Lowell Family Newsletter
March 20, 2022
Table of Contents
Reminder- Early Release Thursday, March 24th
Celebration Video- Students in Their New school
Message from Mrs. Phelan
Living our CORE values
Resetting Expectations
Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Council
Math Program Review
Tiered Monitoring Survey
Parent-Teacher Conferences
MCAS Dates
Lunch Menus Phillips and LW
Scenes from Lowell
What's Happening Around Town
Message from Community Ed
Parents Recreational Softball Sign-up
Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming Events and Save the Dates
Thursday, March 24th is Early Release Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Students are released at 12:15.
- There is no lunch service students will receive a bagged lunch.
- Teachers will attend professional development.
Watch Our Video
Message from Principal Phelan
Dear Families,
I've been asked to keep supplying the COVID metrics for Lowell School. Last week our pool testing isolated one positive COVID case at the Phillips campus. We identified two positive cases through home-administered tests at the Lowell West Campus. While I have been sharing information from pooled testing, you can find comprehensive covid data on the dashboard shared by the Superintendent. Home testing is the best way to keep our community well. We appreciate your efforts to monitor symptoms and notify our nurses of any positive COVID cases.
This week we focused on resetting of commitment to Responsive Classroom and living our CORE values of Kindness, Cooperation, Perseverance, and Integrity. Teachers and staff are taking the time to reset and revisit our core values and classroom expectations. For example, grade two will pose questions in each Newsletter (Smore) that they would like families to discuss at home. They will then continue this discussion in class during the morning meeting time, asking children to share their thoughts. This weeks' questions are:
How do we show cooperation at school?
How do we show cooperation at home?
Please take a few minutes to ask your child to recite our pledge or give you an example of how they lived their core values today.
We look forward to seeing you during parent-teacher conferences over the next two weeks. You can expect to receive a progress report during your child's meeting. If you cannot attend a conference, you will receive your student's progress report by email.
Happy Spring!
Stacy
Living the Core Value of Kindness in Third-grade!
Expectations for Fifth-grade Lunch and Quiet Time
Kindergarten Living the Core Value of Integrity
Diversity Inclusion and Belonging Council for Families
Join Zoom Meeting
https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/83700552619
Agenda
Welcome
Brief Update on Events
Carey Conkey-Finn from WFPL will give us an update on Community Events
Open Discussion of the Equity Audit
Lowell DIB has joined Hosmer and Cunniff is signing the following letter.
Here are some events being planned for Pride Month:
1.) Sat. 6/4 Pride Block Party in Saltonstall
2.) Pronoun Workshop hosted by SpeakOUT Boston (not sure of the date yet)
3.) Thurs. 6/16, Quyen Tran (Watertown drag king) to perform
4.) Screening of the film Major (https://www.missmajorfilm.com/) (not sure of the date. yet)
5.) Negotiations with GBPFLAG and OUT Metrowest to do a program on parents’ process to accept/embrace their child’s gender identity/fluidity
Thursday, Mar 24, 2022, 07:00 PM
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Recruiting Parents for K-12 Math Program Focus Group
K-12 Math Program Review
Parent & Caregiver, Math Focus Group
Watertown Public Schools K-12 Math Program is completing the first phase of a review of the math program. Professionals from other districts will be visiting Watertown for two days in late March to conduct a review of math curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
We are looking for a diverse group of elementary parents and caregivers to participate in a parent focus group with the reviewers. You will be asked various questions about your perspective of your student’s mathematics experience in WPS. Details are below.
Elementary Parent & Caregiver Math Focus Group
Date: Tuesday, March 29th, 2022
Time: 2:30 - 3:15 pm
Location: On Zoom
Please email Elizabeth Kaplan, K-7 Math and Science coordinator by Thursday, March 24th if you are interested in participating. Thank you! elizabeth.kaplan@watertown.k12.ma.us
Parents with students served by our Special Education Department
Dear parents with students whose students are served by an IEP, please take a few minutes to participate in the parent survey from DESE for families of students with disabilities that is part of our Tiered Focused Monitoring this spring.
Menu for the Week of March 7-11
Phillip Building
Lowell West
Scenes From Around Lowell
What's Happening Around Town
Message from Community Ed.
Mark your calendars, online registration for Community Education's 2022 April Vacation Program, Space Explorer Week, opens at 7:00 PM on Monday, March 21st! Spaces are limited, please register early. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Click the link to their flyer below for full details https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BFIwGkUUmbtU98S8O2iXWhGTZbfY7FV3/view?usp=sharing
Please reach out to Debi Cornelius at debora.cornelius@watertown.k12.ma.us and Jeff Bodner at jeffrey.bodner@watertown.k12.ma.us with any questions regarding the 2022 April Vacation Week Program.
