Panther Pride
From the desk of Mr.McElhinney
Summer Brief
Hello Stony Brook community. I wanted to reach out to all our families new and old, and welcome you as we approach the start of a new year at SB. As you may be aware, we had a “different” school year last year and it also included a few administrative changes throughout the district. Dr. Chew, our Principal, has moved up to the Central office as the new Superintendent of the WPS. For seven years, Dr. Chew and I worked together with faculty and staff, to continue to grow Stony Brook into a healthy school community. I am now honored to assume the duty as Principal and work with Mr. Barnas as our new Assistant Principal. Mr. Barnas has spent several years in education as a Math/Science teacher and brings his positive energy and a passion for building relationships with students, parents and staff and a great work to his new rollas Assistant Principal. Lastly, I am in my 29th year in education (27 in Westford). I taught at the Academy for 18 years as a Health educator and transitioned to Administration for the last 9 years as an assistant Principal.
I am very excited about the upcoming school year. We are coming off a very difficult year for many and I think getting back into some routines and "normalcy" is what we could all use. We are planning several days of orientation activities as we re-acclimate to our regular back to school setting.Teachers will work with your children in the early days to establish routines and relationships that we hope will provide your children comfort as they make the transition from several different learning environments. Hopefully you were able to read Dr.Chew's newsletter presenting the CDC, State and local information that we are closely monitoring as the new year approaches. We will keep you informed as we receive information regarding any changes of concern to you and your child(ren).
Below you will find links to information regarding the start up of school. These items should be helpful to make the early days of school run more smoothly and decrease the stress of the unknown.(Of course...... ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE ;-)). )
Please enjoy the remaining days of your summer.
Mr.Mac
Student Assembly in New Amphitheater
Early morning over SB
Spring Theater Arts Performance
Arrival /Dismissal 2021-22
Morning Arrival (7:20 a.m. – 7:25 a.m.) and Afternoon Dismissal (1:55)
Arrival and Dismissal procedures have changed for the for the 21-22 school year please review the map below.
Grade 7,
Grade 6,
IA/WL,
Even/Odd,
Lunches
Nuts and Bolts
Dismissal From School
Dismissal from school at the request of a student’s parent or guardian will be granted only for serious reasons. No student will be dismissed from school unless the student’s parent contacts the office directly by telephone or letter. Students will not be allowed to leave the building without a parent or guardian’s signature. Parents or guardians must come into the office and sign their child out for early dismissal. In the event of an illness, Parents or guardians will be contacted to provide transportation for students dismissed by school authorities.
Walkers/Bikers
A bike rack has been installed at the front entrance of the building.
Please stress the importance of using crosswalks and being aware of heavy traffic in the parking lot, Farmer Way and Rte. 40.
Reporting an Absence
If you are absent from school, a parent/guardian should call the school office the night before or by 8:30 AM on the day of your absence. To report an absence or tardiness, please call 978-692-2708 for Stony Brook. If we do not hear from your parents or guardian, school personnel will make efforts to contact them. It is important to stress, however, that it is the responsibility of the parents/guardian to contact the school.
Bus Registration
Bus passes are available for purchase online. Please click here to Register for 2021-2022 Bus Pass Registration. You will need a My School Bucks account in order to register. There is no in-person bus registration. The bus fee is $350 for one student, $700 for two students, $850 for three or more students. The family cap is $850. Once capacity is reached, additional students will be put on a waiting list. Priority will be given to K-6 students residing 2+ miles from their district assigned school. Passes will be mailed after receipt of payment. Please visit the WPS Transportation page: https://www.westfordk12.us/district/transportation
Food Services Update
School meals will be free for all students again next school year. We anticipate returning to normal lunch operations for next year (students will be able to go through the serving line). Even though the meals are free, the Free & Reduced lunch program may still offer families benefits such as fee waivers, etc. and the data collected from the program is directly tied to district funding. These applications are available on the district website: http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=0802121850414637&page=lunchapps
New Student Registration, Transfers, and Changes of Address
The student registration process is facilitated by central office staff at 25 Depot St. Please contact Jan Walsh at 978-692-5560 ext. 2100 or jwalsh@westfordk12.us if you are moving or registering a new student. More information pertaining to registration can be found on the district website: https://www.westfordk12.us/district/student-registration. Please visit the Registrations Forms section in order to begin your application process. In addition to the above procedure, please email Stony Brooks Guidance Administrative Assistant, Cathay Mucci cmucci@westfordk12.us in August to schedule an appointment for our New Student Day on Tuesday, August 24th.
August School Visits
Students in all grades interested in locating their classrooms to begin to get their bearings prior to the first day of school are welcome to visit the Stony Brook on Wednesday, August 25th from 9:00 to 11:00 am for self-guided tours.
Athletics Update
We are looking forward to a more typical season this fall where we will get back to traveling to and hosting all the teams in our league. This fall we will offer boys and girls soccer and field hockey to seventh and eighth grade students. Tryouts will be held in September. Cross country will be open to all grades and no tryouts are required. Stay tuned to the Stony Brook Athletics page for more complete information pertaining to registration and requirements in mid to late August: TIP: It's a great time to check that your child's physical record is up to date prior to the start of the new school year.STONY BROOK ATHLETICS