Anne T. Dunphy Summer Update

While it’s hard to believe, summer will soon be coming to an end and our new school year will begin soon! We are excited to welcome our new families, and to welcome back all of our familiar friends!

This letter contains information about our upcoming school year. We hope you find it helpful! There is a lot of information included in this document, so please take the time to read it carefully.

I'm writing to share something personal with you, our school community, because I believe in being open and honest with the families who trust us with their children.

I have recently been diagnosed with cancer and will be undergoing treatment over the next several months. This is, of course, difficult news for me and my family, but I want you to know that I am approaching it with hope and determination.

My plan is to continue to be present at school as much as I am able throughout this time. Treatment may occasionally require me to step away for appointments or recovery, and on those days, I want to assure you that our school will be in excellent hands. I have every confidence in our seasoned and talented staff. Additionally, Dr. Vito Perrone, our Superintendent, and Michael Fredette, our Assistant Superintendent, will be closely supporting our building to make sure that day-to-day operations, communication, and — most importantly — your children's experience at school continue without interruption.

Our students' safety, learning, and well-being remain my top priority at school, and that will not change. I'm grateful to lead such a caring community, and I wanted you to hear this news directly from me rather than through the rumor mill.

I'll keep our school community updated as things progress, and I truly appreciate your understanding, patience, and support in the months ahead. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me, or to Dr. Perrone, with any questions or concerns.

Thank you for being part of this wonderful school family.

The first day of school for K-6 students will be Wednesday, August 27th.

Our preschool students will begin on Tuesday, September 1st with a Preschool Open House on Monday, August 31st from 9:00-10:00.

On Wednesday, August 26th at 2:00 (right before the Sneak-a-Peek), kindergarten families are invited to meet on the sidewalk in front of the school to take a ride on a big yellow school bus! We will hop on the bus, talk about bus safety a little bit, then take a quick ride down to Haydenville and back to see what it feels like! This is a great way to try out a new experience in a low-stakes way!

We have found it helpful to plan a visitation time for our families before the start of school to give kids a ‘sneak peek’ at their new classroom space and to calm those first day jitters! On Wednesday, August 26th from 2:15-3:00, we welcome everyone to stop by. Please feel free to drop in anytime during that block to help calm those back to school jitters if your child would find that helpful!

We will ring the bell at 3:00 and welcome families to the playground for some popsicles and playground time sponsored by the PTO!

On August 27th, the first day of school, kindergarten caregivers are invited to a special “Boo Hoo Breakfast” hosted by the PTO. We know it can be harder for Kindergarten families to say good-bye than it is for the students! Our “Boo Hoo Breakfast” is an opportunity for coffee, snacks, (tissues!), and a time to cry with… I mean, connect with other kindergarten families. Families are also welcome to ask any last minute questions regarding school lunch, bus routes, or anything else that may pop up!

Kindergarten caregivers are welcome to drive their students to school that morning, or follow the bus in! They can gather with all of our students on the playground any time between 8:15-8:30. At the 8:30 bell, Mrs. Rattelle will gather our new kindergarteners at their line-up spot. After a quick family activity with Mrs. Rattelle, the students will head inside, and families can head over to the Boo-Hoo Breakfast!

While our school is able to supply all the materials that students will need, we know that many families enjoy picking some things out at the start of the school year. Below are links to suggested supply lists for students in various grades. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, or if your family would benefit from support with these items.

The main number for the school is 268-8421. Our fax number is 268-8420. Staff members have individual extensions and mailboxes that can be accessed through the dial by name directory. Please note that teachers will not begin to check these mailboxes until the start of school.

School contact information is also always found at the bottom of these electronic newsletters!

Students at the Anne T. Dunphy School can choose to order a school lunch on any school day. Students can also purchase a milk to add to a home lunch, or students can bring a lunch and drink from home.

Teachers will ask students/ have students sign up for their lunch preference each morning. Students will let teachers know if they have a “home lunch, would like a “school lunch,” or would like a “milk only.” For school lunch, the student can opt for the menu scheduled that day, or they can choose to have the alternative sandwich listed on the menu.

This year, school lunch and breakfast will continue to be free for all families through provisions in the Massachusetts state budget! We would encourage all families who feel they many benefit from additional supports to continue to apply for the free/reduced lunch program, as there are other community benefits connected to that program. Watch for forms to become available soon.

Please note, if a student brings a lunch from home and would like a milk to go with that lunch, the milk will cost 50 cents. An “add-on” milk is not included in the free school lunch program. Milk options for all students are white, chocolate, or white dairy-free. Families can pay an amount of money ahead of time for milk, and Mrs. Harvey can let you know when funds are depleted, or you can pay when Mrs. Harvey sends home a bill. Families can send cash in a labeled envelope, or they can send a check made out to “Town of Williamsburg.”

