Abbot Update
February 11, 2022
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Abbot Families,
It was so nice to have a full five day week! I love this time of year in school, as it is such prime time for learning and it feels great when we can keep the momentum going. We celebrated the 100th day of school this week, which is always an exciting milestone!
One of the highlights of this week was Grade 5 Colonial Day. It felt like the good old days, and I don't just mean the colonial good old days, but the more recent good old days when our school would be full of parents supporting beloved special events. TODAY was one of those days! It was wonderful to see the students enjoying so many hands on activities such as finger weaving, candle making, lantern making, colonial games and so much more. A huge thank you to the MANY volunteers who came in to the classrooms to support this special Abbot tradition. We truly couldn't have done it without you.
We are looking forward to this last week before February vacation and celebrating Valentine's Day on Monday. I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day!
Please see below for important updates regarding MCAS testing, upcoming events and more.
Enjoy the weekend!
Sincerely,
Lori McDermott
Abbot School Principal
Raising Humans in a Digital World
MCAS Testing
The assessments will be administered March 28 – May 27. The tests are untimed, however, the recommended amount of testing time varies from 1 ¼ hours to 2 ½ hours per testing session and must be completed by the end of the school day. Please click here to see the 2022 MCAS Testing Schedule for Abbot School.
MCAS Resources for Parents/Guardians
Please feel free to reach out with any questions.
THIS WEEK
Valentine's Day Celebrations
I know many classrooms are planning for classroom celebrations on Valentine's Day and we are grateful to be able to celebrate all together in school this year. We are looking forward to another opportunity to have volunteers in the building to support our classroom celebrations. Please remember that food of any kind is not allowed at this time and should not be included as part of the valentine exchange.
Thank you for understanding and for finding creative ways to celebrate with our students!
Show Your Spirit
PTO Meeting
PTO Meeting
Wednesday, February 16 · 4:00 – 5:00pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ebj-sacp-cbc
REMINDERS FROM PREVIOUS UPDATES
A Message from the Cafeteria
1. Please check your student's lunch account regarding any balance owed - school lunch is free this year but that does not include desserts and extras such as an extra slice of pizza, nuggets, etc.
2. We suggest chatting with your student regarding expectations for desserts, extra entrees, etc and update and clarify with as much detail as possible any notes attached to your child's lunch account.
We want to support you with this in any way that we can, so the more we understand about your desires for your child, the more we can enforce that at school. Thank you!
Civil Rights Complaint Reporting Process
WPS has created a new reporting system for complaints to be filed for any discrimination that has occurred within the school community. QR codes and hard copies will be available at the Abbot School office and can be found on our website under the For Parent Tab.
DATES TO REMEMBER
FEBRUARY
- February 14 - Valentine's Spirit Day (wear red and/or pink)
- February 15 - Play Rehearsal - Full Cast & Crew (2:30-4:00 PM)
- February 16 - 5th Grade Band (7:30 AM), PTO Meeting (4:00-5:00 PM)
- February 17 - 5th Grade Chorus (7:30 AM), Play Rehearsal - Principal Roles (2:30-4:00 PM), Ghosts & Goblins (3:00-3:45 PM)
- February 21-25 - NO SCHOOL, February Vacation
COMMUNITY NEWS
Westford Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC)
On Wednesday, February 16 at 7PM, the Westford SEPAC and Westford Public Schools Office of Pupil Services is pleased to preset Dr. Ross Greene, Founding Director, Lives in the Balance. Dr. Greene is the originator of the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) model and author of books The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings.
To join us on this fantastic Zoom webinar presentation of Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, click this link:
https://zoom.us/j/97524668162?pwd=YzJlWTR0a0oxQ3c4TkREQWIrMGhPQT09
Westford Summer Music Program
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
WYBSL Spring 2022 Registration
Registration for the Westford Youth Baseball and Softball League Spring 2022 Season is currently open for all divisions. Please see details below and register soon!
Registration Details:
· Registration is open through March 15, 2022 for all divisions except for U6 Tee Ball and 6U Softball which are open through April 1, 2022.
· Register on or before January 31st, 2022 to receive the "Early Bird" discount. Registration fees will increase by $30.00 effective February 1, 2022 with the exception of U6 Tee Ball and 6U Softball.
· Athletes who turn 13 years old before the end of 2022 can register to be a Youth Baseball and/or Youth Softball Umpire. WYBSL will train youth umpires in the early Spring.
· Please note: In order to be eligible for the Cal Ripken Tournament team a player must play Spring rec.
· To view a complete list of spring programs and register online please visit www.WYBSL.com/registration
Westford Academy Last Night
For those of you who may not have heard of it, Westford Academy Last Night is a graduation celebration put on for the graduating seniors at Westford Academy every year. It is run by volunteers and funded by donations.
One of the favorite parts of the night is a raffle, where many of the graduating students have a chance to win a fabulous prize. In order to make this happen, we are looking for the help of our community. If you are able to donate, any gift, large or small would be appreciated.
You can purchase a gift thru the Amazon wish list:
https://www.amazon.com/.../custom/2R06FM62WYY1T/guest-view
Or make a donation thru walastnight.org
While WA Last Night may seem like a lifetime away for those families with young kids... it is not too early to help out! We need the help from everyone in our community to help make this event a success each year for our graduating seniors.
If you are looking for more information on donating or volunteering please visit our website at walastnight.org
Thank you, Kate Greene & Katelyn Bennett
Westford Youth Soccer Association (WYSA)
Westford Youth Soccer registration is open for spring 2022! Regular registration for Grades 3-8 closes on January 3rd; Grades 9-12 closes on January 30th; and Grades K-2 closes on March 1st. New and returning players are all welcome! Grades 3-6 have the option of choosing the Local Rec or Travel program. There are also opportunities for high school students to volunteer coach. For league contacts, information about each age group, and to register as a player or coach- please check out: westfordyouthsoccer.com. Or email rec@westfordyouthsoccer.com with any questions.
Abbot School
Email: lmcdermott@westfordk12.us
Website: https://www.westfordk12.us/as
Location: 25 Depot Street, Westford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-692-5580