The Week Ahead 3/2

Congratulations to Liliana Wirf for being this week's trivia winner! Don't forget to listen after the notices each Friday for a chance to win! If you think you know the answer, make sure to email Ms. Smalarz (bsmalarz@webster-schools.org) right away! The first to submit a correct answer will be the week's winner!

Senior, Francois Emmanuel Londaye Yambete, competed this past Saturday for the Lions Youth Speech Competition. The topic was “What can old America teach new America”. The speech had to be between 5-8 minutes and he could only use one 3x5 index card. Francois delivered his speech with emotion and heartfelt sentiment in front of over 100 adults from across central Massachusetts. Three other contestants also gave speeches on the same topic. Unfortunately, only one could advance to the next round. Francois gave great effort and the content was engaging. Unfortunately, one other speaker who had competed twice before was able to score higher. Congratulations to Francois for having the courage to speak so openly about his own experience.

Attention families of 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th graders, please see below for some important information for a newly approved International Trip coming in 2028! This is our first trip of this kind in many years, and it is our plan to offer one every two years from here on in.

Dear current 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grade families,

Bartlett High School is going to Costa Rica in 2028, and your students are all invited!

We’re excited to tell you more about the trip that we’re planning with EF Tours, our educational travel partner. Please be sure to register for our information session, which will be held on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4th at 6:00PM in Bartlett's auditorium, to be considered for this fantastic opportunity: https://bit.ly/4a7bdt5

When students travel, they expand their knowledge of the world around them, discover more about themselves, and grow more confident. These skills are critical for creating the global citizens of tomorrow, and we would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

In this info session, we’ll talk about:
*How this opportunity will benefit your student
*What we’ll see and do on our trip
*Everything that’s included in this experience
*How we’re keeping this safe and affordable
*How to enroll on this trip (before it fills up!) during EF’s risk-free enrollment period

There are limited spots on this trip, so we would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity!
$200 off for registering and attending the meeting; and sign up during the introductory period. Also a raffle entry for $500 off!

Thanks,
Ms. Zuk de Romero

Link to DESE website for school and district state reports:
https://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/?utm_source=DA-Federal+Grants%3A+ESSA%2C+IDEA%2C+Perkins&utm_campaign=e37254f708-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_12_04_03_15_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-b484a3c9c0-44083026

Looking for some new Bartlett Gear? BHS has partnered with Josten's to create a new way to order. Check out the Mascot Shop and get some new clothes for our Spirit Fridays!

• Nikki Bucasas for being accountable. Ms. Doherty says, "Nikki always makes sure that she gets her work done and does a great job."
• Lilian Avalos Castillo for being honorable. Ms. Doherty says, "She watches over the other students and makes sure that they are okay."
• Nicole Ramalhete Mazioli for being accountable. Ms. Doherty says, "She always puts forth her best effort and makes sure that she gets her work done."

Would you like to give a shout-out to a Bartlett High School faculty member who has made a difference in your student’s daily life? Is there someone at Bartlett who stands out to you? Or are you a student who would like to recognize a staff member who has had a positively impact on you?

Here’s your chance to show your appreciation! Please write a brief message below, and I will be sure to include it in the next newsletter.

Please remind your students that there food deliveries while at school from restaurants, DoorDash, GrubHub, etc. are not allowed. If these places arrive here at school, they will be turned away. For further clarification on this policy please refer to the handbook below.

Here is the link to this year's handbook. Please make sure to review this book with your student(s).

Days: Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (not offered on Tuesdays or half days)

Time - 2:15pm-2:45pm

Location - BHS Cafeteria

All high school students are to sit in the middle to back of the bus. High school students should not be sitting with middle school students in the front of the bus.

Make sure to keep reminding students that Saturday School is available to them. It's a great way for them to stay or get back on track!

Please encourage students to come if they have points that they need to earn back from Q2. All students that lost points due to attendance in Quarter 2 were notified when the report cards went out, and have all of Quarter 3 to make up the points that they lost. The remaining Quarter 2 Saturday School dates are: March 7, March 21, and March 28.

Saturday School is held at the Webster Middle School from 8am-12pm. Breakfast and a snack is provided. Students will need to bring their work with them, as teachers will not be able to provide it to individual students over the weekend. Students will need to stay the entire time and should also come with a fully charged chromebook and charger as there are no loaners available. There is no bus provided to or from Saturday School this year.

The Basement in C Section is considered to be an Unauthorized Area at all times, unless you are directly with a staff member. If a student is found in the basement, a consequence of a Saturday School will be assigned immediately.

