Hello Elm Street School Families and Friends,
We had an excellent week leading up to the April break despite the rainy and windy end! It was full of engagement, connection, and joy, starting with the excitement of the eclipse on Monday and culminating in the annual Staff vs Student handball game today. The staff came out victorious this year after a close fought and fun game with our fifth graders this afternoon.
In this week's News from the Nest you will find additional information about:
- Upcoming Dates/Events: April
- April Counseling Connection
- Spring Picture Day
- Recycling Eclipse Glasses
- Incoming Kindergarten Events
- Spring Concert Save the Date
- Elm Street School Gear Sale
- Battle of the Books Relaunch Team
- MCAS Dates
- Walpole Writes: A Town Wide Writing Contest
- Intergenerational Craft Event at Elm
- International Dance Day Event
- Elm PAC Hollywood Night Save the Date
- Elm 180 Fundraiser
I hope that everyone has a safe, restful break this upcoming week with lots of opportunities to unplug and connect with people who spark joy. We look forward to seeing everyone back together at the Nest on Monday, April 22nd.
Jen
Upcoming Dates in April
4/1 - 30 National Poetry Month
4/2 World Autism Day, Grade 4 ELA MCAS Session 2
4/3 Grade 3 ELA MCAS Session 1
4/4 Grade 3 ELA MCAS Session 2
4/5 8:45a/2:00p April Assembly
4/9-10 Eid al Fitr
4/10 3:15p Elm School Council Meeting, 7:00p Elm PAC meeting
4/11 6:00p School Committee Meeting
4/12 Day of (No) Silence
4/13 Vaisakhi
4/15 - 19 NO SCHOOL: April Break
4/22 - 30 Passover
4/22 Earth Day
4/25 6:45p School Committee Meeting
4/26 12:30 - 1:30 Intergenerational Earth Day with Walpole Council on Aging
4/30 Grade 5 Math MCAS Session 1
Recycling Solar Eclipse Glasses
If you still have your solar eclipse glasses that we shared with all students on Monday, you are welcome to drop then back off to school the week after the April break. We will be collecting them in the main office to recycle and donate to the organization below.
https://astronomerswithoutborders.org/programs/solar-glasses-distribution
Incoming Kindergarten Events
We are really looking forward to welcoming all our new kindergarteners and their families to our Nest here at Elm during Incoming Kindergarten events. The day that our new kindergarteners and their families visit our school is one of the most joyful days of the school year! We hope that our special sneak peek into Kindergarten, in concert with our Kindergarten Family Meeting and Kindergarten Screening, will help make the transition to kindergarten as smooth as possible for you and your child(ren).
Incoming Kindergarten Family Meeting (adult caregivers only): Wednesday May 15th 6:30p Elm Street School Cafetorium
A link to a virtual meeting will be shared with kindergarten families the Monday before the meeting for anyone unable to attend in person
Kindergarten Screening (adult caregivers and incoming kindergarteners): by appointment on May 21st and May 22nd
Please sign up for one 30 minute time slot per child here
Arrive and check in at the main office 5-10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time
Please fill out this intake form prior to your scheduled appointment
At the screening appointment students will meet with a member of our kindergarten team to complete a short developmental screening assessment that will look at their motor, language and social development, self-help and concept skills. Adult caregivers will have the opportunity to meet with myself or our school adjustment counselor Sarah Iandoli to review the intake form and share any additional information or questions you may have.
Incoming Kindergarten Peek and Practice Day at Elm Street School (adult caregivers and incoming kindergarteners): June 3rd 1:45 - 2:30p
plan to arrive at the main entrance around 1:30p and leave plenty of time to find parking and walk to the main entrance by the flagpole
Students will be divided into 4 groups and head to a kindergarten classroom to experience and practice kindergarten activities together
Adult caregivers will meet in the Cafetorium for a meeting with our Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
Students will get walked out and meet their adult caregivers on the playground at the end of the event
In order to attend the Peek and Practice day you MUST complete a kindergarten screening appointment (see above)
Spring Concerts: SAVE THE DATE
Be sure to mark your calendars for our Spring Grade Level Concerts!
In the spring, students in grades K-5 will have an opportunity to share what they have been learning throughout the year with their families! Performances will feature the culmination of their work demonstrating skills and concepts learned throughout the academic school year.
The concerts will be held during the school day, on the following dates:
Thursday, May 16th
Grade K - 9:00 am
Grade 1 - 9:40 am
Thursday, May 23rd
Grade 2 - 9:00 am
Grade 3 - 9:40 am
Thursday, May 30th
Grade 4 - 9:00 am
Grade 5 - 9:40 am
Elm Street School Gear Store
Our Student Council has partnered with the Run House here in Walpole to sell Elm Street School and Walpole gear. 10% of sales from our online shop will be donated to the Walpole Council on Aging. Visit our online shop here: https://therunhouse.com/collections/elm-street-school
Battle of the Books Relaunch Team
As I shared in my email on 4/10 regarding Battle of the Books, we will be putting a team of staff, students, and Elm families together to dig deeper into the model and redesign the competition for a relaunch next school year. Our goal is to redesign and plan for the relaunch, and come back with a fully supported model and approach that interests, engages, and motivates all students and builds excitement and connection centered around reading.
The team will meet 4-5 times on Tuesday mornings at 7:55a starting after the April break. If you are interested in being a part of the team, please reach out to me directly.
Walpole Writes: A Town Wide Writing Contest
Calling Writers of All Ages!
The Walpole Cultural Council is pleased to announce the return of Walpole Writes, a town-wide writing contest open to all residents of Walpole (as well as non-resident students of Walpole schools).
First, second, and third-place winners will be selected and publicly announced in 5 age groups and 2 categories.The age groups are: elementary school (grades K-2), elementary school (grades 3-5), middle school, high school, and adult. The categories are short story and poem. Writers may choose any topic to write about.
The contest is open through April 26 and winners will be announced in May. To submit an entry, writers must complete an entry form with their entry uploaded by April 26. The entry form can be found here: https://bit.ly/WalpoleWrites24
Winners will be recognized at a celebration at the Walpole Public Library on Thursday, June 20. The Walpole Cultural Council will create a publication of winning entries. Walpole Writes is sponsored by Dedham Savings Bank and Sharon Credit Union.
Nest Connections
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