News From The Nest: Issue #2

Hello Elm Street School Families and Friends!

We kicked off this short week welcoming our new kindergarteners to the Nest and continuing to build and practice routines and expectations across all spaces throughout the building. It was great to see so many friends at our Welcome Back "Ice Cream" Social on Thursday and we loved all the garden goodies that the Garden Club had to offer. All week long classrooms and spaces were filled with connection, joy, and excitement and at dismissal on Friday lots of tired students headed home for some much needed rest this weekend.

Today, our school community joins together to pause, reflect, and honor the memory of September 11, 2001. While our elementary students were born long after this event, marking Patriot Day provides us with a meaningful opportunity to talk about unity, resilience, and the bravery shown by first responders and ordinary citizens alike. We made the conscious decision for our youngest learners not to have any whole school announcements or recognition of the day, however many of our upper elementary classrooms marked the day with read-alouds and other age-appropriate discussions that focus on themes of compassion, community service, and helping one another—core values that remind us of the strength found in kindness and working together. We invite you to continue these thoughtful conversations at home, and we remain deeply grateful to all who serve, protect, and support our community every day.

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

• upcoming dates and celebrations for September
• Counseling Corner: September/October Counseling Newsletter (separation anxiety, social emotional learning lessons preview)
• Daniel Feeney Preschool Playground Renovation
• Elm Curriculum Night
• Fall Picture Day at Elm
• Battle of the Books
• Walpole Wednesdays
• Arrival and Dismissal Protocols and Procedures
• Private Music Lesson Through WPS Music Department
• 2026 - 2027 School Calendar
• Lunch Menus
• Walpole Virtual Backpack (community notices)

Next week we have Fall School Picture Day on Thursday and our first Early Release Day on Friday when students will be dismissed at 12:25p and our team will continue the day in professional development centered on writing instruction. I hope everyone enjoys the weekend and finds some time to connect with your child(ren) about the friendships they are forming and the goals they are beginning to set for themselves this school year.

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 September.

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.

September

• 9/2 First Day of School (Grades 1-5), RESCHEDULED 6:00p Kindergarten Popsicles
• 9/3 Kindergarten Visit Day
• 9/4 SCHOOL CLOSED
• 9/7 SCHOOL CLOSED, Labor Day
• 9/8 First Day of School (PreK and K)
• 9/10 6:00p "Ice Cream" Social for all K-5 students and families
• 9/11 Anniversary of 9/11
• 9/11 - 9/13 Rosh Hashanah
• 9/15 First Day of Hispanic Heritage Month
• 9/16 7:00p Elm PAC meeting
• 9/17 Elm Fall Picture Day, 6:45p School Committee Meeting
• 9/18 EARLY RELEASE DAY (12:25 dismissal)
• 9/21 International Day of Peace
• 9/23 Elm Curriculum Night
• 9/29 3:45p Elm School Council meeting

The Daniel Feeney Preschool playground is undergoing a renovation similar to our playground renovation last year. You many notice construction vehicles in and around the parking lot and preschool drop off area if you come into the building. Should any of the work impact our arrival/dismissal procedures we will send an update to all families through email.

We are so excited to welcome our families to this year's Elm Curriculum Night on Wednesday, September 23rd from 6:00 - 7:30p We will share a more detailed schedule of the evening's events in the September 18th News from the Nest. The Open Houses/Curriculum Nights at all of the Walpole Elementary Schools are for parents and adult caregivers only. Students, other family members, and guests should not attend.

Curriculum Night is a great way for parents and caregivers to learn more about the day to day experience for your child(ren) here at Elm. Our educators will be sharing curriculum expectations along with information specific to the classroom and there will be a whole school presentation about general expectations and community experiences at Elm. Parents and caregivers may also have time to ask general questions. Any questions specific to your child(ren) should be reserved for a more confidential setting such as the fall educator/caregiver conferences in November or at a separately scheduled time.

In addition to seeing your child(ren)'s classroom teacher(s), please stop by to see our essentialists and specialists in their spaces to learn more about their curriculum. Our essentialists and specialists are listed below:

• Art: Ms. Fundinger
• Music: Ms. Gopalakrishnan
• PE: Mr. Iadarola
• STEM: Mrs. Edwards
• School Counselors: Mrs. Dore, Ms. Songin, and Mrs. Escobar (Partnership)
• Literacy Specialists: Mrs. Cook and Ms. Morasse
• Multilingual Learners: Ms. Sarkis
• Instructional Coach: Mrs. Farley
• Math Specialist: Mrs. Ledbetter
• Speech and Language: Mrs. Lynch
• Special Education: Mrs. Lancaster, Ms. Disharoon, Mrs. Triest, Ms. O'Shaughnessy, Mr. Levesque, and Mrs. Loynd

Join the fun with Elm Street School's Battle of the Books! Teams compete in an exciting reading showdown, answering "In what book.." questions to test their knowledge of amazing titles. Read, discuss, and battle it out for the win!

