West Bridgewater Students, Staff and Families,

I hope you find this newsletter informative as there is a lot going on in West Bridgewater. Thank you to all our hard-working and dedicated staff in the district. We want to continue to do our best for our students!

At the Town Meeting on Monday, October 16th the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design was passed with 84% in favor (vote required 2/3) The School Building Committee is excited to move forward in the process. The next steps include the hiring of an Owners Project Manager (OPM) and a Designer (Architect).

We will continue to keep you updated as we go through the process.

If you are looking for information about the project please click on the button below to go to the website.

It was awesome to see all of the students from Preschool to grade 6 participating in the PTO Fun Run Fundraiser this week. Thank you to those who donated as the PTO supports a lot of school programs.

Becky Fidler from Taproots Behavioral Health recently spoke to our students at the MSHS about "Healthy Decision Making - Understanding the Risks of Vaping". Students good health and well-being is our number one goal.

Mr. Bodwell is having lunch with all of the kindergarten students during the year. Most Fridays he will have small groups of students bring their lunch down to his office. During that time he gets to know them better and is enjoying the time with them. He will be doing this with about 5-6 students per class until he has had them all in. There is always a fun time had by all!!

Check out the positive messages that were written by the students outside of the Middle/Senior High School as part of their monthly advisory lesson today. Great job!

West Bridgewater wishes Mary Pistorino the best in her retirement! She officially retired in September and was a World Language teacher, World Language Coordinator and ELE Coordinator in WB. Thank you for all your years of service to the students and the staff in WB!

This year preschoolers are exploring engineering and science with Problem Panda. Problem Panda has lots of problems and our preschoolers are eager to help. This month Problem Panda became trapped in a barn when a boulder rolled in front of the door. Working in groups, preschoolers built machines to rescue Problem Panda. They talked about how they could solve the problem, created a solution, tested it, and then worked on making changes. It was the engineering design process in action. Problem Panda was successfully rescued and everyone was happy.

In addition to engineering, our preschoolers are exploring their world through science. This month we posed the question: What happens when you put a pumpkin in water? Open-ended questions let our students discover the world and guided discussions help them learn key scientific language. Not only did they learn that a pumpkin floats in water, but they also noticed the water magnifies the pumpkin when viewed through the side of the tub. Open-ended questions allow our students to notice more and share more of their thinking. We use talking points with words such as: agree, disagree, new idea, repeat, and add on. These help our students have productive conversations with each other and exchange ideas.

Check out the link below for some great pictures!

At Rose L. MacDonald we are continuing our work with the Early Grades Literacy Grant and our consultant Deb Dunn. Deb brings a wealth of literacy knowledge to our district. In year two of the grant, the EGLG team will create school-based literacy goals and action steps, attend after-school professional development, and continue implementation of our high-quality literacy programs and practices.

Howard School staff is also working with a grant, the High-Quality Implementation Grant and they are also working with a consultant, Shardea Gallion. Shardea brings years of practice as a teacher, a leader, and a coach. This is also year two of this grant and this year we will continue to focus on the implementation of our high-quality literacy program. In year one the team worked on a landscape analysis and an implementation plan. This year, we are working on meeting the goals listed in the implementation plan.

Check out the entrance to the Spring Street School. Thank you to Mrs. Ellis and all the staff who helped create this amazing display!

Make sure your school nurse has your student’s most up-to-date health information using these forms:

MIDDLE-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

HOWARD SCHOOL

RLM & SPRING STREET SCHOOLS

These forms also allow you to give consent to the nurse to administer standing order medication during the school day. At the MSHS the options are acetaminophen, ibuprofen, tums and benedryl. At Howard, there is acetaminophen only. We do not have standing orders at RLM or Spring Street. Any other medication requires a doctor’s order. Please see our website for more information or contact your school nurse anytime during the school day.

