Hello WB Students, Staff, and Families,

Spring is officially here, and we hope the warmer weather is here to stay! This is a busy and exciting time in our schools, with many events and activities happening across the district. Please keep an eye out for updates from your child’s school to stay informed.

In this newsletter, we aim to provide you with key information about what’s happening in each of our schools and across the district. We hope you find it helpful and engaging. As always, if you have any comments or thoughts, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Enjoy the newsletter!

Mark Bodwell

Superintendent

Congratulations to West Bridgewater Middle/Senior High School! Thank you to Denise Larrabee from the Special Olympics MA, for coming to our Unified Sports Rally today! WBMSHS was proud to accept the National Unified Champion School Banner. We were happy to have the sixth grade join us! So proud of our school community! On Friday, there was a rally where all students 7-12 attended in the gym. At that time the banner was presented to WB with a loud roar from the crowd. We also had our 6th graders come over to join in the celebration. After the ceremony our amazing Unified Basketball team put on a clinic against our staff team. Thank you to all who participated and are part of this AMAZING program. We are very proud of everyone. The Unified Basketball team next plays at home at the MSHS on Thursday, March 27th at 3:30pm vs Foxboro.

Check out the newsletters for each of the 4 schools in WB! Lots of great information. If you have not yet had an opportunity to read these you will find lots of great information as well as many great pictures!

Spring Street School https://secure.smore.com/n/wt0mc

Rose L MacDonald School https://secure.smore.com/n/x8mcw

Howard School https://secure.smore.com/n/ar8hw

Middle/Senior High School https://secure.smore.com/n/csnmjd

Join us for a special yoga event! The newly established Bella Dubois Memorial Scholarship is dedicated to supporting aspiring senior class artists as they pursue their dreams. Open to the public. For more information please contact Julie Diedrichsen at jdiedrichsen@wbridgewater.com.

The 2025 WB Local Scholarship Application is now available on the website and also information is available in guidance. Completed application and required forms are due no later than April 4, 2025. Don't miss out on this opportunity!

Just a reminder to check out the Executive Summary results from the Climate and Culture Surveys. Thank you to all families, staff and students who took the time to participate!

SAVE THE DATE - Next Community Forum April 1st! - Come and learn more about the project.

The first Community Meeting was held on Tuesday, January 14th in the MSHS Auditorium. Information was presented by School Building Committee Chair Gary Keith, Superintendent Mark Bodwell, HMFH Architects James Liebman and Stephanie MacNeil and OPM Senior Project Manager Mitch Miller. There was also opportunities for attendees to ask questions. If you did not attend or watch it live here is the link to the video https://youtu.be/3Y4z1NCIHs4

Also information such as the presentation and FAQs are posted on the building project website. The FAQs have been updated since the community meeting to include them. https://wbesbuildingproject.com/ Check out the Building Project website (link below) for information and updates. Questions? Email the project team at wbes@pmaconsultants.com

Next School Building Committee Meeting - March 25th 5:30 pm at MSHS

It is our goal to keep you and the community updated as much as possible as we go through this process. As always if you have any questions please reach out mbodwell@wbridgewater.com .

Another successful World Culture Night in the books! Thank you to all of our amazing families and local establishments who prepared or donated delicious food! It all was amazing. Thank you to our world language teachers and students along with the Model UN. Tonight was not possible without the collaborative effort. What better way to end the evening then induct new students into the French and Spanish Honor Societies. Well done and congratulations!

Check out the amazing pictures by WB parent Mr. Matta. Thank you!!

https://jpmattaphotography.pixieset.com/worldculturalnightwbmshs/

Gallery Password : 3XhTfKwR

National School Breakfast Week was celebrated March 3-7. This year's theme was "Clue In to School Breakfast" Did you know that each day over 870 students eat breakfast at school in WB?

Universal free school meals - Both Breakfast and Lunch are Free! We hope your student dines with us! Click on WB Food Services to find Monthly breakfast and lunch menus.

Food Assistance- Project Bread Food Source Hotline and The West Bridgewater Food Pantry located at 457 Rear, South Main Street in WB, distributes to residents the first and third Wednesday of every month.

