WOOD WEEKLY
January 28, 2021
Good Afternoon Plainville Families,
It is just about February and we are still going strong. Some didn’t think that we would make it this far. Thanks to all the safety precautions that our staff has made and for all our students to abide by the COVID precautions we have been able to stay open and conduct in-person instruction. A HUGE thanks go out to all our families who have supplied students with great attitudes, rides to and from school, and masks to protect one another. This would not be possible without all of your assistance.
I also want to acknowledge all the families who have reported close contacts and positive tests that helped us in avoiding further spreading of the virus. The families and teachers have been working in partnerships to make the remote learning time as beneficial as possible. I know that it can be daunting when you consider the time in quarantine, however it is making a difference. We have not had anyone who has contracted the virus from being in school. Unfortunately, some other districts have not had the success that we have. Again, this is due to all of us doing our part to keep one another healthy and safe. Thank you for doing what you can to keep us all safe.
In continuing to keep us safe, please remember the requirements for travel and those quarantining. If you have any questions, or are in need of support, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here for you.
Just a reminder to parents moving from fully remote to hybrid, the change will begin on Monday, February 1. We will be excited to see our newest Cohort A and C students at 8:40 that morning. Please note that if you are a B Cohort, your first in-person day will be on Thursday, February 4. Of course, any parent who wishes to move their child/children from the hybrid-in-person instructional model to the fully remote model may notify the office at any time to request this change.
Pick-up/Drop-off
We are trying to expedite our pick-up and drop-offs as best as we can. To do so, we are asking parents to pull-up during arrival and dismissal so we can safely unload and load as many cars as possible. We will do our best in directing you as much as possible. Thank you for doing your part and helping to squeeze in as many cars as we can at one time. I do enjoy seeing your smiling faces in the morning and afternoon. Makes the day complete!
February is Heart Healthy Month!
What other way to celebrate February than with hearts! To begin, Mr. Murphy has created a fitness calendar (please see link at bottom) for all to take part in some heart healthy activities. For just a few minutes a day we can all engage in some physical activity to keep our bodies and minds healthy. It all starts, Monday February 1, so dust off those sneakers and get out the exercise gear. To kick off our heart healthy month, please dress in your comfiest workout gear for the first week in February! Yes, that’s right, get those fitness outfits ready. Dress like Richard Simmons, Jane Fonda, Olivia Newton-John, Billy Blanks, Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels. You could wear your team jersey or your warm up clothes and get ready to move. We will be dressed for FITness! Please take a picture of your best FITness outfit and send to Ms. Hoyle at jhoyle@plainville.k12.ma.us so that we can post ourselves on Facebook!
Next, Mr. Lechter will be promoting ‘POSITIVITY.’ Having a healthy body and mind starts with your mindset. What better way to start off than by being positive. We are looking for ALL to recognize positive behaviors and to send a shout out to those who do. It is as simple as completing the ‘Shout Out’ Google form here or send an email to Mr. Lecther, jlecther@plainville.k12.ma.us for him to fill it out to complete our board of positive people. Now, please don’t think that this is just for students. Positivity needs to come from each and every one of us. Please seek and find the adults that are also demonstrating and modeling positivity. We are clearly in a time where we can become overwhelmed with the negativity that life can bring, but there is a silver lining. We just have to find it! To start, let’s set out to be that positive change for others. As Maya Angelou says, “Try to be the rainbow in someone’s cloud.”
Speaking of sunshine and rainbows, we are also trying to send positivity and kindness overseas! To continue to make our hearts happy, our students are making hearts for soldiers. Earlier in the year, our students sent thankful cards to soldiers serving overseas. Now we would like to fill their hearts with conversation and kindness! We are encouraging our students to create conversational hearts for our soldiers. Just a simple heart to heart for those serving our country. Parents, you can get involved too by sending your conversational heart or unopened box of conversation candy hearts to send over. I know that our local soldier, Renee Poirier will be excited to see all the love and support that will be sent from her hometown of Plainville over to the sands of Kuwait. Be part of this wonderful celebration and send in your heart message today. All it takes is heart shaped paper (a heart drawn on paper) with a message or picture of kindness. All messages, hearts and pictures should be sent to the office by Friday, February 5. Spread the love!
