Phenomenal Phelps Facts
Week of April 13, 2026
Message from Ms. Scheufele
As we head into the week before April vacation, things are getting busy here at Phelps! We have many exciting events and activities coming up, and we don’t want you to miss a thing. Please take a close look at the upcoming dates in this newsletter so you can stay informed and prepared.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead and a relaxing weekend!
A Quick Reminder About Drinks at School
Please remember that students should not bring soda, coffee drinks, or “refresher”-type beverages to school. These drinks can be disruptive to learning and aren’t allowed during the school day.
Water bottles and regular juice boxes are great choices and help keep our students focused and ready to learn.
Thank you for your support in keeping our school healthy and distraction-free!
Grade 3 Music Performances--Tuesday, April 14
We are excited to welcome families for our Grade 3 music performances on Tuesday, April 14 in the Phelps cafeteria! Classes will sing by music teacher. Please note the times below:
8:15-8:45 AM: Mrs. Panos’ Grade 4 classes
9:00-9:30 AM: Mr. Popadic’s Grade 4 classes
Parking Note: Please park in the Phelps lot (by the turf field) or the Reed Street lot before attempting to park in the RMS/RHS lot as there will be traffic due to RMS and RHS arrival on Tuesday morning.
Because of our tight morning schedule, limited parking, and the start of lunches, we kindly ask that families exit the building promptly after the performance to allow smooth transitions for the next group.
To help us keep the morning running on time, we also ask families to wave to students from the audience at the end of the show. There will not be time for families to join their child before classes resume.
Thank you so much for your understanding and cooperation—we can’t wait for you to see how hard our third graders have been working!
Dress Code Reminder
As the weather gets warmer, we’re noticing a few dress code trends that we want to kindly address. Please take a moment to review this reminder from our Student Handbook—and remember, hats should be saved for designated Hat or Sports Team Days only.
From the Handbook:
"Student dress should be school appropriate and in good taste. Hats, visors, belly shirts, lounge pajama bottom pants, flipflops and clothing containing inappropriate messages or language may not be worn. Sneakers are required for all physical education classes. All footwear should have a heel strap for student safety. Shorts and skirts should be long enough so that the fingertips when extended down the leg touch the hem of the skirt or shorts. Shirt straps must be at least two (2) inches in width. During the winter months, when the weather permits, students will be going outside. Long pants are required during cold days. At the Principal's discretion, students will have outdoor recess and need to be dressed appropriately (no bare legs)."
Thank you for your support in helping students come to school dressed comfortably, safely, and ready to learn each day!
Grade 4 Yearbook Photos
Families of Fourth Graders---We need your help! We have a volunteer group of parents putting together the yearbook for our fourth graders. We need photos from over the years at school. Group photos are best from school or sports events. Please include names of students with the photos. No more than 10 photos per child, please, as we want to make the job manageable for our volunteers.
In addition we need a baby photo of your fourth grader. Again, please send the photo with the student's name.
All photos should be sent to: phelps4thgradeyearbook@gmail.com. Any questions should be directed to phelpspac@rocklandschools.org. Thank you!
Rockland Public Schools District Calendar
Important Upcoming Events
April 13--After School Enrichment Spring Sessions Begin
April 13-May 1--Fun Run Fundraising
Actual Fun Run is May 7 (on early release day)
April 14--Grade 3 Music Performance
8:15-8:45 am Mrs. Panos’ Classes
9:00-9:30 Mr. Popadic’s Classes
April 20-24 Spring Break--NO SCHOOL
April 28--PAC Meeting, 6-7 pm
May 4-8--Staff Appreciation Week (a week to celebrate our Phelps staff and say thank you!)
*Stay tuned for details from the PAC on how you can help.
May 4--Parent Engagement & Empowerment Course, 5:30-6:30 pm
May 6--Nurse Appreciation Day (be sure to thank our school nursing staff--Mrs. McGarry & Mrs. Bamaca)
May 7--Fun Run & Early Release Day
May 12--PAC Meeting, Library, 6-7 pm
May 13 & 14--Math MCAS Grades 3 & 4
May 18-21 Scholastic Book Fair
May 20 Literacy Night--Ice Cream/Scholastic Book Fair
May 20--School Lunch Hero Day--Be sure to thank our wonderful cafeteria staff today!