OUR NURSING STAFF:

• MSHS/LEAD NURSE

• Julie Diedrichsen 508-894-1220 x1305 or jdiedrichsen@wbridgewater.com

• HOWARD SCHOOL

• Peggy Linskey 508-894-1250 x3115 or mlinskey@wbridgewater.com

• ROSE L. MACDONALD SCHOOL

• Lynn Moniz 508-894-1240 x4102 or lmoniz@wbridgewater.com

• SPRING STREET SCHOOL

Sara Mando 508-894-1230 x2122 or smando@wbridgewater.com

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.

On Saturday, October 28th, the NHS will be sponsoring their TRUNK OR TREAT for children. It will take place in the MSHS school parking lot from 3-5 p.m. A donation of $5 per child is appreciated. All proceeds will go to the NHS scholarships. If families would like to donate bags of candy it would be greatly appreciated and can be dropped off at the MSHS main office.

Check out the information posted about how the West Bridgewater Athletic Department partnered with NOSOLO to raise awareness about mental health. There was a tent set up at the first football game vs East Bridgewater (which WB won!) During the game mental health awareness messages were read. Check out the link below

Check out the Safety Tips for Halloween

With the Fall season in full swing, many of our teams are making the push toward the state tournament! Make sure that you follow @WBMSHSAthletics for updates on the schedule and highlights from games and matches. Please check out some highlights from our WB Coaches below!

Girls and Boys XC

The girl's cross country team won their first SCC Gold Division titles by defeating Fairhaven and Dighton-Rehoboth. Emma Pope and Viviana Morales-Wakin led the way for the Wildcats, who also saw outstanding performances by Katherine Donovan, Shealyn Doherty and Ashley Hardiman.

The boys cross country team beat Fairhaven. Runners Alex Kelley and Ryan Geniuch finished 2nd and 4th overall. Kenly Laime, Jason George, and Cameron Frates rounded out the scoring for West Bridgewater.

Field Hockey

The Varsity girls Field Hockey team defeated Pembroke in an amazing 3-2 win! 2 goals scored by Abby Matta scored two goals on breakaways. While Grace Polen netted another on a corner.

The JV Field Hockey team won their game against Pembroke yesterday 1-0. Emma Maher scored the goal with an assist by Addy Holland. Paige Zaleski played well and had a shutout in net. Great job by everyone.

Girls Soccer

Girls varsity soccer improved their record to 10-3 with a 7-0 victory over Bourne. Kylie Fuller picked up a hat trick with two assists, Rachael Geniuch scored two and Alyssa Catino and Sophia Hulme each picked up a goal.

Girls JV soccer fell to BR 5-1. The lone goal was scored by Kiera Stipkovich with an assist by Evie Pappas. Sarah Florio had a strong game in goal, facing a lot of tough shots from BR.

Football

The Varsity Football team beat Bristol Plymouth by a score of 34-0. The Wildcat’s did a great job defensively holding BP scoreless in the game. Ty Holmes and Christian Packard both scored two touchdowns. Ryan Nunes returned a punt for a touchdown. With Luke Destrampe and Jacob Smith converting two points after each.

JV scrimmage vs BP great job! Sanchez Jacob Smith had stellar games on the defensive side of the ball. Riley Harris and Nick Navin ran the ball effectively for the team on offense.

Volleyball

The Varsity Volleyball team took the win 3-2 over DR. The whole team fought together to get the win. Our libero turned middle gets her first solo block; three 8th graders in serve receipt! But they all worked as a team! The following game the Varsity Volleyball team fell in 3 sets against Case HS. With only moments of great play the Wildcats struggled to get it going. Jasmine Paulsen, at middle, with 3 blocks, 2 kills. Strong serving from Ariana Lone, Ava Harkins, and Faith Ojugbana.

The JV Volleyball team lost to Dighton Rehoboth 2-0 when they traveled to the Falcons. The team was coming off a big win over a scrappy and hard serving Diman team. Ella Holden and Amy Dangoia with stellar serving streaks!