Watertown Challenger Baseball
Watertown Challenger Baseball Seeks “Buddies” to Help Athletes
The Watertown Challenger Baseball program allows children with special needs to participate in little leaguebaseball in a safe environment.
What Are “Buddies”?
A Buddy’s job is simply to be a friend, engage his buddy in conversation, if possible; help him/her hit, throw, catch the ball if needed, keep the child’s attention on the game and make sure that the players are safe and no one gets hit with a ball or bat. This becomes a rewarding experience for both the player and the Buddy. Buddies have to be in the eighth grade or older and can earn community service credits.
We are looking for a full season (8 weeks) commitment and ask that Baseball Buddies arrive 15 minutes before the games. The Baseball Buddies program allows the parents to receive a much-deserved break and cheer the players from the stands.
When:
Sundays from 10am-noon for 8 weeks beginning on Sunday, May 1, 2022
Where:
Bemis Park
(Bridge St and Waltham St)
Registration:
Buddy registration can be found >Here. All volunteers are required to fill out a CORI form.
For more information contact: andrewcivetti@wybb.org
Mark Your Calendar
School Committee Meeting
Monday, March 21, 7:00 pm
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION VIA ZOOM AT:
https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/88289821256
Elementary School Evening Conferences- Zoom
Wednesday, March 23th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Elementary School Early Release
Thursday, March 24, 12:15 Dismissal (Lunch is bagged)
Conferences: 1:00-2:30
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Council - Adults
Thursday, March 24
7:00–8:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/86985632231
Elementary School Conferences
Thursday, March 24, 12:15 Dismissal (Lunch will be bagged)
Conferences: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Elementary School Evening Conferences
Monday, March 28, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Anti-Bias Coalition Meeting
Monday, March 28, 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Description: Meetings will be held in a hybrid model. The physical location will be on the 3rd floor of the Phillips Building in room 301.
Join Zoom Meeting https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/82142739210?pwd=MjZZL3JURU5RdUtYc3ZNVHlockVCQT09
Elementary Schools Early Release
Tuesday, Marth 29th, 2:15 Dismissal (Lunch will be bagged)
Conferences: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
MCAS Dates for Spring 2022
ELA: April 12th & 14th Grades 3, 4, & 5
Math: May 16th & 17th Grades 3, 4, & 5
Science: May 24th & 25 Grade 5 Only
Upcoming Events
Parents' Recreational Softball League
A group of parents is trying to put together a recreational softball league for parents of kids in the Watertown schools. The idea is for it to be super relaxed and open to people of all skill levels. Teams would be school-based to give parents a fun opportunity to socialize and build community with other parents at their kid’s school.
If you might be interested in participating (or, even better, helping to organize!), please fill out the Google Doc below
Special In-Person Family Event
Sunday, March 27, 1:00–4:00 pm
Free with regular admission
Admissions require reservation
Amazing Archaeology Fair at Harvard
Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, 6 Divinity Avenue
Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue
Experience an epic day of archaeological events with the family! Activities are scattered across two museums so explore Native North American, Central American, Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Mediterranean archaeology. Throw a spear with a spear thrower. Talk to student archaeologists who excavate in locations around the world.
Free parking at 52 Oxford Street Garage
Virtual Family Program
Wednesday, April 6, 4:00–4:45 pm ET
Free
Afterschool Animal Encounters: Super Skeletons
How do animals change as they grow? What do skeletons have to do with how an animal moves? How do animals today compare with their ancient ancestors? Get the answers to these questions and more with human museum staffers Javier and Arielle. Each month we will discuss a different theme while sharing specimens from the museum collections and interacting with some of the museum’s incredible live animals!
Do snakes have bones? Can a turtle crawl out of its shell? How far could you jump if you were a frog? Looking at skeletons can help us answer these questions! Comparing the skeletons of different animals can help us learn more about how they live and move. Join human museum staffers Arielle and Javier as they lead you in a 45-minute program with live animals and specimens from the museum collections. This event will be fun for the whole family so bring your questions and sense of wonder.
Upcoming Programs for Kids and Families
Now Register for Summer Science Weeks
5/4 Afterschool Animal Encounters: Ancient Ancestors
5/15 In-person Family Workshop: Colossal Heads of Mexico
Lowell Elementary
30 Common Street
Watertown, Ma 02742
Telephone: 781-899-3701
Lowell West Location
175 Main Street
Waltham, Ma 02451
Telephone: 617-926-7770
Email: stacy.phelan@watertown.k12.ma
Website: http://watertownjrlowell.ss19.sharpschool.com/
Phone: 781-926-7770
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JRLowellElementary