19: MLK, Jr. Day - No School

January 20: Professional Development - No School

January 21: School Committee, 5:30

January 26: School Council, 3:30

Email: sjenkins@hr-k12.org
Website: www.burgyschool.org
Location: 1 Petticoat Hill Road, Williamsburg, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 268-8421
Facebook: Williamsburg Schools