Anne T. Dunphy Newsletter

Don't forget, at the bottom of each newsletter you can find important dates to remember, and links to:

• The lunch menu
• The school calendar
• Online Preschool/Before School care payments
• And eventually, the PTO Family Directory

This year our PTO is working with a new photographer for our school photos. (Thanks to Niki Gardner who took on this task for many years!

School photos will happen for the following grade levels on the dates below:

Monday, September 21st: K, 3, 5, 6

Tuesday, September 22nd PreK, 1, 2, 4

Stay tuned for more information about packages, pricing, and how to order.

Click here to learn more about our new photographer.

For the past couple of years, we have been offering a "Grab and Go" bag lunch on half days. This year, the state is asking schools to also provide time for students to eat lunch prior to a half day dismissal if the child/family chooses.

Students are not required to order a school lunch on a half day.

Students are not required to eat their lunch at school on a half day.

To streamline this process in order to meet this requirement and also maximize time on learning during a half day, classroom teachers will take lunch counts in the morning, just as they do on a regular school day.

Students who order lunch will receive a bagged lunch during their snack period in their classroom (typically sometime between 10:00-10:45). Students may eat that lunch at that point, or they can eat their snack from home & put the bagged lunch in their backpacks to eat when they arrive at home.

The bagged lunch will be a simplified meal that meets school nutrition requirements and may include fruit, vegetables, a whole-grain item, milk, and a protein option.

Thank you for your flexibility as we implement this new state requirement. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!

We are excited to share that ATD's bus came in THIRD PLACE during the Three County Fair's School Bus Demolition Derby! (Ryan Road took 1st, and Mountain View School took 2nd).

There was some great excitement when ATD's bus flipped another bus over!!

If you have not ever witnessed one of these events, you would be amazed at how tough these vehicles are!

For the past two Fridays, students have been working in the garden to harvest some of the bounty they started last spring! Each class prepared items to be entered into the Williamsburg Grange Fair this past weekend... and we did GREAT!

Check out the display in our front hall of some of the wonderful entries - and all of our blue ribbons! Ask your student which items they worked on!

Thanks so much to Sherri Marti & family for helping us to get our first harvest done in these early days of school!

Since our last newsletter, we have had a planned fire drill... and an unexpected practice as well! The students have done great in both situations! We appreciate the support of the Williamsburg Fire Department for their planning and response!

Fifth graders started their year with some STEAM challenges (Science Technology Engineering Art & Math)! Last week, groups were tasked with designing and engineering apple hats that would sustain a race across the field!

Students in 3rd grade sharpened their addition and subtraction skills with some fun math games to start the year!

One of the special privileges of being a 4th grader is that chance to make the morning announcements! Each day, a pair of 4th graders uses the microphone in the front office to share the important announcements of the day... and sometimes a fun joke!

You may recall that back in 2024, Anne T. Dunphy was acknowledged by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for strong gains in reducing chronic absenteeism in the state. That was the special event at which we were gifted a signed basketball from the Championship Celtics team!

This past May, Anne T. Dunphy was recognized by DESE again as one of two districts in the state that stood out for having a chronic absenteeism rate of less than 10 percent and approximately 10 percentage points or more of improvement over March 2025 chronic absenteeism rates.

We are so proud of our students and families for prioritizing school attendance. The strong correlation between attendance and student performance is clear. And thanks to our staff for making ATD the kind of place students want to come each day!

This year, families in grades 4-6 received their students' MCAS scores through access to a Parent Portal. You should have received information from the district about how to set up your portal and access those results. Please reach out if you are having difficulty!

RiverFest is a family-friendly, participatory celebration of the wild and scenic Westfield River - with music, puppet-making, art, and refreshments along Main Street in Cummington. 10am-6pm Saturday, Sep. 19th. Free and open to all!

Details at cummingtonculture.art/riverfest

This program is funded in part by grants from Mass Cultural Council and the Cummington Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

September 1st ~ 1st day of Preschool

September 3rd ~ PTO Meeting 3:15

September 7th ~ School Bus Demolition Derby @ Three County Fair, 2:00

September 16th ~ School Committee, 5:30

September 21 & 22 ~ School Photos (More info to come)

September 23rd ~ 1/2 day a for students (11:45 dismissal)

September 24th ~ Open House 6:00-7:00

October

October 12th ~ No School, Indigenous Peoples' Day

October 13th ~ No School, Professional Development for Staff

Email: sjenkins@hr-k12.org
Website: www.burgyschool.org
Location: 1 Petticoat Hill Road, Williamsburg, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 268-8421
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063877785225