Fitzy's Flyer
February 16, 2024
Principal Update
Greetings FitzGerald community!
Thank you to the PTO for organizing a wonderful Valentine's Day event for our school!
We had a great kick off to the after school enrichment program yesterday! We hope that all student participants had a fun first session! We have 186 students signed up for the program. We are running 10 programs, led by FitzGerald staff or Bentley University students! For any questions about the program, please contact Jenn Santillo or Amanda Grimes.
K-2 students had a wonderful author visit this week from Maureen Harrington, the author of Ivy the Very Determined Dog, and Ivy, this week! They visited FitzGerald School on Wednesday and the students really seemed to enjoy it! Thank you to the PTO for funding this special event. Grades 3-5 will have an author visit from cartoonist, illustrator, author Maria Scrivan, coming up on March 1st, which will also be funded by the PTO. Thank you to Mrs. McKeever, the FitzGerald Librarian, for organizing these enriching events for us!
With the snow day this week, the FitzGerald Parent University on the topic of Social Emotional Learning, that was scheduled for last Tuesday evening, is being rescheduled for Wednesday March 27th from 6-7pm.
A reminder that next week is school vacation! We hope that everyone has a restful break and enjoys time with family and friends.
Thank you for your partnership and collaboration! See everyone again on Monday February 26th!
Sincerely,
Jenn Santillo, Principal- jennifersantillo@walthampublicschools.org
Julie Lamoly, Assistant Principal- julielamoly@walthampublicschools.org
Kindergarten Registration 2024-2025
Kindergarten Registration is under way for 2024-2025! If you have a child entering Kindergarten next school year, please click on this link to learn more about how to begin the process:
https://walthamma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/wps/page/kindergarten-registration-information
DESE School Repord Card Information
An Upcoming Spirit Week at FitzGerald for Read Across America Week!
Each year, National Read Across America Week is celebrated starting on March 2nd, the birthday of Dr. Suess. It is a wonderful time of year that inspires young readers and promotes the joy of reading books. This week-long event will involve various reading activities and every day will have a fun theme...
Monday March 4th: The Cat in the Hat: Dress like your favorite book character!
Tuesday March 5th: Fox in Socks: Wear crazy socks!
Wednesday March 6th: Green Eggs and Ham: Wear green today!
Thursday March 7th: Oh the Thinks You Can Think: Wear your favorite college or FitzGerald shirt!
Friday March 8th: The Sleep Book: Wear pajamas to school
Here is a link to the flyer, in English & Spanish, that will be sent home with all students
MCAS Dates for Spring 2024
Each year, students in Grades 3-5 take the MCAS assessments. The FitzGerald School MCAS testing schedule this school year will be:
Grade 3 ELA Session 1- 4/4/24
Grade 3 ELA Session 2- 4/11/24
Grade 3 Math Session 1- 5/2/24
Grade 3 Math Session 2- 5/9/24
Grade 4 ELA Session 1- 4/3/24
Grade 4 ELA Session 2- 4/10/24
Grade 4 Math Session 1- 5/1/24
Grade 4 Math Session 2- 5/8/24
Grade 5 ELA Session 1- 4/2/24
Grade 5 ELA Session 2- 4/9/24
Grade 5 Math Session 1- 4/30/24
Grade 5 Math Session 2- 5/7/24
Grade 5 STE Session 1- 5/14/24
Grade 5 STE Session 2- 5/16/24
We kindly ask for families to please do their best to avoid appointments, etc. on the testing days. Thank you in advance for your help with this! More information will come home regarding MCAS testing closer to the testing dates.
Fitzy Parent Universities at FitzGerald!
We are excited to bring back Fitzy Parent Universities this school year! We ran these a lot during the COVID pandemic time (when students were learning virtually or in hybrid mode) as a way to provide more information for parents/guardians on how to support learning at home.
This year, we are bringing it back to continue the conversation on additional ideas and strategies to support learning at home!
Please see below for the schedule of dates and topics. We are offering the parent/guardian workshops on different days each month, to provide more flexibility for nightly family schedules/commitments.
We will be asking for parents/guardians to RSVP before each event (a Google Form will come out the week prior to each workshop) so that we can make sure to have enough materials/snacks available.
These sessions will be informational sessions, with opportunities for practice and learning for parents/guardians. Child care will be provided for in person workshops.
These voluntary workshops are completely free and will be held in the FitzGerald cafeteria or online.
Upcoming Fitzy Parent University Topics and Dates:
March 6, 2024- 5:30-6:30pm (Before the PTO meeting)- Math Games to Play at Home
March 26, 2024- 6:00-7:00pm- 7 Habits of Leader in Me and the Core Values of FitzGerald (SEL-focus)
April 11, 2024- 6:00-7:00pm- Internet Safety
Lunch Monitor Position Available at FitzGerald!
We are looking for a part time Lunch/Recess Monitor for the lunch and recess periods at FitzGerald!
The daily shift is from 11:00am-1:45pm. The opening is for 5 days a week, but we can discuss availability during the interview process. If you are interested in learning more about this opening, please contact Mrs. Lamoly at julielamoly@walthampublicschools.org or 781-314-5681.
Coffee and Conversation with Mrs. Santillo and Mrs. Lamoly
Thank you to everyone who has been able to join Mrs. Santillo and Mrs. Lamoly for Coffee Talk time! The group has been enjoying coffee and pastries together and engaging in conversations about FitzGerald School!
We will be hosting a Coffee Talk monthly this year for parents/guardians in the FitzGerald cafeteria. We will also now be offering the chance to join in virtually each month as well!
The next Coffee Talk will be from 8:45-9:15am on Friday March 8th.
Spanish and Portuguese translation will be available!
