MHS/WES Newsletter
October 3, 2019
News from the Principal
Spring 2019 MCAS Reports for Grades 4 & 5
The spring 2019 MCAS results have arrived. Individual Parents/Guardian score reports will be mailed home on Friday. Each year we analyze our school’s performance to inform curriculum decisions and improve our teaching practices. Although these reports provide valuable information, they provide only one piece of the greater picture. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher or myself. We are happy to help!
Parent Teacher Conferences
It is hard to believe that the first set of Parent Teacher Conferences begins next week. This is a time to establish a connection with your child's teacher and learn how your child is progressing in school. Please ask questions and use this time to share important information from your perspective. We are a team!
Tumble Book Library
This is a wonderful online library for families to access at home. The Tumblebooks website has over 1000 titles. It includes animated talking picture books, chapter books, videos, non-fiction titles, playlists and much more. You may access Tumblebooks anytime from our MHS and WES websites under "Quick Links" on our homepage or on our "Student Links and Resources" webpage.
IMPORTANT SCHOOL DATES
- October 3, 10 & 17~FREE Parents'/Caregivers' Workshops~See community flyers tab for more information
- October 10~1/2 day (Noon Dismissal) at MHS & WES Parent Conferences
- October 14~NO SCHOOL; Columbus Day
- October 16~ MHS/WES PTO Meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the WES Library
- October 17~1/2 day (Noon Dismissal) at MHS & WES Parent Conferences
- October 21~PTO Boosterthon Fundraiser begins
- October 30~PTO Booster Fun/Glow Run (K-5)
- November 5~No School~Staff Development Day
- November 11~No School~Veteran's Day
- November 20~MHS/WES PTO Meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the WES Library
- November 27~1/2 day~All Schools~Thanksgiving Holiday
- November 28 & 29~No School~Thanksgiving
- Jan. 6th ~ Math-A-thon Kick-off
Jan. 17th ~ Math-A-thon Permission slips due
Feb. 14th ~ Math-A-thon Donations/prize sheets due
News from Our School Adjustment Counselors
NOTES TO SCHOOL
If you are sending in a note about your child, please include their FIRST and LAST name and who their teacher is. All notes get sent to the office via your child's teacher to be processed. Some families have several different last names or there are many common last names in the school so it becomes difficult tracking down the right student to the right note. Thank you
~Secretaries at MHS and WES
Greetings from the Purple Pallette & Paintbrush! (a T.A.B.-learning environment. Choice based art learning)
Our creativity is off to a GREAT start! Kindergartners are learning about the Meetinghouse Art Studio by exploring drawing tools, paint sticks, paper scraps and art games. Our first "skill-builder" will be soon: "Collage and Overlapping Shapes". Grade 1 has been reviewing what they remember from the Art Studio from last year and have started off their learning with the Drawing Studio and the Art Games Center. Our Class Mascot, "Cookie" (the puppet) helps to introduce art demonstrations and tell stories. :-)
*PARENTS OF KINDERGARTNERS: I will be posting children's artwork to a website called "Artsonia". An email was sent out a few weeks ago regarding parent permission. The school already has "permission to use the website in the classroom", but if you would like to see your child's artwork from your devices, you need to click on "permission granted" from that email. Please let me know if you did not receive that! It is a "one-time permission" for all 6 years here at MHS/WES.
News from the WES Art Studio: Grades 2-5 began their creative journeys by reviewing the Art Studio guidelines for work and behavior as well as enjoying some choice activities from the Drawing Studio, Building Design and the Inspiration Station. Grades 4 and 5 participated in a "Task Party". (Task Party was developed by Artist Oliver Herring and adapted for my studio by me. Ask your kids about it. SUPER fun/funny!!!) Everyone has received a class portfolio and class art journal to work in during the school year.
WES students also have an Artsonia account and I am in the process of teaching them how to upload their own artwork using the Artsonia classroom app on the Art Studio iPads. (If you have a WES student and have not granted parent permission on Artsonia, would you please take the time to check that out?) Thanks!!!!
