We are so excited to welcome back our students and staff to the 2022-2023 school year! We hope you all have had an amazing summer break. This is always a very exciting and busy time of year for everyone. We hope to be able to provide you with information through communications such as this newsletter.

The District newsletter will be going out on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month. Each school will also be sending out a similar newsletter. Information will also be sent to families via email, posted on the websites, and on social media. As always if you have a concern or a question please do not hesitate to reach out to the schools or to the central office. We are here to make sure your child has the best experience possible. In West Bridgewater, we have amazing and talented students, hard-working and dedicated educators, and a community that supports our schools. Thank you to all who are part of the WB schools! Enjoy the last week prior to school starting!

In each of our schools, we are talking about Wildcat PRIDE. The PRIDE acronym stands for

• Passion
• Respect
• Ingenuity
• Determination
• Empathy

Information Sources - We work hard to communicate with our students and families. If you are not getting school emails through Aspen, please contact your child’s school. Here are other ways we provide information:

School Website: www.wbridgewaterschools.org

District Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbridgewaterschools

District Twitter: @WBPSwildcats

Administration

Mrs. Keitha Goulet (SSS and RLM) kgoulet@wbridgewater.com

Mr. Rich Leeman (Howard) rleeman@wbridgewater.com

Mrs. Christine Page (MSHS) cpage@wbridgewater.com

Mrs. Debbie Llanes (Curriculum Director) dllanes@wbridgewater.com

Mrs. Kathy Marble (Director of Student Services) kmarble@wbridgewater.com

Mr. John Collins (Technology Director) jcollins@wbridgewater.com

Mr. Mark Bodwell (Superintendent) mbodwell@wbridgewater.com

Central Office/Spring Street School - 508-894-1230

Rose L MacDonald School 508-894-1240

Howard School 508-894-1250

Middle/Senior High School 508-894-1220

Below are the links to the bus routes for the 2022-2023 school year. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the school main office directly and not Lucini Bus Company. The school will work with you and share all relevant information with Lucini. As always please be patient as we open school.

Here is the link to the bus routes https://www.wbridgewaterschools.org/page/transportation It is on the website under "Students and Families" then go to "Transportation Information"

Last April we submitted two Statements of Interests (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). A Statement of Interest was submitted for the Rose L MacDonald and the Spring Street School with the goal of being selected by the MSBA for a future building project. The SOI’s were reviewed by the School Committee and Board of Selectmen. This summer were were very excited when we were contacted by the MSBA and notified that we have been invited to be part of a Senior Study. A Senior Study is not an invitation to work with the MSBA but is part of the due diligence review phase of the MSBA SOI Process. We will be hosting a meeting at the Rose L MacDonald School later in September.

Thank you to all the families and staff who completed the end-of-the-year surveys. As always they provide our administrative team with valuable information about things that are going well and things we need to look to for improvement. Please know that all the information has been shared with all members of our team and at our summer administrative meeting, we went over and discussed all areas that were noted as areas of improvement in the district and in the schools/programs. We do our best to take in all this information as we plan for the future and work to make our district the best it can be!

The police department will once again have a large presence on the first day of school. They will be there to welcome back staff, students, and parents. The Howard School will have a modified parent pick-up procedure that will take some patience and cooperation to help ease the flow of traffic congestion that plagued Howard Street in the afternoons all last year. Mr. Leeman and SRO Pope will go over the procedures with the families and will be there daily to help assist everyone through the process safely.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such a great working relationship with both the police department and the fire department who both work to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Thank you to Chief Flaherty and Chief Thibeault for their leadership and support.

Below is some information about the orientation programs in WB. If you have any specific questions please reach out to the schools directly.

• Preschool Orientation is scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday, August 31, 2022. Orientation times will be indicated in the teacher assignment/welcome letters. Orientation is designed to be a time that families can meet the staff and other children in the class. It is also a great time for families to meet each other. Having this time together often makes the separation on the first day of school easier as the children become familiar with the classroom, staff, and peers.

• Kindergarten Orientation is scheduled for Thursday, September 1, 2022. Orientation times will be indicated in the teacher assignment/welcome letters. Students will visit their classrooms and meet their new classmates. Parents will attend an informational session about kindergarten with Mrs. Goulet while the children stay with their teacher. Typically, this session entails teacher and support staff introductions, arrival and dismissal procedures, Food Service information, and Surround Care registration information.

