Abbot Update
May 22, 2020
It was wonderful to see so many of you and your children on Tuesday. It was by far, the best day I've had since we were last in school on March 12th! We can't thank you enough for making the time and for being so organized in labeling library books and items for teachers and we loved the festive car decorations and positive messages. It is these kind gestures that make the Abbot community so special! Thank you!
Enjoy the long weekend!
Please see important updates below.
Sincerely,
Lori McDermott
Memorial Day
Attention Parents of Students in Grade 5
Grade 5 Virtual Class Completion Ceremonies for students and families will be held during the week of June 8th. You will be notified by your child's classroom teacher regarding the specific date and time for your class.
Although we all wish we could do this in person, we are excited to celebrate our fifth graders virtually as they conclude their elementary school experience.
Please use the link below to order your child's 5th Grade T-shirt.
https://csa-graphics.myshopify.com/products/abbot-school-class-of-2020-t-shirt
You can either pay to have it shipped to you or pick up at CSA directly.
Yearbook Cover Contest
We are so impressed with all the drawings submitted for the yearbook cover contest. There is certainly a lot of talent in our Abbot community. It was a tough decision but the votes are in and the winners are:
Front cover: Sherry Ye
Back cover: Sabrina Burns, Heath Parks, Finn Towers and Katelyn Walsh.
Thank you to everyone that participated!
Daily Challenges
This week's Daily Challenges:
Day 41 - Create a gratitude jar
Day 42 - Make a balloon animal
Day 43 - Mrs. Kelly's Abbot lego challenge
Day 44 - Write or record a video of where you would go on a Road Trip and what you would pack in the cooler
Day 45 - National Moment of Remembrance - At 3pm on Memorial Day, place your hand over your heart and remember those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice
More to come next week!
Choice Board Information
Please use this link to access the updated Grades 3-5 Choice Boards for May 18 - May 31, 2020. As a reminder, these Choice Boards provide lessons and activities in the following areas: Physical Education & Wellness; Mindfulness & Emotional Well-Being; Science & Engineering; Social Studies; and Visual & Performing Arts. Please note that the Choice Boards will be “refreshed” every two weeks.
The link can also be found under the For Students Tab on the Abbot School website.
reminders from previous updates
Morning Announcements
Attention Parents of 5th Graders
The following message was sent to all parents of Abbot fifth graders from Dr. Chew today:
Hello Future Stony Brook Families!
While I wish it were possible to meet everyone in person and welcome you to Stony Brook face to face, that will have to wait.
In the meantime, I created a video presentation that talks about Life in the Middle and hopefully provides a glimpse as to what your students can expect 6th grade to look like. Please take the 34 minutes and 30 seconds to enjoy my attempt at walking through our typical information session along with Mr. McElhinney's quick walk through the typical 6th graders day. Along with the video presentation, I am including the links to the actual slide presentation so that you can access the documents and resources linked in the slides as well as a link to the PBL Information Letter.
Video Presentation- https://youtu.be/k5sPu3ggXns
Slide Presentation- t.ly/YBKV
After viewing the information, please fill out this Team Structure Survey which is also included at the end of the presentation.
We all look forward to meeting you soon!
Chris
Dr. Christopher Chew
Principal
Stony Brook School
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-2708
PTO Elections
Our next PTO meeting will be held remotely on May 27, and we will be holding elections for the PTO Board for next year. Please consider attending the meeting, and please contact us for more information or check out the link below if you are interested in one of the following open positions: Secretary, School Store Committee, Spring Social Committee, Mini Grant Coordinator.
In addition, we are always looking for volunteers to get involved as general board members, or to help with any of our many events. Serving on the PTO board is a wonderful way to get involved at Abbot. The board sets the priorities for fundraising, community building activities, student enrichment, grants to Abbot teachers and staff and more. We are very flexible, and we can work with your schedule and interests! Please contact us at abbotschoolpto@gmail.com if you are interested in getting involved and we would love to discuss in more detail.
Lexia
Virtual Field Day
We are excited to share that Mr. Elder is organizing a Virtual Field Day for Abbot students and families in June. More details coming soon!
Virtual Band Concert
I'm excited to announce we will be having a virtual spring recital on Wednesday, June 3rd at 7:00pm. This would have been the night of our Spring Concert and since we are unable to be together in person I thought we could show some support for our student musicians virtually via google meet. Students will perform solo songs if they would like. Unfortunately due to lag time in sound we are unable to do group performances in real time on google meet.
4th and 5th grade band students can sign up HERE.
Please see the attached invitation for more details and information. All students, parents/families, as well as Abbot teachers/staff will be invited to join us on google meet on June 3rd.
Thank You,
Trish Gately
Social Emotional Support/Resources
A Message from our Abbot School Counselors
Did you know that Ms. Wendler and Ms. Newton have a Counseling Blog? During this time that we are not in school, it will be updated weekly with a few strategies for students and families, including some "mindfulness moment" ideas and some activities your child might want to try at home.
