"Paw Prints"
Farley Elementary School's Weekly Family Update
THOUGHTS and THANKS
Dear Farley Families,
As you know, Farley’s entire staff prides itself as being a team and working together with families to create the best possible educational experience for all of our students. We all recognize that communication between home and school is essential to achieving this goal. Caregiver Conferences (formerly known as Parent Teacher Conferences) present a wonderful opportunity for teachers, guardians and, in some cases—students—to sit down together to discuss academic and social progress. Conferences are a dedicated time to ask questions, share relevant information, calibrate expectations, celebrate accomplishments, and set short and long-term goals. Caregiver conferences are a platform to make a lasting bond with families and to increase the likelihood of academic and social success for each child.
In Hudson, Caregiver Conferences occur twice a year. Each meeting lasts between about 15 minutes. School staff who support your child's learning may also attend the conference, too. Also, please do not worry if you see me or Mrs. Duke sitting in on your conference. I like to attend as many conferences as possible, too, so that I can know all the ways we can support our diverse community of learners.
Caregiver/Teacher conferences will be held on Wednesday, November 15th and Thursday November 16th. Both days will be an early dismissal from school for students at 11:40 am. Evening conferences will be held from 6:00–8:00 pm on the night of November 16th. If you would like a conference, you need to sign-up for a specific day and time using a third party website called PTC Fast linked below. Walk-ins are not allowed. Conference sign-ups will open starting October 30th at 3:30pm. Families will have the option for either a virtual conference via Google Meet or an in-person meeting here at Farley. If you would prefer virtual, please indicate this when signing up for your conference--there will be a space for you to type in "virtual". Your child’s teacher will then send you the Google meeting link via email prior to and closer to the conference. If you choose to be in person for your child’s conference, please be sure to be on time. If you have a fourth grader in Mrs. Leger's or Ms. Gordon's class or a student in our Dual Language Program, please be on the lookout for an email from those teachers with additional information about conferences.
As always, interpretation services will be made available to all families during conferences. If you are listed as needing an interpreter in Aspen, please be on the lookout for an email from Sandra Maiuri. She will help you set up a time for your conference.
Here is the link to PTC Fast Conference Sign-ups: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/C_A_Farley_Elementary_School
Special thanks this week goes to Hudson Firefighters Craig Collins, Jack Bertonassi, and Stephen Weaver. Each year, our students are taught fire safety by these brave individuals. They educate our students on what to do at home in case of a fire and this year even had some students model how to get low and crawl to safety (see pictures below). Students were super excited to see a fire truck up close and personal. They were also enthralled by the heavy-gear that the fighters wear to stay safe. Make sure to ask your child what he/she/they learned from the firefighters' visit. Thank you to Mr. Harrington for organizing this and to the entire Hudson Fire Department!
Lastly, thank you for the kind messages I received this week in response to my email home on Wednesday night. Thank you for trusting us with your most precious gift-your children. Have a lovely weekend!
Read Always,
Rachel Scanlon (she, her, hers)
Principal
NEED TO KNOWS:
October 30th:
- Caregivers Conferences will be launched at 3:00pm. You will be able to access PTC Fast at this link: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/C_A_Farley_Elementary_School
November 1st:
- Home and School Meeting @ 6:00pm. Join in person in the library or online: meet.google.com/kyj-jsgf-abr
November 10th:
- No School-Veteran's Day
November 15th and 16th:
- Half day for students
- Caregiver Conferences
November 22nd, 23rd, and 24th:
- No School-Thanksgiving Break
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
HERE ARE OUR NEWEST FARLEY FOX ROLE MODELS! BRAVO!
Football Stars
Special congrats this week goes to the Grade 4 Tackle Football team who is heading into week two of the playoffs. If they win this came on Sunday, they are off to the D2 Grade 4 Superbowl! Even though it is title Grade 4, we have some Farley 3rd graders also on the team. Way to go: Jameson, Zachary, Jordan S., Dimitri, Jordan D., Vincent, Owen, James, Mason, Maximus, Reilly, Matt, Greyson, and Sonny! Also, shout out to all the Farley Coaches: Mr. Roan, Mr. Duggan, Mr. Constantine, Mr. Harrington, and Mr. Bushey,
The playoff game is at 3:30pm on Sunday 10/29 at Ayer Shirley High school.
ELPAC SPOTLIGHT
WHAT IS ELPAC (ENGLISH LEARNER PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL)
Any school district or charter school operating a language acquisition program for ELs serving 100 or more English Learner (ELs) or in which ELs comprise at least five percent of the district's or charter school's student population, whichever is less, are required to establish an ELPAC. ELPACs are intended by law to advise school districts and schools regarding matters that impact ELs, such as providing advice on English learner education programs, meeting regularly with school officials about educational opportunities for ELs, and providing input on school or district improvement plans as they relate to ELs. Mrs. Wendy Anderson, the Director of English Leaner Education for HPS, will be holding ELPAC meetings throughout the year. The first meeting is November 30th from 5-6pm. These meetings will be held virtually. Here is the link to the Google Meet: meet.google.com/cuk-xsba-bqj. If you have any questions, please reach out to Wendy Anderson directly. Her contact information is below as well as a flier about the ELPAC meetings.