Mrs. Harvey, our cafeteria manager, will create weekly menus throughout the school year. The menu will be posted on the school website. A link to the menu will also be included in the email containing our newsletter. The “button” on our website looks like the photo included in this section. Our next newsletter will contain the menu for the first day of school!

We also have an optional breakfast program that will begin on Monday, August 31st. This is a “grab-and-go” format, where students can opt to come inside from the bus/drop off and fuel their bodies for the day if they have not had the opportunity to do so at home. This program will continue to be free for students due to Massachusetts funding.

Our school day begins at 8:30. Students arriving at school on the bus will be dropped off between 8:15 and 8:30. Students being dropped off/walking should also arrive between 8:15-8:30. Students being dropped off should not arrive before 8:15. Supervision outside will be available beginning at 8:15.

Students arriving on buses will get off the bus and be greeted by a staff member at the sidewalk. Walkers and bikers can join the students on the playground as they arrive. They will then walk down the sidewalk toward the playground for a supervised morning recess until 8:30. At the bell, students will line up to come inside. Teachers will meet classes outside for the first week ~ and they’ll be holding big signs in case there is any confusion! Don’t worry, there will be plenty of staff members outside to help any confused or anxious children. As classes are ready and lined up, we will do our last waves to families before we head inside for our first day! (Kindergarten parents are invited to stay for a short activity, and then stay for the “Boo Hoo Breakfast! More info above!)

Parents dropping off children can park in our parking lot or off site, and walk students to the playground. Parents who are doing a quick drop off (and not needing to get out of the car) may drive into the school driveway, through the driveway, and pull over for a quick drop off in the area in front of Angel Park/Town Hall. It will work best here if the child exits from the passenger side of the vehicle.

Sometimes families decide to drive their children to and from school for the first few days as the jitters wear off ~ and we totally understand that! For children who are a bit tentative about the idea of riding the bus, we recommend that the first bus ride be the end-of-the-day ride home. This way, students are getting onto the bus and heading home to a familiar face! Please talk to us if your family would like some support transitioning your child to the bus.

Preschool Families are welcome to come on in at 8:30, walk their student to the preschool classroom, and help them get started on their day! This is also a great time to connect with other preschool families and classroom staff.

Dismissal for K-6 students begins at 3:00. Students may walk, bike, ride the bus, or be picked up. Students walking or biking will be accompanied by a staff member to/across Main Street (Route 9). We encourage children walking/riding bikes up South Street to leave school out of the driveway with our staff member, and walk down the sidewalk to use the crosswalk to cross South Street.

Classes will exit out the main entrance. Children riding the buses will board the buses at the bus circle. Students being picked up will meet their caregivers on the sidewalk area by the gym entrance/dumpster. For safety reasons, students being picked up may not walk across the parking lot to a waiting caregiver - adults must cross the parking lot to meet the student at the pick up area. Students walking or riding bikes will meet the staff member waiting near the bike rack.

Preschool families staying for the full day will also be dismissed at 3:00. Preschoolers will meet their caregivers on the sidewalk by the gym entrance - typically right under the gym entrance portico.

Bus routes will be made available mid-August - our next newsletter will have a link for you!

Families will receive a packet of information on the first day of school in their child's backpack. It will include information for families, as well as some important forms that need to be filled out. Please complete and return the forms as soon as possible.

Our newsletter is typically sent home every other week - although at certain times in the year, it may arrive weekly. The newsletter will be emailed home and will be posted on the school website. If you find that you are not receiving the emails, please reach out to us to ensure we have the correct email address on file. It is very important that families take the opportunity to read the newsletter, as it is the method used to relay important information to our families.

We are excited to welcome some new staff members to the Anne T. Dunphy community! During the summer months, some of our beloved ATD staff members have transitioned to new adventures for this school year. However, we are excited to welcome Ms. Maura Whalen as a new special education teacher, who will be partnering with Mrs. Berube in supporting our students. We are also happy to have Mrs. Monica Bhowmik serving as our 5th/6th grade ELA teacher while Mrs. Doig is enjoying some time with Baby Caleb (....who FINALLY made his appearance on July 15th!!!)

Classroom teachers 2026-2027:

• Preschool ~ Ms. Esme Herrmann
• Kindergarten ~ Mrs. Erika Rattelle
• 1st grade ~ Mrs. Krista Sheperd
• 2nd grade ~ Mrs. Amanda Asselin
• 3rd grade ~ Ms. Gina Wyman
• 4th grade ~ Ms. Ryan Pickard
• 5th grade ~ Mrs. Katie Wright
• 6th grade ~ Mrs. Samantha Doig (Mrs. Monica Bhowmik)

Communication is always an important part of our school community! You can always call Mrs. Baker in the front office at 268-8421 and she can either help you out, or direct you to the person you need.

