The Penguin Post
- Thursday, June 4 - 4th grade field trip to the CT Science center
- Thursday, June 11 - Tour of Doering Middle School and class picnic
- Tuesday, June 23 - Moving up ceremony (9:30am on the green) Invitation to follow
There might be a couple extra surprises along the way too!
Summer is a time for fun, relaxation, and making memories, but it is also important for students to continue practicing important academic skills. Just 15–20 minutes of reading each day can make a huge difference in helping students maintain the progress they made throughout the school year. Families can also support learning by visiting the library, practicing math facts, writing in a journal, playing educational games, cooking together, or encouraging children to explore new interests and experiences. Learning opportunities are everywhere during the summer months, and keeping young minds active will help students return to school confident and ready for another successful year!
During the month of May, our school-wide morning meetings focused on teaching and reteaching the five core competencies of CASEL, which stands for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. These competencies help students build the social-emotional skills necessary for success in school, relationships, and everyday life. Students learned about and practiced skills related to:
Self-Awareness – identifying emotions, recognizing personal strengths, building confidence, and understanding how feelings impact behavior.
Self-Management – using coping strategies, managing strong emotions, demonstrating self-control, problem-solving, and practicing perseverance.
Social Awareness – showing empathy, respecting differences, understanding the perspectives of others, and demonstrating kindness and inclusion.
Relationship Skills – building positive friendships, communicating respectfully, cooperating with peers, resolving conflicts peacefully, and asking for help when needed.
Responsible Decision-Making – making safe and respectful choices, thinking through consequences, demonstrating accountability, and using good judgment in school and social situations.
Throughout the month, students engaged in discussions and opportunities to practice these important skills in real-life situations. As we know, social-emotional learning is most impactful when school and home work together. Families can continue supporting these competencies at home by encouraging open conversations about feelings, modeling calm problem-solving, practicing empathy, and reinforcing positive decision-making and respectful communication.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support in helping our students grow not only academically, but also socially and emotionally. Together, we are helping children build the confidence, resilience, empathy, and emotional intelligence needed to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
We are at 94.7% average daily attendance as a school. ✅
As we head into the final stretch of the school year, our average daily attendance is still below 95% for the first time in a couple of years. While this is likely due in part to a challenging flu season, let’s work together to finish strong by making every effort to have students in school each day and bring our attendance back up. There is still time to bring our average up! EVERY DAY COUNTS!
9 students in grades 1-4 have PERFECT attendance!
Did You Know?
⭐ Missing just two days each month can add up to over three weeks of missed learning in a year.
📚 Students who attend regularly are more likely to read on grade level by third grade.
🌟 Strong attendance habits begin early and set the stage for future success.
😊 Arriving on time helps children start the day feeling confident, calm, and ready to learn.
We made it through another wonderful school year!
This is a final reminder to please pick up any medications your child may have in the nurse’s office before the end of the school year. Any medications not picked up will need to be destroyed, as medications cannot be carried over from one school year to the next.
If your child has a physical scheduled over the summer, forms may be dropped off at the school office during the last week of August before students return. They may also be sent in with your child once school begins again in September.
As the warmer weather continues, please remember to send your child to school with a water bottle each day. Classrooms can become quite warm by the afternoon, and staying hydrated helps everyone feel their best.
Many of you may have already heard that I will be leaving Phelps at the end of this school year to move to another school within the district. It has truly been a pleasure caring for and working with your children over the past few years. I am grateful for the support and kindness from families and staff, and I wish all of your children continued success as they learn, grow, and thrive.
I hope everyone has a fun, safe, healthy, and relaxing summer!
We’re excited to announce new grade-level and content-specific websites designed to enhance the connection between school and home! These online resources will provide students and families with helpful tools, activities, and important updates to support learning both in and outside of the classroom. Be sure to check out your child’s grade-level page to explore all the great resources we’ve made available to help foster a fun and engaging learning experience at home. Stay tuned for more updates!
To find your website - head over to https://www.agawamed.org/o/bjp and click on MENU. All of our new sites are published here!
Our new sites are a work in progress and will continue to be updated throughout the year.
Benjamin Phelps Elementary School
Email: avillamaino@agawamed.org
Website: https://www.agawamed.org/o/bjp
Location: 689 Main Street, Agawam, MA 01001 USA
Phone: (413) 821-0586