ABBY MIDDLE MATTERS

1. A Message from Mr. C - Let's Stay Connected!
2. Key Upcoming Dates
3. An Important Message from The Board of Trustees
4. Decoding MCAS: How to Use Your Student’s Score Report
5. Cool Clubs and Activities

Greetings AKFMS Community,

The Importance of PowerSchool and ClassDojo

Every week, we hear from parents or caregivers who are frustrated because they feel as if they are missing out on information from school. In almost every case, we find that the missing link is the connection with PowerSchool and/or ClassDojo. Without active accounts and updated contact information, parents will invariably miss out on important updates, invitations, and even urgent messages about goings on at school.

PowerSchool: This is the main portal through which many of the important school functions are communicated. In PowerSchool you can access grades, schedule, bus route information, etc. as well as receive update emails about school activities, functions, schedule changes, or day-to-day updates. If your contact information is not up to date, or your account is not active, you risk missing important communication from school. PowerSchool messages are automatically translated into the language selected by the user. If you need assistance getting your account in order, please contact Lilibeth in the main office.

ClassDojo: This is the tool that teachers use to share important classroom information, not only about the whole class, but about individual students. The ClassDojo interface has many useful features including the capacity for end-to-end texting between caretakers/parents and teachers. Teachers routinely share information about upcoming projects, assignments or assessments, along with due dates and other pertinent information. You can download the ClassDojo app on your phone or other electronic device and there is no need to use a paid subscription. ClassDojo messages are automatically translated into the language selected by the user. If you have questions about ClassDojo access, please reach out to your student's classroom teacher for assistance. classdojo.com

Warmly,

Mr. C.

October 9th - Early Release at 10:30 AM & Dress Down for a Cause ($1.00 donation)

October 12th - School Closed for Indigenous People's Day

October 28th - Early Release at 10:30 AM for Teacher Workshops

Dear Abby Kelley Foster Staff and Families,

The Board of Trustees is forming an Internal Search Committee to help select our next Executive

Director, who is expected to begin in July 2027 for the 2027–2028 school year. We want this

search to be open, equitable, and clear, with opportunities for members of our school community

to participate.

The committee will include:

· Kathleen Greenwood, Search Committee Chair and Trustee

· Nicole Mikucka, Trustee

· Karina Abeddy, Trustee

· Two senior administrators

· One high school teacher

· One middle school teacher

· One elementary school teacher

· One Parent

· One Community Partner

· One student

Serving on the committee will require a significant time commitment. Meetings will take place

primarily in the evenings throughout the school year. Some meetings will be via Zoom while others will be in person. The committee will work with Sarah Ferguson from vChief Executive Search Firm.

If you are interested in serving, please email: ed-search-committee@akfcs.org

with your name and a brief explanation not to exceed two paragraphs as to why you would like to participate by October 14, 2026. We will review the expressions of interest and notify everyone who is selected.

We look forward to hearing from you and working together on this important decision for our

school.

The Board of Trustees

Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School

MCAS score reports are arriving in email inboxes, and if you’re like most parents, your first instinct might be to treat it like a report card—or worse, a final verdict on your child’s academic potential.

Take a deep breath! It’s important to remember that MCAS is simply a snapshot in time, not the whole picture. Just like one photograph doesn’t capture a child’s entire personality, one standardized test doesn’t show everything your student knows, how hard they work, or how bright their future is.

Instead of seeing the MCAS report as a final grade, think of it as a handy tool for your parenting toolkit. Here are a few ways you can put that data to good use at home:

• Celebrate Growth: Look at where your student has made progress since last year. Growth, be it big or small, deserves a high five! Recognizing their effort builds confidence for the year ahead.

• Spot Opportunities: Use the breakdown of topics to see where your child shines and where they might appreciate a little extra support. It makes targeting homework time or finding a tutor much easier when you know exactly which areas need attention.

• Set Fun Family Goals: Turn the results into a positive motivator! You can work together to set a small, reachable goal for this school year—like reading 20 minutes a day or practicing math facts—and tie it to a family reward, like a pizza night or a trip to get ice cream.

• Partner with Teachers: Use the report as a conversation starter for parent-teacher conferences. Asking "How can we support this specific skill at home?" keeps everyone on the same team.

At the end of the day, MCAS is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Paired with everyday classroom work, teacher feedback, and your own intuition as a parent, you have everything you need to help your student thrive this year.

After school clubs and activities start next week. Just in case your student did not grab a sign up sheet, HERE IS A LINK.

Some of the clubs being offered this year include:

• Monday Clubs:

• Coding Club

• Game Club

• Math Club 4th & 5th grade -

• Stronger Together SEL Club

• Creative Writing Club

• Wednesday Clubs

• Art Club

• Math Club 6th & 7th grade

• Dungeons & Dragons Club

• 4th & 5th Grade Chorus Club

Thursday Clubs:

• Newspaper/Journalism Club

• Book Club

Friday Clubs:

• Percussion Club

Students who participate must have transportation arranged. There is unfortunately no school transportation provided.

In addition to school clubs, social events regularly happen after the school day. School dances, Coffee House events, Arts Fest, and concerts are just a few of the events to look out for. Information about these events will be shared in future issues of this newsletter, and will be communicated to families via ClassDoJo.

Email: mcournoyer@akfcs.org
Website: click here for the MS website

Location: 6 New Bond Street, Worcester, MA 01606
Phone: 508.854.8400