OPR WEEKLY UPDATE
September 18, 2026
Dear OPR Families,
We had a great week filled with learning, growth, and many positive moments throughout the school. It has been nice to see students settling into their routines, working hard, and showing kindness to one another. Our first PAC meeting of the year will be held on Thursday night, and all are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there!
Our OPR Before and After School Enrichment Program registration opens on Wednesday, 9/23 at 9:00 AM. These classes are very popular and tend to fill quickly. The full list of program offerings and descriptions along with the registration link will be emailed on Monday.
Have a fantastic weekend!
David N. Barner, Principal
dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
Contact OPR Office (Secretaries and Nurse): oproffice@walpole.k12.ma.us
Highlights for the Week Ahead
Wednesday - OPR Before and After School Enrichment Program Registration Opens at 9 AM.
Thursday - Kindergarten Parent PAC Meeting at 6:30 PM and the general PAC Meeting for Parents of all grades at 7:00 -8:00 PM
September
23 OPR Before and After School Enrichment Program Registration Opens at 9:00 AM
24 PAC Meeting in the OPR STEM Lab at 7:00 PM
The PAC will hold a 6:30-7:00 PM meeting for kindergarten parents. This is an opportunity for kindergarten parents to meet each other and learn about PAC activities before attending the 7:00 general meeting.
28 OPR Before and After School Enrichment Program Registration Closes at 4:00 AM
30 OPR Curriculum Night for Parents and Guardians; 6-6:30 PM Last Names beginning with A-L; 6:45-7:15 PM Last Names beginning with M-Z.
October
5 OPR Before and After School Enrichment Program begins this week.
6 OPR School Council Meeting in the STEM Lab at 3:30
7 International Walk to School Day! Walk, Bike or Roll to school to participate.
7 Grade 1 Community Field Trip
9 Early Release at 12:25 PM. Dismissal begins at 12:19.
12 No School - Columbus Day
15 PAC Meeting in the STEM Lab at 7:00 PM
21 Gr. 3 Docent Trip to DeCordova Museum
23 PAC Trunk or Treat in the OPR Parking Lot from 6:00-7:00 PM
28 Gr. 4 Field Trip to Patriots Hall of Fame
30 OPR Halloween Parade at 9:15
OPR Curriculum Night - September 30th
We are looking forward to welcoming parents and guardians to Old Post Road School's Curriculum Night on Wednesday, September 30th. Teachers will be sharing curriculum expectations along with information specific to the classroom. Parents and guardians will also have time to ask general questions. Any questions specific to a child should be reserved for a more confidential setting.
In addition to seeing your child's classroom teacher, please stop by to see our specialists in their spaces to learn more about their curriculum. Our specialists include the Art Teacher, Music Teacher, PE Teacher, STEM/Media Teacher, School Counselors, Literacy Specialists, Math Specialist, Multilingual Language Teacher, Instructional Coach, and Special Education Teachers such as MSNs and Speech/Language.
The Curriculum Nights at all of the Walpole Elementary Schools are for Parents and Guardians only. Students, other family members, and guests should not attend. Thank you for your understanding.
Schedule:
6:00-6:30 Families with Last Name Beginning with A-L*
6:45-7:15 Families with Last Name Beginning with M-Z*
*If you have more than one child, email the teacher for an exception to the assigned times.
Physical Education (PE) with Mrs. Green
We have had a great start to the school year! All students are reminded to be Responsible, Respectful, and Ready from the beginning to the end of class in order to receive a sticker. Please remind your child to wear sneakers and comfortable clothing. We have a year filled with exciting activities, including locomotor and non-locomotor skills, manipulative skills, sportsmanship, invasion games, dance, gymnastics, fitness, health, and more.
Kindergarten: Students have been learning about spatial awareness and played Animal Catchers and Sharks & Sailors. Coming up, we will practice dribbling, shooting, and playing goalie with soccer balls.
Grades 1 & 2: Students have practiced Animal Catchers, Sharks & Sailors, Four Square, and Ga-Ga Ball. Next, we will work on dribbling, shooting, and goalie skills with soccer balls, and students will participate in small-sided 2v2 games.
Grades 3 - 5: Students have practiced Capture the Flag, Four Square, Ga-Ga Ball, and Animal Catchers. We are reviewing familiar games and building on them as we move forward. This year, students will undergo fitness testing (PACER run, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and sit & reach) and be introduced to weightlifting. Coming up next are 5v5 soccer, speedball, and handball.
Math with Mrs. Milnamow
I’m Mrs. Milnamow, the Math Specialist at OPR. You may remember me as the Digital Learning Coach over the past three years. I’m excited to take on this new role as Math Specialist and I look forward to working alongside our students, teachers, and families to build confidence, curiosity, and, most importantly, a love of math!
Each month, I will use this space to share helpful tips, family-friendly resources, fun activities, and more that will help you support your budding mathematician at home.
