Panther Pride
From the desk of Mr.McElhinney
Evacuation Day
Students showed their remembrance of Evacuation day Thursday, by wrapping themselves in vibrant green colors. Many students must have noticed a small green figure on the calendar and asked the question; "I thought the British soldiers wore Red and the Colonist wore blue",
"haven't seen any green uniforms in paintings"? But alas, many students celebrated the British troop's evacuation from the Suffolk county communities. And just by simple coincidence, we are having a full moon.... lots of energy..... enough said.
-Middle School IS in session on Monday and Tuesday. We do not have school conferences. This is only Grades PreK-5. It's on the backside of the WPS school calendar.
-8th grade parents, we will soon be beginning our descent to the end of the year. Please review the sign-up for the class trip below and watch for other notifications of upcoming events.
-Spring sports are coming! Signups will be March 25 during the first advisory. Now is the time to make sure your physicals are up to date with Mrs. Hanly in the clinic. All students MUST have a current physical (in the last 13 months) on file with the nurse!
April 12,13 ELA
May 11,12 Math
May 18,19 STE (8th grade only)
Please be mindful of these dates as you schedule appointments and other absences.
-See the Green Bulletin below for the ELPAC- English Learner Parent Advisory Council
(Message from Dr. Chew)
As a reminder, we are still participating in the DESE COVID testing option for symptomatic testing as well as providing at-home rapid tests to students and staff who opt-in to participate. Throughout the duration of the program, students and staff can elect to opt-in or discontinue participation. As a district, in order to have the opportunity to provide the at-home rapid tests, we must provide the opportunity for the symptomatic testing, as well. Individuals, however, do not need to participate in both in order to access one or the other. Each part has a separate consent process. We submit the orders for the at-home rapid tests on a two week cycle, so it is possible to change participation on an ongoing basis moving forward but adjustments need to be made within the ordering windows for each cycle so there could be a delay. For those participating in the at-home rapid test program, the expectation is that the tests are administered at home on Sunday evening or Monday morning and any positive results are communicated to the school nurse. All of the information is available on our website:https://www.westfordk12.us/district/news/covid-19-school-related-information-0
Be Well,
Mr. Mac
See Mr. Antonelli's notice regarding the "Mascot Competition"
PTO- Please review the PTO notice below.
8th Grade field trip Information
8th Grade Field Trip:
Location: NH Lakes/Mountains. Dinner Cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee
Date: Wednesday June 15, 2022. 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Cost per student: $199 plus optional trip insurance
Registration is completed with Capitol Tours. www.capitaltours.net
Scholarships are available. (information to follow)
If you would like to contribute toward scholarships for students needing assistance, please send your donation to Laurie DeTolla in the main office.
Parent Information includes links and forms as well as an itinerary.
SEE VIDEO BELOW
SB MACS still open for business
HEART & SOLE (GIRLS ON THE RUN)
Heart & Sole is a program from Girls on the Run for girls in grades 6-8. It encourages girls to challenge themselves, try new things, make new friends and build confidence to be themselves. As a team the girls will run, laugh and connect.
The season begins on Tuesday, March 29. It will meet Tuesdays & Thursdays after school from 2-3:30 through June 12th. If your child is interested in participating, they MAY NOT sign up for a Spring Sport at Stonybrook in addition to Heart & Sole, as this is considered a Spring Sport.
Lottery registration is open for Heart & Sole (GOTR) runs through March 11th. There are 15 slots available. Girls who are chosen from the lottery will be notified via email on March 13th. Registration link: https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/GOTRGBSpring2022GirlReg
If you have any further questions feel free to reach out to Roberta Oehley or Sue Hanly.
MCAS Testing Dates
May 11,12 Math
May 18,19 STE (8th grade only)
Please be mindful of these dates as you schedule appointments and other absences.
Civil Rights Information
PTO UPDATE
Gr.8 Celebration:
The SBSPTO is looking for parent volunteers to help plan and execute the End-of-Year Celebration for the 8th-grade students. Please SIGN-UP HERE to help us give the outgoing students a great send-off to high school.
