Winthrop Wednesday Weekly

Trunk-or-Treat was a great success and a lot of fun! Thanks, as always, to FRIES for bringing the joy! FRIES has one more treat in store- Spooky Movie Night is this Friday. You can find information below!

Also happening this Friday is The Great Pumpkin Smash! All students are encouraged to dress in colors of the season- red, orange, yellow, green, brown- or to dress like a pumpkin to help celebrate 🧡

BIG THANKS to everyone who attended the Town Hall Meeting and voted to reallocate $240,000 to Winthrop School. These funds were originally designated for a modular classroom that ultimately could not be added. Instead, we will be able to update our heating system, replace the rooftop exhaust, install three new doors, and replace some older windows. We are grateful for the community’s support in redirecting funds to benefit our school!

Fall ACE programs are underway this week and run through November 20th. Please don't forget to update School Dismissal Manager on your child's ACE days.

Look for school pictures in your child's backpack today!

If your family missed picture day, or if you don't love the photo,

RETAKE DAY is Tuesday, November 3rd.

This week we're taking measurements and making estimates

as we get ready for the Great Pumpkin Smash!

Saturday, December 12th, 2025 | 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Get ready for a day full of holiday magic and cheer! Join us at the Ipswich Town Wharf to welcome Santa as he makes his grand entrance. Sing along to festive carols with Buddy the Elf while we wait for the big moment! You can even buy your own jingle bells to ring as we follow Santa and Buddy on a merry “Jingle Bell Walk” to Ipswich Town Hall (45 Green Street). Keep your eyes peeled for a sneaky appearance from the Grinch!

At Town Hall, Santa will greet children aged 11 and under, all while a live string quartet sets the holiday mood. Parents, don’t forget to bring your cameras to capture those special moments! After their visit with Santa, kids can enjoy face painting, fun games, and holiday crafts. The Rotary Club will also be serving up pizza, hot cocoa, and more in the COA cafeteria.

Tickets will be available for purchase to access tasty treats, face painting, and crafts, but there will also be free games to enjoy! Plus, don’t miss the chance to win amazing prizes in our raffles, including Christmas trees, a brand-new iPad with an Apple Pencil, and gift baskets from local businesses.

We encourage everyone to bring an unwrapped toy or gift suitable for a child to support the Wellspring Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund. Proceeds from this event will support local charities and Ipswich Interact Club projects.

Ipswich Interact club, a high school leadership group inspired by the Rotary, with the motto “Service Above Self,” organizes this event to bring the community together and connect high schoolers with younger kids. It’s a day of fun, giving back, and holiday spirit for the whole family!

Our Health Teacher, Emma Ruel, has been talking with students about healthy habits 🙂

Mr. Falconieri's 5th Grade Workout program EVERY THURSDAY!

No need to register.

This is a drop-in program exclusively for 5th Graders!

Thursday Mornings

Drop off any time between 8:00-8:15

(Doors close at 8:15)

Children will be dismissed from the gym to their classes at 8:35 a.m.

The next FRIES meeting is Wednesday, November 11th.

This is Veterans' Day, so the meeting will be virtual.

Keep an eye out for an official meeting invitation with link!

Our Lost and Found is overflowing with items! If your child has misplaced a sweatshirt, water bottle, lunchbox, or any other belongings, it may be worth taking a look. Families are welcome to stop by the school office and check out the Lost and Found at any time that is convenient. You might just find a missing treasure or two!

We maintain a safe and supportive school environment at Winthrop School. Each school year, staff receive training in our emergency procedures in collaboration with our School Resource Officer, Detective Joe Perna. Our procedures now incorporate the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), developed by The “I Love U Guys” Foundation, which provides shared language and clear actions for responding to a variety of situations.

Student safety presentations are conducted annually and are tailored to our students’ developmental ages. Detective Perna will visit classrooms this week and next to review these procedures with students.

The Standard Response Protocol includes five actions:

1. Hold — In Your Room or Area. Clear the Halls.
   Students and staff remain in their classrooms or designated areas while hallways are kept clear. Classroom activities may continue. A Hold may be used during a medical emergency so responders can move through the building and the person receiving care has privacy.

2. Secure — Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors.
   Students and staff come inside, and exterior doors are locked because of a concern or hazard outside the school. Activities inside may continue as usual. For example, a Secure action may be used during police activity in the surrounding neighborhood.

3. Lockdown — Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.
   When there is a threat inside the school, classroom doors are locked, lights are turned off, and students and staff remain quiet and out of sight. Students follow the directions of the adults supervising them.

4. Evacuate — To the Announced Location.
   Students and staff move to a designated location, inside or outside the building, under staff direction. An evacuation may be needed during a fire or another situation requiring people to leave an area.

5. Shelter — State the Hazard and Safety Strategy.
   Students and staff follow directions appropriate to a specific hazard, such as severe weather. The announcement identifies the hazard and the protective action to take, which may include moving to a designated shelter area.

You can find a 5 Minute Video about SRP by clicking on the image above.

Regular practice helps students and staff become familiar with these procedures. Students have already completed one fire drill and one real evacuation due to smoke today. Later this month, we will conduct an emergency drill using student-friendly language and age-appropriate procedures. Our goal is to help students feel prepared, supported, and confident in following directions from trusted adults.

Please reach out with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. Mr. Clark and I, alongside our school community, are here to offer help and support. Thank you for your partnership in keeping Winthrop a safe and caring place to learn.