Making Waves
Old Hammondtown School Weekly Family Newsletter
Dear OHS Families,
Welcome to the very first Old Hammondtown School Weekly Family Newsletter! For those I have not yet had the opportunity to meet, my name is Ms. Amanda Chamberlin, and I am incredibly honored and excited to serve as the new principal of OHS. As we prepare to welcome our Seahorses back on Wednesday, I am filled with excitement and gratitude to begin this new school year with all of you. So much care and hard work have gone into preparing our classrooms and school, and our staff cannot wait to see our students walk through the doors! I look forward to getting to know each child and family and building a school community where every student feels known, supported, cared for, challenged, and excited to learn.
Every Sunday, this newsletter will be shared and will include a Principal’s Wave with a look at the week ahead, important updates, and highlights of the wonderful things happening throughout our building. I hope it will help you feel informed, connected, and part of all that makes Old Hammondtown such a special place. Each newsletter will be shared via email, the ORR App, and on our school Facebook page.
Today and everyday, we will be teaching our students that "Small acts of kindness and hard work create big waves: every wave starts with you". We can’t wait to see everyone on Wednesday and begin making waves together!
Warmest regards,
Ms. Amanda Chamberlin
Principal
Meet Mr. Doshier, our new Music Teacher
Meet Mrs. Ingham, our new Special Education Teacher
Meet Mrs. Vidal, our new Math Interventionist
Meet Mr. Iannitelli, our new Paraprofessional
Meet Mrs. Vieira, our new Paraprofessional
❤️ The Heart Behind the Office: Mrs. Janicki
I want to give a very special thank you to Mrs. Janicki, who has truly been my right hand throughout the summer! From teacher assignment letters, ordering materials, and countless other details, she has helped me every step of the way as we prepared the building for a new year.
✨ The Man Behind the Shine: Mr. Casi
A huge thank you to our Head Custodian, Mr. Lou Casi, for all of his hard work this summer! Lou has worked tirelessly to make sure every corner of OHS is ready for our students and staff, and the building is absolutely shining. His pride in our school and the care he puts into everything he does can be seen throughout the building. We are so lucky to have him!
❤️ Care in Every Detail: Omar & Patricia
A special thank you to Omar and Patricia for all of their hard work getting OHS ready this summer! They have put so much care into every classroom, hallway, and little detail throughout the building. Beyond all that they do, they are truly the sweetest crew and bring such kindness and positivity to OHS each day. We are so lucky to have them as part of our team!
Core Values at Old Hammondtown: Think, Learn, Care
At Old Hammondtown School, our district and building core values: THINK, LEARN, and CARE, guide the choices we make and the way we treat one another each day. This year, these values will come to life through what it means to Be a Seahorse. Our students will be encouraged to THINK by making smart choices, LEARN by being ready, engaged, and doing their best, and CARE by being respectful, kind, and welcoming. All families will see these expectations throughout our school: in classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, at recess, and during whole-school meetings. They are more than words on our walls; they represent how we will learn, grow, and take care of one another as a community. Through small acts of kindness and hard work, our Seahorses will create big waves all year long!
Weekly Seahorse Spotlight
Every Friday during our whole-school morning meeting in the gym, we will proudly recognize one Seahorse Spotlight student who exemplifies what it means to be an Old Hammondtown Seahorse by living our core values of Think, Learn, and Care. This special honor celebrates a student whose character, kindness, hard work, responsibility, perseverance, and positive leadership make a meaningful impact on our school community. Ms. Chamberlin will recognize this award each week and spotlight this student in the weekly newsletter. We are really looking forward to recognizing our students throughout the school year!
What’s New in Teaching & Learning?
We have some exciting updates to teaching and learning in the ORR district for this 2026/2027 school year:
➗ Math: Our math teachers will begin using the updated EnVision Mathematics 2027, the newest version of EnVision, as we continue into our second year with the program.
✏️ Writing: The district is excited to begin a K–6 pilot of The Writing Revolution, an approach that gives teachers practical strategies for strengthening student writing across all subject areas. These strategies can be easily woven into what students are already learning without adding another full curriculum.
❤️ Social-Emotional Learning: Responsive Classroom's Fly Five curriculum will continue to be taught weekly during Morning Meeting: helping to build important social-emotional skills that support positive relationships, responsible decision-making, and success in and out of the classroom.
📊 Assessment: This year, we will pilot IXL LevelUp for our ELA and Math benchmark assessments, transitioning away from Aimsweb. Because IXL is already familiar to our students and teachers, this will help streamline the assessment while giving teachers a clear picture of useful information to better understand student needs and support growth.
We are excited about these updates and look forward to continuing to strengthen teaching and learning for all of our students this year!
Food and Nutrition Updates
We are thrilled to have Jill Henesey serving as our Director of Food and Nutrition Services once again for this 2026/2027 school year! All students in the state of Massachusetts are eligible to receive one free lunch and one free breakfast daily at school. The remaining food prices will be as follows:
Second lunch: $3.50. Second breakfast: $2.75. Milk only: $0.75.
