News From The Nest: Issue #36

Hello Elm Street School Families and Friends!

We have certainly been busy here at the Nest as we get closer and closer to the end of the school year! This week staff from Walpole Middle School came to speak to and answer questions from our 5th graders as they prepare for their transition to middle school. Grade 4 visited the MFA with Docent volunteers and our Kindergarteners took their end of the year field trip to the zoo. Our 5th graders prepared and did an excellent job with their Wax Museum, researching various people who positively impacted their communities and bringing them to life in our cafeteria. And if that wasn't enough to keep us busy, we also held our final fire drill of the school year with the support of Walpole Fire Department and welcomed our new incoming kindergarteners and their families for Peek and Practice on Thursday.

In this edition of our newsletter you will find more information about:

• upcoming dates and celebrations for June
• Elm Street School Counseling Corner for June: topics include- supporting social emotional learning this summer, SEL lesson topics by grade
• Essentialist Newsletter: MUSIC
• Playground Update
• Field Day Volunteer Information
• Math Coach's Corner: Summer Math
• Bus Registration for 2026-2027 School Year
• Elm Street School at WooSox
• Walpole Road Race
• Reminders from previous newsletters: Attendance, Arrival, Dismissal Form, 2026 - 2027 School Calendar, Attendance Information, Walpole Food Pantry
• Lunch Menus
• Walpole Virtual Backpack (community notices)

Next week we have our Field Day planned for Friday 6/12 (with a rain date on Monday 6/15). Please be sure to read all the reminders both for volunteers and students carefully. The forecast right now looks like we will have a sunny warm day so be sure to send in a water bottle to help your child(ren) stay hydrated!

Jen

At the beginning of each month I will share a calendar of some upcoming Elm events as well as upcoming cultural celebrations and heritage months with hyperlinks to more information if you are interested in learning more. Below is information for June.

If there are cultural celebrations that are important to you and your family that you would like to share with the adult Elm community, please email me so I can be sure to include them in upcoming newsletters. If you have any questions about anything you see on our calendar, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly.

June

• Pride Month
• 6/3 Grade 4 Field Trip
• 6/4: 1:45p Incoming Kindergarten Peek and Practice, 5:30p ELE Family Appreciation Dinner
• 6/5: Kindergarten Field Trip, Grade 5 Wax Museum
• 6/7: 1:00p Elm Street School at WooSox game
• 6/9: Grade 5 Field Day, Grade 1 Field Trip
• 6/10: Grade 4 Work Share
• 6/11: 6:45p School Committee meeting
• 6/12: Elm Field Day
• 6/14: Flag Day
• 6/15: Rain Date for Elm Field Day
• 6/16: Early Release Day, Grade 5 Celebration
• 6/18: Last Day of School: Early Release Day
• 6/19: Juneteenth
• 6/20: Summer Solstice
• 6/21: Father's Day

This week the construction fencing came down and we were able to access the renovated playground. The new pieces of equipment and surfacing are getting rave reviews from students!

A HUGE THANK YOU to the Town of Walpole School Department and our PAC for funding this project. And thank you to our partners at O'Brien and Sons, all their contractors and workers, for their collaboration in designing and installing the new equipment and surfacing that will be enjoyed by Elm families and students for many years to come!

Please make note of the following preparations for this school event:

CHECKLIST FOR STUDENTS

• WEAR SUNSCREEN AND BUG SPRAY please put sunscreen and bug spray on your child before school. Several events are outdoors and one is in the woods. (Please note: Due to the potential for allergic reactions we are unable to apply bug spray or sunscreen to your child)
• T-SHIRTS - Please have your child wear their Field Day t-shirt that was provided by Elm Street PAC
• CHANGE OF CLOTHES/TOWEL - We will be having water events so be sure to include a complete change of clothing (including underwear and a second pair of sneakers) as well as a towel. Please send in a plastic bag for wet clothes.
• LUNCH - Students will be able to get school lunch or bring a bag lunch from home
• WATER BOTTLE - Please send your child with a full water bottle with their name on it.
• SNEAKERS ARE RECOMMENDED - Please no flip flops, sandals, water shoes, crocs, etc.

