The Floral Falcon Flyer
March 26, 2023
Photo of the Week- Congratulations to the Drama Geeks Destination Imagination team who won the Improvisational Challenge at the regionals competition. They are moving on to the Globals Challenge in May. Best success to Arihanth and his team!
Dear Floral Families,
As we gear up for ELA MCAS this coming week we wanted to share a few related notes with third and fourth grade families:
First, thank you for your support at home with reinforcing MCAS as an important opportunity to do their best work with applying the reading and writing skills they have developed and sharpened throughout their years at Floral. While it's very important to give their best effort on the MCAS, it's also important for them to keep in mind that it is one of many ways in which they demonstrate their learning at school, and this one assessment is one of many snapshots of their skills and growth. Their performance on the MCAS does not correlate to their promotion to the next grade level.
Please notify the office and your child's teacher if you know your child will be tardy to school on the day of their MCAS due to an appointment so we can plan ahead.
If your child is ill on a day of the MCAS, please keep him/her home to rest and recover. A make-up test session will be scheduled upon return to school.
Lastly, we typically encourage families to make sure students come to school having a hearty breakfast and snack at school. We know some students may be fasting for Ramadan, and we respect and support their decision to do so. We are behind all of our students 100% as they persevere through the assessment. They are prepared and ready to shine!
Here is the test schedule for ELA MCAS this week:
Monday, March 27 - Grade 4 / Session 1
Tuesday, March 28 - Grade 3 / Session 1
Wednesday, March 29 - Grade 4 / Session 2
Thursday, March 30 - Grade 3 / Session 2
Sincerely,
Lisa and Gina
P.S. We updated the Important Upcoming Dates section below with events through May. Check it out!
In This Issue:
- NEW - Ramadan Mubarek!
- NEW - Lost and Found Items
- NEW - Shrewsbury Education Foundation Trivia Night, April 29th
- NEW - Kindergarten Registration for the Fall is OPEN
- NEW - April Vacation and Summer Enrichment Announcement
- NEW - Full Moon Walk, April 3rd
- NEW - Photos from Last Week
- Registration for ASAP classes opens Tuesday March 21st
- PTO's Next Dine and Donate - April 4th
- Nurses' Notes
- SEL Tool: Tree of Choices
- Parenting Strategies Classes Sponsored by Shrewsbury Public Schools
- Safety Care Training for Families
- Social Emotional Learning Update from Mrs. Moran, School Adjustment Counselor
- March Mania Prizes
- Character Trait for March : Perseverance
- Spring MCAS Administration Dates
- Important Upcoming Dates
- Change in Dismissal Plans for a Day?
- Child-Safe Procedures
- Frequently Used Numbers
- What's for Lunch?
- Useful Links
NEW - Ramadan Mubarek!
We wish our Muslim families and staff a peaceful Ramadan which began last week and runs for 29 or 30 days (depending on the moon sighting), culminating in Eid al-Fitr.
During this time, many of our Muslim families will be participating in the fasting of food and water from sunrise to sundown as a symbol of growing spiritually and devoting themselves to their faith, including periods of prayer that may go late into the evening and waking before dawn. Wishing a generous Ramadan to our families and staff who observe.
NEW - Lost and Found Items
NEW - Shrewsbury Education Foundation Trivia Night, April 29th
The Shrewsbury Education Foundation is excited to announce the in-person return of its annual Trivia Night. The SEF Trivia Night will be held on Saturday, April 29th at 6:30 p.m. at Borgatti Bar at Whole Foods in Shrewsbury. This event will be hosted by Jon Wensky. The cost to participate is $20 per person with a team maximum of 4 people. All proceeds benefit the Shrewsbury Education Foundation, an all-volunteer organization that raises money to fund grants which put resources and programs directly into the classroom.
Click here to register your team today. For more information on SEF Trivia Night and to learn more about the Shrewsbury Education Foundation, visit SEFgrants.org.
NEW - Kindergarten Registration for the Fall is OPEN
Do you have a child entering kindergarten next year? Please begin the registration process as soon as possible. For guidance on registration, please click HERE.
Save the date! Students entering kindergarten this fall will be invited to register for the Kindergarten Summer Fun program which runs from August 7-10 at Floral. We highly recommend this 4-day program as it acclimates students to their school environment and routines before school even begins. More information to come later this spring/early summer.