Assorted snacks: $1.00 -$1.50. Assorted drinks: $1.00-$1.75.
Menus are available on the District’s Food and Nutrition Services website, orrschoolmeals.com
FAQ:
What does a Free breakfast include: A breakfast meal consists of the choice of the following items: Milk, 100% Fruit Juice, Whole Grain Breakfast item, Protein, and Fruit. A student MUST choose at least three (3) items and one (1) MUST be a Fruit.
What does a Free Lunch include: A lunch meal consists of the choice of the following items: Milk, Whole Grain item, Protein, Vegetables, and Fruit. A student MUST choose at least three (3) items and one (1) MUST be a Fruit or Vegetable.
What if my child only wants milk, will that be free? No. Milk only is considered an A La Carte purchase and therefore is not free, per the USDA regulations.
If you received free or reduced-price lunches last year, you must complete a new application each school year.
Arrival and Dismissal at Old Hammondtown
Morning Arrival: School doors open at 8:15am, and school begins at 8:30am.
Car Arrival: Any student being dropped off in the morning can enter through the Shaw Street entrance and pull into the front loop of the school in front of buses. The doors will close promptly at 8:30.
Dismissal: If a student has any dismissal changes, please be sure to send a note in with them and/or contact or secretary, Mrs. Janicki.
Car Dismissal: Any student being picked up in the afternoon can enter through the Shaw Street entrance and take their first left towards the gym entrance for pick up. Staff will be outside guiding this process during the first week of school.
**Please be sure to have an ID with you during the first few days of school as our staff learn all of our families**
Nurse Ripley’s Wellness Wave
We are happy to welcome Nurse Amy Ripley back as our school nurse for another wonderful year!
As we prepare for the start of the school year, please review these important health and safety reminders from Nurse Ripley:
- Peanut and Tree Nut-Free Classrooms: All Old Hammondtown classrooms are peanut and tree nut-free. When packing snacks, please check food labels carefully and choose options that are safe and allergy-friendly for our classrooms.
- EpiPens and Inhalers: EpiPens and inhalers may be sent to school in your child’s backpack. They should be placed in a clear, sealed bag labeled with the student’s name, grade, and teacher.
- Medication: All other medication must be dropped off by a parent or guardian and accompanied by a doctor’s order. Medication must remain in its original, labeled bottle or packaging.
Thank you for your partnership and care in helping us maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all of our Seahorses!
A Warm Welcome From Our Mattapoisett PTA!
The Mattapoisett PTA is starting the new school year with some exciting updates!
We’ve given the Mattapoisett PTA website a fresh new look and made it easier to find the information families need, from ways to volunteer to PTA membership, fundraising, and more. Take a look and explore!
www.mattapoisettpta.org
A New Spiritwear Store!
We’re excited to launch our new Mattapoisett PTA Spiritwear Store! Shop your favorite PTA gear with the convenience of direct-to-buyer shipping, so your order comes straight to your door. No waiting for a school pickup or coordinating order distribution! If you were looking for the seahorse embroidered hats we have those too.
Want to Be Part of the Crew?
PTA membership is open, and we’d love to have you join the crew! Members receive benefits including a 10% discount at our new spiritwear store, plus the opportunity to be part of the team supporting our students and schools.
There are also opportunities to get more involved through PTA committees and open board positions, Secretary and Treasurer. Information is on our website.
Don't miss an update! Follow the new Mattapoisett PTA Facebook page for events, fundraisers, spiritwear, volunteer opportunities, and all the latest PTA news.
Join us, there’s a place for everyone on our crew!
Get in touch with us - info@mattapoisettpta.org
Smart Watches/Cell Phones
As a reminder, if your child brings a cell phone or smartwatch to school, we ask that it remain stored in their backpack during the school day. This will help limit distractions and allow students to stay engaged in learning and time with their classmates. We appreciate your help in reviewing this expectation with your child.
Meet Bibbles, Our Library Axolotl!
Our OHS librarian, Mrs. Mirabito, is thrilled to share that Bibbles will be back for this new school year here in the library! A special thank you to Jeanette Donovan and her family for taking such good care of him over the summer. Bibbles is excited to see all of our students and staff and is a special part of the OHS family!
Stay Connected!
In addition to our weekly newsletter, there are a few other ways to stay connected and keep up with all that is happening at OHS!
- Follow us on Facebook for school updates, photos, reminders, and celebrations.
- Download the ORR Connect App on your mobile device to receive the latest school and district news, announcements, and updates. The app can be found in your device’s App Store.
Most importantly, please know that my door is always open. Families are always welcome to reach out to me by phone or email with questions, concerns, or simply to connect, and I am always happy to make time to meet. I truly value hearing from our families and look forward to getting to know you and working together throughout the year!