If you play a sport and need to access the basement to drop off athletic equipment, the only available time to do so is before school starts from 7:10am - 7:20am. If you do not make it between that time, you will be responsible for carrying your own equipment with you throughout the school day.

If a student is going to be absent, tardy, or dismissed on any given school day, the parent/guardian must call the main office at 508-943-8552 to report it. When calling, please state:

• Your student’s name

• Reason for absence/tardiness

• Phone number where you can be reached during the day in case a return call is necessary

A note documenting the reason for the absence, tardy, or dismissal must be sent into the main office within two (2) days of the conclusion of the absence or tardiness. However, please note that a phone call and/or note only verifies the student's absence; it does not excuse the absence. When an absence, tardiness, or dismissal can be anticipated, advance notice is requested.

Absent

From School

• If a parent/guardian has notified the school of their student’s absence, the student will be coded as “Absent” in PowerSchool

• Students who are absent from school on any given day are not permitted to participate in any school or extracurricular activities on that day.

• On the 5th+ absence from class, the teacher will engage in two-way communication with the parent/guardian to develop a plan to make-up academic deficits resulting from absences

• All missed assignments due to absences (not truancies) will be graded as a “0” (with the icons “missing” and “absent” both highlighted in Powerschool) until the assignment has been completed and submitted

• Students are required to make-up all missed assignments due to any absence (not truancy)

Truant

• Students who are absent from school without a documented reason (ex. doctor note, call from parent/guardian) will be considered truant

• Missed assignments due to truancy will receive a grade of zero (0) without the ability to make it up

Tardy

• Tardiness will be excused only if you have a note of acceptable explanation, such as a dentist or doctor appointment. Extenuating circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Tardiness to school is counted as time lost within the provisions of the Attendance Policy.

• Students are considered tardy if they are not in their 1st block classroom by 7:25am (Please note: Being in the school building by that time is not the same as being in class by that time)

• Tardy students are required to report to check in with the main office upon arrival

• Tardy students will be required to dispose of any purchased coffee/morning beverages upon arrival. If a student refuses to dispose of their beverage immediately, they will be issued a Saturday School

• Students that are chronically tardy to school (more than 3 times in a quarter) will be subject to progressive disciplinary action

• Promptness to class is as important as promptness to your job when you go to work. Good school citizens are never tardy to class because that interferes with their own education and disrupts the whole class. You have five minutes to pass between classes, and during that time you can reach any place in the school from any other place.

• If you are with a staff member or doing an errand that cannot be done at some other time, and if this results in your being late to class, please be sure that you get a pass from the staff member in charge before leaving that staff member. It is YOUR responsibility to get a pass whenever you are going to be late to class.

• Students who are not inside of the classroom when the bell rings are considered “tardy” to class.

Dismissal

• There are times when illness or personal family business of a serious nature occurs and you need to miss part of the school day. At that time, you may request an early dismissal. To obtain an early dismissal, bring a written request from your parent/guardian to the main office as soon as you arrive at school. All notes should include the first and last name of the student, phone numbers where the parent/guardian signing the note can be reached, time to be excused, reason for the request, and first and last name of the parent/guardian signing the note. Eighteen year olds must also have a pre-approved note from a parent/guardian. BHS reserves the right to verify all parent/guardian notes prior to approving student dismissals.

• Students will be called to the main office when being dismissed

• All students, who are dismissed for any reason, must sign the dismissal log before leaving school

• ALL individuals dismissing students will be expected to come into the building and present a valid picture ID before any student will be released from the school

• Students must be in school for 4 hours from the start of the school day to be considered present for the day. Students attending school for less than four hours will be considered “absent” from school that day.

• Students dismissed from school are ineligible to participate in athletics or extra-curricular activities on that day or the ensuing weekend should it occur on the day before a weekend.

• For eligibility purposes, with respect to athletics or extra-curricular activities, students dismissed for medical, dental, legal appointments, etc., must have the appointment verification documentation turned in to the office or to the coach or activity advisor upon their return to be eligible to participate (parental/guardian notes will not suffice)

• Any student clinically dismissed by the nurse due to illness may not return to school and is ineligible to participate in athletics or school activities

• If/when a student returns to school from a dismissal, they must sign back in on the dismissal log in the main office and produce their documentation for the time out of the building

• No student, except in emergencies, will be signed out after 1:30 pm

Tardy to School Progression of Consequences

When a student reaches the numbers below, the corresponding consequence will be assigned:

#3 - one call from the office

#4 - administrator detention (phone call will be made)

#5 - Saturday School (one call and email will be given)

#6 and above - Saturday School and 7 days of Social Probation for each tardy (one call and email will be given) *social probation means that the student will not be able to attend anything after the 2pm bell at school, to include athletics and/or clubs during that time.

