Sheehan Elementary

Dear Sheehan Families,

What a fun evening at Friday's Monster Mash! A big thank you to our PTA and the many volunteers for offering their time and resources to bring this event together. It was wonderful to see so many Sheehan families enjoying an evening together. A special thank you as well to the Sheehan staff members who joined in the fun. I know how much it means to our students to see familiar faces outside of the school day!

Last week, I took you into our dining room for a closer look at lunchtime at Sheehan. This week, I'm excited to introduce a new feature in our weekly newsletter called Between the Bells. One of the best parts of being a principal is spending time in classrooms and getting to see firsthand the incredible teaching and learning happening throughout Sheehan. It seems only fair that I share with families, too!

Each week or so, I'll give families a glimpse into our classrooms or spotlight a practice that's part of our school day. Along the way, I'll share a little of the thinking and purpose behind what we're doing, because there's often more to these everyday moments than meets the eye.

This week, we're highlighting a few practices that support positive behavior, strengthen relationships, and foster a sense of belonging across our school. I hope you'll enjoy this week's look Between the Bells at Sheehan!

Thank you for your continued partnership and for taking a few moments each week to stay connected to what's happening at Sheehan.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead!

Stacy Mahoney and the Sheehan Team

This past week, our students gathered for our October Open Share, an opportunity to celebrate one another, strengthen our school community, and revisit what it means to live our Core 4 values throughout the school day.

Our Student Council members helped lead portions of the gathering (thanks to Ms. Drury and Ms. Walsh), and we recognized students who have been putting our Core 4 into action. We also revisited expectations for some of the less structured parts of our day, including arrival, lunch, recess, and dismissal, with opportunities for students to share what these expectations look like in practice.

These schoolwide gatherings help us build a shared understanding of what it means to be part of the Sheehan community while creating opportunities for students to contribute, lead, and learn from one another.

Across Sheehan, teachers use positive behavior supports to reinforce expectations, encourage teamwork, and recognize student success. One example comes from 2S using an interdependent group contingency, a positive behavior support strategy in which students work collectively toward a common goal and earn a shared reward. Rather than focusing solely on individual behavior, this approach helps students recognize how their choices contribute to the success of the group.

This week, their teamwork paid off! After working together to meet classroom expectations, students reached their goal and celebrated with a much-anticipated Fort Day! Beyond the excitement of building forts, this approach helps students develop cooperation, shared responsibility, and a sense of collective accomplishment.

Our Inclusive Read-Aloud Program kicked-off this month, providing students with opportunities to explore different perspectives, engage in meaningful conversations, and deepen their understanding of others. Through thoughtfully selected children's literature, students are encouraged to develop empathy, consider experiences different from their own, and recognize the importance of creating a community where everyone feels welcome and valued.

This week, our Inclusive Read-Aloud Program brought a special guest to 4C! Mr. Tzanetos (Sophia's dad) joined students to read Mango, Abuela, and Me, a story that explores family connections, language, and the many ways we can communicate with one another. Through the story, students explored how people can build meaningful connections even when they don't share the same primary language. It's a wonderful opportunity to develop empathy, appreciate different experiences, and recognize that communication and connection go well beyond words.

A big thank you to Mr. Tzanetos for sharing his time with our fourth graders and helping bring these important conversations to life!We're grateful to the families who give their time to support this program and help bring these conversations into our classrooms!

There's a reason circles are used so often in our classrooms. Bringing students together in a circle creates a space where everyone can see one another, every voice has an opportunity to be heard, and each person is an equal member of the group.

Circles are an intentional community-building practice used to strengthen relationships, encourage student voice, develop listening skills, and foster a sense of shared responsibility. They also provide opportunities for students to consider different perspectives, navigate challenges, and practice the skills needed to contribute positively to their classroom community.

Pictured on the left is 3M during Math core instruction and on the right is KM experiencing the power of the circle firsthand, developing skills that support meaningful connections, collaboration, and a sense of belonging.

Things got a little jazzy in Music with Mrs. Yennior! Students in 5G have been exploring jazz and learning about the legendary Ella Fitzgerald, known for her incredible voice and mastery of scat singing, a form of vocal improvisation that uses sounds and syllables instead of traditional lyrics.

Students had an opportunity to try scatting together, experimenting with rhythm, sound, and their own musical ideas. Beyond being a lot of fun, experiences like these help students develop musical creativity, listening skills, and confidence while learning about an important figure in American music history!

Wednesday, October 28: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal)- Afternoon Conferences

Wednesday, October 28: Evening Conferences

Wednesday, November 4: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal) Afternoon Conferences

Wednesday, November 11: NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, November 25: Early Release (12:10 p.m. Dismissal)

Thursday, November 26: NO SCHOOL

Friday, November 27: NO SCHOOL

Monday, November 30: Full PD Day for Staff- NO SCHOOL for students

Wednesday, December 9: Early Release (12:00 p.m. Dismissal)

Thursday, December 10: Sheehan Fall Play Performance (4:00- 6:00 pm)

Wednesday, December 23: Early Release

Thursday, December 24-January 1: December Break

Monday, January 4: Return from Break

Extended Day will open at dismissal and will close at 3:00pm for the Thanksgiving break. Also a reminder that Monday November 30th is an all day in-service for WPS staff. There is no Extended Day on this day. Extended Day staff will be participating in the district professional development.

We're looking to establish a School Site Council at Sheehan this year, and I'd love to invite interested families to be part of it! The School Site Council brings together parents, educators, school leadership, and community members to share perspectives and collaborate on priorities that support our school. The council plays an important role in reviewing school improvement goals and helping shape our ongoing work.

We anticipate meeting approximately once a month throughout the school year. If you're interested in serving as a parent representative, please reach out to me directly (smahoney@westwood.k12.ma.us) to express your interest. I'll share additional information about membership, the selection process, and next steps as we get things underway. I look forward to bringing together a group that represents the voices and perspectives of our Sheehan community!