Lastly, I am introducing "Inktober" to the students at WES. Inktober is a program where a set of daily word prompts are posted and the children make a drawing based on those words. Many artists around the country participate each October. (Google "Inktober" for more information)
I will be setting up a mini-pop-up art gallery for all Inktober submissions for display in the Art/Music hallway.
Keep creating, making, painting, gluing and IMAGINING!
Ms. Banning
News from Kindergarten!!
Kindergarten teachers would like to thank the families that came out to share in our Open House with us. We loved having everyone visit and enjoyed seeing students from past years as well! The very next day we went on a field trip to Wachusett Meadow in Princeton. The day was beautiful for taking a nature hike, observing living things that the meadow offers and eating lunch outside. Lots of fun was had by all!
As the year progresses, it is so rewarding to see the children becoming more independent. In school, we encourage children to be as independent as possible. Please help us out by teaching your child to tie, zip, and button clothing on their own. As they become independent, their confidence grows. Children develop a sense of responsibility and pride….. maybe even give them a chore or two to do at home??????
Just a reminder on a few things….
*Parent-Teacher Conferences are on October 10th and October 17th. We look forward to meeting with you. If you have not yet signed up for a conference, please contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible.
**Also, children in Kindergarten are very lucky to have the opportunity to walk with their class to the town library, approximately 1x per month. Every child in Kindergarten is able to get their own library card. Please make sure all paperwork (application for card and permission slip) is returned, so we can start the process. Thanks!
***Our annual Costume Parade is on the morning of October 31st. We encourage costumes that are appropriate for school. So, no weapons or blood please. Relatives/friends are invited to come see our parade.
Fourth Grade News
Fourth grade students have been working hard on building their classroom communities through a variety of engaging team-building activities. We have learned a lot about each other and we’re focused on spreading kindness around like confetti! We are also thrilled to have a new member joining our Fourth Grade Team this year, Mrs. Quinn. Welcome! During our science and social studies blocks, we reviewed continents and oceans, as well as ways to locate them on maps. Up next is looking at how those continents formed by studying Earth’s changes. We hope everyone has a wonderful fall and we look forward to seeing you at conferences!
Thank you!!
Fourth Grade Team
PTO News
COMING SOON: WES & MHS Fun Run!
Westminster Elementary and Meetinghouse School are hosting a fundraiser, and our goal is to raise $15,000 for playground equipment/ improvements, school-wide cultural events, field trips, and much more.
In just a few weeks from now, family and friends will support our school by giving pledges towards the number of laps your student will run on the day of the Fun Run.
We’ve asked the fundraising experts at Booster to power our program, making our fundraising simpler, more profitable, and more fun.
Click the link below to learn more about our upcoming program!
In the past our schools have profited $30,000 to fund a new kiln for the art room, playground equipment, a few AC units and two filtered water bottle filling stations (coming soon). Help us reach our goal this year by connecting with sponsors!
Pledging Opens – 10/15
Log on to FUNRUN.COM
Pep Rally – 10/21
Event Day – 10/30 SAVE THE DATE! You’re Invited!
We’ll be sharing more information over the next few weeks.
Thanks so much!
Westminster PTO
Flu Clinics are coming!!!
Westminster-Ashburnham Flu Clinic Information
Stop the Flu this year before the flu stops YOU!!
The clinics will be held at the following locations:
Meetinghouse School
8 South Street
Westminster, MA 01473
School Cafeteria
Tuesday, October 15th, 4-7 pm
Oakmont High School
11 Oakmont Avenue
Wyman-Theirran Gym
Ashburnham, MA 01430
Thursday, October 24, 3-6 pm
Westminster Board of Health Nashoba Board of Health
Flu Clinics are free, but please remember to bring your insurance card(s).
If you have any questions, please contact Ally Law, RN, BSN at 978-874-0163 x 304.