Happy Thanksgiving!

As we approach this special time of year, we would like to extend our heartfelt wishes to each of you for a warm and joyous Thanksgiving. We are truly grateful for the vibrant and supportive community that makes Lowell School such a wonderful place for our students to learn and grow.

This Thanksgiving, may your homes be filled with laughter, your tables with delicious food, and your hearts with gratitude for the many blessings we share. We hope that you find time to relax and create lasting memories with family and friends.

The partnership between our school and your family is something we cherish deeply. Your ongoing support and involvement enrich the educational experiences of all our students. Thank you for being such an integral part of our community.

We look forward to welcoming your children back after the holiday, rejuvenated and ready for the remainder of the academic year. Until then, please have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.

With gratitude!

Principal Phelan

Assistant Principal Rufo

Greetings WPS Community,

Now that we are settled into shorter days and colder weather, I would like to take a moment to

talk about respiratory illnesses and our wellbeing and that of our students.

The State Department of Public Health has noted a significant rise in the two following

respiratory illnesses in school age and adolescent students this Fall in Massachusetts:

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, and Mycoplasma community acquired pneumonia.

Both illnesses are treated with antibiotics. Please read the following important information

regarding these illnesses and our schools.

Pertussis, or whooping cough, can start with a mild cough but progresses to periods of

persistent cough with a “whooping” sound. The cough is often worse at night, and fever may be

absent. Whooping cough is a vaccine preventable illness, and students and all family members

should be sure they are up to date on their DTap or Tdap vaccines. In order to limit the spread

of illness, students with whooping cough should remain home from school and other

public activities for the 5 day duration of antibiotic treatment regardless of symptoms.

Because the School District along with the State closely monitors incidents of Pertussis,

families should inform their school nurse if their child is diagnosed with Pertussis.

Symptoms of pneumonia can include cough, fever, and fatigue, though symptoms may be mild

and all symptoms are not always present. There is no vaccine for community acquired

pneumonia, or CAP, and students with CAP should remain home from school and other

public activities while they are symptomatic. Families should inform their school nurse if

their child is diagnosed with CAP.

Hand and respiratory hygiene are important in preventing the spread of both illnesses! Students

should be reminded to wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol based

hand sanitizer, cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing, and stay home from school and

promptly visit a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment if they have the above

symptoms.

You can find more information here:

CDC: Clinical overview of Pertussis

https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html

CDC: Clinical overview of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infections

https://www.cdc.gov/mycoplasma/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html

Cheers to a Happy and Healthy Season,

Jennifer Thermenos

Nurse Coordinator

Watertown Public Schools

Today we held a school wide dance party! We will "Wobble Wobble Gobble Gobble Our Way to Thanksgiving Break" as a Lowell Community.

Lenny the Leopard visited Mrs. Corcoran and Ms. Cachimuel's 4th grade class! He had a great time playing games with students at indoor recess, visiting our buddy classroom for a publishing party, learning how to write theme paragraphs, finding factors and multiples, studying regions of the United States, and writing poetry!

Lowell Winter 2025 Courses For Kids -

Registration Deadline is 10:00 AM on Tuesday, December 3rd

Registration is open and will run until 10:00 AM on Monday, September 16th. Please use the catalog link below to view an electronic version of flier. Paper fliers will be distributed to students beginning next week.

Courses for the fall session include:

Thursdays 2:30-3:30 PM

8 Thursdays: 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27, 3/6 (no class on 2/20)

• Artemis Yoga (grades K-2)

• Little Veterinarian’s School - Dogs (grades K-5)

• Chess Wizards (grades 1-5)

• Minecraft Coding and Design Studio (grades 2-5)

• Crochet a Snowman - Amigurumi Style! (grades 2-5)

Fridays 2:30-3:30 PM

8 Fridays: 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/28, 3/14 (no class on 2/21 or 3/7)

• Minecraft Explorer’s Club (grades K-1)

• Lego Challenges (grades K-2)

• Buildwave | A Hands-On Building Game (grades K-5)

• Karate (grades 1-5)

• Acting Out! (grades 2-5)

Use the links below to see the full course catalog and to register online. Please note that there is a max capacity for each course and registration does not guarantee confirmed enrollment. Registration is open until Sunday, February 25th. A lottery will be held for spaces in any course that exceeds its maximum capacity prior to the deadline. Please view the catalog link below for more information.

Lowell CFK Winter 2025 Catalog

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19lUGInBt-wFJeb96pJeuFBxSJTX8GWZW/view?usp=sharing

Lowell CFK Winter 2025 Online Registration Form

https://forms.gle/4FRB9c56zvKwgMUF9

J.R. Lowell Elementary School

123 Lowell Ave.

Watertown, Ma 02472

Phone: 1-617-926-7770

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JRLowellElementary

Website: https://watertownjrlowell.ss19.sharpschool.com/

Principal: Stacy Phelan

stacy.phelan@watertown.k12.ma.us

Assistant Principal: Tara Rufo

tara.rufo@watertown.k12.ma.us

Administrative Assistant: Kara Flynn

kara.flynn@watertown.k12.ma.us

Receptionist: Jim Swift

james.swift@watertown.k12.ma.us

Nurse: Kristen Thibodeau

kristen.thibodeau@watertown.k12.ma.us

Guidance Pre-K - 2: Melina Jacovides

melina.jacovides@watertown.k12.ma.us

Guidance 3-5: Brian Connors

brian.connors@watertown.k12.ma.us

School Psychologist: Kelley Starrett

kelley.cochrane@watertown.k12.ma.us

Special Education Team Chair: Greg Roberts

gregory.roberts@watertown.k12.ma.us

LEDP Site Coordinator: Adam Vachon

adam.vachon@watertown.k12.ma.us

stacy phelan

stacy is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters

Lowell Elementary School Principal