*if tardiness to school does not improve, and administrator will be reaching out to set up individual meetings to discuss further plans/consequences.

Regular Schedule

Students were extracting DNA from a strawberry!

Saturday, March 28th at 8am-10am

Just $5 for a full breakfast: EGGS, HASH BROWNS, SAUSAGE, FRUIT, JUICE, and COFFEE

Prizes, Raffles, Photo Ops

Looking for a way to spend those Bartlett Bucks?

Welcome to the PBIS School Store! It will be open all year long. Please see the items available to purchase with your Bartlett Bucks!

Orders placed by Wednesday at 2:00pm will be delivered by Friday of that week. Items placed Thursday and Friday will be delivered the following week. (Some items may be delayed based on stock availability - you will be notified by email of any items that we are unable to deliver by Friday)

You will need to pay for the items with Bartlett Bucks when they are delivered. If you do not have enough Bartlett Bucks on you at the time of delivery you will not receive the item.

March 12 during 5th Period

Here's your chance to show off your math smarts and pie your favorite teacher!

Sign ups and raffle tickets will be sold at both lunches this week, March 4 - March 6 and then March 9 - March 12!

See the flyer below for more about the event!

Are you and your friends interested in winning prizes for playing basketball? On Mar 14th from 1 PM - 5 PM, NHS is hosting the first ever Bartlett March Madness 3 x 3 Tournament.

Registration for teams of 3 will start on Monday, March 2 and run until March 11. Registration fee is $20 per team and there are only 16 slots available so get your team in soon! Registration sign ups will be held during both lunches.

Key Dates to Know:

• In-person sales: Wednesday, Feb 11th to Friday, Mar 6th
• Online sales: Open NOW through Monday, March, 9th
• Delivery: Monday, March 16th

Don’t miss out — see a member of the Class of 2026 to order directly through them or you can online here: https://my.mcmfundraising.com/2026-spring-bartlett-high-school-class-of-2026/samantha-beaudette/

Students will be taking the Seal of Biliteracy tests tomorrow (3/2) and Tuesday (3/3) during periods 1-3 in room C278. They are responsible for the work that they miss during this time. Thank you for your support of these students in their efforts to earn this prestigious recognition!

March 18

The PSAT will be given this month on March 18. All sophomores will be assigned a location to take the exam. Any parent of or any student who does not want to participate in the practice SAT test administration can complete the google form below.

March 24 and March 25

ELA MCAS

March 6 - April 2

ELA MCAS Makeups

Congratulations to the Cheer team for their great performances last weekend at both Auburn High School and Shepherd Hill. Although they did not take home any hardware this year, they made great strides for the future!

If you are interested in playing a sport this spring, make sure to complete the form below!

All teams MUST enter and exit through the back of the gym after school, this includes all coaches and athletes. There should be absolutely no entry in or out of the C section hallway that is labeled as "Gym" on the outside door. Parents, please pick up your athletes at the back entrance to the gym after practices or games, not at the entrance closest to the BHS basketball courts.

If you are part of a sports team, you must remain academically and socially eligible to participate. If someone is no longer eligible, families will be contacted by the coach. Social probation has been added to the consequences for daily tardies. This may also affect the athletes eligibility to participate. If athletes reach their 6th (or higher) tardy, they will be placed on social probation for 7 days for each tardy. During this time of probation, they cannot attend any meetings, practices, or games during that period of time. An administrator will be reaching out to families of athletes who are placed on social probation due to tardiness to school.

Polar Park presents regional high school baseball, with a major tripleheader scheduled for April 13, 2026!

National School Breakfast Week is here! Do you know that eating school breakfast can help students thrive academically? When kids or teens start their day with a nourishing breakfast they are more focused, score higher on tests, and have a higher attendance rate in school. Free school meals also help in reducing food insecurity and hunger.

For more info visit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp/school-breakfast-program

FREE School Breakfast is for Champions! #NSBW2026

Keep your eyes open for free promos and a chance to win a portable speaker!

The American Library of Poetry is hosting their 30th Annual National Student Poetry Contest! Students can submit 1 (one) poem each for a chance to win the $500.00 grand prize or one of dozens of prizes awarded at random from all submissions (laptops, headphones, tablets, and Amazon gift cards)

Requirements:
Maximum of 20 lines
No profanity
Is not vulgar or offensive
Can be any format except blackout or shape poems.
Sample topics: family, dreams, nature, friendship, feelings, aspirations

Please see your English teacher or Mrs. Daniel for more details or questions!

Our Bright Future Presents: Our VERY FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION!