• First Grade Meet and Greet is scheduled for Monday, August 29th, 2022. You will have an opportunity to meet your child's teacher and take a tour of the classroom. During this time, teachers will be happy to answer any questions pertaining to the first day of school. Feel free to bring in your child’s classroom supplies during the meet and greet in order to lighten their backpack for the first day.

• Grade 4 Orientation on Thursday, August 25th at 10:15. During this time students and families will get to meet their teachers, visit classrooms, and take a tour of the building. In addition, we will review a typical day as a fourth-grade student at Howard, school expectations, and other pertinent information. We look forward to meeting you!

• Grade 7 Orientation on Thursday, August 25th from 8:30 am - 9:45 am. The program is an opportunity for incoming students to get more familiar with the school, staff, and schedule. Students will be able to tour the school, reconnect with their classmates, and make new friends before the official start of school. Light refreshments will be served and parents/guardians are invited to join us.

• MSHS New Student (Grades 8-12 Orientation) on Thursday, August 25th from 12-1 pm. This program is a great opportunity for our new students to WB to come in and meet some staff and see the school. Students will also get to review their schedules and check out the classrooms.

• Fall Sports - If you are planning on playing a fall sport you must be registered on ArbiterSports (Formerly Family ID) by Monday, August 22nd. Click the link to access the WB Athletics page here: http://www.wbridgewaterschools.org/o/athletics It is very important to register as soon as possible so coaches have your contact information to send updates to all players. If you have any questions you can reach out to WB Athletic Director Jennifer Hammel at jhammel@wbridgewater.com. If your child is playing a fall sport, there will be a mandatory meeting for parents on Wednesday, August 31st at 6:00 pm.

DESE and DPH have updated their COVID guidance for the school year 2022-2023:

• Universal mask requirements, surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals, contact tracing, and test-to-stay testing are no longer recommended in schools. All students and staff who wish to continue to wear a mask will be supported in that choice.
• Students and staff who test positive for COVID must remain out of school for at least 5 days. If they are asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and they have been fever free without the use of fever-reducing medication for 24 hours, they may return to school and should wear a mask through day 10. If the person has a negative test on or after day 5, they do not need to mask.
• Exposed students and staff are no longer required to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status or where the exposure occurred. All exposed individuals may remain in school as long as they are asymptomatic. Masking is recommended but not required. Testing on day 6 is recommended but not required.
• Symptomatic individuals should be sent home and allowed to return if symptoms remain mild and they test negative, or if they have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication and their symptoms are resolving, or with alternate diagnosis (written confirmation from medical professional required). A negative test is strongly recommended, but not required, for return.

COVID Symptoms:

• fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills or shaking chills
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• new loss of taste or smell
• muscle aches or body aches
• cough (not due to other known cause such as chronic cough)
• sore throat (when in combination with other symptoms)
• nausea/vomiting (when in combination with other symptoms)
• headache (when in combination with other symptoms)
• fatigue (when in combination with other symptoms)
• nasal congestion or runny nose, not due to other known causes such as allergies (when in combination with other symptoms)

The town of West Bridgewater celebrated its 200th Anniversary on Saturday, August 20th from 2:00 - 9:00 pm. It was a great day with lots of fun activities going on at Town Hall area and softball fields. Thank you to the WB school staff who played in the softball game and lost a hard-fought battle with the WB Police Department. The Fire Department defeated the WBYAA coaches in the other first-round game. In the final, the WBPD defeated the WBFD in a great game 20-18. A great time was had by all! Thank you to all who came out and enjoyed the entire event! There were lots of great vendors as well as the band and fireworks.

If you haven't registered for the upcoming school year's Surround Care program, there is still time to do so. Registration can be completed on the District website at 22-23 School Year Surround Care Registration Even if you do not plan on your child attending regularly, a drop-in registration can be completed in case of an emergency or if you are running late for parent pick up or cannot meet the bus.

We want to update you with exciting news about universal free school meals. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has decided to extend free school meals for all students through the 2022-2023 school year! This means that breakfast and lunch will continue to be served at no cost to all students.