Boys Soccer:

The Boys varsity soccer defeated Bourne 2-0 last night. Aiden Mussari scored what would be the game winner off an assist from Dylan Spadea, who then scored the insurance goal off an assist from George Baroud. Ben Stapleton earned his 3rd shutout of the season in what was a complete team performance in which the boys controlled the game from start to finish.

The JV soccer team beat Bourne 4-2. Nicco Robinson had a hat trick with great passes from Sam Schneeweis and Owen Seckinger on the 1st goal, a penalty kick for the 2nd goal, and a great sliding assist by Sam Schneeweis on the 3rd goal. Owen Seckinger had a goal on a great pass by Drew Spadea while Marlon James, Gio Viera, and Myles Mussari played a good game at midfield.

Golf:

The Varsity Golf team lost to the Brockton Boxers by one stroke in their match at West Bridgewater Country Club. The team has shown incredible improvement over the course of the season as individually and as a team they have seen their scores drop drastically. (Low score wins)

The JV Golf team beat Southeastern in a close match at West Bridgewater Country Club. Sean Petras was the low scorer for West Bridgewater. While 7th grader Matt Navin also turned in a strong round!

Congrats to Aiden Delehoy, Collin Baker, Aiden Maher, Ben LeGrice, Sean Petras, and Patrick Harrington who are participating in the South Coast Conference Golf Championship on 10/19!

Good Luck to Aiden Delehoy who will be competing in the MIAA Golf state tournament at Kettle Brook Golf Club in Paxton, MA on Tuesday 10/24!

Cheer

The cheer team has spent a great deal of time preparing for their competition. The competition is titled “ Pink Intensity” and will take place on Sunday, October 29th. Depending on where they place the team may advance. They would then compete at Regionals on 11/12. The Cheer Team will also be honoring their Seniors on Friday, October 20th following the football game. We wish them good luck!

Other Athletic News:

*Shout out to our Band that played at the football game vs Tri County on October 6th! Great Job!

*Another shout out to all MIAA officials as it was Official Appreciation week 10/1-10/7!

*There will be a winter sports student interest meeting on Friday, Nov 3rd during Powerblock. Winter Sports Offered: Boys and Girls Basketball, Girls and Boys Ice Hockey, Girls and Boys Winter Track, Cheer and Gymnastics- Locations of meeting to be determined. If you have any questions, please see Ms. Hammel in the Athletic Office.

Ms. Hammel is selling a sports student pass on Go Fan. Pass costs $50 for the year and will get you into all football soccer and basketball season home games. You will need your SASID # to purchase the pass. Ms. Hammel will be sending more information.

Game schedule: Please check out the WB game schedule on Arbiter Live! Link is below.

https://gofan.co/app/school/MA14770

Avoid waiting in line! Please check out our online ticketing through Go Fan!

https://gofan.co/app/school/MA14770

Good luck to all our Wildcats!!

The WB athletic boosters are excited to announce the fourth annual comedy night! If you are interested in joining us or being a sponsor, use this link

https://www.funny4funds.com/events.

Please reach out to the event coordinator Jen Morash with any questions. Hope to see you there!

Did you miss the news! Universal School Meals is permanent in Massachusetts. All students can choose to eat both breakfast (snack) and lunch at no cost to families!

Celebrating National School Lunch Week Oct 10-13- The Nutrition staff at Howard and the MSHS had a lot of fun last week with contests, taste-testing and Lucky tray.

Eating Local!

Our School Nutrition Program continues to partner with C.N. Smith Farm, Vineyard Farm (formally C&C), and Langwater Farm this year to purchase the freshest and healthiest fruit and veggies grown right in our community. We are looking for other local vendors for poultry meat and dairy. If you know a local producer who might be interested in working with the school, please have them contact me at agrinder@wbridgewater.com. October 24th is FOOD DAY, a day to celebrate eating real, unprocessed food. On Tuesday, local roasted vegetables, fresh local fruit, and a scratch-made apple-zucchini cake will be offered at lunch in each school!

