MHS/WES NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

As we head into the holiday season, we want to wish all our families a joyous and peaceful time together. We hope you are able to truly enjoy this special season with your children—cherishing the laughter, traditions, and moments that make these days so meaningful. Time goes by far too quickly, and we’re grateful to share in a small part of your child’s journey.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

Kathy and Mike

• December 19: Friday ~ MHS Kindergarten Sing-a-Long!
• December 24: Wednesday - January 2: Friday ~ December and New Year's Break
• January 5: School resumes!!!

The kids at MHS are having a blast looking for the Elf on the Shelf! Each morning he hides in a different location. Who knows where he'll turn up next!

ILLNESS/ABSENCES: As with every Winter, we have seen an increase in illness in our schools. Please be sure to review the district’s illness guidance, and reach out to your school nurse with any questions. Please contact the main office in the morning if your child is to be absent and inform them why your child will not be attending.

As a reminder, if your child has a fever they must be fever free for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medication before returning to school. The same 24 hour rule applies to those who have vomited or have diarrhea, they must be free of those symptoms for at least 24 hours prior to returning to school.

Physical Exams: Please continue to send in your student’s physical exam documentation from their medical provider. AWRSD requires that all kindergarten and third grade students have a current physical exam on file in the nursing office.

Health Screenings: The state of Massachusetts requires health screenings to be completed by the end of the school year. Vision screenings are done on all students in grades K-5; stereopsis is an additional vision screening done with students in grades K-3. Hearing screenings are done on students in grades K-3. Notices of any failures are sent to the parent by the school nurse for follow-up. Results of the follow up will be returned to the school nurse.

Height and weight screenings are completed in 1st grade and 4th grade.

All 5th grade students are checked for scoliosis, unless notification from the parent/guardian has been received by the school nurse to opt out. Parents/guardians are notified if additional evaluation is needed by the student’s primary care physician.

If you prefer for your student to not participate in screenings, and have not already notified the school nurse, please do so by sending an email, or written note with your request to opt out.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at ashea@awrsd.org or 978-874-2043 x 3.

In fourth grade, we’re launching into our second Wit & Wisdom module with “All Summer in a Day,” a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury, to explore how settings, especially extreme settings, may affect characters. Students will examine techniques writers use to engage readers in their stories and poems, develop and practice their own narrative writing skills, and toward the end of the module, write their own narratives.

In our math studies, we are using a variety of tools to explore fractions and decimals. Students will investigate equivalent fractions, compare fractions and decimals, compose and decompose fractions and mixed numbers.

As we finish our science unit about animal and plant adaptations, students will complete a final project that demonstrates understanding of the different internal and external structures of organisms and how they work together as a system to help them survive.

We are in the midst of unit 3, working on place values and decimals. We will pick back up when we return from vacation. In ELA, we are wrapping up our first module! Students will be working on a four paragraph compare and contrast essay before heading off to vacation and finishing up our novel Thunder Rolling in the Mountains.

Nature’s Classroom will be here before we know it! Payments have begun. We are trying to get a general idea of how many students will be joining us– if your child is not attending, please reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher to let them know your student won’t be attending. Chaperones will be notified in January, be on the lookout for an email if you signed up to chaperone.

We hope all families have a safe and relaxing winter break. We can’t wait to see you in January!

Dear Westminster Families,

I am excited to share an update on the engaging and innovative learning happening in our Technology and Engineering classes! Across all grade levels, students are building problem-solving skills, creativity, and digital literacy through hands-on projects that connect technology, engineering, and core academic standards.

🎄 If you would like to donate items to the Technology/Engineering classrooms, you may purchase and ship them directly through my Amazon¨Wish List”. 🎄

Here’s a look at what each grade level is working on:

Grade 5 – Instrument Invention 🎵

Fifth graders are diving into an exciting Instrument Invention project that blends engineering, creativity, and computer science. Students are:

• Designing and building their own musical instruments

• Creating a blueprint and materials list

• Constructing a working instrument using conductive tape

• Coding an animation in Scratch

• Using Makey Makey to connect their instrument and make it play sounds

This project encourages design thinking, iteration, and an understanding of how physical objects and code can work together.