May 25 --NO SCHOOL--Memorial Day
May 29 Brain Game (in school for students--provided by PAC)
Save the Dates:
End of Year Events:
Field Day: June 18 with rain date of June 22
Grade 4 "Step Up" Ceremony: June 23
Last Day of School (hopefully, no more snow): June 25
Save the Dates for Grades 3 & 4:
MCAS Math Dates
May 13 and 14, 2026
Phelps Elementary School – Parent Contact Guide
We want every family to know who to contact for questions, concerns, or support. Here’s a quick guide to help you connect with the right person:
Main Office Issues:
Jean Maloney, Administrative Assistant--jmaloney@rocklandschools.org--Questions/Information about attendance, records, court documents, address/email changes, general school information, registration/enrollment, moving/withdrawal
Brenda Mallar-Reske, Administrative Assistant--bmallar-reske@rocklandschools.org--Kid Account/Dismissal changes and questions
Principal
Michelle Scheufele--mscheufele@rocklandschools.org– Oversees school vision, daily classroom visits, curriculum, instruction, and social-emotional learning. Contact for schoolwide questions or issues needing additional attention.
Grades 1 & 2 (First Floor)
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Administrator: Kelsey Holbrook--kholbrook@rocklandschools.org
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School Adjustment Counselor: Taryn Muolo-tmuolo@rocklandschools.org
Grades 3 & 4 (Second Floor)
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Administrator: Chase Eschauzier--chaseeschauzier@rocklandschools.org
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School Adjustment Counselor: Holly Gage-hgage@rocklandschools.org
Additional Student Services
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Amanda MacMillan – Special Education Coordinator--amacmillan@rocklandschools.org
Contact for questions about services, evaluations, and IEPs. -
Allie Sgambato – School Psychologist--asgambato@rocklandschools.org
Provides evaluations, IEP services, and crisis support. -
Beth Peckham – School Psychologist--epeckham@rocklandschools.org
Supports Phelps part-time with evaluations and IEP services. Shani McGarry--School Nurse--smcgarry@rocklandschools.org
Parent Tips
✅ For classroom or day-to-day issues, always start with your child’s teacher.
✅ For grade-level or social-emotional concerns, contact the administrator or adjustment counselor for your child’s grade.
✅ For special education questions, contact Amanda MacMillan.
✅ For schoolwide questions or issues needing additional attention, contact Principal Scheufele.
Main Office & Guidance Staff
If you have any questions or concerns, here are some staff members you can call or email:
Jean Maloney, School Administrative Assistant, jmaloney@rocklandschools.org
Brenda Mallar-Reske, Administrative Assistant (Kidaccount/Dismissal), bmallar-reske@rocklandschools.org
Nichole Dever, Title One Secretary, ndever@rocklandschools.org
Michelle Scheufele, Principal, mscheufele@rocklandschools.org
Kelsey Holbrook, Assistant Principal for Grades 1 & 2 & Title One Director, kholbrook@rocklandschools.org
Chase Eschauzier, Assistant Principal for Grades 3 & 4, chaseeschauzier@rocklandschools.org
Amanda MacMillan, Phelps Special Education Coordinator, amacmillan@rocklandschools.org
Allison Sgambato, School Psychologist, asgambato@rocklandschools.org
Elizabeth Peckham, School Psychologist, epeckham@rocklandschools.org
Taryn Muolo, School Adjustment Counselor for Grades 1 & 2, tmuolo@rocklandschools.org
Holly Gage, School Adjustment Counselor for Grades 3 & 4, hgage@rocklandschools.org
Traci Johnson, School Adjustment Counselor (shared with Esten), tjohnson@rocklandschools.org
Shani McGarry, Nurse, smcgarry@rocklandschools.org