NEW - April Vacation and Summer Enrichment Announcement
Registration for April Vacation Enrichment classes is open!
Dates: Tuesday, April 18 - Friday, April 21
Location : Sherwood Middle School
Grades: K-6
Morning Class: 8:30-11:30 - $80/week
Afternoon Class: 12:00-3:00 - $80/week
Early Drop-Off: 7:00-8:15 - $40/week
Extended Hours: 3:00-6:00 - $80/week
View course descriptions, register and pay using our Eleyo Registration Software. First time users will need to create an account. View instructions here. If you are already registered for extended day, or if you participated in February vacation or Summer 2022 programming, you already have an account. Families who qualify for free and reduced meals receive a 50% discount on their total registration. Please use the code APRVAC50 at check-out. All discounted registrations will be verified with food services upon receipt. Students who wish to enroll in both AM and PM classes can bring a lunch from home and they will be supervised in the cafeteria from 11:30-12:00.
Save the Date for Summer!
Shrewsbury Public Schools will also be offering Summer Enrichment classes for students who will be entering grades K-8 in the fall.
The course catalog and registration information will be available soon. You can view the program dates and times on our website. https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/extendedlearning/summer-programs
For more information, contact Karen Isaacson, Director of Extended Learning
kisaacson@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us, 508-841-8727
NEW - Full Moon Walk, April 3rd
An early spring night under a full moon! Perfect for a stroll around the west side of Jordan Pond with the Shrewsbury Trails Committee, who will present a little information on moons in the solar system as well as our own neighbor. Local amateur astronomer, Chris Williams, will provide a telescope and guidance for close-up viewing. The walk is suitable for all ages and the path is paved.
Join us on Monday, April 3rd from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. We will meet at the tennis courts behind Calvin Coolidge School on Florence Ave. just off South Quinsigamond. Hope to see you there!
The rain date, if Monday night is too cloudy to see the moon, will be Wednesday, April 5th. For more information, email the Trails Committee at trails01545@gmail.com.
NEW - Photos from the Week
March Mania! Shanaya won an extra P.E. class for the Caforios. Lucky them!
Registration for ASAP classes opens Tuesday March 21st
· Chess Without Stress - Grades 2, 3, 4
· Art of Science - Grades 2, 3, 4
· Let’s Learn Something New! - Grades K, 1
Registration for these programs will open on Tuesday, March 21st at 7:00AM. Seats are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment is due at the time of registration, and unpaid registrations will be automatically deleted. Classes cost $40 for the six-week session. Class fees are non-refundable unless SPS has to cancel the class.
Please visit our website for class details, including class schedules and registration instructions.
PTO's Next DIne and Donate - April 4th
Our School-wide Tree of Choices Tool
Parenting Strategies Classes Sponsored by Shrewsbury Public Schools
Safety Care Training for Families
Safety Care for Families Description
Safety-Care for Families is a training program for family members and other stake-
holders working with behaviorally challenging individuals in a home or home-like setting. This innovative course provides an adapted version of the Safety-Care
curriculum, designed to provide parents, family members, and others with the skills and interventions needed to improve behavior and to prevent, minimize, and man-
age potentially dangerous incidents.
Safety Care for Families Schedule
Shrewsbury Public Schools is proud to offer this two-part (5 hours total) course on Essential Safety Care Skills. These trainings are meant for parents and caregivers who support a child who engages in challenging or unsafe behavior.
This course includes lecture and Q+A on the following topics:
-
● Collaboration with Professionals •
-
● Legal Issues and Responsibilities •
-
● Understanding Challenging Behavior •
-
● Creating a Supportive and Safe Environment •
-
● Safety Habits and Caregiver Safety Behavior •
-
● Therapeutic Use of Reinforcement •
-
● De-escalation •
-
● Development of a Comprehensive Family Safety Plan •
Details and Registration
Safety Care for Families will be held in two, 2.5 hour sessions at Beal Elementary School, Room B154 on the following dates:
Wednesday, April 5 @ 6-8:30 Wednesday, April 12 @ 6-8:30
Your Trainers
Robert Parry-Cruwys and Colleen Callahan are special education teachers/Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) working in the Shrewsbury Public Schools. Both are passionate about understanding the functions of behavior to support safe and effective teaching techniques that are meaningful to students and their families. Rob and Colleen have trained Safety Care classes for SPS staff for almost 4 years and are excited to share this therapeutic approach with families struggling with problem behavior.Participants must be over the age of 16 to attend. Please register at the following link.