Adding money for a la carte items: While meals are free, students must have money on their accounts to buy extra items. Milk is available for students that bring meals from home for $.75 at all schools and Howard and the MSHS offer many healthy snacks and bottled water. Cash and checks are accepted and electronic payments can be made through MySchoolBucks. You will need your child's 10-digit SASID# to register for a MySchoolBucks account.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION - Please scan your shopping receipts! Every little bit helps our school! The program transitioned to a new digital format. You can now scan your shopping receipts from any store (like Market Basket, Trucchi’s, Target, Walmart, CVS, etc.) to earn money for our school. Download the app today or send your receipts to school. We are happy to scan them for you!

Here were some important dates for FY26 School Committee Budget Presentations:

• March 3, 2025 Budget Hearing at School Committee meeting

• March 10, 2025 School Committee meeting where SC approved FY26 Budget

• March 19th - Board of Selectman Budget Presentation
  

• March 20th - Finance Committee Budget Presentation

Below are links to the 2 presentations that provide more detailed information about the FY26 Budget. There is a presentation that was done at the School Committee meeting for the Budget Hearing and one that was done for the Board of Selectman and Finance Committee.

Students in second grade have fun building strong early literacy skills by creating visuals to represent Collective Nouns - "we learned that a group of peacocks is called a muster!" "Mrs. P even shared some peacock feathers to add to the experience."

Second graders are also staying connected to the core curriculum Wit and Wisdom, as they practice comprehension skills using graphic organizers that support their ability to link and compare ideas.

Fifth/Sixth grade students engaged in wordplay with multi syllabic "tion" words, and contextualized the words into meaning. They used their imagination to tell of a vacation, to a chosen destination! Aligning to current units of study in ELA.

Is there a teacher, therapist, staff person or administrator you would like to recognize for their inclusive efforts in the classroom, school or district? If so click here to submit a nomination https://bit.ly/4a2xvsy

Nominations accepted thru Friday, April 11th

WB Athletics Newsletter:

Congratulations to all of our Winter Athletes on their successful winter seasons!

As we wrap up our winter season, we want to wish all of our Spring Sport Athletes the best of luck! Also, don't forget to follow our coaches Twitter, as well as @WBMSHSAthletics, for schedule updates and the most recent game highlights. The link to the Wildcat Store is still open and at the bottom of the newsletter. Feel free to personalize and order any Wildcat Gear you would like.

Spring Sports Information:

Spring Sports Schedules:

Arbiter Live Link - https://arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=25160

Check out our sports schedule using the link above.

Unified Sports Banner:

On Friday, March 21st, our school was honored with National Banner recognition from Special Olympics North America! This prestigious recognition celebrates our commitment to fostering an inclusive and respectful school climate where everyone feels valued. Way to Wildcats! We "Choose To Include"!

Unified Basketball:

The Unified basketball team played an away game against Middleboro yesterday and had a tough 38-33 loss. The wildcats played hard and had stellar defense from Adri Guardione and Christian O’Connor. Gio Vieira hit a solid 3-pointer in the first half and Zach Folger, Graham Edgerly, Enzo Vieira, Sal Guardione, Mekenna Clark, and Kenzie Snell all contributed significantly to the wildcat offense. Geoffrey Simmons helped move the ball around the court and Brendan Hulme sank a beautiful shot from the outside in the second half. Their next game is at home against Foxboro next Thursday!

Boys Basketball: Congratulations to the Boy’s Basketball team wrapping up their season with a regular season win over East Bridgewater. The team finished the season with a record of 7-13 on the season. Best of luck to our seniors in the years to come. Jag Garces was named a SCC All Star. While Ben Stapleton and Brendan Hulme were SCC Honorable Mention. Jag Garces was also given the Sportsmanship award. Congratulations to the JV and Freshman Boys Basketball teams on great seasons. Make sure to turn all jerseys into coaches as soon as possible.

Cheer: The West Bridgewater Cheer Team competed in the MSAA 2025 Winter Cheerleading South Shore Regional Championship held on Sunday March 2, 2025, at Framingham High School in Framingham, MA. The team did a great job preparing for and executing their routine at the Championships. Congratulations to the team for making it so far in competitions! Great Job and good luck to our Seniors!

Co-Op BR/WB Gymnastics:

The Co-op team of Bridgewater-Raynham and West Bridgewater won the Cranberry League Championship. Then went on to the MIAA State Championship at Algonquin Regional High School. They finished 7th in the state. Great Job this season and best of luck to our seniors!

Girls Basketball

Congratulations to the Girls Basketball Team for qualifying for the State Tournament with a great season. They were the number 18 seed in the Division 4 State Tournament. They traveled to Western Massachusetts to play against Wahconah Regional who was the 15 seed. The Wildcats lost 53-28 against Wahconah Regional in the round of 32 of the MIAA Girls State Tournament.

