Abbot Update
February 4, 2022
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Abbot Families,
We had another wonderful week at Abbot and I only wish that we got to finish the full week together. I hope this snow day didn't cause too much of a disruption and that you were able to find some joy in being hunkered down yet again!
Happy Lunar New Year to all those who celebrate. We enjoyed hearing from so many of our students who shared their family traditions and how they celebrate. As a school community we focus on getting to know our students in a variety of ways. One way that we do this is to invite students to share their cultural traditions, celebrations and experiences. Our goal is for all students to feel that they TRULY belong at Abbot and feel a valued member of our Abbot School family. I was lucky enough to hear Deacon (featured in photo with his permission) sharing about his Lunar New Year experience - one of the many perks of my job! Thank you, Deacon!
Please see below for important updates regarding volunteers needed for Colonial Day, our Yearbook Cover Contest Winners, our new Civil Rights Complaint Process and upcoming events.
Enjoy the weekend!
Sincerely,
Lori McDermott
Abbot School Principal
At Home Covid Testing Program
Testing kits for families who opted-in to the new At Home Testing Program were sent home Thursday with your students. If you signed up and did NOT receive an email confirmation, and did not receive a test, please sign up again. If you DID receive an email confirmation and did not receive a test, please let Mrs. Grassi know.
The test are provided in a sealed box of 2 kits, and will typically be sent home with your child in their backpack on Fridays.
Reminder - If you do not want the kit sent home in your child's backpack, please call the school nurse to make other arrangements for pick up.
Please test your child each Monday morning before school. If your child tests positive, please keep them home and call the school nurse.
Yearbook Cover Contest
The voting is done by the entire Abbot School staff and this year it was tougher than ever!
Congratulations to Saanvi Behere and Ritika Vangapalli who have been selected as the Abbot School 2021-2022 Yearbook Cover Contest Winners. Saanvi's entry #27 will be on the front cover and Ritika's entry #20 will be on the back cover. We will include all other cover contest entries within the pages of the yearbook.
Thank you to our PTO
And a huge thank you to Ms. Thompson for donating a microwave to our Teachers' Room. We were down to one microwave for several teachers so this is an enormous help!
Valentine's Day Celebrations
I know many classrooms are planning for classroom celebrations on Valentine's Day and we are grateful to be able to celebrate all together in school this year. We are looking forward to another opportunity to have volunteers in the building to support our classroom celebrations. Please remember that food of any kind is not allowed at this time and should not be included as part of the valentine exchange.
Thank you for understanding and for finding creative ways to celebrate with our students!
Civil Rights Complaint Reporting Process
WPS has created a new reporting system for complaints to be filed for any discrimination that has occurred within the school community. QR codes and hard copies will be available at the Abbot School office and can be found on our website under the For Parent Tab.
THIS WEEK
SOUPer Bowl Food Drive
School Advisory Council
Colonial Day
ATTENTION ABBOT SCHOOL PARENTS - HELP NEEDED!
Grade 5 Colonial Day has been rescheduled to Friday, February 11. This is a beloved annual program for our 5th graders and we are thrilled to be able to make it happen this year. However, we are still in need of a few volunteers and would like to extend this opportunity to any Abbot School parent who is interested, even those who do not currently have a student in grade 5. This would be a wonderful volunteer opportunity for any parent who is interested. Thank you for considering.
Here is the link for the SignUp Genius for Colonial Day parent Volunteers.
Show Your Spirit
- wear your favorite football jersey on Friday, February 11
- wear red/pink on Monday, February 14
REMINDERS FROM PREVIOUS UPDATES
A Message from the Cafeteria
1. Please check your student's lunch account regarding any balance owed - school lunch is free this year but that does not include desserts and extras such as an extra slice of pizza, nuggets, etc.
2. We suggest chatting with your student regarding expectations for desserts, extra entrees, etc and update and clarify with as much detail as possible any notes attached to your child's lunch account.
We want to support you with this in any way that we can, so the more we understand about your desires for your child, the more we can enforce that at school. Thank you!
WINTER WEATHER REMINDERS
Winter Weather Wear
Winter is here and it is going to be particularly cold next week. Please send your child to school in a warm jacket and appropriate winter clothing each day (long pants, jacket, hat, gloves and scarves). Winter snow boots and snow pants are required for those who would like to play in the snow during recess. We will be trying to get outside for recess as much as possible and we want to make sure the children have appropriate clothing for the weather. Sweatshirts are not sufficient for 20 minutes of outdoor play when temperatures are below freezing.
I feel your pain, I go through this with my own children - feel free to blame the principal. ;)
Snow Days and Delayed Opening Information
Dr. Chew will initiate a Blackboard Connect phone message to notify both staff and families of school closings or delays. These notifications will also be posted on the district's website. Hopefully you received the call last night. If not, please email Nina Mangan at nmangan@westfordk12.us to get this rectified.
Note: There is no Early Arrival Program or before school clubs such as Chorus, Band, Yearbook, Student Council when a delayed opening is called. The arrival process begins at 10:15 AM.