PTO Team 2022-23:
We are also searching for parent volunteers to fill several open positions in the 2022-23 school year. We invite you to see the list of open positions and SIGN UP to join the PTO team.
Get more SBSPTO information HERE
If you have questions or comments please email us at stonybrookschoolpto@gmail.com
Students Experiencing Homelessness
Child Search
If you know of any child attending public or private school, or who is homeless or has left school, and could benefit from a special education evaluation under Chapter 766 or educational services under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, please contact the Special Education Department in Westford. (978-692-5560 ext. 2111)
Every effort will be made to contact the parents to advise them of their rights under these laws.
Notes from the Clinic
Notes from the Clinic 3/18/2022: (Website links may need to be copied and pasted into your browser)
Spring sports sign ups are next week. 6th graders can participate in track and 7th and 8th graders can participate in track, softball, baseball and volleyball. Please make sure I have a current physical on file prior to tryouts. Students cannot participate unless they have had a physical within the previous 13 months and I have it on file.
Vision and hearing screening will take place next week for 7th graders. If your child fails the screening, letters will be sent out in late March.
SBIRT screenings for 8th graders will take place the last week of March. This is a confidential screening. Information obtained during the screenings is not shared with any staff and does not go in the child’s records. Numbers are given to the state but not names. It is a great opportunity to educate students about the dangers of substance use with one to one conversations and visual aids. If you would like to opt your child out, please call or email me prior to the 28th.
The Girls on the Run(GOTR)/Heart and Sole program will begin on Tuesday March 29th. There are still 3 spaces available if your child is interested. They cannot participate in theater or spring sports if they sign up for GOTR. This is the link to the registration form: https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/GOTRGBSpring2022GirlReg
If your child is an allergy sufferer, feel free to send in a bottle of Zyrtec, Claritin or Allegra that we can label and leave in my medication cabinet. I do not stock these medications in the clinic.
We had only one case of COVID all week at SB and across the district there were 19 cases. Please continue to let me know if your child tests positive for COVID. There have been discussions about a new variant-BA.2 which is an omicron sub variant. It is actually not that new. On a call with Dr. Katie Brown, our state Epidemiologist, she believes it is highly unlikely that we would see a surge like the one we just had. Please read this recent NY Times for more information about BA. 2: https://www.nytimes.com/article/omicron-variant-ba2.html. If you have not yet had your child vaccinated, I would encourage you to do so.
Have a good weekend. Please reach out with questions or concerns.
Sue Hanly,MSN, RN, NCSN
978-392-6974
ATHLETIC UPDATE
Pick Promptness
Please be mindful of the end times for your children's practices and games. Please be available to pick up at the designated end times for the day's event (game/practice). Coaches have other commitments, responsibilities and families to get to after coaching. Our coaches do not want to leave children alone after games or practices so your promptness will guarantee their safety and security after events. Your prompt pick up supports your children's continued participation.
SEPAC
What is the SEPAC? Massachusetts statutes and regulations require that every school district in the state establishes a SEPAC. This public body serves as an adviser to the School Committee on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities. In addition, the SEPAC has a duty to meet regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the district’s special education program.
For more information on SEPACs, please visit the Federation for Children with Special Needs’ MassPAC page.
The Westford SEPAC also encourages community members to follow our Facebook page or sign up for our mailing list to get information about upcoming Westford SEPAC events, as well as topics that the SEPAC Board of Directors believes is of interest to families of students with special needs in our community.
Westford Summer Music Program 7/11/22 through 7/15/22
Westford Summer Music Program 7/11/22 through 7/15/22
Come join the fun for a week-long program where band and orchestra ensembles will rehearse daily from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Stony Brook School! During the week students will learn new music while building community and friendships. We will conclude the program with a free performance on Friday, July 15th at 11 a.m. This program is open for band and orchestra students entering grades 5 through 9 in September 2022.
Summer Band directed by Mr. Adam Shekleton
Summer Orchestra directed by Mr. Todd Hamelin
For more information and registration please visit: www.westfordk12.us/summermusic
For questions, please contact:
Julie Ottesen - jottesen@westfordk12.us