Grade 4 – Massachusetts Rocks & Minerals 🪨

Fourth graders are exploring Earth science through technology by:

• Identifying basic properties of rocks and minerals found in Massachusetts

• Learning about the three rock families

• Developing skills in safe and effective online research

• Synthesizing information into a one-page digital infographic

Students are learning how to research, organize information, and present their learning visually and clearly.

Grade 3 – Introduction to Coding 💻

Third graders are building foundational computer science knowledge by exploring:

• What language computers speak

• How humans communicate with computers

• What coding is and how it works

• Different types of coding languages

• The difference between front-end and back-end development

Students program using basic coding concepts such as loops, events, and if-then statements. Through a digital choice board, they engage with various online courses that emphasize coding skills, problem-solving strategies, and persistence when tasks become challenging.

Grade 2 – Digital Storytelling 📖

Second graders are developing early digital publishing skills by creating their own stories using online software. The focus is on:

• Understanding sequence of events

• Creating a story that follows ELA guidelines

• Using multimedia tools to enhance written work

Students are learning how to:

• Create drawings and insert pictures

• Insert, edit, and format text

• Add backgrounds to slides

• Navigate, access, add, and rearrange slides

This unit helps students combine creativity with technical skills to produce effective digital stories.

Grade 1 – Bee-Bots & Early Coding 🐝

First graders are learning foundational STEM concepts through Bee-Bots, a hands-on robotics tool. Through guided play, students practice:

• Sequencing and algorithms

• Problem-solving and debugging (finding and fixing errors)

• Logical reasoning and precise instructions

• Directional vocabulary (forward, backward, turn)

• Collaboration and teamwork

Using different mats, students also reinforce:

• Math: number recognition, counting, basic addition and subtraction, number lines, telling time, and understanding value

• Literacy: sight words, phonics, letter identification, and story sequencing

Kindergarten – Digital Literacy Foundations 🌟

Our youngest learners are building strong digital habits by developing:

• Understanding of login procedures (username and password awareness)

• Responsible and safe technology use

• Navigation of Chrome OS and browsers

• Familiarity with essential tools, including accessibility features and Google apps

• Skills for saving and managing work in different online applications.

Kindergarteners are also learning to use Wixie and Seesaw to create, share, and reflect on their learning in developmentally appropriate ways.

It has been wonderful to see students across all grade levels growing in confidence, creativity, and curiosity as they explore technology and engineering. Thank you for your continued support in fostering these skills at home and school.

Car Riders - Thank You for Keeping Drop-Off Safe!

We appreciate all our families who drive their children to school each day! With so many cars coming and going, working together makes mornings safer and smoother for everyone.

Here are a few helpful reminders to keep our car line moving safely:

• Pull forward as far as you can so more cars can fit in the line
• Stay in the lane and avoid passing other vehicles
• Have your child ready to hop out quickly on the sidewalk side (not on the traffic side)
• Wait until your car is completely stopped before opening doors
• Please stay in your vehicle while in the drop-off zone
• Put phones away so you can stay alert and follow our staff's directions

We know mornings can be hectic, and we're so grateful for your patience! When we all follow these simple steps, drop-off goes quickly and safely for everyone. Our staff is here to help keep things moving smoothly.

Thank you for being such an important part of our school community and for helping us keep all our students safe!

Please reach out with any questions you may have. We are happy to help!

• MHS - Kathi McCarthy 978-874-0163 ext. 0
• WES - Liz Maillet 978-874-2043 ext. 0

ARRIVAL

8:20 - 8:30 AM

DISMISSAL

2:55 PM

HALF DAYS - DISMISSAL

12:00 PM

AM Session 8:45-11:10 AM

PM Session 12:00-2:30 PM

Full Day Session 8:45-2:30 PM (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)

We're looking for dedicated RNs to join our substitute nursing team. Whether you can offer a full day or just a few hours, your expertise makes a meaningful difference in our students' health and well-being. https://www.schoolspring.com/jobdetail?jobId=5442668