Wendy Anderson
Director of English Learner Education
Hudson Office of Multilingual Education
Hudson Public Schools
155 Apsley Street
Hudson, MA 01749
(978) 567-6100 ext. 41113
FARLEY HOME and SCHOOL ASSOCIATION UPDATES
WHO ALREADY SHOPS ONLINE?
THIS IS NOT A FUNDRAISER! I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A FUNDRAISER!
Farley Home and School is very excited to be running our SchoolStore.com Program again. For anyone who is new to Farley this is a program similar to Amazon Smiles. It is NOT another fundraiser where families are asked to donate any of their own money. Our school will receive a percentage of sales from all shopping done at over 400 online stores like Target, Kohl’s and Walmart. Whenever caregivers, friends or staff visit SchoolStore.com before linking to the store of their choice, we will receive a percentage back of those sales!
It is very important to note that our school does NOT run this as a typical fundraiser where we are recruiting others to shop. This is meant to be a way for our school community to benefit from shopping YOU were ALREADY planning on doing. Our Fun Run is OUR ONLY fundraiser for the school year and was extremely successful so no one should feel obligated to participate in school store at all after all the hard work you all put into Fun Run!
Because we use the program differently from other schools, the system automatically sends out MANY email reminders and the program uses the word fundraiser. Please know those do not come from Farley or our Home and School Association, they come from the School Store system without our knowledge. If you do not wish to receive emails any longer, please note the option at the bottom of the each emailed message that says, “If you do not wish to receive emails about this fundraiser, please go here .” When you do, you can instantly opt out.
Click the link below to see a list of the stores included:
https://www.schoolstore.com/info/stores.html
If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Sagor at tara.sagor@gmail.com.
PLEASE JOIN OUR NEXT HOME AND SCHOOL MEETING!
Please join Farley's Home and School Association's next meeting on Wednesday, November 1st at 6:00pm. We will meet in the library. Free childcare will be provided! You can also attend virtually using this link: meet.google.com/kyj-jsgf-abr
FARLEY FAMILY DIRECTORY IS COMPLETE!
Home and School has finished compiling all the contact information voluntarily submitted by Farley families for our school directory. The directory is linked below. Please note that this directory is published for the private use of Farley Elementary School Families only. This directory is for the personal use of the authorized reader and cannot be shared (including on social media), duplicated, or used for commercial purpose.
If you need to make any changes, would like to be added to the January edition please use the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12rqfjNoeFiZ_xDe9l3aU8lcdkYurOv_O/view?usp=sharing. Thank you to caregiver Sarah Tracy for creating the directory!
OTHER UPDATES AND REMINDERS
SCOUTING FOR FOOD
For over 30 years, Scouting for Food has taken place in Hudson, and once again the Scouts are asking for the entire community’s help with our annual “Scouting for Food” event. Troop 2 Boys, Troop 2 Girls, Troop 77, Cub Scout Pack 3104, Venture Crew 1923, and Hudson/Marlboro Girl Scouts will collect food and other non-perishable items for the Hudson Community Food Pantry. Farley Elementary will have two bins for food donations located in the main office lobby. See below for more detailed information.
WANT TO PLAY BASKETBALL?
Click the links to see how you can sign up for a basketball!
Basketball Flier-EnglishWHAT IS RTI?
All students at Farley take part in an RTI block. Response to Intervention (RTI) at Farley refers to the reading and math support given to students as a part of the regular education curriculum. It aims to make sure every child gets the help they need to succeed in math and reading. During the RTI block, students work in small groups of 3-4 students to achieve the goals determined by the literacy and math assessments as well as teacher observations. Regular education RTI may be provided by classroom teachers, math or reading interventionists, ESL teachers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals. Small groups, instructors, and goals change over the year, as students’ skills develop. If your child is receiving intervention services you will get an email that explains your child’s reading and/or math goal. We monitor student progress every 6-8 weeks and will keep you updated on your child’s progress. For more information about RTI, go to What is Response to Intervention (RTI)? | RTI Action Network.
ATTENDANCE LETTER RECAP
We are now almost two full months into the 2023-2024 school year and I know that you have many hopes and dreams for the days to come. To make sure those hopes and dreams are realized, I want to ask for your commitment to making sure your child attends school every day possible this year. The evidence is clear: children with good attendance are more likely to be successful in school and in life. Research shows that high attendance rates in elementary school are directly linked to high student achievement in high school and college.
