Abbot Update
September 4, 2020
Dear Abbot Families,
Abbot School is coming to life and we couldn't be more excited! The teachers have been busy moving furniture, organizing supplies, creating beautiful bulletin boards, attending trainings, preparing lessons and collaborating to create a welcoming classroom and virtual environment for our students. Ms. Edgecomb and Mrs. Roberge have been hard at work in the office helping with pod placement, registering new students, preparing documents and answering many questions. The custodial team continues to work tirelessly to put the finishing touches on our building's deep clean in preparation for a safe reopening. I am so appreciative of everyone's hard work.
As a district-wide leadership team, we have continued to dedicate our time to the development of pods and class placements. As we shared last week, we take the placement process very seriously and will continue to fine tune the details by collaborating with our colleagues across the district. We are expecting to share class placements after Labor Day. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we give student placement the time and attention needed to ensure a successful year for all our students.
Have a wonderful LONG weekend!
Please see below for important information and reminders.
Sincerely,
Lori McDermott & Carolyn Jerzylo
Parent Information Night
We are looking forward to seeing you at our Virtual Welcome Back to School Information Night on Thursday, September 10 at 6:30 PM.
Mrs. Jerzylo and I look forward to to providing school specific details around a hybrid school day, including arrival/dismissal, transitions, mask breaks/snack, classroom instruction in both the hybrid and the Remote Learning Academy (RLA) models, along with health and hygiene information.
We will share the meeting links next week.
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, September 10 at 6:30 PM.
Grade 3 Student Orientation
This year WPS has built in an orientation day for our students who are transitioning from Nab to Abbot. Typically our grade 3 student orientations take place in the spring. However, due to the school closure in March, we have built time into the calendar for a fall orientation day. We look forward to welcoming our new third grade students to Abbot on September 15, 2020. We will be hosting our orientation sessions by pod. The hybrid pods will meet in person and the remote learning pods will meet virtually. We are all so excited to welcome our third graders to Abbot!
Please stay tuned for more information as finalize the details for this important event.
Remote Learning Academy Material Pick-up Day
Curriculum Nights
PTO Update
Thank you to everyone who has completed the PTO Google form, which includes permission to include your contact information in the Abbot Directory and permission to include your child’s photo and name in the Abbot Yearbook.
https://forms.gle/4xrNKGAuLoXRJ97L7
Third grade parents: The Abbot PTO is happy to be able to provide an Abbot t-shirt complimentary to welcome all incoming third grade students. These shirts will be distributed shortly after school begins. If you have opted for remote learning, stay tuned for more information about delivery of your student's shirt! When filling out the Google Form linked above, please be sure to provide your child’s T-shirt size. Please complete this form at your earliest convenience that we can have the shirts shortly after the students return to school.
Many PTO operations will be on hold this fall, but we are planning to hold a meeting on September 29 at 4:00 PM (remotely, via Zoom) to discuss the coming school year. All are welcome! We are still seeking a Secretary for this coming school year. If you are interested, or if you have any questions, please let us know at abbotschoolpto@gmail.com.
Like and Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with everything the PTO is up to: https://www.facebook.com/abbotschoolpto In addition, the Abbot PTO sends out a monthly newsletter as well as occasional updates and calls for volunteers. Please subscribe to our electronic newsletter using this link: https://tinyurl.com/AbbotNewsletter
Important Health Information from Mrs. Grassi
Below you will find three important resources from our school nurse, Mrs. Grassi:
1. Please watch this presentation called Covid-19 What I Need to Know with your child.
2. Please carefully review this Covid-19 Screening Tool for parents to check their children daily.
3. Our nurses have been working diligently to create this website and blog that includes helpful information on Covid-19 resources, medication, allergy forms, etc. Please visit the website often to stay informed.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Grassi at tgrassi@westfordk12.us.
A Message from WPS K-12 Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Coordinator
Dear Parents,
Please see the link below for access to the Elementary Instrumental Music Presentation which will give you all of the information you need about how Strings and Band will be offered this year. Please don't hesitate reaching out to me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Andrea Mejia, K-12 Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Coordinator
Thank you!
Andrea Mejia
K-12 Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Coordinator
Westford Public Schools
Twitter: @andrea_mejia3
Social Emotional Health & Well-being Website Update
The School Psychologists created a website dedicated to Social Emotional Health and Well-being. As we return to school, we will continue to focus on the implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) throughout our school. Click here to access the updated Back to School page.
reminders from previous updates
In case you missed Chromebook Pickup Day
No worries! Please contact Ms. Edgecomb at sedgecomb@westfordk12.us to schedule a time to for pickup.
Reminders about Chromebooks:
All students in the hybrid model will need to use a school device. At the K-8 level, students are not permitted to bring their own device from home for use in school. Students who will be attending the Remote Learning Academy may choose to pick up a school device or not; however, WPS will not be able to provide tech support for personal devices.
Each student will receive one chromebook and a charger. The students will be expected to bring the Chromebook to and from school each day, as it will be utilized throughout the school day in all learning areas.
In the event a student forgets their Chromebook or needs their assigned Chromebook to be repaired, there will be a limited amount of loaner devices available at the school. A detailed handout will be attached to each chromebook with appropriate use expectations, log in information, technology tips and resource assistance.
Please review this Chromebook information document carefully. Thank you!
School Start/End Times
We are planning to begin the school year with our existing start/end times (8:25 AM-2:30 PM). Students in the hybrid model will end their in-person learning time on the early release schedule at 11:40 AM. After the first full week we will have a better idea of how it's working out and may need to make a slight revision to these times.
Bus Registration
Bus registration is open and live. This year we are using MySchoolBucks.com as the registration and payment portal.
Masks are mandatory on the bus for all K-12 students.
Bus fees for September through January are $150 for the first student, $300 for two students, $400 for three or more students. The family cap is $400.
More information is available on the district website: https://www.westfordk12.us/district/transportation
Link to bus registration Grades K-5:
https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZHCKVF90G01ERQ_ZZJGWKDLTJ0O9Q2
Bus Safety Video
Flu Shot
SEL Reopening Committee's "commercial" featuring WPS students
Check out our SEL Reopening Committee's "commercial" that was put together with WestfordCAT, featuring our very own Westford students. It's being run on the local cable network.
Made me miss the students even more than I already do!!!
Elementary FAQs
Revised 2020-2021 WPS School Calendar
Click HERE or see the attachment below for the 2020-2021 WPS School Calendar.
September
- September 10 - Parent Information Night (6:30-7:30 PM)
- September 15 - Grade 3 Orientation Day for Hybrid Pods A & B (Time TBD), Grade 3 RLA Virtual Orientation (Time TBD)
- September 15 - RLA Materials Pick-up (Time TBD)
- September 16 - First Day of School
- September 29 - PTO Meeting (4:00 PM)
Abbot School
Email: lmcdermott@westfordk12.us
Website: https://www.westfordk12.us/as
Location: 25 Depot Street, Westford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-692-5580
Twitter: @AbbotElementary