OPR Weekly Update
May 9, 2025
Dear OPR Families,
JiJi visited OPR this morning to congratulate a large group of students who have achieved 100% puzzle progress. These students received their special certificate and got their picture taken with JiJi for the OPR ST Math Wall of Fame. We congratulated 93 students this morning, bringing the school total to 211! Amazing! Students will have one more opportunity the last week of school to receive their certificate and get their picture taken with JiJi, so they should keep working hard and solving those puzzles!
Watch this week's OPR Video News by clicking here.
Have a great weekend and happy Mother's Day!
David N. Barner, Principal
dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
Contact OPR Office (Secretaries and Nurse): oproffice@walpole.k12.ma.us
Highlights for the Week Ahead
Wednesday and Thursday are Grade 5 Science MCAS testing days.
Thursday is the Grade 2 Field Trip to Southwick's Zoo.
Friday is the Grade 4 Senior VIP (Grandparents) Day!
Friday is an Early Release. Dismissal is at 11:55 (starting at 11:49).
Saturday is the PAC Fun Run and Spring Festival!
May
14 Grade 5 Science MCAS
15 Grade 5 Science MCAS
15 Grade 2 Field Trip to Southwick's Zoo
15 Incoming Kindergarten Parent Orientation in the Cafeteria from 6:30-7:30 PM. This is for parents of next year's kindergarten students.
16 Early Release - Dismissal is at 11:55 (beginning at 11:49)
16 Student Council Spirit Day: OPR/Walpole Day - Wear your OPR/Walpole attire or colors.
16 Grade 4 Senior VIP Event
19 Walpole High School Graduating Seniors (former OPR students) Visit!
21 Grade 3 Field Trip to Illusion Museum
21 Grade 5 Team Building Event at TreeTop Adventures
21 Music Concert - Kindergarten at 9:30 - Families are welcome!
21 Music Concert - Grade 1 at 10:15 - Families are welcome!
22 Music Concert - Grade 3 at 9:00 - Families are welcome!
22 Music Concert - Grade 2 at 9:45 - Families are welcome!
23 Music Concert - Grade 4 at 9:00 - Families are welcome!
23 Music Concert - Grade 5 at 9:45 - Families are welcome!
23 Kindergarten Field Trip to Franklin Park Zoo
26 No School - Memorial Day
Attendance Update
Dear Families,
Please access the current newsletter using the link below to see our progress to date regarding the number of students who have 18 or more absences. Our numbers are still trending positively!
https://secure.smore.com/n/cf0e2
This newsletter is also available on our district web page.
--
Edward Connor
Dean of Student Support & Attendance
Walpole Public Schools
508-660-7257 ext. 5020
Extended Day Summer Program
We are excited to announce that Extended Day will be running a Summer Program this upcoming summer and registration is now live. We are anticipating registration to fill quickly and will do our best to enroll as many waitlisted students as possible.
This year, the camp will run for 4 weeks at Fisher Elementary and offer an Extended Day PM option for families. Registration will be open for incoming first-sixth graders. Registration will be available for individual weeks and families will have the option to register for all 4 weeks at a discounted rate.
Please see the attached PDF regarding Summer Camp Information and Registration Information for the Summer of 2025 and reach out to Dan Santangelo (dsantangelo@walpole.k12.ma.us) or Evan Storlazzi (estorlazzi@walpole.k12.ma.us) with any questions."
Digital Learning with Mrs. Milnamow
Happy Spring, OPR Families!
As we near the end of an exciting school year, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the incredible growth our elementary students have made in digital learning. Throughout the year, students have been exploring various digital tools to enhance their learning experiences and develop key 21st-century skills. In recent weeks, they have been using programs such as Book Creator, Canva, Google Slides and Docs, and Adobe Express to summarize their learning and creatively showcase their knowledge in subjects across the curriculum. These platforms allow students to design digital books, presentations, and multimedia projects that reflect their understanding in engaging and personalized ways.
It has been truly inspiring to see how confidently students are using these tools to express themselves and demonstrate what they’ve learned. Whether creating a digital timeline of historical events, designing an illustrated book report, or putting together a visual science presentation, students are making meaningful connections and taking ownership of their learning. These projects not only highlight their academic achievements but also their creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities. Our fifth-grade students have also taken on the important responsibility of producing our school’s weekly video news broadcast. They plan, film, and edit these videos, building communication and media production skills while keeping our school community informed and connected.
In addition to building technical skills, our students continue to grow as responsible digital citizens. They are learning how to use technology safely, respectfully, and ethically—skills that are essential in today’s digital world. Through ongoing lessons and real-life practice, they are developing habits that promote positive online behavior, including how to communicate kindly, protect personal information, and give proper credit for digital content. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to prepare our students for a future where technology and learning go hand in hand.
STEM with Mrs. Morris
Only a few more weeks of book checkout at OPR. The LAST book checkout week is the week of May 19th. Please help your children find missing OPR Library books and get them returned! We have been busy in STEM this past month with many different activities.