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 who 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.

Check out the two flyers below for more information about upcoming events and information about student representation!

Inclusion Matters partners with families with children with special needs, including children with IEPs and 504 Plans.

​

Inclusion Matters was begun by a group of parents in response to the school district's need for a SEPAC. As an official 501(c)3, Inclusion Matters now offers workshops for caregivers and families, IEP and 504 consulting, an annual conference (on hold due to the pandemic), and family events for families with and without special needs in communities across the South Shore of Massachusetts.

Thank you to Firefighter Chris for coming to the Spring Street School to educate our youngest students in Preschool and Kindergarten about fire safety. He did an outstanding job interacting with our students and they even got a chance to use the fire hose! We greatly appreciate the great relationship we have with the WBFD!

The next meeting will be on Friday, October 20th at 9:15am. The meeting will take place at the MSHS. As always if you are attending the meeting please bring your ID to check in at the main office. We will have an agenda of items to discuss and then there is always time for Q and A. We hope to see you there. The next meeting will be on Friday, November 17th (most likely at the SSS)

Thank you to all those who participated in the Cow Plop Fundraiser. Proceeds from the fundraiser went to the WB Athletic Teams

To: Student or Parent/Legal Guardian

Re: Notice of Destruction of Student Record

Please be advised that, in accordance with applicable state regulations, the school district will be destroying your temporary student records on file. Temporary student records include all special education records (copies of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), test reports, progress reports, etc.). School districts are required to destroy these materials seven years after the student transfers, graduates or withdraws from the school system. Destruction of these records will begin on or after October 30, 2023. Should you wish to obtain your records, you must contact the Student Services Department at 508-894-1236 prior to October 30, 2023.

Please note that permanent records (the student’s transcript) shall be maintained by the school department and may only be destroyed 60 years following his/her graduation, transfer, or withdrawal from the school system.

The Surround Care program is available for before and after school care. The program opens at 7 AM and is available until 6 PM at Spring Street, RLM and Howard Schools. Programs provide indoor and outdoor play, crafts, games, and fun with friends. Snacks are provided!

Register online: https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org/page/surround-care

October 2023

The objective of the Policy Subcommittee is to regularly review 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 October 2, 2023, the following policies were reviewed and revised as indicated:

• AB - The People And Their School District

• BB - School Committee Legal Status

• BEDB - Agenda Format

• BEDB-E - Agenda Format

• BEDH - Public Comment At School Committee Meetings

• BEDH-E - Guidelines For Public Comment

• EFC - Free And Reduced-Cost Food Services

• JKAA - Physical Restraint Of Students

• KI - Visitors To The Schools

• GCQD -Resignation Of Professional Staff Members (Rescinded)

• GCQE - Retirement Of Professional Staff Members (Rescinded)

• GDQD - Suspension And Dismissal Of Support Staff Members (Rescinded)

• JKA - Corporal Punishment (Rescinded)

• KCB - Community Involvement In School Affairs (Rescinded)

Additionally, the following policies were opened and are scheduled for review at the next school committee meeting on October 30, 2023:

• ADF - School District Wellness Program

• BA- School Committee Operational Goals

• BAA- Evaluation of School Committee Operational Procedures

• BBA- School Committee Powers and Duties

• BBAA- School Committee Member Authority

• BE- School Committee Meetings

• BEDA- Notification of School Committee Meetings

• BEDD- Rules of Order

• BEDF- Voting Method

• IHB- Special Instructional Programs and Accommodations

• IHBA- Programs for Students with with Disabilities

• IHBAA- Observations of Special Education Programs

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.

Check out the link below to see the School Committee-approved calendar for this year 2023-2024

Check out the latest newsletters from each of the schools in the district by going to their website. They are also sent via email to all families. Every 2 weeks they are also sending out newsletters. These are filled with great 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
Twitter: @WBPSwildcats