OPR Weekly Update
May 24, 2024
Dear OPR Families,
It was great having so many OPR families attending the many special events this week. Students were able to showcase their musical talents, academic growth and performance, and much more. These celebrations of learning reinforce the importance of education and instill pride in our students.
Field Day is one of our most popular and memorable days of the year. Below is information about attending as a volunteer or a spectator. I hope you'll be able to join us for some of this fun day.
Watch this week's OPR Video News: Click here to watch the OPR Video News. Students learned about El Salvador and Lebanon from our OPR families!
Have a great long weekend! Happy Memorial Day!
David N. Barner, Principal
dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
MAY
27 No School - Memorial Day
29 Grade 5 Math Day in Bird Park
JUNE
1 Hot Hoppers travel to Keene, NH
3 Grade 5 Field Trip to Museum of Fine Arts
4 Grade 5 All School Field Day - Volunteers Only - Spectators will not be Permitted.
5 PAC Meeting, STEM Lab and Virtual at 7:00 PM
6 Grade 5 Students Tour Incoming Kindergarten Families
7 OPR Field Day (Rain Date 6/10) - Families are invited!
13 Grade 5 Clap Out at 8:45 - Families are invited!
13 Day 180 - Last Day of School - Early Release at 11:55 (Starting at 11:49)
Arrival: 8:15-8:25 AM
Tardy Bell is at 8:25 AM. (Students must be signed in at the office by an adult if tardy.)
Early Release Dismissal: 11:55 (Dismissal begins at 11:49)
Dismissal: 2:55 PM (Dismissal begins at 2:49)
If your child is going to be absent or tardy, please call the OPR office before school (508-660-7219) and press 1 for the absence line. The automated attendance verification system is in use. Those students marked absent and who have not called in will receive an automated phone call.
Friday, June 7th (Rain Date June 10th)
Field Day is on Friday, June 7th (rain date June 10th). Please see below for the Field Day volunteer links and schedule. We welcome families to volunteer or come and watch Field Day.
Upon arrival, check in at the Welcome Table outside the front door. For everyone's safety, all volunteers and spectators must check in and wear a sticker while attending Field Day.
Thanks to our generous PAC, all students in grades K-4 and staff will receive Field Day t-shirts. Each grade is assigned a color. Students are welcome and encouraged to add to their colorful outfits with the rest of their field day attire. The colors are:
Kindergarten - Red
Grade 1 - Royal Blue
Grade 2 - Green
Grade 3 - Yellow
Grade 4 - Orange
Grade 5 - Students in grade 5 are being provided with a PAC purchased Grade 5 District Field Day t-shirt. For the OPR Field Day, their color will be Light Blue.
All students should have a refillable water bottle for Field Day and sunscreen should be conisdered.
PAC Coordinated Events Volunteers:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B4BA9A923A1FE3-49723264-oprfield
Description of PAC Coordinated Events:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TM01b8oYLC-gUMnuynWJhKhSKEQQJl4zotDZJ82xAIY/edit?usp=sharing
The WPS Summer Learning Program enrollment form is now open to families. The form in the link below is to enroll your current K-5 student(s) in the program. Please note: you will need to complete a separate form for each child you are enrolling. Be sure to pay attention when entering your student’s grade level and school. All enrollment forms must be completed by Tuesday, May 29th. Due to high demand and limited staffing, some grades and sessions may be limited on a first come first serve basis. As always, if there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact us by using the email provided below.
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form
Enrollment Forms in other languages are below.
Thank you,
Jill Masterson,WPS Summer Learning Program Coordinator
summerlearning@walpole.k12.ma.us
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Arabic)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Mandarin)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Creole-Haitian)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Nepali)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Portuguese)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Russian)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Chinese)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Spanish)
2024 WPS Summer Learning Program Enrollment Form (Ukrainian)
PE with Mrs. Green
K - 5 students: All students finished four lessons of our very exciting gymnastics unit. Students practiced balancing, jumping and rolling.
K-2 demonstrated a follow the leader routine with a partner at the end of the unit.
3-5 demonstrated a routine at 2-3 stations with a group of 3-4 students. Their routine was to include following, matching and mirroring a sentence with a beginning, middle and end.
Field day is coming soon! 🙂 All grades have been practicing relay races, hula hut team building and speed stacking. All students are encouraged to practice good sportsmanship and have fun.
Our final days will include frisbee throwing, capture the flag and other popular tag games to finish off the school year.
Stay active, healthy and hydrated for the summer! See you next school year!
Math with Mrs. Rinaldi
As we come to the end of our second year with the new Bridges Math Curriculum, it is wonderful to see the teachers and students embrace Number Corner, Work Places and the use of Number Strings to build number sense, increase critical math thinking and improve math discourse. The deep mathematical thinking that is happening in our classrooms from kindergarten to grade 5 is impressive. At every grade level students have learned to use new tools, visual models and strategies to improve their efficiency as mathematicians.
We have taken some time to analyze the data from last year to this year in regard to unit tests and Number Corner check ins and we already see growth at all grade levels. The percentage of students reaching mastery is growing because both the teachers and students are more familiar with the curriculum. The vertical alignment embedded in Bridges helps students bridge their learning from one year to the next strengthening their conceptual understanding of the standards.