Alyssa Caldeira was named SCC Conference All Star. While Sam O’Neil and Grace Polen were SCC Honorable Mentions. Jill Bouvier was given the Sportsmanship Award.

Congratulations to the JV Girls Basketball team on a great season. Make sure to turn all jerseys into coaches as soon as possible. Great job this season!

Indoor Track (Boys And Girls):

Congratulations to SCC Conference All Star Alex Kelley. The teams also had Kate Austrino, Chloe Gauthier, Jade Tait, and Jason Gothage named SCC Conference Honorable Mention. Finally congratulations to Aquiles Gomes, and Alanna Fidalgo for being named Sportsmanship Award winners. Congratulations to all on a great season!

Middle School Basketball

Congratulations to the Boys and Girls Middle School Basketball teams for wrapping up their season. They played hard and improved throughout the season! Well done Wildcats!

WEB Boys Hockey Team:

The WEB Boys Ice Hockey team was named the SSL Team Sportsmanship award for the third year in a row! Also we would like to recognize Brayden Bates and Kyle Greeley for being named SSL All Stars. Congratulations on a great season! Congratulations to our Seniors Aiden, Gavin, and Drew on a great season!!

WEB Girls Ice Hockey:

Congratulations to the WEB Girls Ice Hockey Team on a great season! They were able to put together some great games along the way. Great work this year!!

Wildcats Athletic Store:Check out the West Bridgewater Athletics online apparel store where you are able to personalize and order gear. Check out the link below to create and order your Wildcats Apparel. Let’s Go WB!!

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/massachusetts/westbridgewater/west-bridgewater-high-school

The next Superintendent Coffee Hour with Mr. Bodwell will be on Friday, April 4th at 9:15 am at the Spring Street School. As always it is open to all and we hope to see you there! As in the past there will be a Google Meet option so if you are interested in joining virtually please email me at mbodwell@wbridgewater.com for the link.

March 3, 2025

The objective of the Policy Subcommittee is to regularly review the policies of the West Bridgewater School Committee to determine if they are current, consider the interests of stakeholders, and are in line with guidance from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. At the most recent school committee meeting on March 3, 2025, the following policies were reviewed and revised as indicated:

• IJNDD - Policy On Social Media

• IJOB - Community Resource Persons/Speakers

• IJOC - School Volunteers

• IKAB - Student Progress Reports To Parents/Guardians

• IKE - Promotion And Retention Of Students

• IKEA - Academic Honesty *Rescinded*

• IKF - Graduation Requirements

• IKFB - Distribution Of Diplomas At High School Graduation *Rescinded*

• ILD - Student Submission To Educational Surveys And Research

• IMA - Teaching Activities/Presentations *Rescinded*

• IMB - Teaching About Controversial Issues/Controversial Speakers

• IMD - School Ceremonies And Observances

• IMG - Animals In School

• IMGA - Service Animals In Schools

Additionally, the following policies were opened or remain open and are scheduled for review at the next school committee meeting on April 7, 2025:

• AC - Non-Discrimination Policy Including Harassment And Retaliation

• AC-R - Non-Discrimination Policy Including Harassment And Retaliation

• ACA - Nondiscrimination On The Basis Of Sex

• ACA-R - Nondiscrimination On The Basis Of Sex Under Title Ix Including Sex-Based Harassment

• ACAB - Sexual & Sex-Based Harassment And Retaliation

• ACE - Nondiscrimination On The Basis Of Disability

• ACGA - Civil Rights Grievance Procedure

• ACGB - Title IX Sexual Discrimination Grievance Procedure

• JICFB - Bullying Prevention

• JIC - Student Discipline

• JKAA - Physical Restraint of Students

For any questions or to provide feedback, please contact the policy subcommittee at kmilton@wbridgewater.com and rdragonetti@wbridgewater.com. A complete listing of policies can be found in the WB Policy Index at https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org under the School Committee tab.

We are always looking for qualified persons to fill substitute teaching positions. If you are interested, please visit https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org/page/substitute-teaching for more information or contact one of the building principals for more information.

Mark Bodwell, Superintendent of Schools

Email: mbodwell@wbridgewater.com
Website: www.wbridgewaterschools.org
Location: 2 Spring Street, West Bridgewater, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 894-1230
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbridgewaterschools