News From The Nest: Issue #24

Hello Elm Street School Families and Friends!

We had a super busy first week back from the break here at the Nest! At our all school assembly today it was so wonderful to look out into the sea of rainbow colors as each grade level celebrated Color Day for our spirit day this month. All the vibrant colors, coupled with the melting snow and warming temperatures, definitely helped to make it feel like Spring is just around the corner! You can read more about our assembly in this week's newsletter.

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

• upcoming dates and celebrations for March
• counseling newsletter for March
• Essentialist Newsletter: PHYSICAL EDUCATION
• Elm Field Day T-Shirts: REMINDER
• March Coffee and Conversation
• February Assembly Recap
• Staffing Update
• Spring Family/Educator conferences
• Summer Programming 2025

As we transition back from the February break and settle into these next 7 weeks of uninterrupted learning before the April break, we are excited to support each student in extending their growth and achievement built on the solid foundation of skills and routines that have been building since the opening of the school year. It is a long stretch of time when we can often see students start to fatigue as their stamina for engagement and higher level learning is tested and stretched. We also see the turn to Spring bring deepening of some social connections while others can begin fraying. It's an exciting time of year that requires us all to work together to help all our students follow expectations, continue to work hard and persevere when things get tough, and build and practice empathy and gratitude. We will keep reinforcing our high behavioral and academic expectations as well as practicing routines here at school while partnering with you if your child(ren) begins to show some difficulty in any of these areas.

Enjoy the first weekend of March and we will see everyone back at the Nest on Monday!

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 the month of March.

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.

• 2/28 - 3/29 Ramadan

• Women's History Month

• Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month

• 3/7 8:15a Coffee and Conversation (Digital Citizenship and Safety)

• 3/9 Daylight Savings Starts (turn clocks ahead one hour)

• 3/11 Family/Educator Evening Conferences

• 3/13 Family/Educator Evening Conferences, 6:45p School Committee meeting

• 3/13 - 14 Purim

• 3/14 Pi Day, Holi, Early Release Day, Family/Educator Conferences

• 3/17 St. Patrick's Day

• 3/20 Nowruz, First Day of Spring, 7:00p Elm PAC meeting

• 3/21 World Down Syndrome Day, Elm Spirit Day (Decades Day)

• 3/28 Early Release Day (Staff Professional Development)

• 3/31 International Transgender Day of Visibility, Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character Day

This month's Coffee and Conversation on March 7th will feature guest presenter Kim Farley, our Digital Learning Coach here at Elm Street School. She will be sharing some information about what we do here to support digital citizenship along with some suggestions for ways you can support healthy digital habits at home.

Join us at 8:15a for coffee and connections, our programming will begin at 8:30a

On Friday (2/28) we came together as a school for our monthly assembly. We followed our regular assembly routine starting with a greeting then moving to our share, announcements and celebrations, and ending with High Fives. Grade 5 students and Mr. Iadarola hosted the share and taught us all about heart health including a lively jump rope demonstration. During announcements and celebrations we shared our gratitude to all the classes and spaces who decorated their doors for Kindness Week before the February Break and had an informative presentation from Mrs. Sabiha's daughter all about Ramadan which begins this evening.

I am thrilled to share that Susan Shea has joined our Elm Street School team as our new front office administrative assistant. Mrs. Shea is a former Elm Street School parent and was an active participant in the Elm PAC. I am excited to welcome Mrs. Shea and appreciate your patience and understanding as we move through this transition and onboarding in our front office over the next couple of weeks.

Spring Family/Educator conferences will take place on the evenings of March 11th and March 13th as well as on the Early Release Day on March 14th. We are using Google appointments as we did in the Fall for families to schedule time with educators. All of our educators are available for conferences including classroom teachers, special educators, guidance counselors, and specialists.

In an effort to save time and make conference scheduling more convenient for families, we are excited to announce that the Essentialists (Art, Music, PE, and STEM) will be holding their conferences together this year in the STEM room. This change is in response to feedback we’ve received about families needing to sign up individually for each Essentialist in the past.

By grouping the Essentialists in one location, we hope to streamline the process and make it easier for you to meet with the team as a whole. If you prefer to meet with only one Essentialist, there will still be space available for a private conference in the STEM room.

Please check your email for a separate message containing the link to our spreadsheet of appointment links.

We are excited to announce that Extended Day will be running a Pilot Summer Program this upcoming summer and registration is now live. We are anticipating registration to fill quickly and will do our best to enroll as many waitlisted students as possible.

