Boyden Weekly Update
October 3, 2025
Cellular Phones/Electronic Devices
If your child comes to school with a phone or wears a cellular watch to school please read below:
Per the Elementary School Handbook - 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.
No PM Extended Day - October 10th
The afternoon Extended Day Program will be is closed on Friday, October 10th, for staff Professional Development. The before-school programs will be open as ususal.
MCAS Scores
Next week, the Walpole Public Schools will be mailing MCAS results to families. While MCAS provides one measure of student progress, it is just one of many tools we use. Teachers also rely on ongoing classroom assessments to monitor student growth and evaluate the effectiveness of our district curriculum. Parent-teacher conferences in November will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in more detail, highlighting areas where they are excelling as well as aspects of the grade-level standards that may present more of a challenge.
News from the Nurse
Please see the message from the Mrs. Syed, our school nurse, regarding the upcoming health screenings happening at Boyden.
Talking Points
Recently, our school has begun the use of TalkingPoints for two-way communications between teachers and families. Families can send and receive messages either by text or via the TalkingPoints app.
Please note that our system connects one phone number per household for TalkingPoints (generally the first phone number on record in Aspen). If you would like more than one household member to receive TalkingPoints messages, please follow the instructions found below:
If you have trouble with TalkingPoints, please send an email to helpdesk@walpole.k12.ma.us
What is Chronic Absenteeism?
What is Chronic Absenteeism?
A student is considered Chronically Absent when they miss 10% of the school year. In Massachusetts, this means a student who misses 18 or more days, regardless of an excused or unexcused reason, is classified as chronically absent. Just two missed days each month can lead to this status.
Why is school attendance so important?
Students who are in school consistently are more successful learners. Per the National Center for Education Statistics: A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn and interact with their classmates. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. This relationship between attendance and achievement may appear early in a child's school career. Greater absenteeism during the school year can lead to lower achievement in reading, math, and general knowledge. Poor attendance has serious implications for later outcomes as well. High school dropouts have been found to have exhibited a history of negative behaviors, including high levels of absenteeism throughout their childhood, at higher rates than high school graduates.
If your child starts to accumulate absences, we will work with families to figure out the best way to help improve your child's attendance at school.
Boyden PAC News
There are a variety of PAC sponsored events that take place throughout the year. For these events to be successful, we need many volunteers. Please sign up to volunteer using the link below
Fall Mini Photo Sessions
Boyden is excited to bring back Lindsey Fuentes for our Fall Mini Photo Sessions Fundraiser! $75 for 8 professional edited digital pictures. Location Francis William Bird Park on the following dates November 1st, 2nd, 8th and 9th from 12pm-5pm. Each slot is 15 minutes. Sign up using link below
Important Dates
October 8th - School Council Meeting (3:15-4:15 PM)
Boyden PAC Meeting (7:00 PM)
October 10th - Early Release (11:55 Dismissal)
October 13th - No School
About Us
Email: bdearborn@walpole.k12.ma.us
Website: http://walpolebs.ss5.sharpschool.com/
Location: 1852 Washington Street, South Walpole, MA, USA
Phone: 508-660-7216
Instagram: @BoydenBuzz