Lowell School Relocation Plan 2022

The Mission of the Watertown Public Schools is to prepare each child in Watertown for life by engaging them in a challenging and meaningful education within an inclusive, diverse community.

Our vision for all of our students is to be inspired in our schools and to explore and shape the world around them.

1. Establish systems and structures that ensure all WPS students receive what they need to develop and achieve their full academic, social, and emotional potential.

2. Support instructional excellence by building and implementing a cohesive, coherent, and aligned educational program that promotes high expectations, authorship, and student agency.

3. Foster caring and collaborative relationships among and within schools, families, and community members.

4. Build educationally appropriate, joyful learning environments, working with the School Building Committee that supports the WPS mission and vision.

When considering relocating our school into two new locations, the most essential factor is to minimize the disruption to teaching and learning and ensure our students receive the care they need for social, emotional, and academic well-being. To that end, there are certain tenets that we consider essential to our relocation plan.

• Providing a safe learning environment adhering to COVID protocols

• Achieving our School Improvement Goals

• Staying connected as a school community

• Ensuring robust communication

• Parity for both campuses

• Well structured schedules

• Continuity of teaching and learning

• Focus on maintaining and growing MTSS

• Staying connected as a school community

• Living our core values

The following procedures are created to maintain an orderly and safe environment during arrival and dismissal. An aerial view of the Lowell West, key locations, and surrounding streets can be located below. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

7:45 AM Early drop off at Lowell West – only for families with students at both the Lowell West and the Phillips;

Breakfast will also begin at this time.

8:05 AM Regular Drop-Off: Students may enter the school building and go to their classrooms.

8:15 AM Classes begin.

8:20 AM Students arriving at or after this time are considered tardy and must sign the attendance log in the main office.

2:30 PM Dismissal Time.

• Vehicles will enter/leave the school parking lot using the entrance and exit. Please see Lowell West Aerial View (Page 2) for reference.

• Adult(s) are asked to remain in the vehicle and pull up to the sidewalk where school personnel will be waiting.

• Please have your child(ren) ready to exit the vehicle when you pull up to the sidewalk.

• Cars must remain in the line and are not allowed to pass others. Please do not make a U-turn or deviate from the drop-off line as a safety measure.

• Please yield to school buses when pulling in or out of the school parking lot.

• Students are not allowed on the playground before school as there is no supervision.

• Students being picked up by a parent will report to the cafeteria for dismissal. Late pick-up students will also report to the cafeteria (only pertains to students with siblings at Phillips).

• Families could park their vehicles on the neighborhood street around the school, exit their cars, and pick up their children at the front door.

• The staff at the front of the building will walkie the group leader for student dismissal.

• Please be mindful and respectful of our neighbors. Do not block driveways. If a neighbor asks you to move to gain access to their driveway, please comply. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation!

1. Lowell West Main Building

2. Parking Lot Entrance

3. Drop-off Location

4. Parking Lot Exit

5. Playground

6. Front Door (Parent Pick-up Location)

Two crossing guards are stationed on Main Street daily. One will cross pedestrians at the cross-walk directly in front of the school at 175 Main Street, Waltham, Ma. An additional crossing guard will direct cars and buses at the parking lot entrance, where cars and buses enter the drop-off car line. They are on duty for 30 minutes before school starts and 30 minutes after dismissal time. Locations are determined by the School Department in consultation with the Waltham Police Department.

• The Drop and Go Zone is located off Main Street for all students.

• These areas are designated for Drop off and Go only. No parking or live parking is allowed in this area. Teachers are on duty to assist and direct students into the school.

On-street parking is limited around the school, so we encourage families to use the Drop and Go Zone. The Lowell West School aims to be a good neighbor in our school neighborhood. Would you please not park in or block our neighbor’s driveway?

When dropping students for before-school programs, please drop students at the side door labeled #3 on the aerial picture above, off the parking adjacent to the building.

Handicapped Accessible parking spaces are located and appropriately marked in the parking lot.

Dismissal time is 2:30 p.m. and Early Release day at 12:15 p.m.

Students will be dismissed to designated areas or board a bus to attend the after-school program.

• Students will be escorted to bus lines at the school’s parking lot’s end of the school day.

• Extended Day and Courses For Kids students will take a school bus to the Phillips Building to attend after-school programming at the end of the school day.

• Students being picked up by a parent will be escorted to the gym/cafeteria. Parents will pick up students at the school’s main entrance. The adult’s name must be listed as an approved guardian for dismissal purposes.

The following procedures are created to maintain an orderly and safe environment during arrival and dismissal. An aerial view of the Phillips Building, key locations, and surrounding streets can be located on page 2 for reference. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

7:15 AM Early drop off – only for families with students attending Before School care at the Phillips Building. Students will enter the building through door #3, off the parking lot located on Marshall Street.

8:05 AM Regular Drop-Off: Students may enter the school building and go to their classrooms.