Come with questions, or just come enjoy a cup of coffee and/or a breakfast pastry on us! We would love to see you!
Library Update from Ms. McKeever
I am happy to announce the return of the Fitzy Library guest reader program. All caregivers are welcome to come visit the library and read a story to their students' class during their scheduled library time. If you would like to be a guest reader, please email Ms. McKeever: elizabethmckeever@walthampublicschools.org
PTO News
Dear Families,
It was great to hear the Fitzy Valentine's Party was a hit! Such events build community and joy among students. Kudos to all involved in planning and execution. Looking forward to more successful events ahead!
If you are interested in volunteering at our next events, please send an email to FitzGeraldPTO@gmail.com. We are ALWAYS looking for volunteers! There is a wide range of volunteering opportunities. If you are unable to volunteer but would like to make a donation, you may do so through Venmo (@FitzGerald-PTO) or by sending a check payable to FitzGerald PTO (memo: General Donation). These funds have recently been used to pay for Field Trip Transportation, Author Visit, Books, and resources to host our Valentine’s Day Party.
Recent Fitzy Author Visit: On Wednesday, Chris and Maureen Harrington, authors of Ivy the Very Determined Dog, visited grades K-2. Their inspiring dog, Ivy, joined them for an engaging reading! Stay tuned for more upcoming author visits!
SURVEY SAYS?!?: Join us for a parent social event this February 29th 6-8pm in the Fitzgerald cafeteria! We're looking to form six teams, one representing each grade to compete in our first ever Fitzy Feud! Survey questions will be sent out soon as well. Want to participate or have questions? Contact Dan Strafford @ DanStrafford@gmail.com.
SAVE THE DATES:
Fitzy Fun Day at Fenway is happening on Sunday, May 12th at 1:35p. Kids under the age of 12 get to run the bases too! Look for a flyer coming home very soon. Tickets need to be ordered by March 8th!
Field Day is scheduled for Friday, June 7th with a rain date of Monday, June 10th. More info in the coming months!
5TH GRADE BREAKFAST: The PTO is looking to set up a committee for graduation day set up/breakfast. Please email lau024@hotmail.com if you would like to join in on the fun to make this day memorable for our 5th graders!
5TH GRADE PICTURES: If you have any pictures you would like to submit for the yearbook please email FitzGerald5thgradephotos@gmail.com.
FITZY SCHOOL STORE: The FitzyWear shop website is temporarily down due to technical issues. We are working on getting it open and will provide an update when we do.
*NEW* WINTER NEWSLETTER: Click HERE to read our November/December highlights!
PTO ELECTIONS FOR 2024-2025: Stay tuned for updates regarding PTO Elections coming up in June! We will have several positions available.
UPCOMING PTO MEETINGS & RESTAURANT NIGHTS
PTO Meetings 2024
March 6th, 2024: 6:30pm
May 1st, 2024: 6:30pm
Restaurant Nights 2024
Wednesday, 3/13/24: D’Angelo’s
Thursday, 4/11/24: Tempo
Thursday, 5/9/24: John Brewer's *In Person Only*
*ONGOING AND UPCOMING FUNDRAISERS/EVENTS*
2024 Science Fest: Our Science Fest last year was an absolute hit and could not have been possible without the generous support of the Waltham/Massachusetts Cultural Council! We will be at it again this year and our gears are starting to turn with ideas. Reach out to the PTO to find out information about this and more from our Enrichment committee!
The 6th Annual Fitzy 5k Fun Run is coming up this Spring with a tentative race date of May 30th, 2024. We are looking to form a committee to look at the current race route and start planning the event.
Our next meeting will be in February; date TBD. If you are interested in joining the Fun Run Committee, please Email Ann at FitzGeraldPTO@gmail.com.
FITZY DRINKWARE: Customizable Drinkware showing your Fitzy Pride. A portion of all sales go to the PTO to support our students. Click HERE to view options and order!
We look forward to meeting you and working alongside you to make this the best school year yet!
FitzGerald School PTO
Ongoing FUNDRAISING through BOX TOPS, RAISE RIGHT, MABELS LABELS
Stay in touch! PTO website – Facebook – Instagram
FitzGerald School Site Council
The FitzGerald School Council is a group that includes parent, staff, and community representatives that discuss items such as budget, School Improvement Plan, etc. Approved meeting minutes are posted in the Fitzy's Flyer office communication.
Next Meeting:
Date: March 12, 2024
Time: 6:00-6:45pm
Location: Virtual (please contact Mrs. Santillo if you would like the link)
School Lunch Information
*Breakfast and Lunch are available for free again for all students this school year!
** All students should bring one snack and a water bottle to school each day.
"Fitzy Fridays" at FitzGerald!
Every Friday is "Fitzy Friday" at FitzGerald! Everyone is invited to wear Fitzy Spirit Wear or the colors blue and/or yellow to school, if they would like to!
2023-2024 District Calendars
Upcoming Dates
2/19-2/23- No School, February Vacation
3/13- Early Release Day, 1:00pm, Parent Conferences
3/20- Early Release Day, 1:00pm, Professional Development
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Information About the Clever App
Clever is an app we use at school that makes it easy for students to access many online learning programs and resources with their Waltham Public Schools Google account. Students can also access Clever at home on a personal device. Click HERE for directions.
Sign Up Information for the Waltham Public Schools App
2023-2024 WPS Elementary Student Handbooks
Please see below for electronic copies of the student handbooks for this school year. We appreciate your support in reviewing the handbook contents at home with your child.
Weekly Notices
James FitzGerald Elementary School
Email: jennifersantillo@walthampublicschools.org
Website: https://www.walthampublicschools.org/fitzgerald/
Location: 138 Beal Road, Waltham, MA, USA
Phone: 781-314-5680