This week Kindergarten students listened to the story “Not a Stick”. They were then given 3 pipe cleaners for them to engineer their own “Not a Stick” design. They sketched their ideas first and chose their favorite one to build. Then, at the end of class they had the opportunity to share their creations. This was one of their first attempts at following the steps of the Engineering Design Process that they will continue to use throughout their time at OPR. They did great!
First graders have spent the last few weeks creating a town with a group. Each group decided which parts of a town they would like to include on their paper and they drew a map of their part of town. This week we connected the papers and have been using the Ozobot robot to travel around the town. They also had the chance to try out an online typing program to help them learn typing skills.
Second graders finished their Dash project about the Three Little Pigs and shared them with their classmates. We also learned about pixels and created pixel art online. They also have spent time using the online typing program.
Third and fourth graders have continued working on Scratch. Third graders have been busy learning Scratch these past few weeks and have begun a project now using all the information they have learned. They are creating stories that involve many different codes including blocks that make their characters move, talk, and change costumes. Fourth graders finished their projects about their favorite person and have begun sharing them with their classmates. This week fourth grade also began learning about Makey Makey.
Fifth graders finished their prosthetics projects this week and have displayed their creations around the STEM classroom. Our next project will be creating a game on Scratch and a controller with Makey Makey. Stay tuned!
Teacher Snack Cart Donations
Click to shop from our Amazon list. Questions: Melanie.D.Taylor@gmail.com
mabel's labels
https://mabelslabels.com/en_US/fundraising/support/
Starting to lose those water bottles? Put a label on it! Please navigate to Support a Fundraiser and select Old Post Road Parent Advisory Committee.
Box Tops
Download the App for BoxTops for Education and scan receipt within 14 days of purchase. Assign Credit by selecting the Star and entering the Teacher’s Last name before you hit submit.
PAC Socal Media / Contact Info.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPR.PAC
please add: Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/oprpacwalpole
Email with questions: oprpacwalpole@gmail.com
OPR Textile Bin Donations
Massachusetts no longer allows clothing to be disposed of in the trash. Clothing must be donated or recycled. RECYCLE your clothing and textiles in the OPR Collection Bin and OPR receives money.
The collections resulted in the following:
January 2024 - $85.80
February 2024 - $104.10
March 2024 - $71.70
April 2024 - $83.70
May 2024 - $114.90
June 2024 - $100.50
July 2024 - $100.20
August 2024 - $115.80
September 2024 - $59.10
October 2024 - $113.40
November 2024 - $141.00
December 2024 - $92.10
2022 Calendar Year Total - $907.50
2023 Calendar Year Total - $1210.60
2024 Calendar Year Total - $1182.30
January 2025 - $210
February 2025 - $108.60
March 2025 - $128.40
April 2025 - $88.20
Arrival: 8:15-8:25 AM
Tardy Bell is at 8:25 AM. (Students must be signed in at the office by an adult if tardy.)
Early Release Dismissal: 11:55 (Dismissal begins at 11:49)
Dismissal: 2:55 PM (Dismissal begins at 2:49)
If your child is going to be absent or tardy, please call the OPR office before school (508-660-7219) and press 1 for the absence line. The automated attendance verification system is in use. Those students marked absent and who have not called in will receive an automated phone call.
About Us
OPR Mission Statement
The Old Post Road School community educates all students to excel and become productive citizens.
OPR Vision
OPR students will be motivated to learn in a supportive and safe environment. The faculty will foster self-confidence in the students and encourage them to make positive choices. Students will learn to accept responsibility for their behavior and will mature into responsible citizens and lifelong learners. All students will appreciate that they are part of a diverse, global society.
Instagram: OLDPOSTROADSCHOOL_WALPOLE
Twitter: @oprschool
Email: dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
508-660-7219
OPR ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
WPS ELEMENTARY STUDENT & PARENT HANDBOOK/CODE OF CONDUCT
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.
Food Pantry Collection
To collect donations for the Walpole Food Pantry the Walpole High School National Honor Society is running a donations box at OPR. We will be collecting donations weekly from April 28 to May 16 in the OPR lobby. Specifically paper towels and toilet paper are in high demand, but all donations are greatly appreciated!
Online Safety
The United States Attorney’s Office will be hosting a virtual internet safety presentation for all adults who wish to keep children safe online. Assistant United States Attorney Luke Goldworm and Victim Witness Specialist Lauryn Mackey will be joined by Special Agent Andrew Kelleher from Homeland Security Investigations Child Exploitation and Digital Forensics Unit to present a Webex Webinar:
Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online: A Project Safe Childhood Presentation for Parents
Wednesday, June 4th from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.
A Q & A session will follow the presentation. The presentation will bring awareness to how predators are sexually exploiting children online and how to keep them safe.
Advanced registration is required. You may register for the webinar at the link below:
https://usao.webex.com/weblink/register/r4617269953953d7a4aaa839f6c3e110b
See the attachment for details or click here.