Contact Robert Parry-Cruwys (rparrcruwys@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us) for more information or for questions.
Social Emotional Learning Update from Mrs. Moran, School Adjustment Counselor
Student social emotional health has been added to the main page of the “Grow Zone” website. You will find several articles here that outline various ways that schools work to support student’s social, and emotional development of skills. These articles provide some current scientific information that informs our ongoing work with students in the classroom. Click the button below to lead you to the “Grow Zone”!
Megan Moran - School Adjustment Counselor
March Mania Prizes
Character Trait for March :
Spring MCAS Administration Dates
English Language Arts
Grade 4, Monday, March 27
Grade 4, Wednesday, March 29
Grade 3, Tuesday, March 28
Grade 3, Thursday, March 30
Math
Grade 4, Friday, May 5
Grade 4, Tuesday, May 9
Grade 3, Monday, May 8
Grade 3, Wednesday, May 10
Important Upcoming Dates
* New dates added this week are in bold
March 27 & 29 - Grade 4 ELA MCAS
March 28 & 30 - Grade 3 ELA MCAS
March 30 - New Session of STEM After School Classes Begin
April 3 - School Council Meeting / 4:30 PM
April 4 - Early Release Day
April 5 - New Session of ASAP Classes Begin
April 7 - School Meeting / Grades K-2
April 11 - WIngmasters Enrichment Program /Grades 2 & 4 (Thank you, PTO!)
April 12: PTO Meeting / 6:15pm in Floral Media Center
April 14 - School Meeting / Grades 3 & 4
April 17-21 SCHOOL VACATION WEEK
May 2 - Early Release Day
May 5 - Kindergarten Classes Field Study to Hanover Theater
May 5 & 9: Grade 4 Math MCAS
May 8 & 10: Grade 3 Math MCAS
May 10 - Pumpernickel Puppet Show for Kindergarten (Thank you, PTO!)
May 10 - Chorus Performance / Ralys and Edgren Classes (6:30 PM)
May 10 - Chorus Performance / Murphy and Powell Classes (7:30 PM)
May 11 - Chorus Performance / Ross and Mancini Classes (6:30 PM)
May 12 - All School Meeting (Grades K-4)
May 12 - PTO Hosts Floral Rocks the Block (food trucks, music, and more!)
May 19 - Grade 2 Classes on Field Study to Sturbridge Village
May 20 - PTO hosts Textile Drive
May 22-26 - Floral Goes Green!
May 29 - Memorial Day / NO SCHOOL
May 31 - Grade 1 Field Study to Davis Farmlands
Change in Dismissal Plans for a Day?
If your child's dismissal plan needs to change on any day, please send in a note with your child. An email to the teacher is also helpful, but only if you are emailing at least the day before the dismissal change.
If you need to communicate a dismissal change on that same day, please call Lynda and Jen in the office (508-841-8720) and they will notify the teacher. Teachers often do not check email until the end of the school day, so they may not see your message if you email that same day.
Child-Safe Procedures
If your child is going to be absent or late to school, we require that you telephone us either the night before or first thing in the morning on the day of the absence at 508-841-8720. The answering machine for our child-safe procedure is on 24 hours a day. If we have not received a call to report an absence, the school will be in contact with the parent or emergency contact to confirm the child’s safety. If there is still no contact, we will reach out to the district's School Resource Officer for assistance. Please help our busy office staff by always calling us when your child will be absent or tardy.
Frequently Used Numbers
Main Office - (508) 841-8720
Lynda McBride, Administrative Assistant lmcbride@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us
Jen Umile, Administrative Assistant jumile@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us
Maureen Pellizzari and Stephanie Nazarey, School Nurses - (508) 841-8729
Nurses, FAX (508) 841-1545
Extended Day (508) 841-8743
What's for Lunch?
Useful Links
Mrs. Lisa McCubrey, Principal
Email: lmccubrey@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us
Website: schools.shrewsburyma.gov/floral
Location: 57 Floral Street
Phone: (508) 841-8720
Mrs. Gina Kelly, Assistant Principal
Email: gkelly@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us
Website: schools.shrewsburyma.gov/floral
Location: 57 Floral Street
Phone: 508-841-8720