Phenomenal Phelps Facts
Week of January 12, 2026
Message from Ms. Scheufele
Happy New Year, Phelps Families!
Welcome to 2026! We hope you all had a wonderful winter break and that your first week back into school routines went smoothly. It’s been great to see our students return with energy, curiosity, and excitement for the months ahead.
As we head into our second week back, classrooms are already buzzing with new learning and fresh goals. January is always a time of momentum, and we’re grateful for your partnership in helping students start the new year strong.
We’re looking forward to all that 2026 will bring for our students and our school community. Thank you for your continued support, and we wish you a healthy, happy, and hopeful year ahead!
Family Engagement & Empowerment Course--January 12 from 5:30-6:30 pm
Session 6 of the Family Engagement and Empowerment course is on Monday, January 12th from 5:30 pm–6:30 pm. These meetings are run by Ms. Creedon, grade 3 teacher. During this session, “Pediatric & Dental Health,” families will begin with a brief new-year goal-setting activity. Our school nurse, Mrs. McGarry, will then share important information about pediatric health, hygiene, and ways families can support their children’s well-being at home. Families will also learn about dental health and the Mass Kidz Healthy Smiles dental program offered at our school. We hope to see you there!
Please sign up below to help us prepare, and indicate if school-age childcare will be needed during the meeting.
Comfort Dog for Rockland Public Schools
Officer Ethan Schnable and his comfort dog, Kinley, have provided supportive services to students at our school since 2024 and are members of the Plymouth County Comfort Dog Program. To better understand the effectiveness of their services, we’ve partnered with the Plymouth County Comfort Dogs Program and Bridgewater State University to help them gather feedback from parents, teachers, and students. We invite you and your child to participate in this evaluation of the program and hope you will consider doing so. By being part of this process, you and your child will help us understand how Officer Schnable and Kinley support our students' success.
Please see the link below to read more about the evaluation and how your child can participate.
Save the Dates--Grade 3 & 4 MCAS Dates for 2026 & Music Performance Dates
Here are the Grade 3 and 4 MCAS dates for Spring 2026:
English/Language Arts: April 7 & 8, 2026
Math: May 13 & 14, 2026
Please put these dates in your calendar to be sure your child in grades 3 or 4 attends school on these days.
Here are the concert dates for Grades 1-4:
Open to Families--Phelps Cafeteria
January 20--Grade 2 Music Performance
- 8:30-9:00 am--Mrs. Panos' Second Grade Classes
- 9:15-9:45 am--Mr. Popadic's Second Grade Classes
February 10--Grade 1 Music Performance
- 8:30-9:00 am--Mrs. Panos' Second Grade Classes
- 9:15-9:45 am--Mr. Popadic's Second Grade Classes
March 3--Grade 4 Music Performance
- 8:15-8:45 am--Mrs. Panos' Second Grade Classes
- 9:00-9:30 am--Mr. Popadic's Second Grade Classes
April 14--Grade 3 Music Performance
- 8:15-8:45 am--Mrs. Panos' Second Grade Classes
- 9:00-9:30 am--Mr. Popadic's Second Grade Classes
DESE Integrated Monitoring Review of Rockland Public Schools Notification
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School
Monitoring (PSM) will conduct an Integrated Monitoring Review of Rockland Public
Schools during the week of February 2, 2026. Each school district, charter school,
vocational school, and virtual school undergoes an Integrated Monitoring Review every
three years. The areas addressed during an Integrated Monitoring Review are
organized into two groups, known as Group A Universal Standards and Group B
Universal Standards.
Rockland Public Schools will be undergoing a Group A monitoring review that focuses
on special education student identification and special education eligibility timelines;
Individualized Education Program (IEP) development; programming and support
services; procedural requirements for suspensions and equal opportunity. For additional
information please visit the Parent Resources page at
https://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/parents and the Integrated Monitoring Parent and
Family Orientation.
The process includes interviews with district staff and administrators, a review of
student records, policies and procedures, and school building visits. The process may
also include parent/caregiver, student, and teacher focus group meetings to gather
additional information. Interpretation will be provided, if needed.
The Department will also send a parent survey, in multiple languages and formats, as
needed, to parents/guardians of special education students to gather key information on
the special education processes and procedures.
Parents/guardians and other interested persons may call Julie Evans, Monitoring
Review Chairperson, at (781) 338-3754 to request a telephone interview. If anyone
requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, the
Department will make the necessary arrangements.
Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will
provide the district with a report that includes information on further actions that may be
required. The public can access the report at
Rockland Public Schools District Calendar
Important Upcoming Events
January 12-February 27 ACCESS Testing Window
- Our English Language Learners will be taking the annual ACCESS testing during this period of time. They are working on skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Good luck to our English Language Learners!