Please note that even though meals will be free for all, it is very important for families to still complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2022-2023 school year that is attached to this letter. You can view directions and commonly asked questions about the application here: WB Food Service Website- Meal Applications

We strongly encourage ALL families to submit this form as it allows us to establish eligibility for P-EBT benefits, waive or partially waive fees for sports, activities, field trips, the PSAT, the SAT, and AP exams, and serve families most effectively. This information is kept strictly confidential. Information regarding eligibility will not be shared unless you give permission.

In addition, please consider applying for SNAP, the federal nutrition program that provides eligible residents with monthly financial assistance to purchase groceries. More SNAP information can be found at gettingsnap.org or by calling Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333.

The food and nutrition department at West Bridgewater Public School is excited and grateful for the opportunity to provide nourishing and tasty meals to all WB students. Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns at agrinder@wbridgewater.com or at (508)894-1220.

The mission of Inclusion Matters as West Bridgewater’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council is to build inclusive schools and communities. We do this by supporting families of students with IEPs and 504s and including regular education parents by offering advice, advocacy within the school system, and opportunities for education and community-building through regular workshops and events for parents, guardians and families.

We are excited about the year ahead of us! In addition to workshops and webinars, we’re looking forward to spending time with our Inclusion Matters community as we bring back fun social events like craft night and parents-night-out. We’ll be kicking off our events with an information table at each school’s curriculum night this fall. Please stop by to meet Inclusion Matters board members, ask questions, learn more about us, and join our mailing list for a chance to win some awesome giveaways.

In the words of Inga Beale, “we all have the ability to promote a culture of acceptance and inclusion.” As a parent, you do not need to have a student with a disability to get involved with Inclusion Matters. We are a network of families who understand and care. For more information about Inclusion Matters, you can find us on Facebook @InclusionMattersMA or by visiting our website at www.inclusionmattersma.com.

WHO WE ARE

A group of parent volunteers whose objective is to support all Wildcat athletes at WBMSHS by raising the funds for the needs that are beyond the district budget.

WHAT WE DO

We meet once a month and run several FUNdraisers throughout the year that require parent and student volunteers.

WHY WE DO IT

Simply put to grow our athletic program, ensure our athletes have what they need to be competitive, and to keep user fees low.

2022-2023 Officers

Co-Presidents: Jenn Gately and Stacy Raphel

Secretary: Terry O’Neill-Kearton

Treasurer: Lynda Hulme

Contact us!!

Email: wbboostersclub@gmail.com

BINGO is coming back. The target start date is Thursday, September 8th

We are in need of volunteers! If you are able to volunteer your time please reply by Thursday, 9/1. As Bingo has been on-hold for a couple of years, many of our volunteers have ‘retired’ as their kids have graduated.

About BINGO: Bingo runs weekly on Thursday nights throughout the year (including summer months). Time: The Boosters’ BINGO shift runs from 6-8 PM. Location: Bingo is held in the Rectory directly behind St. Ann’s Parish [103 South Main Street/next to the YAA Fields and Town Hall]. Details: Volunteers work in pairs (so you will not be alone! And you can sign up with a friend!). Volunteers are responsible for pull tab ticket sales. This basically just consists of walking around the bingo hall with pull tab tickets (they sell for 25/50 cents or $1). Bingo customers will ask you for a certain amount and you just count out their tickets and take the money/make change. Incentive: If you are able to commit to at least 10 shifts (not quite once a month), you will be eligible to receive a discount on your athletic fees for the 2022-2023 academic year. Amount TBD.

The next Superintendent Coffee Hour with Mr. Bodwell will be on Friday, September 16, 2022 at 9:15 am. Thank you to all who were able to attend any of the prior meetings. There will be a few changes for this year. First, we will be going back to in-person meetings. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in person. We will also be bringing back guest speakers. If you have any suggestions for staff you would like to be at the meetings please let me know. Our first guest speaker will be School Resource Officer Tim Pope. The first meeting of the year will be at the Spring Street School. Also, we are planning on sending out the agenda prior to the meeting. This will better inform our guests about what topics we will discuss. We will always leave time in the end for questions and answers.

Mark Bodwell, Superintendent of Schools

Email: mbodwell@wbridgewater.com
Website: www.wbridgewaterschools.org
Location: 2 Spring Street, West Bridgewater, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 894-1230
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbridgewaterschools
Twitter: @WBPSwildcats