WELCOME BACK!!!!!

Good afternoon Mason Road Family,

It's almost time!! It is almost time to start packing those snacks and lunches! The start of school will be here sooner than later! While I hope you still take the next few weeks to enjoy the remaining days of summer, I am selfishly waiting for the doors to open so that the school hallways are filled with little giggles, high fives, hugs, and lots of learning!

Mason Road School is ready and anxiously awaiting the arrival of approximately 256 students that will walk through the doors starting August 29th. Our amazing custodial engineers, Mr. Smith and Mr. Touig, have been working extremely hard this summer to ensure a safe, clean, and ready to rock school. Mrs. Harris has been making sure that students are registered, teachers have what they they need, students are assigned to a classroom, and that everyone is ready to go! I have to admit, I don't know what we would do without them!! They are all truly amazing!

For many of our families, this is your very first experience with having your little one attend school. There will certainly be a high amount of emotions of excitement or anxiousness. I know the feeling! Matter of fact, many of us do. I can assure you that we will take the very best care of each and every student that walks through our school doors each and everyday. We will give them whatever they need whether it is a hug or just a talk of encouragement as long as we have parent(s)/caregiver(s) permission.

Stay tuned for more information to follow within the first month of school in regards to the Mason Road School Council. I will be looking for parent volunteers to serve on this council to share thoughts and ideas on what can make Mason Road School even better than the school that it is. School Council meets once each month for about a hour, after school hours. An email specific to School Council will be sent along with an interest survey. If there is a large parent interest, a vote may be necessary. Please consider serving on this council. It is important to have parent/caregiver perspective and ideas on how we can make Mason Road School EVEN BETTER than it already is.

There is a lot of information to cover in this email so please be sure to read it in its entirety. This information will be accessible throughout the school year. You will be receiving an additional email prior to the start of school with busing routes, lunch prices (if applicable), etc.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Due to summer hours, email is best. You can reach me at jdesto@dcrsd.org.

Sincerely,

Jen D.

From retirements to relocation, we have been busy searching for the right people to join Mason Road School and boy did we hit the jackpot on each and everyone of these individuals. Please help me welcome:

Emily Luuri- Special Education Coordinator (shared with Charlton Elementary School)

Kathy Kenyon - School Psychologist (shared with Charlton Elementary School)

Lisa Hines - Art Teacher (shared with Dudley Elementary School)

Samantha Johnson - Integrated Preschool Teacher

Mary Lovely - ELL Teacher

Monika Mularski - Speech & Language Pathologist

We still have some more positions to fill so stay tuned.

The first day of school is already stressful for many families. Knowing who your child's teacher is, what he/she looks like, and knowing where to go is such a relief. We welcome for families to come and meet the teacher prior to the first day of school.

ON AUGUST 14th, teacher assignments will be available through Parent Portal Only (see below for more information on parent portal)! Families will not be told who their child has for a teacher prior to August 14th as we are still fine tuning assignments and classes based on students moving in and out of the district. An email will be sent to inform you when the information is available.

Mark those calendars to come to Mason Road School for an open house type opportunity to meet your child's teacher. This is a drop in event.

August 28th: Open House: Grade 1: 2pm-3pm

August 31st: Open House: PK/Kindergarten: 10-11:00AM OR 1:00 - 2:00PM - families can come at either time

Please be sure that all children be provided with a backpack, lunchbox, and an extra set of clothing incase of any spills or accidents.

Now I know that school shopping is a very treasured event, especially for students starting school for the first time. If you choose to purchase supplies for your child(ren) they are certainly welcome to bring there new treasures into school. Here are the current lists of request but these are certainly not mandated:

Grade One Supply List

Kindergarten Supply List

Throughout the year, however, teachers might reach out asking for your help in providing materials for certain projects, etc. If you are able to provide at that time, great! If not, no worries. All children will be able to participate in classroom projects.

Information such as important notifications, report cards, progress reports, etc. You can find the parent portal link on the DCRSD website under the parent tab or by clicking here: School Brains Parent Portal or on the logo above.

Once again, ON AUGUST 14th, teacher assignments will be available through Parent Portal Only! An email will be sent to inform you that the information is available.

If you have any questions about difficulties accessing the parent portal, please contact Mrs. Harris at charris@dcrsd.org or (508) 943-4312.

August 28th: Open House: Grade 1: 2pm-3pm

August 29th First day of school for Grade 1-12 students

August 29th & 30th: Kindergarten Screenings - families will be notified of your appointment

August 31st: Open House: PK/Kindergarten: 10-11:00AM OR 1:00 - 2:00PM - families can come at either time

September 1st HALF DAY FOR ALL

September 4th: NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

September 5th: First day of school for PreK and Kindergarten students

October 2nd & 3rd: PICTURE DAY - more information will come regarding your child's scheduled day

November 16th: PICTURE RE-TAKE - all students

If you find yourself in need of before/after school care, be sure to check out Champions today by clicking here: CHAMPIOINS Before/After School Care! This program will be held right here at MRS. Other programs have been established at Charlton Elementary, Dudley Elementary, and Heritage school as well. We are all excited to be able to support this new adventure that we have needed for so long.

At this time, the Champions program is expected to start on August 29th for first grade students and September 5th for kindergarten students. If you have a friend or family member that would be interested, please have them reach out to Champions directly.

Should there be any changes in your child's(ren) attendance during any of the sessions they are assigned to, and you need them to get picked up in the morning or take the bus home, please provide at least 24hours notice (or ASAP) to the main office so we can ensure that the bus driver knows to pick your child(ren) up at home in the morning or drop them off in the afternoon.

The Dudley PTO have been a huge supporter of programs, field trips, etc. for Mason Road School. If you are interested in joining the PTO or want to stay up to date on fundraisers, please click on the picture to access their website or see the Welcome Letter below.

If you would like to purchase merchandise with the Mason Road School Logo, please visit Kerrin Graphics by clicking on the Logo or by visiting Kerrin Graphics - Mason Road School. Kerrin Graphics is locally owned and donates a percentage of all orders back to Mason Road School. It is a Win! Win!

Mason Road School

20 Mason Road

Dudley, MA 01507

Telephone: (508) 943-4312

Fax: (508) 949-1005

Principal: Jennifer A. Desto

Email: jdesto@dcrsd.org

Administrative Assistant: Crissy Harris

Email: charris@dcrsd.org

School Hours PreSchool

AM: 8:50 am - 11:20 am

PM: 12:20 pm - 2:50 pm

School Hours K & 1

Arrival begins at 8:30 am

Classes begin at 8:50 am

Dismissal begins at 3:00 pm

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact contact me. This cannot be stressed enough especially when there are concerns. I cannot address what I am not aware of. ~Jen