Are you interested in robotics? Want to program a robot dog to complete fast-paced challenges? Whether you’re brand new to robotics or already love coding and engineering, this event is open to all students in grades 6–12!

Date: April 25, 2026

Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Location: Saint Joseph School, 47 Whitcomb Street, Webster, MA 01570

Event Format:

• Each team will have a 1-hour time slot

• Includes a 15-minute practice & robot familiarization period

• Followed by 4 timed race challenges

• Teams are evaluated on speed, agility, precision, teamwork, and problem-solving

Bartlett has 2 registered teams (8 students total) so far. Spots are limited and will be filled first-come, first-served. Students are responsible for their own transportation. A waiting list will be maintained in case a spot opens up.

To sign up, see Ms. Bigelow or Mr. Duque. Don’t wait—get your team ready for this exciting challenge!

Interested juniors and seniors can contact Ms. Bigelow for more information. There are limited spots, and students must have transportation to Whitinsville.

Hello from WPI!

We may be only a few weeks into 2026, but we wanted to take a moment to share information with you about WPI's pre-college summer programs. Below are highlights of the experiences we will be offering this year.

SESSION I : JULY 06 - 10 | SESSION II : JULY 13 - 17

Rising 6, 7 & 8th grade students who want to begin their exploration of a STEM topic are invited to attend Ignite. During this day program, students will select a topic of their choice to study in-depth alongside like-minded individuals. Courses run from 9:00 - 4:00pm (M - F). Registering for multiple weeks is encouraged; however, taking the same class in consecutive weeks is not permitted.

Learn more about Ignite via this link.

Registrations are open until April 30!

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As parents of children who receive special education services, we know firsthand how overwhelming the journey can feel. Between learning new terminology, understanding our children’s rights, and navigating meetings and services, it’s easy to feel alone or unsure of where to turn for support. That is exactly why we invite you to join us at SEPAC.

The Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) provides a space where parents and caregivers can come together to learn, share experiences, and support one another. It is a place where our voices matter. Through SEPAC, families gain valuable information about special education processes, available resources, and advocacy, helping us feel more confident and empowered when supporting our children.

SEPAC also creates a strong sense of community. Connecting with other families who understand both the challenges and the successes of raising children with diverse needs reminds us that we are not alone. Our meetings offer opportunities to ask questions, hear different perspectives, and work collaboratively with the school district to improve services for all students.

Most importantly, SEPAC gives parents a voice in shaping special education within our schools. By participating, we help ensure that the needs of our children are heard, respected, and considered. Whether you attend meetings regularly, occasionally, or simply stay informed, your involvement truly makes a difference.

We understand that life is busy, and attending meetings is not always convenient. To make participation more accessible, we offer both in-person meetings and Zoom options. SEPAC meets once a month, beginning at 6:00 PM with a general meeting, followed by a workshop at 6:30 PM. These workshops are designed to provide helpful information and guidance for families navigating special education.

We encourage any parent or caregiver of a child with special needs to consider joining SEPAC. Your voice, experiences, and insights are valuable—not just for your child, but for our entire school community. We also welcome your input as we plan for the future of SEPAC and want to know what our families need most.

If you would like more information or wish to be added to our mailing list for meeting reminders and important updates, please reach out to us at sepacwebster@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Sabrina Piche

Co-Chairman

Jennifer Gardner

Co-Chairman

Hi everyone,

It seems the groundhog let us down again this year. We’re buried under an endless pile of cold, messy snow, the kids are already collecting make‑up days for June, and somehow the new math has managed to get even more confusing. In the middle of all that, though, we have some genuinely uplifting news to look forward to.

Beth Bergstrom from PPAL (Parent Professional Advocacy League) has graciously offered to join us and present a four‑part, in‑person training series at our upcoming monthly meetings (March 11th, April 8th, May 13th, & June 10th). She’s opened a wonderful selection of training options for us to choose from (4 in total). The only session unavailable this time is Active Parenting of Teens, which requires a six‑week commitment.

I’ve attached the list of available trainings. When you have a moment, please look it over and let me know which ones you’re most interested in. If I can gather everyone’s preferences by Sunday night (March 1st), we can move ahead with planning, flyers, and all the details. As a little bonus, participants will also receive a gift for attending.

There’s also a Parent/Caregiver Respite Day on March 14th that looks like the exact kind of break many of us could use right now. The flyer is included with this email. If you’d like to attend, please RSVP via the link on the flyer by Sunday, March 1st, so the organizers can plan accordingly.

Please reach out with any questions or thoughts. I’m looking forward to hearing which trainings interest you.

Sincerely,

Kim Rockwood

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren South Central MA

54 Slater Street

Webster, MA 01570

(978) 413-8989