Anne T. Dunphy Newsletter

Welcome back! We are hoping that all of our families had some time to enjoy a break from the typical schedules and routines, and to enjoy some of the long-awaited spring sunshine!

These next weeks are busy weeks full of exciting activities and celebrations! We will try to communicate often, but be sure to pay attention to the list of dates and events at the bottom of each newsletter!

This year's Science Night will be Thursday, May 29th 5-7.

More information will follow in the coming weeks, but be sure to save the date. This will be one for the ages! We will have some special surprise presentations and demos!

Start brainstorming now if your child (or you) would like to present a project. A registration form will be sent home. Please fill it out by May 26th so we can set up a table for you if needed.

As spring approaches and families are planning calendars, please note the following MCAS testing dates. If possible, please avoid scheduling conflicts on the mornings of MCAS testing.

May 13th & 14th

Mathematics, 3rd-6th grades

May 20th & 21st

Science, Technology & Engineering, 5th grade only

As a celebration of their Folktales & Fables unit, Kindergarten participated in a fairy house building day. Families were an enormous help in decorating houses for our fairy village!

May 7th is Massachusetts Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day! How many students can we get to walk, bike, or roll to school that day?

Congratulations to our 3rd grade students who performed a wonderful and moving play about the Mill River Disaster! Our entire school community and invited guests were lucky to be part of such a special performance. Thanks to Ms. Wyman and all of the volunteers who made this show possible.

The Williamsburg School Committee is looking for two new school committee members to help support the wonderful teaching and learning that happens at ATD. The school committee is mainly responsible for oversight of the budget, policies, and the hiring and evaluation of the superintendent. We generally meet every third Wednesday of the month. Any member of the public is welcome at our meetings, and the next one will be on Wed. 5/21 at 5:30pm.

Hard copies will be sent home prior to the end of this school year, and again at the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Last day of preschool/ Preschool Picnic: June 17th

Last day of school K-6: June 18th (1/2 day)

First day of school K-6: August 27

First day of Preschool: September 3

On Monday, April 28, at 6:30pm Hampshire Regional High School will be hosting a free community event called Drug Story Theater in the HRHS auditorium. There will be free pizza for attendees!

Drug Story Theater’s “Back to Life” performance is designed to engage students, parents and community members in a candid conversation about the dangers lurking in recreational drug use today, particularly the deadly presence of fentanyl and xylazine. Through a compelling narrative and a subsequent talkback session, we aim to shed light on the often-underestimated risks of experimenting with drugs, the critical importance of destigmatizing Narcan, and the real possibility of saving lives by making this life-saving drug readily available. These performances are funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts DPH.

More information on this show:

• See Drug Story Theater’s 20-minute play, “Back to Life” performed by real kids in treatment in a program. They will explain that adolescents want 3 things: to take risks, be social and experience pleasure, which can have deadly consequences with the presence of potentially fatal fentanyl and xylazine increasingly found in illicit drugs available today. Narcan can reverse an overdose and save lives.
• Moderate a talk-back between adolescents in Drug Story Theater and audience members, with questions being answered by Dr. Joseph Shrand, Nationally-recognized expert in adolescent addiction
• Identify fentanyl, xylezine and Narcan
• Recognize the potentially fatal risk of adolescents experimenting with recreational drugs
• Understand the brain science behind adolescent addiction
• Apply this understanding to prevent fatalities
• Destigmatize carrying and using Narcan to potentially save a life

For more information, please visit www.drugstorytheater.org. We hope to see many families at this important event!

The Williamsburg Recreation Commission is offering three free T-ball clinics this spring.. They are open to children who will be four by 9/1/25 through those entering third grade in the fall. Clinics will take place at Ames Field from 6:00 until 7:30 and are scheduled for:

Wednesday, April 30th

Wednesday, May 14th

Wednesday, May 28th

Parents/guardians will have a participation form to complete and must stay at the field for the events. Get those dates on your calendars!

For more information and/or to sign up for any of these events, contact burgyrec@gmail.com

May

April 28 ~ School Bus Driver Appreciation Day!

April 30 ~ All School Meeting 8:45 - hosted by 6th grade and Preschool

May 1 ~ Berkshire Hills Music Academy Performance, 1:00

May 2 ~ Incoming Kindergarten Visitation

May 2 ~ HRHS visit to 6th grade

May 6-10 ~ Teacher Appreciation Week

May 6 ~ Kindergarten to Eric Carle Museum

May 6 ~ 4th grade to Smith College Arboretum and Art Museum

May 7 ~ Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day

May 8 ~ PTO Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

May 12 ~ School Council, 3:30

May 13 ~ Math MCAS, grades 3-6

May 14 ~ Math MCAS, grades 306

May 15 ~ PTO Meeting, 4:15 @ Tangle Chocolate

May 19 ~ Williamsburg School Committee Policy Sub-committee Meeting

May 20 ~ Science MCAS, 5th grade

May 21 ~ Science MCAS, 5th grade

May 21 ~ School Committee, 5:30

May 22-23 ~ 5th grade overnight to Nature's Classroom

May 23 ~ 1/2 day for students, 11:45 dismissal

May 26 ~ Memorial Day, No School

May 29 ~ Family Science Night

June

June 3 ~ Art/Music Show 1:45 Save the date!

Friday CFCE Playgroup

Caregivers and children ages 0-5 are welcome!

Fridays ~10:00-11:30

Email: sjenkins@hr-k12.org
Website: www.burgyschool.org
Location: 1 Petticoat Hill Road, Williamsburg, MA, USA
Phone: (413) 268-8421
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063877785225