• Completed and/or updated CORI on file - you will not be able to volunteer without one!
• Please be sure to arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled station to check in at the volunteer table.
• Please park in designated area away from Field Day events

With summer break right around the corner, we wanted to share some ideas for how to keep those young mathematicians’ brains active throughout the summer. We have a whole section of our Family Math Site dedicated to activities and games your students can access to keep their minds engaged and math skills sharp. While we do not require students to complete any specific task, (with the exception of the rising sixth graders) we do encourage them to engage their mathematical brain for 60-90 minutes a week on activities of their choice. If you scroll to the bottom of the web page, there are also printable packets for each grade level if that is what your child enjoys.

We want our Walpole students to have a wonderful summer, but we also want them to retain the concepts and skills they developed throughout the year around math! We hope you all find time to relax and recharge over the summer while staying active and engaged in your choice of fun learning activities.

Registration Options

Pay to Ride -

• If paid by June 18th: $300 per rider, Family Cap $600

• If paid after June 18th: $350 per rider, Family Cap $700

• If paid after July 1st: $400 per rider, Family Cap $800

Ride Free – Registration Required - Students in GRADES K-6 WHO LIVE OVER 2 MILES FROM THEIR ASSIGNED SCHOOL receive free bus transportation. A list of free streets can be found on the Walpole Public Schools website.

Ride Free – Registration Required - For families that meet Federal Low Income Guidelines for Free or Reduced School Lunch, students are eligible for free bus transportation.

To Register - Please click on the following QR code for registration and payment or visit www.myschoolbucks.com .

For more information please visit: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/article/2788908

We are continuing the fun tradition of hosting Elm families at a Worcester Red Sox (WooSox) game!

We will be at Polar Park on Sunday, June 7, at 1pm. Stay until the end of the game, when kids are allowed to run the bases! Tickets are $33 each and can be bought here.

If you've never been, Polar Park is an extremely family-friendly venue for all ages. There is even a playground near the outfield! So bring your whole crew and come have some fun.

$2 of each ticket will come back to the PAC. If you need financial assistance, please reach out to Mrs. Buller - we have you covered!

Hope to see you there!

Registration is OPEN for the 53rd Annual Walpole Labor Day Road Race!

Register Early for your free race t-shirt

walpoleroadrace.org

We have officially transitioned to our new online reporting tool, the Elm Student Notification Form, to report absences, late arrivals, and changes to dismissal plans. You can also find the link to the form on the main page of our website by using the button labeled "ATTENDANCE"

• For ABSENCES and TARDIES, we ask that families do their best to complete this form as soon as possible in order to communicate with the main office. You will no longer need to leave messages on the Elm attendance line. We will be phasing out this number in the week after break.
• For EARLY DISMISSALS and CHANGES TO DISMISSAL PLANS, we ask that families complete this form no later than 2:00p when the form will be locked. This will minimize our front office staff calling and interrupting instruction. If there is an URGENT change in dismissal plans that occurs after 2:00p, families must call the main office to communicate the change.
• If families are reporting absences, tardies, early dismissals, and/or changes to dismissal plans for multiple students at the same time, please complete the form separately for each student.

By notifying our team in advance and centralizing information in one online platform we will be able to avoid interrupting instruction and avoid confusion and errors during dismissal.

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.

The Walpole Food Pantry continues to support local families in need throughout the year. Donations of non-perishable food items, household essentials, and grocery store gift cards are always appreciated. You can help by dropping off contributions at the pantry during open hours or at one of the collection boxes located around town. Every donation—big or small—makes a meaningful difference for our neighbors in need.

https://www.wcfp.org/receiving-food

Email: jbuller@walpole.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/o/ess
Location: 415 Elm Street, Walpole, MA, USA
Phone: 508.660.7374

Instagram: ElmStSchool