Message from Principal Costello
August 28, 2022
September 18, 2022
Good Afternoon Murphy Families,
I hope you are all enjoying the weekend. We had a great first full week at the Murphy School re-establishing routines and celebrating community connection with our Open House. We look forward to the coming weeks with some exciting events here at Murphy School.
Open House 2022-2023
It was amazing to see so many of our families at out Open House last Thursday. We hope that you enjoyed the time connecting with our staff and seeing the classroom spaces. We look forward to further events throughout the year that will reinforce the connection between Murphy School and the entire community.
Student Handbook Information
As part of our return to school procedures, parents and guardians are to receive a digital copy of the school handbook. We ask that families sign and return the acknowledgement page back to your child's teacher.
On Friday, we sent home a paper copy of the acknowledgement form only for convenience with your child. In addition to the different policies of the district, the form has special releases to showcase your child's work through our media sources as well as share contact information with our Parent Council.
Please review the handbook and send it back to school as soon as possible.
Arrival and Dismissal Updates - Please share with anyone who picks up for your family.
Please view this document and accompanying diagrams for our traffic flow and arrival / dismissal procedures.
Please remember:
(1) Our traffic flow is ONE WAY (see diagram). Please do not go "out through the in door" as this creates a safety hazard for pedestrians and a traffic hazard for our regular traffic line.
(2) Please remember that parking spaces on the left hand side (along the tree line) are for school staff and Champions staff. Please do not park there.
(3) Out back, please remain stationary until it is time for everyone to leave. "Moving up" in the line and driving between the 2 lanes of cars creates a potentially dangerous situation.
In the afternoon, please pull forward as far as possible (rather than stopping near a specific door). It is essential that we get all cars in off the street and when bottlenecks form in the line, it quickly becomes. a problem.
Thank you, everyone, for doing your part to help us maintain safe and smooth dismissal procedures.
Parent Council Meeting
In addition to connecting with your child’s classroom staff, we encourage you to get involved with our amazing Murphy Parent Council. Our Parent Council collaborates with school staff to bring great programs and fun experiences to all of our students throughout the year. Please look for emails from our parent council, feel free to contact the parent council and check them out on Facebook to stay informed.
Our first meeting will be held on Wednesday 9/21 at 6:30 pm in the Murphy gym. We hope to see many new families the as we discuss the upcoming year!
Note: Parent Council usually sends an agenda and email one week in advance of meetings. However, because this year’s Parent Council email list is still in the process of being created, people can reach out to murphyschoolparentcouncil@gmail.com via email if they’d like to see the agenda prior to the meeting.
Bus Information
As we continue into September, we hope that our bus departure times will become more consistent in the afternoon. Each September, there are adjustments to the ridership and the routes and (along with lingering summer roadwork) these can impact our times. We appreciate your patience during this time of transition.
In the meantime, we will use twitter to communicate departure times. If you don't have a twitter account, you can view this feed on our school website.
Weymouth Fire Department Open House
PBIS Weekly ROAR students
We are excited to continue our PBIS (positive behavior intervention and supports) program this year. As part of the program, we will continue our tradition of recognizing students from each room on a weekly basis for their demonstration of Respect, Owning actions, Achievement and Responsibility (ROAR).
Art Newsletter
Our amazing art teacher, Ms. Ratta, invites you to view her September Newsletter.
Important Reminders - Transportation, Food Services, Technology
Transportation:
Information regarding bus transportation can be found on our district website transportation page.
Bus routes are subject to change as we continue to add new riders and stops accordingly. Please email transportation questions to Transportation@weymouthps.org.
Food Service:
WPS will be providing free meals to all students once again this school year. Families who would normally apply for the free/reduced lunch program should still apply here to remain eligible for other district benefits, such as free bus and reduced user fees.
Technology:
If you require assistance or support with a technical issue this school year, please submit a request through the following links:
Family Technical Support - use any valid email address.
Title 1 Program
We will have Title 1 services again this year. Our interventionists work with many classrooms throughout the building providing support in the advancement of academic skills. More information will be shared in the coming weeks regarding our Title I Program.
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
Children may bring lunch or purchase lunch in our cafeteria. A child will never be left without lunch. If forgotten, we will provide lunch. Breakfast is available each morning from 8:50 - 9:05. For the 2022-2023 school year, breakfast and lunch will be free of charge.
Please note that even though meals will be free for all, it is very important for families to still complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2022-2023 school year.
We encourage you to complete the online application, or a paper application, on the food services webpage: https://www.weymouthschools.org/district/food-services/pages/free-and-reduced-application-and-information
We strongly encourage all families to submit this application as it allows us to establish eligibility for P-EBT benefits, other fees within the district, and serve families most effectively.
ATTENDANCE
A child's successful growth (academic and socially) is greatly enhanced by consistent attendance in school. We enjoy working with our students and families to form and sustain these healthy habits that will firmly plant our students on the road to success.
When a child is absent, please call the school by 9:15 am and provide a note upon return.
Massachusetts law requires compulsory attendance for all students. Chapter 76, section 1 of the Massachusetts General Laws requires all children between the ages of six and sixteen to attend school. The school must uphold state laws relative to student attendance. We strongly discourage family vacations or trips abroad when school is in session. In addition to violating the attendance law, family vacations or trips abroad interrupt the educational process of each course in ways that make-up work cannot reverse. As such, WPS works with our School Resource Officers and outside agencies when there is cause for concern with attendance.
Dismissal / End of Day Procedures
EARLY DISMISSALS
Please send in a note when dismissing your child. This helps to remind the office and the teacher of the dismissal time. Please do not dismiss your child early to avoid the traffic. This is extremely disruptive to the classroom when teachers are assigning homework, passing out notices, or completing other necessary tasks. When a child is dismissed by someone other than a parent/guardian, we require identification and a signature for release.
REGULAR DISMISSAL
Please send a note to the school if your child is changing their regular routine of dismissal. This includes walkers, after-school care and the bus. Please do not leave this responsibility to your child. If a note is not received, your child will follow their routine for the specific day of the week.
MEDICATION POLICY
The Weymouth Public Schools Health Services Department encourages that medication is administered before and after school, if possible.
When medication is needed during school hours, there must be a physician’s order and a parental permission form with the medication in the prescribed container, or it cannot be given.
Medication must be delivered to the school in a pharmacy or manufacturer labeled container by the parent, guardian, or responsible adult. (Medications are not accepted in such things as plastic bags.) Children are not permitted to bring medication to school.
Please contact Ms. Boland, our school nurse, for the proper forms, which must accompany all medications.
Important Information:
- Tech Support for Families - Submit a ticket for support. Reminder* be sure to update your child’s Chrome OS on the weekends, often and early!
- WPS Opportunities Resources - Family and community resources
- Champions Before and After School Care - 781-812-8735 or lolee@discoverchampions.com
- Blackboard Communications - Opt In and Opt Out Instructions
- Town Wide Parent Council - Meets the Second Tuesday of Each Month
- Volunteer to Become a Parent/Guardian/Caregiver ELL Immigrant Liaison
District Links:
Additional Resources:
- Champions Before & After School Care
- Aspen Family Portal
- Family Engagement Center (Registration)
- Backpack Program - Food assistance for students in need
District Calendar:
Weymouth, MA 02188
Phone (781) 331-2862