OPR Weekly Update
January 11, 2024
Dear OPR Families,
Each week, our fifth grade students work with our DLC, Mrs. Milnamow, to create the OPR Video News. The broadcast is shared with all classrooms and watched at 8:30 AM on Fridays (Thursday this week). Last week, all students in grades K through 5 learned about the Statue of Liberty which tied into our new painting in the cafeteria. This week, all classrooms learned about Brazil, a country representing several of our families' cultures. As a further connection to the OPR families, we hang flags representing our students' family cultures in the cafeteria. Students enjoy looking for their flags and their friends flags as we rotate countries being displayed as students move to middle school or move into OPR. See some pictures below. Throughout the year, the weekly broadcast will continue to focus on topics of interest and relevance to our community so we may all learn together. The link to today's OPR Video News is below.
Reminder: There is no school on Friday, January 12th or Monday, January 15th.
Click here to watch today's OPR Video News.
Enjoy the long weekend!
David N. Barner, Principal
Email: dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
Instagram: OLDPOSTROADSCHOOL_WALPOLE
Twitter: @oprschool
OPR Website
JANUARY
12 No School for Students - Professional Development for WPS Staff
15 No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
22 Term 1 Grading Ends
23 OPR Winter After School Enrichment Program Registration Opens at 9:00 AM
25 PAC sponsored STEM Night for Grade 2 Students and Parents in the Cafeteria from 6-7:30 PM. This experience is free for families. See Sign Up Below.
FEBRUARY
1 PAC sponsored STEM Night for Grade 3 Students and Parents in the Cafeteria from 6-7:30 PM. This experience is free for families. Sign Up Below.
5 OPR Kindness Week
5 OPR Winter After School Program begins this Week
7 PAC Meeting, STEM Lab at 7:00 PM
9 Early Release: Dismissal is at 11:55 (beginning at 11:49)
9 PAC sponsored Stay on the Half Day
9 Term One Reports Cards Viewable in the Aspen Family Portal
9 Student Council Spirit Day: OPR/Walpole Day Again! (Wear Walpole or OPR clothing or colors to show your spirit.)
12 OPR Kindness Week!
16 Student Council Spirit Day: Color Day! Each grade wears the col,or assigned to them: Kindergarten - Red, Grade 1 - Blue, Grade 2 - Green, Grade 3 - Orange, Grade 4 - Yellow, Grade 5 - Purple
19-23 No School - February Vacation
29 PAC sponsored STEM Night for Grade 4 and Grade 5 Students and Parents in the Cafeteria from 6-7:30 PM. This experience is free for families. Sign Up Coming Soon.
Arrival: 8:15-8:25 AM
Tardy Bell is at 8:25 AM. (Students must be signed in at the office by an adult if tardy.)
Early Release Dismissal: 11:55 (Dismissal begins at 11:49)
Dismissal: 2:55 PM (Dismissal begins at 2:49)
If your child is going to be absent or tardy, please call the OPR office before school (508-660-7219) and press 1 for the absence line. The automated attendance verification system is in use. Those students marked absent and who have not called in will receive an automated phone call.
Extended Day February Break Camp Information
Where: Boyden Elementary School
When: February 20-22, 2024 (Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursday)
Cost: $80/day (10% discount for educators or siblings)
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/TujRsqvz3vsMHzw39
Art with Ms. Kroll
Grade K: Kindergarten artists are working on tissue paper collages that will be transformed into winter trees as part of a mixed media landscape masterpiece. We have been watching winter-themed read aloud videos such as Snowy Day and Snowmen at Night to accompany our lesson and act as a source of inspiration.
Grade 1: Students are creating a series of winter-themed masterpieces that feature a variety of mediums such as colored pencils and tempera paint. We have been watching winter-themed read aloud videos such as Blizzard and The Mitten to accompany our lessons and act as a source of inspiration.
Grade 2: Students have been practicing snowflake making with scissors and white paper. Each second grade artist will choose their favorite snowflake to be part of a tissue paper collage in cool colors. This project is inspired by Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley who was the first person to successfully photograph snowflakes using photomicrography.
Grade 3: Students have begun studying the Element of Art: Value and reviewed what a tint, tone, and shade is. Each artist will practice making value scales in tints and shades using tempera paint. Our final project will be a winter scene with a halo-effect moonlit sky. Students will have the option to create mountains or snowy hills for their foregrounds and middle grounds.
Grade 4: Students are in the process of sketching out ideas for their Snow Globe cityscapes. Each artist will create a realistic, futuristic, or imaginative city with Sharpie and watercolor. The artworks will depict overlapping buildings with foreground and background so as to create a sense of space.
Grade 5: Students have finally finished their Shattered Value Shoe masterpieces and are now working on winter landscapes inspired by our featured artist, Jen Aranyi. These artworks feature Arctic mountain scenes created with Sharpie against a watercolor Northern Lights-inspired sky.
Reading with Mrs. Driscoll & Mrs. Segal
Our winning book for the 2023 Snowbowl Book Tournament was “Maddi’s Fridge” by Lois Brandt. This is a heartwarming book that raises awareness about poverty and hunger. It addresses the power of friendship and the importance of empathy, trust and helping others. Classes had fun hearing different books each week and voting on their class favorites. We look forward to March when we begin our March Madness Book Tournament. These book tournaments have been a great way for all students across the school to hear common books and share in discussions about characters and themes.
Don’t forget that the Walpole Public Library is a great place to explore and find great books for free! https://www.walpolelibrary.org/
If your child is having trouble choosing a new book to read for pleasure below are some great suggestions.