All of our staff have an email address that consists of their first initial, last name, and @hr-k12.org. For example, my email is sjenkins@hr-k12.org

Our website is www.burgyschool.org and will be updated throughout the year.

Feel free to “like” us on Facebook for updates as well. Search for Williamsburg Schools.

Our PTO is a committed group of volunteers who work together to plan community events, and fundraisers to support the wonderful programming at our school. Please consider being part of this energetic group!

We encourage families to consider participating in some way throughout the year to keep this fabulous group running strong! If anyone is anxious to jump right in, the board is looking for a Secretary for the 2026-2027 school year!

The first meeting will be held Thursday, September 3rd at 3:15 on the playground! (Childcare is typically provided!)

If you have a preschool student new to Anne T. Dunphy please make sure that your student has had a recent physical (within the last 12 months), has a lead test result along with all immunizations up to date on file with the nurses BEFORE school starts. Per state law, students will not be able to attend school on the first day without proper immunizations on file.

If you have a new student coming into kindergarten and your student was not with us last school year, please make sure your student has received an eye exam by their doctor, have had all of their immunizations and have had a recent physical (within the past 12 months). This must be on file with the school nurses for your student to attend school. If your student was with us last year in preschool, please make sure they have received their 5-year-old immunizations to start school on day one.

If your student will be new to our school this year, please make sure you have provided a recent physical exam with immunizations up to date before school starts. This will need to be on file before they can attend school.

If your student needs medication during the school day or has a significant allergy requiring an epi pen, please let the school nurses know. You will need to complete paperwork, have a written order from your student’s provider, and have a plan in place for your student while they are in school. A gentle reminder that prescription medications must be in a pharmacy labeled container or box for us to accept it and we can’t take more than a 30-day supply.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call (413) 268-8421 and leave a message for one of the school nurses. If you receive a letter from the school nurses over the next 2 weeks about missing health paperwork, please call your provider as soon as possible to avoid a delay in your student’s participation on the first day of school.

Starting each fall, we periodically hear from the superintendent about progress toward their goals, in service of completing the spring evaluation. All members of all Hampshire Regional school committees (Williamsburg, Chesterfield/Goshen, Southampton, Westhampton, and Hampshire Regional High School), 37 people in total, fill out a google form rating the superintendent based on the data and artifacts provided. Then members of the All Districts Committee (which has the chair and one additional representative from each of the 5 committees) compile the results. All evaluation materials are in the public record.

This year's School Committee members are: Stephen Turner, Colin Black, Amanda Bradford, Catherine Skiba, and Zevy Steinitz.

Throughout the year, the School Committee's work focuses on three main areas of responsibilities:

Starting in 2016, Anne T. Dunphy participated in the Three County Fair's School Bus Demolition Derby for several years. In fact, that first year, our bus won the derby and we were presented with a giant trophy!

After a hiatus for several years, we got back in the game last year! We are so excited that ATD will be represented again this year in the derby!

In the coming weeks, our 6th graders will gather to decorate a bus provided by the fair. (Stay tuned for details, 6th grade families!) This bus will participate in the School Bus Demolition Derby at the Three County Fair on Monday, September 7th at 2:00. It would be wonderful to have a sea of Willi shirts cheering loudly for our Will-bus!!

Tickets for the fair can be purchased on site, and also ahead of time by clicking here. (Children 11 and under are free!)

Please note: Wristbands are required to enter the grandstand for the Demolition Derby.

Demolition Derby Event Ticket Wristbands Are Purchased On-Site Only (day of) for $8 / Person (Ages 4+) when the Fair opens for that day.

We hope you'll plan to join us to start the school year with a BANG!

We are so excited to be able to offer Girls on the Run this fall at ATD for students in grades 3-5!

Sarah Huntington, Gina Wyman, and Erika Rattelle will be coaching our team! Families can register at any time using the link below! Practice days/times are listed on the image below.

August 26th:

2:00-2:15 Kindergarten Bus Round Up (meet on the sidewalk in front of the school)

2:15-3:00 Sneak-a-Peek, K-6

3:00 Popsicles on the Playground sponsored by PTO

August 27th:

First Day of School Grades K-6

Boo-Hoo Breakfast for Kindergarten Families

August 31st 9:00-10:00 : Preschool Open House

September 1st: First Day of School for Preschool

September 3rd: PTO Meeting, 3:15 on the playground

September 23rd: ½ day for students (11:45 dismissal)

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

Email: sjenkins@hr-k12.org
Website: www.burgyschool.org
Location: 1 Petticoat Hill Road, Williamsburg, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 268-8421
Facebook: Williamsburg Schools