Our school year is already off to a strong mathematical start, and students engaging daily in activities such as solving puzzles with JiJi in ST Math, discovering new math patterns in their Number Corner, building fact fluency with Math Fact Lab, learning and strategizing through new workplace games, and exploring, thinking, problem-solving and making mathematical connections with their peers during their Bridges investigation lessons.
Have you checked out our Math Family Website lately? It’s packed with resources to help families understand and support the mathematics happening in our classrooms. You’ll find helpful information and resources about: Our Math Program-Bridges Curriculum, ST Math, Massachusetts Math Standards, Fact Fluency…and more!
Students can quickly access some of their favorite math tools and resources, including: ST Math, Fact Fluency Practice, Bridges online tools/apps, and Bridges At Home activities.
Do you have a math question? Are you wondering how to support your child at home? Is there a particular math topic you’d like to learn more about? Reach out and let me know! I would love to hear from you, and I’ll do my best to feature your questions and ideas in a future edition of the Math Corner. I can be reached at jmilnamow@walpole.k12.ma.us. Thank you for being a part of your child’s math journey. Together, we can help our children see that math is everywhere, that math is important, and that they can persevere and grow their math minds every day.
News from the Nurse
Hello from the Health Office! Please take note of the following information.
Is it Allergies or a Cold?
We have been seeing more signs of seasonal allergies lately. It can be tricky to tell the difference between a common cold and seasonal sniffles. For a quick guide to help you decide if your child should stay home or head to class, check out this helpful resource:
Is It a Cold or Allergies? How to Tell the Difference
Illness Policy: When to Stay Home
Fever over 100°F
Vomiting, diarrhea, or nausea
Undiagnosed rashes or lesions
Uncontrolled coughing
Returning to School Guidelines:
Must be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine (like Tylenol or Motrin).
Stay home for 24 hours after stomach illness symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, nausea) end.
Take antibiotics for at least 24 hours before returning for infections like Strep Throat, Conjunctivitis, or Impetigo.
Ensure eyes are free of drainage (Conjunctivitis) and lesions are not oozing (Impetigo).
If given Benadryl at school for an allergic reaction, students must be picked up and monitored at home.
Injuries and Medical Procedures:
Please notify the Health Office if your child has an injury or medical procedure outside of school.Please provide a doctor's note detailing restrictions and duration if missing PE for more than 5 days.
Special Request from the Health Office
Our Health Office is running low on spare clothing for student accidents and spills!
We welcome donations of gently used tops, bottoms, and sweatshirts (sizes 6 -14), as well as new socks and underwear. Check out our OPR Health Office Wish List to contribute.
Donations can be dropped off at the main office. Thank you for your support!
Thank you for helping keep our school community healthy and safe! Feel free to reach out to the Health Office anytime with questions.
Bonnie Kowalsky, M.Ed, BSN, RN
Old Post Road School Nurse
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
phone: 508-660-7219 ext 5804
fax: 866.809.6567
Electric Bicycle (E-bike) Safety
Join Us for the OPR PAC Meeting:
Thursday, September 24
OPR STEM Lab
6:30-7:00 PM Kindergarten Parent Meeting
7:00-8:00 PM General Meeting
Please see the agenda below.
Textile Bin Donations
Massachusetts no longer allows clothing to be disposed of in the trash. Clothing must be donated or recycled. RECYCLE your clothing and textiles in the OPR Collection Bin and OPR receives money. The collections resulted in the following:
2024 Calendar Year Total - $1182.30
2025 Calendar Year Total - $1788.90
January 2026 - $205.50
February 2026 - $132.60
March 2026 - $103.50
April 2026 - $190.80
May 2026 - $181.20
June 2026 - $185.10
July 2026 - $186.60
August 2026 - $180.60
Walpole Public Schols 2026-2027 Calendar
OPR ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
WPS ELEMENTARY STUDENT & PARENT HANDBOOK/CODE OF CONDUCT
Walpole Elementary School Homework Guidelines
On this site you can find links to forms (i.e. medication administration, over the counter medication consent forms), medication policies, and information regarding illnesses, concussions and injuries.
Private Lessons through the WPS Music Department
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
About Us
OPR Mission Statement
The Old Post Road School community educates all students to excel and become productive citizens.
OPR Vision
OPR students will be motivated to learn in a supportive and safe environment. The faculty will foster self-confidence in the students and encourage them to make positive choices. Students will learn to accept responsibility for their behavior and will mature into responsible citizens and lifelong learners. All students will appreciate that they are part of a diverse, global society.
Instagram: OLDPOSTROADSCHOOL_WALPOLE
Email: dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
508-660-7219
Arrival: 8:50-9:00 AM
Tardy Bell is at 9:00 AM. (Students must be signed in at the office by an adult if tardy.)
Early Release Dismissal: 12:25 (Dismissal begins at 12:19)
Dismissal: 3:30 PM (Dismissal begins at 3:24 PM)
If your child is going to be absent or tardy, please call the OPR office before school (508-660-7219) and press 1 for the absence line. The automated attendance verification system is in use. Those students marked absent and who have not called in will receive an automated phone call.