Grade Six Yearbooks
Although this is not a typical year, we will still be moving forward with a sixth grade yearbook. The yearbook is a 10x10 hardcover book and has 30 pages. There is a page for each 6th grade classroom with individual portraits of each student in the classrooms. The other pages include pictures from field trips and class plays from their time at the Jackson School, collection of memories from over the years, Sweetheart dances and two pages for “class autographs”. We are looking for and in need of pictures as we have not had many opportunities to obtain many ourselves. We are asking the parents to please send an individual picture of your child (from the shoulders up if possible) and any group type pictures you may have from Jackson School field trips, Jackson School class plays, Sweetheart dances, and other memories you may have. There may not be room to put every picture that is sent in the book, but it's better to send and have too many than not enough, right? If you have photos that you would like to share and don't mind being in the school yearbook, please send them to Mrs. Sedam, our yearbook coordinator, at csedam@gmail.com anytime before Monday, April 12. If you have any questions about the yearbook, please reach out to Mrs. Sedam. She will be happy to help you.
Drives
We have officially started our sock drive and it is going strong. Families have donated several pairs thus far, but we are still in need of more to meet our goal of over 608 pairs to beat last year’s total. We are looking for WHITE socks to be donated for this great cause. And with the weather we have been experiencing, we need them fast! Collection bins are located in the main lobby as well as in the remote drop off/pick up vestibule near the office. It is good to spread kindness and this is a simple and easy way to pass it along. Thank you in advance for considering to support and donate.
Support
Did you know that there is a free site to assist students with basic facts? Grade four students have started to explore this free site and some have been diligently using it and seeing improvement. Please visit https://link.cumulusglobal.com/u/7ecf887c/OMdzN39h6xGCj2JvUabuwQ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhome.xtramath.org%2F to sign up for a free account. Just 15 minutes a day can help improve basic math facts that will help in building connections and exploring more abstract mathematical concepts without the frustration of not knowing your facts!
Health
As many of you may know, the flu vaccine requirement has been lifted. For those of you have already received one, please forward any information to the school nurse if you haven’t done so. We are also continuing to have lunch in the classrooms, staying 6 feet away from one another. When possible and weather permitting, we are going outside for mask breaks and fresh air. Please remind students to dress accordingly as fresh air is good for everyone!
Remote Lunch
Just another reminder that we have curbside pick-up meals for families. Every Wednesday at the Wood School from 10:30-12:30 meals are ready to go. Just pull in, drive up and pop open your trunk. It’s as easy as that to have fresh, tasty meals. Hope to see you outside on Wednesday!
Message from Special Ed Office
The Office of Special Education and Student Services within the Plainville Public Schools is conducting outreach efforts to locate students in need of special education services.
Preschool screening for the 2021-2022 school year will take place on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 and Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Our preschool program is for students ages 3, 4, and 5 year olds who will have not turned 5 before September 1st.
Please call 508-699-1309 with questions or concerns regarding an appointment.
Calendar of Events
Thursday, February 4- Wood School Council
Monday, February 8- Sock Drive Ends!
Tuesday, February 9- School Committee Meeting 6 pm via Zoom
Monday, February 15-19- February Vacation
Tuesday, February 23- School Committee Meeting 6 pm via Zoom
Monday, March 1- Picture Retake (Times TBD)
Thursday, March 4- Picture Retake (Times TBD)
Enjoy the rest of the week, stay warm and try to take some time for yourself this weekend.
Mrs. RP
ABOUT US
School Secretary - Paula Cole
Security Secretary - Denise Guzzetti
Email: contact@ourschool.com
Website: plainville.k12.ma.us
Location: 72 Messenger Street, Plainville, MA, 02762
Phone: 508-699-1312