Great series for grades K-2
Great series for grades 2-5
News from the Nurse
If your student can not participate fully in physical activity (P.E. class is a required part of the curriculum) during the school day, please submit a Doctor’s letter to the Health Office with their physical activity restrictions. As we understand that your student may not feel 100% on some days, we need to ensure your child is safe at school and under medical care. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
As always, please contact your pediatrician with any medical concerns.
Request an absence excusal letter from your provider when your child has been under their care. We understand that absences related to medical needs are unavoidable and with these medical letters, their absences will be excused.
Please have your Emergency Contacts up to date in case your child becomes ill at school! Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!
Bonnie Kowalsky, M.ed. BSN RN
OPR School Nurse
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
phone: 508-660-7219 ext 5804
fax: 866.809.6567
Here is a link to the WPS Health Services website. On this site you can find links to forms (i.e. medication administration, over the counter medication consent forms), medication policies, and information regarding illnesses, concussions and injuries.
PAC NEWS
Please join us for the OPR PAC Meeting on Wednesday, February 7th at 7:00 PM in the OPR STEM LAB or virtually via ZOOM: https://zoom.us/j/96242172132
The PAC meeting agenda is attached.
Who loves OPR? We do! Sign up here to volunteer to coordinate one of our great events or fundraisers this year. PAC Coordinator Sign up:
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/9040e49a4aa2ba2fb6-oprpac1
mabel's labels
https://mabelslabels.com/en_US/fundraising/support/
Starting to lose those water bottles? Put a label on it! Please navigate to Support a Fundraiser and select Old Post Road Parent Advisory Committee.
Box Tops
Download the App for BoxTops for Education and scan receipt within 14 days of purchase. Assign Credit by selecting the Star and entering the Teacher’s Last name before you hit submit.
PAC Socal Media / Contact Info.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPR.PAC
please add: Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/oprpacwalpole
Email with questions: oprpacwalpole@gmail.com
OPR Textile Bin Donations
Massachusetts no longer allows clothing to be disposed of in the trash. Clothing must be donated or recycled. RECYCLE your clothing and textiles in the OPR Collection Bin and OPR receives money.
The collections resulted in the following:
2022 Calendar Year Total - $907.50
January 2023 - $102.00
February 2023 - $83.25
March 2023 - $95.50
April 2023 - $93.00
May 2023 - $88.20
June 2023 - $126.90
July 2023 - $100.20
August 2023 - $92.40
September 2023 - $118.80
October 2023 - $90.60
November 2023 - $113.70
December 2023 - $81.30
2023 Calendar Year Total - $1210.60
Arbor Day Poster Contest!
The Town Forest Committee along with Walpole Cultural Council is excited to enhance students' experience of connecting Art and Science. The DCR theme this year is "Healthy Trees, Healthy Towns" this statewide contest is open to all third, fourth and fifth graders. Please see attached for guidelines/ rules of this contest.
Per DCR rules only one entry can be chosen per grade level from each elementary school. Please submit any OPR student entries to Ms. Kroll, OPR Art Teacher, by February 27th. The link to this contest can be found here.
Private Lessons through the WPS Music Department
The Walpole Public Schools Music Department is pleased to announce the spring session for our Private Lesson Program for students in grades 4 - 12. If your child is interested in taking private instrument or voice lessons, here is your chance. Lessons are offered in flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, piano, percussion, violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice. All lessons are taught by accomplished performers on their respective instruments. Some lessons are currently being taught virtually.
Session 2 will run February 5 to June 14. Registration is open Friday, January 12th through Monday, January 29th.
For more information, visit:
https://sites.google.com/walpole.k12.ma.us/wpsmusic/private-lesson-program/overview
To register, visit:
https://students.arbitersports.com/walpole-public-schools/private-music-lessons-2023-2024-session-ii
For questions, email:
Tim Fleming (K-12 Music Coordinator) at tfleming@walpole.k12.ma.us
Multilingual Learner PAC (MLPAC) Meeting
Walpole Public Schools invites parents and guardians of multilingual learners to attend MLPAC to discuss opportunities for the educational success of students who are currently or were formerly in an English Language Education (ELE) program. It is also a time to network with other parents and guardians as we continue to build collaborative partnerships.
MEETING INFORMATION
DATE: Wednesday, January 17, 2024
PLACE: Walpole High School Media Center
TIME: 6:00 - 7:00 P.M.
AGENDA
Announcements
Speaker: Mr. Tom Reeve, Director of Digital Learning & Technology
Learn about available district technology to collaborate with your student’s school
Bring your technology questions!
Discussion: How to run a PAC
Questions / Suggestions
Please contact the Multilingual Learner Family Engagement Center at mlfec@walpole.k12.ma.us or at (508) 660-7257 ext. 5033 for further information or to request an interpreter or child care for the event.
WPS Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) MEETING
Please note the following contact information for Walpole’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Co-Chairs are Sue Pace and Deborah Mulroy. The SEPAC can be reached by email at walpolesepac@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/walpolespedpac. Notices of future events can be found in this Weekly Update as they are scheduled.
About Us
OPR Mission Statement
The Old Post Road School community educates all students to excel and become productive citizens.
OPR Vision
OPR students will be motivated to learn in a supportive and safe environment. The faculty will foster self-confidence in the students and encourage them to make positive choices. Students will learn to accept responsibility for their behavior and will mature into responsible citizens and lifelong learners. All students will appreciate that they are part of a diverse, global society.
Instagram: OLDPOSTROADSCHOOL_WALPOLE
Twitter: @oprschool
Email: dbarner@walpole.k12.ma.us
99 Old Post Road
East Walpole, MA 02032
508-660-7219