This year, the camp will run for 4 weeks at Fisher Elementary and offer an Extended Day PM option for families. Registration will be open for incoming first-sixth graders. Registration will be available for individual weeks and families will have the option to register for all 4 weeks at a discounted rate.

Please see the below information regarding Summer Camp Information and Registration Information for the Summer of 2025 and reach out to Dan Santangelo (dsantangelo@walpole.k12.ma.us) or Evan Storlazzi (estorlazzi@walpole.k12.ma.us) with any questions.

Welcome to our Summer Camp 2025 guide! Even though it is only February, we are planning to open registration for our first Extended Day Summer Camp! This year, camp will be held at Fisher Elementary School and open to students entering grades 1-6 for the 2025/26 school year.

The last day of school for the 2024/2025 academic calendar is scheduled forJune 13, 2025 (without snow days). To allow for potential snow days, we will open camp on Monday June 23, 2025 and close on Friday July 18, 2025. Please note that Camp will be closed on Friday July 4, 2025.

Supervision is provided by Extended Day Site Coordinators and Assistants from all four elementary schools along with seasonal high school and college counselors. Students will be grouped based on age/grade and rotate through a variety of sports, arts, and stem activities along with weekly theme based activities/challenges and student choice blocks over the course of each week.

We have updated our online registration process to allow parents/guardians to register their children into the proper grade group for Camp. Families will be required to select the registration button with your child’s grade for the 2024/2025 school year to en-sure your child(ren) will be sorted into the correct group. If you are registering multiple children, make sure all children are added to the “cart” before moving on to completing the child’s information and moving onto the payment screen. If you are unable to pay the full amount at the point of registration please use the “send payment” option. Families that have an outstanding balance prior to the start of camp will not be able to attend the program. Please reach out to Extended Day administrators directly with any financial concerns or questions.

We are anticipating that registration fills very quickly. We highly encourage families to consider your plans for the summer now, review our policies, and register as soon as registration opens if you know you want your child(ren) to participate in the Walpole Extended Day Summer Camp.

Thank you! Dan, Evan, and the Extended Day Team The Walpole Extended Day Program is a self-sustained branch of the Walpole Public Schools. We support all people who are interested in academic, social, and cultural development. Walpole Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, homelessness, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation.

Early Drop Off and Late Pick Up

Camp hours will be from 8:30am-3:30pm each day. An Extended Day option will be provided at an additional charge. Families that register for Extended Day may pick up their child as late as 4:30pm. Children cannot be dropped off before 8:30 am and cannot be left unattended outside of the school. Children will be dropped off and picked up from door 14. (Fisher Cafetaria door). Additional information and visual aids for pick up and drop off will be sent out with camp confirmation emails at the end of May. Children will not be released to anyone who is not listed as a person authorized for pick up in Community Pass without written parent approval. If your child needs to be picked up early, or will be picked up by another person, please communicate this to the Extended Day Office or Camp Director in writing and update your online transport release in your Community Pass account. The safety of children is our number one priority and we want to ensure that it is a safe and fun summer for everyone. For your child/children’s protection we will be requesting identification from anyone picking up a child whom our staff is unfamiliar with. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Lunch and Snack

Lunch should be sent with your child daily. Students should bring a lunch that is clearly labeled. It is also a good idea to label any reusable containers that your child brings. We are using the school facility for storage so we do not have the ability to refrigerate individual lunches. Please pack an ice pack to keep food cool. We are not able to reheat any food items.

We will supply a morning and afternoon snack each day. We work hard to provide a variety of healthy and kid friendly snacks. Campers are never forced to eat, and certainly may bring a snack from home that they prefer. We ask families with children who have food allergies or dietary restrictions to identify these when completing the online registration form so that we may properly care for the campers during meal times.

What to Bring

All campers should have a change of clothes that can be left at camp. Spare clothes should be in a plastic bag and clearly labeled. Be sure to label all items! Our staff will make every effort to help your child keep track of their belongings. Each day, lost items are gathered together and placed in a central location. Please call the program to inquire about any lost items. All campers will need:

• Sunscreen, SPF 25 or higher. Sunscreen should be applied before coming to camp. Campers will reapply their own sunscreen throughout the day.

• Reusable water bottle (dishwasher safe if possible). Water bottles will stay at camp for the week and will be sent home on weekends to be washed. We will refill them daily.