Breakfast will be available as a grab-and-go breakfast.

8:15 AM Classes begin.

8:20 AM Students arriving at or after this time are considered tardy and must sign the attendance log at the front desk on the Spring Street Entrance.

• Vehicles will enter/leave the school parking lot using the entrance and exit. Please see Phillips Building Aerial View (Page 2) for reference.

• Adult(s) are asked to remain in the vehicle and pull up to doors #5 and #3, where school personnel will assist you in a live drop-off lane.

• Please have your child(ren) ready to exit the vehicle when you pull up to the door.

• Cars must remain in the line and are not allowed to pass others. Please do not make a U-turn or deviate from the drop-off line as a safety measure.

• Please yield to school buses when pulling in or out of the school parking lot.

• Teachers will exit the building at door #10 with their classes and wait for grown-ups outside in the enclosed green space.

• Families could park their vehicles in the surrounding neighborhood and pick up students by door #10 on Spring Street.

• Please be mindful and respectful of our neighbors. Do not block driveways. If a neighbor asks you to move to gain access to their driveway, please comply. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation!

#3 - Phillips Building - Before School Drop-off

#5 - Phillips Building - Drop-off Line Begins

#10 - Front Desk- Security- Late Arrivals/ Early Dismissals/ Extended Day Pick-up

Parents wishing to dismiss their child early must use the Spring Street entrance located on the aerial map at door #10. We will not dismiss students between 2:15 and 2:30.

Crossing Guards are located at several major intersections in town. They are on duty for 30 minutes before school starts and 30 minutes after dismissal time. Locations are determined by the School Department in consultation with the Police Department.

Bike racks are available on the school grounds. All bikes must remain locked at bike racks during school hours. All children are required to wear helmets when riding their bicycles. However, we do not recommend riding your bike to school.

• The Drop and Go Zone are located on Marshall Street for all students.

• These areas are designated for Drop off and Go only. No parking or live parking is allowed in this area. Teachers are on duty to assist and direct students into the school.

On-street parking is limited around the school, so we encourage families to use the Drop and Go Zone in the morning. Allow extra time for parking at dismissal. The WPS aims to be a good neighbor in our school neighborhood. Would you please not park in or block our neighbor’s driveway?

When dropping students for before-school programs, please drop students at the side door labeled #3 on the aerial picture above, off the parking adjacent to the building.

Handicapped Accessible parking spaces are located and appropriately marked in the parking lot.

Snack time is set aside daily. Times vary by grade according to schedule and assigned lunchtime. Families are encouraged to provide a healthy snack that can be eaten independently.

The number of students with food-related health risks and allergies has increased significantly. The Lowell School takes many precautions to reduce these risks for our children. A “No Shared Food” protocol is one action we have put in place to promote an allergy-sensitive environment for students. A “No Shared Food” protocol means students will not share food in school and bring in food for special occasions such as birthdays, good-bye parties, and family breakfasts. We encourage classrooms to acknowledge and celebrate our successes with students and families. However, they will not serve food during these activities.

Each class is scheduled for 20 minutes of recess each day. Children will be outside for recess in all but the most extreme weather, so they should dress accordingly. Children are expected to demonstrate safe, respectful, and responsible behavior at recess. Physical contact activities, such as tackling and rough tag, are prohibited.

Breakfast is served for students arriving from 7:45-8:20 in the gym.

• Students arriving by parent drop-off can enter the building beginning at 7:45 through the side door of the building nearest the parking lot.

• Students arriving by bus will pick up breakfast in the gym before heading to their homeroom.

Morning supervision will be provided.

Breakfast is available for students attending before school care can eat breakfast during the morning program.

• Students arriving by bus or parent drop-off need to sign up for breakfast in advance using our participation form. Breakfast Sign-up Form

• Breakfast will be delivered daily to your child’s classroom.

Students will eat lunch in thier classrooms.

Room coverage by assigned staff. You can find assignments on the School Schedule.

The kitchen staff will deliver the meals to each school.

• Phillips Building: hallway outside the gym

• Lowell West: kitchen

Lunch aides and instructional assistants will cover the lunch period. Coverage assignments are on the School Schedule.

Additional Staff will support lunch coverage: Guidance, Social Worker, Behavior Specialist, and IAs.

1. This link provides the monthly lunch menu for the district.

2. Select the current month by using the left or right arrow.

3. Select the link with our school’s name.

4. Click on the link to access the menu.

5. Note: menu items are subject to change.

Quiet time offers an opportunity for students to transition back into the classroom in a purposeful and relaxed way, so they are better ready for an afternoon of learning. Just 10 to 15 minutes to read, write, draw, work on a puzzle, or do some other quiet work can help children take a physical, mental, and emotional breather to be more ready to engage in learning in the afternoon.

Classrooms will provide opportunities to “Take a Break” in an age-appropriate way.