DATES TO REMEMBER
FEBRUARY
- February 1 - February 11 - SOUPer Bowl Food Drive (canned goods for WFP)
- February 8 - Yearbook Club (7:30 AM), Play Rehearsal - Full Cast & Crew Chiefs (2:30-4:00 PM), SAC Meeting (3:00-4:00 PM)
- February 9 - 5th Grade Band (7:30 AM)
- February 10 - 5th Grade Chorus (7:30 AM), Play Rehearsal - Principal Roles (2:30-4:00 PM), Ghosts & Goblins (3:00-3:45 PM), STEM Club (2:30-3:45 PM)
- February 11 - Super Bowl Spirit Day (wear their favorite football jersey), G5 Colonial Day
- February 14 - Valentine's Spirit Day (wear red and/or pink)
- February 15 - Play Rehearsal - Full Cast & Crew (2:30-4:00 PM)
- February 16 - 5th Grade Band (7:30 AM), PTO Meeting (4:00-5:00 PM)
- February 17 - 5th Grade Chorus (7:30 AM), Play Rehearsal - Principal Roles (2:30-4:00 PM), Ghosts & Goblins (3:00-3:45 PM)
- February 21-25 - NO SCHOOL, February Vacation
COMMUNITY NEWS
Westford Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC)
The Westford Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC) has two events planned for the month of February.
On Wednesday, February 9th at 7PM, the Westford SEPAC is holding a business meeting over Zoom to discuss, among other topics, the potential impact of some of the proposed adjustments in the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget on students with special needs. The proposed agenda is as follows:
1. SEPAC Board of Directors update.
2. Westford Public Schools budget discussion and the impact to families of students with special needs:
a. Brief budget summary
b. Discussion: Reducing 4 (of the 15) elementary Reading Interventionists
c. Discussion: Other budget items that members specifically see as impacting students with special needs
3. Upcoming SEPAC events.
4. Open Discussion as time allows (ending no later than 9PM).
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwodeqhqD0oHdDAebWrN0nLW8SAaA_BwVWW
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
On Wednesday, February 16 at 7PM, the Westford SEPAC and Westford Public Schools Office of Pupil Services is pleased to preset Dr. Ross Greene, Founding Director, Lives in the Balance. Dr. Greene is the originator of the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) model and author of books The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings.
We will provide a link to the Dr. Greene Zoom webinar session closer to the date. We encourage families to sign up for the Westford SEPAC email list via this link: http://eepurl.com/hxdwKj and/or follow us on our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/WestfordSEPAC, where we will share how attend this fantastic presentation.
Westford Summer Music Program
Westford Summer Music Program 7/11/22 through 7/15/22
Come join the fun for a week-long program where band and orchestra ensembles will rehearse daily from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Stony Brook School! During the week students will learn new music while building community and friendships. We will conclude the program with a free performance on Friday, July 15th at 11 a.m. This program is open for band and orchestra students entering grades 5 through 9 in September 2022.
Summer Band directed by Mr. Adam Shekleton
Summer Orchestra directed by Mr. Todd Hamelin
For more information and registration please visit: www.westfordk12.us/summermusic
For questions, please contact:
Julie Ottesen - jottesen@westfordk12.us
WYBSL Spring 2022 Registration
Registration for the Westford Youth Baseball and Softball League Spring 2022 Season is currently open for all divisions. Please see details below and register soon!
Registration Details:
· Registration is open through March 15, 2022 for all divisions except for U6 Tee Ball and 6U Softball which are open through April 1, 2022.
· Register on or before January 31st, 2022 to receive the "Early Bird" discount. Registration fees will increase by $30.00 effective February 1, 2022 with the exception of U6 Tee Ball and 6U Softball.
· Athletes who turn 13 years old before the end of 2022 can register to be a Youth Baseball and/or Youth Softball Umpire. WYBSL will train youth umpires in the early Spring.
· Please note: In order to be eligible for the Cal Ripken Tournament team a player must play Spring rec.
· To view a complete list of spring programs and register online please visit www.WYBSL.com/registration
Westford Academy Last Night
For those of you who may not have heard of it, Westford Academy Last Night is a graduation celebration put on for the graduating seniors at Westford Academy every year. It is run by volunteers and funded by donations.
One of the favorite parts of the night is a raffle, where many of the graduating students have a chance to win a fabulous prize. In order to make this happen, we are looking for the help of our community. If you are able to donate, any gift, large or small would be appreciated.
You can purchase a gift thru the Amazon wish list:
https://www.amazon.com/.../custom/2R06FM62WYY1T/guest-view
Or make a donation thru walastnight.org
While WA Last Night may seem like a lifetime away for those families with young kids... it is not too early to help out! We need the help from everyone in our community to help make this event a success each year for our graduating seniors.
If you are looking for more information on donating or volunteering please visit our website at walastnight.org
Thank you, Kate Greene & Katelyn Bennett
Westford Youth Soccer Association (WYSA)
Westford Youth Soccer registration is open for spring 2022! Regular registration for Grades 3-8 closes on January 3rd; Grades 9-12 closes on January 30th; and Grades K-2 closes on March 1st. New and returning players are all welcome! Grades 3-6 have the option of choosing the Local Rec or Travel program. There are also opportunities for high school students to volunteer coach. For league contacts, information about each age group, and to register as a player or coach- please check out: westfordyouthsoccer.com. Or email rec@westfordyouthsoccer.com with any questions.
Abbot School
Email: lmcdermott@westfordk12.us
Website: https://www.westfordk12.us/as
Location: 25 Depot Street, Westford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-692-5580