• Hat (optional but recommended)

• Lunch

The following items should be left at home:

• Any electronic device (unless used for medical purposes)

• Cell phone

• Gizmos/smart watches

• Heelys

• Stuffed animals

• Toys from home

• Money

The camp assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to campers personal property. If your student needs any of the above listed items for medical or safety reasons please let Dan Santangelo (dsantangelo@walpole.k12.ma.us) or Evan Storlazzi (estorlazzi@walpole.k12.ma.us) know.

Tuition and fees Camp

Single Week, Week 2: $332

Single Week Weeks 1, 3, and 4: $415 per week

Weeks 1-2 only: $747.00

Weeks 3-4 only: $830.00

Weeks 1-4: $1550.00

Extended Day Extended Day Week 2: $100.00 Extended Day One Single Week Weeks 1, 3, and 4: $125/week. Extended Day Option Weeks 1-2 only: $225.00

Extended Day Option Weeks 2-4 only: $250.00

Extended Day Option Weeks 1-4 only: $475.00 Payments Families may pay in full or pay partial installments as they see fit. Please note that tuition for the week must be paid at the conclusion of the week prior. Families who have not paid their tuition prior to the start of camp will not be admitted to camp.

Registration

Registration must be completed online by logging into your Community Pass Account or by visiting our website: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/page/extended-day.

Registration for all of our programs are first come first serve and payment either in full or the first installment must be made for registration to be accepted. Registration will remain open until June 2, 2025 or as space allows. Children are grouped in age/grade appropriate groups. We will not accept group or friend pairing requests. Families with an outstanding balance with Extended Day will not be allowed to register until the balance has been paid. **Please note: Children must be registered for Camp to ensure a spot in camp. Only registering for Late Pick-Up WILL NOT secure a spot in camp. Any children who are registered for these additional services but have not been registered for Camp will be automatically withdrawn and the payment added as a credit to your Community Pass Account.

Program Policies

All portions of Extended Day Programs are supported through tuition. Programs will be scheduled according to the number of students registered. We keep our groups to a low counselor-camper ratio, and therefore some groups reach their maximum capacity very quickly. Do not delay in registering your child to avoid disappointment.

Pick Up

It is important that children be picked up promptly. If children are not picked up by dismissal, our staff will stay with them until you arrive. An additional charge of $5 will be levied for EACH five-minute interval and fraction thereof, after the first five minutes grace period for the summer. Dismissal of campers is only allowed at the camp location. Dismissal Procedures will be communicated to registered families in their welcome packets prior to the start of camp.

Health Care

Please list any pertinent health information for your child when completing the online registration and provide a copy of your child’s up to date immunization record to the Extended Day Office.

Our camp is staffed by either a Registered Nurse or a Nurse Practitioner. Medications should be in their original container with dosage instructions. No medicine will be administered without a completed Medical Authorization Form. Medications will be stored in a locked cabinet.

Children seek out the nurse for a variety of reasons, some small and some large. The camp will always communicate with the parents/ guardian whenever a camper receives any medical treatment. In the event of an emergency situation, the nurse will call 911 and then the parents/guardian.

Behavior and Discipline

A safe and friendly environment is a necessity at camp. It is the goal of all our staff to model appropriate behavior and communication at all times. All disciplinary issues will be brought to the attention of the head counselors who will work with your child to resolve the issue. Parents will be informed in writing what occurred and what action was taken to resolve the issue. In the case that a camper poses a safety risk to themselves or others, the camper may be asked to leave camp.

Visitors

Visitors to the program are welcome only after receiving permission from the Extended Day office and securing a pass to come to the program. Unidentified or unauthorized visitors will be asked to leave the premises, if they refuse or are found on the premises again, Walpole Police will be notified. This policy applies to parents/guardians who attempt to bypass the main office to visit or view their child at the program. This may cause distress to campers and staff members. If you wish to see your child while at camp, please notify the Camp Director and your child will be called down.

Staff

The staff is composed of experienced counselors. Each has had a positive background check, including a criminal offender registry inquiry (CORI) and a sexual offender registry inquiry (SORI), along with other inquiries as mandated by the MA Dept. of Public Health.

Refund Policy

Tuition Fees are non-refundable. Our programs incur staffing and other expenses based upon the total number of individual child enrollments and operating costs associated with them projected for the full duration of camp. Neither financial reimbursement, nor credit, will be given for a child’s absence due to: emergency days; family trips; illness; religious events; vacations; or failure to make full use of the program. In the event a child becomes totally unable to participate in the Camp due to illness, disability, or otherwise, upon written request, the Director of Extended Day may refund or abate tuition fees. Tuition fees will not be refunded in the case of a child’s absence, delayed attendance, early departure or withdrawal from the program.

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