Of course, we have also continued to utilize ST Math as a supplement to our Bridges Curriculum and for the second year in a row the entire district has reached the 100% puzzle progress goal. This year, schools strived to reach 80% for all students and every school improved their overall percentage of students who succeeded in hitting that benchmark. More importantly the goals achieved, incentives and celebrations have helped improve overall math disposition for students throughout the district. We see it in their smiles, their eagerness to solve the next puzzle, and how they verbalize to anyone who will listen how many puzzles they solved or what percentage they are at.
We couldn’t be more proud of our students and staff and the growth we have seen around our mathematics curriculum over the past two years. We are excited to see where we will be at this point next year. In the Summer Edition S’more that will come out in June, we will provide ideas and links for how to keep your children engaged in fun mathematics over the summer to keep their skills sharp and ready for the challenges of the next school year.
News from the Nurse
One of the most common spring health issues is SEASONAL ALLERGIES.
Children can have allergies just as severely as an adult and can develop them at ANY TIME.
Up to 40 percent of children in the United States suffer from seasonal allergies, according to Parents.com.
Look out for common symptoms which include repetitive sneezing, heavy breathing, runny nose, and itchy eyes, ears and throat.
Fever is not associated with allergies, so if your child is running a high temperature, she is likely sick versus experiencing a seasonal allergy.
Please talk with your child’s pediatrician for the best allergy treatment.
Enjoy the great outdoors, but don't forget about the threat of ticks.
While it is a good idea to take preventive measures against ticks year-round, be extra cautious in warmer months (April-September) when ticks are most active.
Ticks can carry several diseases, including Lyme disease.
Wearing tick-repellent clothing, tucking long pants into socks, having long sleeves, using insect repellent, and staying to the center of paths, is the best way for people to prevent tick bites when they venture outdoors.
An estimated three quarters of all Lyme disease cases are acquired from ticks picked up during activities around the home. Children aged 2 to 13 are particularly at risk.
For detailed information about tick prevention and control, see Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Avoiding Ticks.
The Health Office would greatly appreciate donations of gently used clothing, sizes 8-10, 11-12 both genders, as our supplies are running low. If your child may need a change of clothes during the school day, please pack some in their backpack in case of emergencies! Thank you so much!
Here is a link to the WPS Health Services website. On this site you can find links to forms (i.e. medication administration, over the counter medication consent forms), medication policies, and information regarding illnesses, concussions and injuries.
Mrs. Kowalsky
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
phone: 508-660-7219 ext 5804
fax: 866.809.6567
mabel's labels
https://mabelslabels.com/en_US/fundraising/support/
Starting to lose those water bottles? Put a label on it! Please navigate to Support a Fundraiser and select Old Post Road Parent Advisory Committee.
Box Tops
Download the App for BoxTops for Education and scan receipt within 14 days of purchase. Assign Credit by selecting the Star and entering the Teacher’s Last name before you hit submit.
PAC Socal Media / Contact Info.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPR.PAC
please add: Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/oprpacwalpole
Email with questions: oprpacwalpole@gmail.com
OPR Textile Bin Donations
Massachusetts no longer allows clothing to be disposed of in the trash. Clothing must be donated or recycled. RECYCLE your clothing and textiles in the OPR Collection Bin and OPR receives money.
The collections resulted in the following:
2022 Calendar Year Total - $907.50
January 2023 - $102.00
February 2023 - $83.25
March 2023 - $95.50
April 2023 - $93.00
May 2023 - $88.20
June 2023 - $126.90
July 2023 - $100.20
August 2023 - $92.40
September 2023 - $118.80
October 2023 - $90.60
November 2023 - $113.70
December 2023 - $81.30
2023 Calendar Year Total - $1210.60
January 2024 - $85.80
February 2024 - $104.10
March 2024 - $71.70
April 2024 - $83.70
Walpole Road Race
Registration is now open for the 51st Annual Walpole Labor Day Road Race! Don’t miss this wonderful Walpole tradition. Sign-up now for the 5K, 10K, or Youth Mile. All proceeds support the 200+ athletes in the Walpole High School Cross Country / Track & Field Program. Each race participant will receive a finisher’s medal. If you register before August 15th, you’ll also receive a free race t-shirt! Can’t join us live? No problem. We have virtual editions for both the 5K and 10K races. For additional information and to register online, please visit www.walpoleroadrace.org. See you on Race Day - Monday, September 2nd!
Multilingual Learner PAC (MLPAC) Meeting
Please contact the Multilingual Learner Family Engagement Center at mlfec@walpole.k12.ma.us or at (508) 660-7257 ext. 5033 for further information or to request an interpreter or child care for the event.
WPS Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) MEETING
Please note the following contact information for Walpole’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Co-Chairs are Sue Pace and Deborah Mulroy. The SEPAC can be reached by email at walpolesepac@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/walpolespedpac. Notices of future events can be found in this Weekly Update as they are scheduled.
About Us
OPR Mission Statement
The Old Post Road School community educates all students to excel and become productive citizens.
OPR Vision
OPR students will be motivated to learn in a supportive and safe environment. The faculty will foster self-confidence in the students and encourage them to make positive choices. Students will learn to accept responsibility for their behavior and will mature into responsible citizens and lifelong learners. All students will appreciate that they are part of a diverse, global society.
Instagram: OLDPOSTROADSCHOOL_WALPOLE
Twitter: @oprschool
Email: dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
508-660-7219
