Notes from Eddy

Hello Eddy Families,

I hope you enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend! Finally, a great day for spring cleanup at our house! As you can see from the photo, the new haircut has occurred because we made our $20,000 fundraising goal with the Boosterthon for the Brewster PTO. I might just keep it!

This past week we kicked off MCAS season with third grade ELA on Tuesday and Wednesday, and fourth grade ELA on Thursday and Friday. Fifth grade ELA MCAS occurs on Tuesday and Wednesday this coming week, and any student who missed one or both MCAS sessions will make their MCAS up on Thursday or Friday this week. If your student missed a session and you know they will miss school on Thursday or Friday, please let Mr. Guditus know so accommodations can be made before the week ends and the MCAS window closes.

I have a quick technology ask of parents and caregivers: if your student has a device with a messaging app on it, please take moment to review messages to ensure content is appropriate and kind. We have had some reports from students about unkind and inappropriate messages on private student devices outside of school hours, so please take a moment to review these messages. Remember, these devices belong to grown-ups, so it is absolutely appropriate for you to review the content of messages if you choose to provide a device to your student. A reminder that students who have a smartphone or smartwatch should turn off the watch or phone, and stow it away in their backpack. Students should not be using these devices during the school day, including to contact families; students can call from the main office if they need to be in contact with a parent or caregiver.

Don't forget that this week our school spring concert with all third, fourth, and fifth graders is on Thursday at 9:00am in the gym. School Committee meets this Thursday @ 6:30pm (Zoom login is at the end of this newsletter).

Here's to a great week of learning at Eddy Elementary School!

Best,

Steve Guditus

Eddy Elementary Principal and Lead Learner

We have had some instances of cars during morning dropoff and afternoon pickup driving past school buses while students are disembarking or loading the bus. Thank you for your assistance stopping for school buses while the red flashing lights are on and the stop sign is out, as this is both state law to stop, and keeps all our students and staff safe. If you have any questions, please let Mr. Guditus know!

Mrs. Faris and Mr. Glancy are pleased to announce our spring concert this week! We hope you can join us on Thursday morning this week!

• Eddy grades 3, 4 and 5 Spring Concert
• April 16th at 9:00am in the Eddy Gymnasium
• All are welcome!

Please Join Us!

We are looking for parents, caregivers, and students to march in the parade with us! Specifically, we are looking for:

• Two adults who would like to hold the "Brewster Elementary Schools" banner in front of the Eddy Elementary Marching Band;
• Anyone else who would like to join the fun on Sunday afternoon, May 3. All are welcome! You are encouraged to wear something sparkly or beachy (beach is the theme). The walk is about a mile and a half.
• Donations of candy to throw throughout the parade.

If you are able to join us (or think you might be able to join us), please RSVP here!

Eddy World Girls are looking to make donations to a school in Western Massachusetts in need of supplies. If you have any of these items that you are able to donate, please drop them off in the lobby or main office:

• Construction paper / paper
• Markers
• Sharpies (thick or thin)
• Pipe cleaners
• String
• Glue sticks
• Craft sticks
• Regular pencils
• Colored pencils
• Dry erase markers
• Folders
• Notebooks
• NO Glitter please!!

Brewster Home for Sale:

Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) is now accepting applications for an affordable home for sale in Brewster. The 3-bedroom, 2-bath affordable home at 26 Sean Circle has an affordable deed restriction and is for sale at $303,300. Applications, available online or at Brewster Town Hall, are due by April 24, 2026 at 5pm. For more information on income eligibility, pricing, and the application process, go to: 26 Sean Circle, Brewster - Housing Assistance or contact HAC at 508-771-5400 or lotteries@haconcapecod.org. The Brewster Affordable Housing Trust has allocated Community Preservation Act Housing Buydown funds of $84,300 to retain this home’s affordability.

Regional Rental Opportunity:

The Cape Cod Ready Renter Program is also accepting applications through May 29, 2026. The program income limit is 80% of Area Median Income. Applications are available here: Ready Renter Application or at Brewster Town Hall and from the Town of Yarmouth, Mary Waygan, at 508-398-2231 X1275 mwaygan@yarmoth.ma.us.

For questions and information about Brewster affordable housing, contact housingoffice@brewster-ma.gov or call Jill Scalise, Housing Coordinator, at 508-896-3701 X 1169 or Jenny Shaw, Housing Program Assistant, X 1172.

Congratulations to our three Eddy R.E.A.D.Y. award winners this past week! We missed the week before, so pulled two students in each grade this past Friday. Congratulations to Lizzy, Ben, and Sylvie for demonstrating our school's core values of Respect, Empathy, Accountability, Determination, and Your Best! We are proud of all our students who earned green cards this past week!

From Dr. Brand, Superintendent of Schools:

Current School Year Calendar Update:

Based on the weather events of 2026, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and

Secondary Education (DESE) has indicated it will consider waivers to the 180-day school year

requirement if districts can demonstrate that they have met several criteria, including:

• The district has used all five allotted snow days;
• The district will still meet the required instructional hours for the school year;
• The school calendar has been scheduled through Friday, June 26, 2026, with snow days rescheduled as full school days; and

• Any remaining districtwide professional development days or school closure days (such as Good Friday), outside of April vacation and required holidays, have been repurposed for instructional days.

The district will be exploring the option of requesting a waiver from DESE. At this time, however,

the last scheduled day of school is Monday, June 29. As soon as we have a more specific update, we will be sure to share that information with the School Committee and the community.

Eddy Elementary MCAS dates for this spring (April and May) can be found here: 2026 MCAS Dates. All students take two ELA sessions and two math sessions, and fifth graders also take two STE (science, technology, and engineering) sessions. Sessions are untimed and students have until the end of the day to complete the MCAS session if needed. Students who miss a session of MCAS will make it up on the designated makeup days. Typically, most students finish in about a 2.5 hour time span, during which we break for a stretch break, bathroom break, and snack.

MCAS gives our teachers and school one additional way to understand how students are developing important academic skills. They are just one part of the many ways we learn about student progress, alongside classroom work, projects, and teacher observations. Our goal is for testing to feel like a typical day of school, where students are encouraged to take their time, think carefully, and show what they know. Families can help by keeping routines consistent during testing days, ensuring children get a good night’s sleep, eat breakfast, and arrive at school feeling calm and ready for the day. As always, our focus is on supporting every student's growth and love of learning.

See below. If you know any Brewster resident whose child will be 5 by August 31, 2026, please pass this flyer along to them and let them know they can register their child for Kindergarten using the directions below. Families may call Stony Brook at 508-896-4545 x0 with any questions about Kindergarten registration. Thank you for your help!

• Tuesday-Wednesday, April 14-15: Grade 5 MCAS
• Thursday-Friday, April 16-17: ELA MCAS Makeups
• Thursday, April 16: Grades 3, 4, and 5 Spring Concert @ 9am
• Thursday, April 16: Brewster School Committee at 6:30pm at Brewster Town Hall or on Zoom
• Webinar ID: 840 7193 5667
• Passcode: 938505
• Monday-Friday, April 20-24: Spring Break - no school
• Wednesday, May 6: Walk, Roll, and Ride to School Day @ 7:15am
• Sunday, May 3: Brewster In Bloom Parade: please join us in the parade!
• Saturday, May 16: BikeFest @ Sea Camps Property