Please carefully review the titles and decide if this experience is one that your student(s) would be interested in joining. This is an optional reading competition for students in grades 3-5.

Students learned more about Battle of the Books this past week in STEM class and have been bringing home the below information sheet and contract. All forms are due back to Mrs. Edwards by 9/18/26

Notifications Protocol

We will continue to utilize our Elm Student Notification Form, to report absences, late arrivals, and changes to dismissal plans. You can also find the link to the form on the main page of our website by using the button labeled "ATTENDANCE"

• For ABSENCES and TARDIES, we ask that families do their best to complete this form as soon as possible in order to communicate with the main office. You will no longer need to leave messages on the Elm attendance line.
• For EARLY DISMISSALS and CHANGES TO DISMISSAL PLANS, we ask that families complete this form no later than 2:00p when the form will be locked. This will minimize our front office staff calling and interrupting instruction. If there is an URGENT change in dismissal plans that occurs after 2:00p, families must call the main office to communicate the change.
• If families are reporting absences, tardies, early dismissals, and/or changes to dismissal plans for multiple students at the same time, please complete the form separately for each student.

By notifying our team in advance and centralizing information in one online platform we will be able to avoid interrupting instruction and avoid confusion and errors during dismissal.

At Elm Street School, students who ride the bus arrive at the first circle parallel to Rt.27. They are supervised by staff as they walk along the sidewalk to enter the main building of the school. The procedures for arrival and dismissal as listed below pertain to parents, caregivers, and other private drivers who transport children to school.

• Students may be dropped off in the Main Arrival Loop ONLY. This is the loop by the main door, near the flagpole. Dropping off students by the Rt. 27 driveway is not safe and is prohibited.
  

• Follow the directions of the staff people “on duty”.
  

• Upon arrival, drivers should turn right and thread through the parking lot. The first car must pull around the loop as far as the stop sign by the preschool playground. This will allow the maximum number of students to disembark onto sidewalks simultaneously.
  

• Instruct child/ren to disembark only from the sidewalk side of vehicle to avoid the danger of crossing between cars in the roadway. Exiting vehicles on the driver's side is strictly prohibited.
  

• Drivers must prepare students to be ready to exit vehicles immediately upon arrival. If a student is not ready, the driver will be instructed to go around the loop again.
  

• Drivers should be ready to follow a staff member’s signal to exit the loop following the vehicle ahead, once students have disembarked. Do NOT pull around and pass the vehicle in front of you.
  

• Do NOT attempt to park in the loop during arrival. If, for any reason you would like to accompany your child into the building (or help carry materials) please park in the 15 minute parking area near the Preschool Playground.
  

• Do NOT drop off students without pulling into the main arrival loop.
  

• If a child is having difficulty separating at arrival, the driver will be instructed to pull into a spot close to the building or in one of the PreSchool visitor spots. Staff will then assist in making the transition.

• Students being picked up by parents/caregivers/car pools will be dismissed to the main office lobby. They will be grouped by order of arrival in the main lobby. Carpoolers should stand with the driver’s child.

• Parents/car pools will thread through the parking lot, then into the loop by the main door.
  

• Anyone picking up students may NOT come into the building.
  

• One staff member with outside duty will use an online reporting system to alert the team inside of the order for dismissal. Those students will then be sent outside in groups of 10 vehicles.
  

• Staff on duty outside will ensure that students enter the correct vehicle.
  

• It is essential to keep traffic flowing. Parents/caregivers must not engage staff or other parents/caregivers in conversation during dismissal.
  

• If a parent/caregivers is in the building (for example, as a volunteer) and wants to take their child with them, they must stop at the office before exiting the building with their child.
  

• All vehicles must stay in the line until the car in front of them moves. Pulling out and passing the vehicle ahead of you is PROHIBITED.
  

• If a child is not ready when they are called, the parent/caregiver will be asked to park at the preschool 15 minute parking area and wait. A staff member will accompany the student to the car.
  

• Student safety is our first concern. If you have concerns during dismissal, please get the attention of a staff member on duty to assist you. Please do not get out of your vehicle or move your vehicle out of the line unless instructed to do so by a staff member.
  

• Students who take a bus home will be dismissed from their classroom when their bus is called over the PA system.
  

• All students who take a bus must have a bus pass.
  

• Students and drivers must always follow the instructions of the staff members on duty.

The Walpole Public Schools Music Department is pleased to announce the fall session for our Private Lesson Program for students in grades 4 - 12. If your child is interested in taking private instrument or voice lessons, here is your chance. Lessons are offered in flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, piano, percussion, violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice. All lessons are taught by accomplished performers on their respective instruments.

Session 1 will run September 21 to January 29. Registration is open until Wednesday, September 16th.

For more information and to register, visit:

https://sites.google.com/walpole.k12.ma.us/wpsmusic/private-lesson-program/overview

For questions, email:

Tim Fleming (K-12 Music Coordinator) at tfleming@walpole.k12.ma.us

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