Please check out the link below:
Social Emotional Health and Well Being Website
The WPS School Psychologists, have created a terrific website for tips and resources during this challenging time. Click Here to check it out.
additional MESSAGES FROM WPS
Message From Superintendent Olsen
As we enter our seventh week of remote learning, I want to thank you for the unwavering commitment toward making this new form of learning work as successfully as possible. We have all spent time reflecting on what we are doing and how we are doing it. Our ability to adapt to changes in life and recalibrate our positions and direction going forward have been significantly tested. Although each day seems to present a new challenge, these challenges will help to build our individual and collective resilience as we move forward.
This week (May 18-22) the Governor is expected to present more information on his proposed four-phase plan for business reopening in Massachusetts. We will be eager to know if Governor Baker will be addressing any additional timeliness pertaining to public education. It is expected that the Commissioner of Education, Jeff Riley will provide school systems with additional guidance on summer programs shortly.
Commissioner Riley is presently conducting a survey of the state’s educators to assess the current state of remote learning in Massachusetts. The purpose of the survey is to “better understand the various approaches that districts and schools are taking to engage students in learning while school buildings are closed.” The results of the survey will assist the Commissioner in prioritizing areas of guidance and support to school systems as we move forward with the summer and fall.
In addition, Commissioner Riley has established a “Return to School Working Group”. This working group is comprised of nearly thirty members from education, public safety, healthcare, business, religion, and state agencies. Recommendations from the group will help the Commissioner to develop a PreK to grade 12 summer and fall restart and recovery plan.
In Westford, I have assembled a committee to develop specific recommendations on procedures for reopening our school system whether it is in a traditional “brick and mortar” environment or a continuation of remote learning mode, or a combination of the two. This pandemic could result in long-term changes to the way we provide educational services to students for years to come. This will involve much reflection and discussion at the federal, state, and local levels. Our local planning committee is studying issues within the topics of:
• Teaching and Learning
• General School Operations
• Facilities
• Hygiene Protocols
The committee will spend a considerable amount of time studying the many issues that fall within each of the above-mentioned topics and we will be providing pandemic updates to the school committee, staff, students, and residents.
We are all doing our best to meet the present challenges, and we must be as understanding, respectful, caring, and resilient as possible.
With warm regards,
Everett V. Olsen, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools
School Choice
WPS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING ADDITIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE STUDENTS FOR THE 2020/2021 SCHOOL YEAR
The annual School Choice Public Hearing was held on Monday evening, May 18, 2020. The School Committee voted, in support of the Superintendent's recommendation, not to participate in the School Choice Program for the 2020/2021 school year. Westford will not be accepting School Choice applications for the 2020/2021 school year.
A Message From WPS Food Service
Westford Public Schools remains dedicated to offering lunches to our students. Parents may order lunches on a weekly basis using an online sign-up sheet found on the district website via this LINK.
This week, in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, a four-day supply of lunch items will be available for pick up on Tuesday, May 26th at the side entrance of the Westford Academy cafeteria. Pick-up times are from 10:30 to 12:00 noon.
Lunch orders need to be placed weekly, by Sunday night at 6:00, for the upcoming week.
Regards,
Colleen
Food Service Director
cwallace@westfordk12.us
A Message From Brian Roark, K-12 PE/Health and Wellness Curriculum Coordinator
Hello Families,
I hope this message finds you and your family well during this challenging time. I'm excited to bring this opportunity to our school community, but also the community of Westford. All are welcome to participate; families, students, staff and community members. I hope this project inspires us both individually and as a whole, to be mindful of our health and wellness during these times.
For directions on how you and your family can participate and contribute, open the attached pdf below or visit Where in the World Will Westford GO?!.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing where Westford will go!
K-12 PE/Health and Wellness Curriculum Coordinator
Community News
FAME will host the 'Music in Our Schools' Online Auction
May 25-June 8
FAME will host the 'Music in Our Schools' Online Auction
Open to the Public. Online Only. Register Now to Bid.
Instruments, Cultural Arts, Entertainment and much more ....
All proceeds support music education and senior scholarships.
https://www.32auctions.com/FAME2020
Friends Advancing Music Education (FAME) is a non-profit all-volunteer parent organization that supports music programs in WPS K-12.
Despite our best efforts to recruit new volunteers over the last few years, we see the same parents volunteering their time and energy to fill critical leadership positions on the board and 3 out of 6 board positions will be vacant for '20-21 . Without new parent volunteers to fill key positions this year, FAME will face eminent dissolution of our non-profit organization. Interested in joining FAME, now is the time.Email fame.westford1@gmail.com with questions about open positions or to join our final virtual meeting of the year on Tues, June 9, 7 pm.
Westford Summer Music Program
Due to school closure through the end of FY 20, unfortunately there will be no Westford Summer Music program this July.
COVID-19 INFORMATION
WPS COVID-19 Website
The district will be sharing information regarding COVID-19 on the WPS website that will be updated regularly. Please click HERE to check it out.
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