"Take a Break" in a Responsive Classroom is a positive, respectful, and supportive teaching strategy used to help a child who is just beginning to lose self-control to regain it so they can do their best learning. An equally important goal of Responsive Classroom "Take a Break" is to allow the group’s work to continue when a student is misbehaving, upset, distracting others, or just needs a reset. Giving that child some space from the scene of action where they can regroup while still seeing and hearing what the class is doing accomplishes both of these goals. Teachers use it judiciously as one of several strategies to help children stay focused on learning and working productively with others.

Many students have check-in sessions with various counselors on our staff. We will continue to provide check-ins individually and in small groups. Our guidance staff will move between buildings to support students.

Social Stories to help facilitate conversations about our move.

Move to Phillips Spanish

Move to Lowell West Spanish

Move to Phillips Portuguese

Move to Lowell West Portuguese

Move to Phillips English

Move to Lowell West English

Watertown Public Schools prepares all students for life by engaging them in a challenging and meaningful education within an inclusive, diverse community.

Our academic schedule will change when we move into the new buildings. The minutes on learning will remain the same as they were before the move; however, the order of the content blocks will change. Our specialists (Art, Music, PE, and Library/Media) will be traveling from one campus to the other campus daily. Therefore, we needed to create a new schedule to maximize our resources and maintain all services. Follow the link below to view our schedule by grade level.

Kindergarten Brochure 2021-2022

Grade 1 Brochure 2021-2022

Grade 2 Brochure 2021-2022

Grade 3 Brochure 2021-2022

Grade 4 Brochure 2021-2022

Grade 5 Brochure 2021-2022

At the elementary level, WPS uses a standards-based report card:

• Assesses student performance against a specific and observable grade set of skills;

• Enables teachers to clearly define for students what it is that they should know, understand, and be able to do;

• Measures each student against the identified grade level ‘end of year’ standard;

• Is clear and specific about the academic standards and pro-social learning indicators;

• Is aligned to the Massachusetts State Framework as indicated through the Common Core Curriculum Standards;

• Supports consistent assessment and reporting across the district;

• It does not measure how the student performs compared to other students.

What is included on the report card? How many times per year will my child receive a report card?

Content Standards in English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and all “specials,” as well as pro-social skills and attendance, are included on the report card. Report cards are distributed in grades K - 5 at the end of January (Semester 1) and in June (Semester 2).

How will my child be assessed? What are the ratings?

Teachers use multiple sources of information to assess student growth toward standard-mastery, including classroom observations, classwork, frequent formative assessments, summative/cumulative assessments. For each standard on the report card, there is an accompanying rubric. These rubrics are based on ‘end of year expectations. Many students will be ‘approaching’ standards in January for Semester 1, as the entire standard may not have yet been covered. Students will be eligible to receive “mastery” on the final report card after the entire standard has been taught.

Academic Performance Standards

M - *Mastery - The student consistently, accurately, and independently demonstrates proficiency in the grade-level standard

A - Approaching - The student is progressing towards mastery and demonstrates basic concepts and skills, may vary in consistency, accuracy, and independence in the grade-level standard

D - Developing - The student is beginning to demonstrate basic concepts and skills; may lack consistency, accuracy, and independence towards the grade-level standard.

N - Not yet demonstrating the grade-level standard

*Mastery does not mean the teaching and learning ends; rather, it indicates the student has reached a level of performance expected of that grade level with consistency, accuracy, and independence. Instruction and learning will focus on gaining a deeper understanding by solving more complex problems within the standard and across standards, more challenge applying the standard, and more opportunities for critical thinking within the standard (think Bloom's Taxonomy).

Pro-Social Learning Indicators (Personal Development/Classroom and Community Skills; Approaches for Learning)

3 - Demonstrates most of the time

2 - Demonstrates some of the time

1 - Requires ongoing intervention to develop skill

What if my child has an IEP/504? What if my child is an English Language Learner (ELL)?

All students are held to the same standards. The standards-based report card indicates how a student is doing in relation to the standards; the IEP Progress Report provides specific information on how a student is doing with regard to the goals and objectives of the IEP, which may differ from the standard. IEP progress reports are distributed along with the standards-based report cards.

English Language Learners are assessed according to the standards as they appear on the standards-based report cards. This should also apply to a student in their first year in the US, if possible. If this is not possible, that student will receive a grade of Not Applicable. ELL Progress Reports are distributed along with the standards-based report cards.

Where can I read the full text of the standards represented on the report card?

Full language for each standard can be found on the WPS website: (http://watertown.ss19.sharpschool.com/about_our_district/assistant_superintendent ), and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website (Curriculum Frameworks): (http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html)

What is i-Ready?

i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child exactly where they are and provide data for us to increase your child’s learning gains.

The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student sees is individualized based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly more complex questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly more straightforward questions. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but instead to determine how best to support your child’s learning. Your child participates in these two 45-min assessments (one literacy, one math) three times per year (fall, winter, late spring). Our final testing window will occur at the end of the school year.