Every day counts. Missing school even 10% of the time has a significant impact on reading and math achievement as children progress through school. Good attendance starts early. Attendance habits established Kindergarten through Grade 2 have lasting effects on students throughout their education: students with low attendance in the early grades are more likely to have low attendance—and lower academic performance—throughout middle and high school. Irregular attendance is also associated with higher high school drop-out rates.
As caregivers, you are your child’s most influential teacher, I am asking for your support in helping your child get to school every day and to get to school on time-by 8:35 every day. We realize that every family faces challenges. Please let your child’s teacher know if your family needs help dealing with a challenge to your child’s good school attendance. We will do our best to help you and your family ensure that your child’s school attendance stays on track.
Like last year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has mandated that families, whose children have 5 or more absences or 5 or more tardies be formally notified, in written form, of their child’s attendance. While Farley keeps accurate records of which absences are “excused” and “unexcused” the DESE does NOT distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absences.
Every school in the Hudson district will be sending these letters home twice month. Please do NOT worry or panic if you receive one of these notifications. We understand that kids, especially elementary age, get sick more often, have medical appointments, etc. We also understand that Covid-19 and the flu are still an issue. Farley staff always reaches out personally-via email or phone if attendance or tardies are a true concern. We like to work one-on-one with families to help rectify any attendance issues that arise. So, again, if you receive a letter in the mail, do not fret.
DON'T FORGET TO ATTEND MS. SUSANA'S PORTUGUESE STORY HOUR!
PAW PRINT REWARD STICKERS!
Students get Paw Print Stickers for going above and beyond. When a staff member "catches" them doing something spectacular, they get two stickers-one to wear and one to put on their homeroom Fox poster. When their classroom Fox poster fills up with stickers, they get to have a classroom celebration. If you see a paw print on your child's clothing or backpack, please ask them why they got it.
"ALL THINGS TECHNOLOGY"
Two weeks ago, Ellen Schuck, the Head of Technology for the district, sent out her Technology Newsletter. This publication has essential information about all things related to HPS technology, including how caregivers can access the "ASPEN Parent Portal". Below is the link to her newsletter.
HUDSON IS HIRING!
Farley is has filled all of their paraprofessional position but is still in need of Similar to last year, the Hudson Public Schools is in need of substitutes. We are looking for both day-to-day subs and permanent building subs. Day-to-Day subbing offers employees a flexible schedule. Our Permanent Building Substitute works every day but in a variety of classrooms. The permanent building substitute job is a salaried, benefit eligible position. If you are interested or would like more information, please feel free to email Mrs. Scanlon @ rscanlon@hudson.k12.ma.us or Mrs. Duke @ amduke@hudson.k12.ma.us directly to set up an interview. You can also apply online using the link below:
https://www.hudson.k12.ma.us/departments/human_resources/employment_opportunities
NEED MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SCHOOL AND THE DISTRICT?
IN NEED OF FOOD ASSISTANCE?
For help with food throughout the year, head to the MetroWestFoodCollaborative.org. In addition, "The Find Food Menu" on the MWFC website offers information about other food resources, where to find SNAP & HIP retailers, local farmer's markets and CSAs. Lastly, click the link or pictures below to get specific information about food options/distribution for Hudson residents.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GgOhaseQU4WCfjeKki-oMRrG_xQ3e7D4/view?usp=sharing
DON'T FORGET TO #EXPLAINYOURBRAIN
Farley's Instructional Focus is getting all students to "explain their brains" across all content areas. Whenever possible, don't forget to ask your child to explain their thinking and reasoning.
Farley Elementary School
Email: rscanlon@hudson.k12.ma.us
Website: https://cafarley.hudson.k12.ma.us/
Location: 119 Cottage Street, Hudson, MA, USA
Phone: 978-567-6153
MRS. MAGUIRE SAYS ARTSONIA IS FOR EVERYONE!
Here is a message from Mrs. Maguire our Art Teacher,
Hello Farley Families,
The Elementary Visual Arts Department is excited to announce the start of Artsonia in the coming weeks. Artsonia is the World’s Largest Student Art Museum. Yet it’s so much more than that! It’s a free, safe, educational program designed to connect parents and families with their child’s creative activities at school. Students will upload their own artwork at school and have the ability to upload artwork from home. See here for more information: Six Tips for Understanding Artsonia or About Artsonia
If you would NOT like to participate at this time please click this link to OPT-OUT by October 22. If you would like to participate please wait until next week for your school code and we will get started!
My hope is to start uploading student work before the end of October. Should you have any questions please feel free to email me at cpmaguire@hudson.k12.ma.us
Thanks so much,
Cassia Maguire
Visual Arts Teacher
C.A. Farley Elementary School