January 12--5:30-6:30 pm Family Engagement & Empowerment Course
- Topic: Pediatric/Dental Health and Development
- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAPB23F1N5mal-7LT3gwoO_6Ci2FcQPAxFNMcFzUJojKEXAw/viewform?usp=publish-editor
January 13--6:00-7:00 pm Phelps PAC Meeting ***NOTE CHANGE IN DATE & TIME
- Phelps Library
January 15--Early Release for Rockland Public Schools--Professional Development for Staff
- 10:45 Dismissal--Lunch sent home to students who order it
January 19--Martin Luther King, Jr. Day--NO SCHOOL
January 20--Grade 2 Music Performance--Open to Families--Phelps Cafeteria
- 8:30-9:00 am--Mrs. Panos' Second Grade Classes
- 9:15-9:45 am--Mr. Popadic's Second Grade Classes
January 22-- 7:30-8:00 am ELPAC (English Language Learner Parent Advisory Council) Coffee
- The ELPAC will be holding an informational coffee meeting in the Phelps Cafeteria from 7:30-8:00 am.
January 26--Winter Enrichment Sessions Begin--Stay tuned for sign ups!
January 27--Phelps Winter Art Show & Chorus Concert--5:30-7:00 pm
Art Show--Grades 1-4
Grade 3 & 4 Chorus Concert (in cafeteria) 6:00 pm
February 2--Family Engagement & Empowerment Course--5:30-6:30 pm
February 5--Global Play Day & Early Release Day--Dismissal at 10:45 am
February 10--Grade 1 Concert (Families Invited)
8:30-9:00 am Mrs. Panos’ Classes
9:15-9:45 am Mr. Popadic’s Classes
February 10--PAC Meeting--6:00-7:00 pm--Phelps Library
February 16-20--Winter Break--NO SCHOOL
Save the Dates for Grades 3 & 4:
MCAS ELA Dates:
April 7 and 8, 2026
MCAS Math Dates
May 13 and 14, 2026
Phelps Elementary School – Parent Contact Guide
We want every family to know who to contact for questions, concerns, or support. Here’s a quick guide to help you connect with the right person:
Main Office Issues:
Jean Maloney, Administrative Assistant--jmaloney@rocklandschools.org--Questions/Information about attendance, records, court documents, address/email changes, general school information, registration/enrollment, moving/withdrawal
Brenda Mallar-Reske, Administrative Assistant--bmallar-reske@rocklandschools.org--Kid Account/Dismissal changes and questions
Principal
Michelle Scheufele--mscheufele@rocklandschools.org– Oversees school vision, daily classroom visits, curriculum, instruction, and social-emotional learning. Contact for schoolwide questions or issues needing additional attention.
Grades 1 & 2 (First Floor)
-
Administrator: Kelsey Holbrook--kholbrook@rocklandschools.org
-
School Adjustment Counselor: Taryn Muolo-tmuolo@rocklandschools.org
Grades 3 & 4 (Second Floor)
-
Administrator: Chase Eschauzier--chaseeschauzier@rocklandschools.org
-
School Adjustment Counselor: Holly Gage-hgage@rocklandschools.org
Additional Student Services
-
Amanda MacMillan – Special Education Coordinator--amacmillan@rocklandschools.org
Contact for questions about services, evaluations, and IEPs. -
Allie Sgambato – School Psychologist--asgambato@rocklandschools.org
Provides evaluations, IEP services, and crisis support. -
Beth Peckham – School Psychologist--epeckham@rocklandschools.org
Supports Phelps part-time with evaluations and IEP services. Shani McGarry--School Nurse--smcgarry@rocklandschools.org
Parent Tips
✅ For classroom or day-to-day issues, always start with your child’s teacher.
✅ For grade-level or social-emotional concerns, contact the administrator or adjustment counselor for your child’s grade.
✅ For special education questions, contact Amanda MacMillan.
✅ For schoolwide questions or issues needing additional attention, contact Principal Scheufele.
Main Office & Guidance Staff
If you have any questions or concerns, here are some staff members you can call or email:
Jean Maloney, School Administrative Assistant, jmaloney@rocklandschools.org
Brenda Mallar-Reske, Administrative Assistant (Kidaccount/Dismissal), bmallar-reske@rocklandschools.org
Nichole Dever, Title One Secretary, ndever@rocklandschools.org
Michelle Scheufele, Principal, mscheufele@rocklandschools.org
Kelsey Holbrook, Assistant Principal for Grades 1 & 2 & Title One Director, kholbrook@rocklandschools.org
Chase Eschauzier, Assistant Principal for Grades 3 & 4, chaseeschauzier@rocklandschools.org
Amanda MacMillan, Phelps Special Education Coordinator, amacmillan@rocklandschools.org
Allison Sgambato, School Psychologist, asgambato@rocklandschools.org
Elizabeth Peckham, School Psychologist, epeckham@rocklandschools.org
Taryn Muolo, School Adjustment Counselor for Grades 1 & 2, tmuolo@rocklandschools.org
Holly Gage, School Adjustment Counselor for Grades 3 & 4, hgage@rocklandschools.org
Shani McGarry, Nurse, smcgarry@rocklandschools.org
