DIARY OF DAWSON SCHOOL
Summer 2020
Video Message from Mrs. Wallace
Mrs. Rutledge - Happy Retirement
On behalf of the Dawson School Community please join me in congratulating Mrs. Rutledge, a long time Dawson teacher in grades 3 and 4, on her upcoming retirement. Mrs. Rutledge came to Dawson to pursue her passion for teaching as a second career. Over the years Mrs. Rutledge has been an extraordinary member of our educational community and is beloved by her colleagues, students, and parents. We wish Mrs. Rutledge the very best in continuing to pursue her passions and interests in this next phase of her life. Her endless dedication and constant presence at Dawson will be truly missed by all.
Mrs. Crowley - Sabbatical
It is with great pleasure that I share the news that Jen Crowley, grade 3 teacher at Dawson School will be taking the 2020-2021 School year to pursue a one-year sabbatical. Please join me and our Dawson team in wishing Ms. Crowley well in her year away from teaching. We look forward to welcoming her back upon the conclusion of her sabbatical.
Mrs. Bischoff Message
On behalf of the entire Dawson community, I want to thank our families and students for your collaboration and positivity throughout the year. Our community, as well as many others, have had to face challenges this year but each step of the way we faced them together, as one. The partnership between school and home has been critical to the growth and successes that your children have demonstrated over the past several months and for that I thank you. With this note, I am wishing for each of you a healthy, restful and rejuvenating summer. We cannot wait to welcome your children back upon our reopening and to have their chatter in the hallways, the engagement in the classrooms, and once again be graced with the gift of watching your children grow.
I miss you Dawson Dolphins!
Mrs. Bischoff
Dawson's Farewell Parade
Grading for Quarter Four
First of all, thank you for supporting remote learning during this unusual time. Secondly, thanks for working with us to share your concerns. Your questions and ideas made good work better. The small adjustments we have made “along the way” were made possible with your feedback, and we remain really grateful for your help.
One of the questions we’ve fielded has to do with grading. How will we assess children in a remote environment? Across the Commonwealth, everyone has been asking this same question. It’s critical that we acknowledge just how challenging an experience this has been for students and families. Just as we cannot hope to replicate school, we do not plan to replicate typical grading practices. We established grading guidelines as part of the WRSD Remote Learning Plan.
What will be the same?
The report card itself will look the same. Families will access report cards online to allow for safe and efficient sharing of information. Educators will continue to use the comment section as a place to convey specific and individualized information.
What will be different?
In a word, grades. The meaning of the word ‘assess’ comes from the Latin assidere, or ‘sit by’ . We have not had the opportunity to sit by our students for far too long. Further, we know that some students have experienced difficulty just trying to remain connected to school. For this reason, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has strongly recommended that districts use a Pass/ Fail approach to grading. In Wachusett, educators in grades Pre K-5 will report final grades using the terms “progressing towards meeting expectations” or “not progressing towards meeting expectations.” Of course, all of our teachers will give flexibility and consideration for each family’s circumstances. You will see that there will not be any “grades” listed in the quarter four columns. Teachers will only be entering information in the comment section of the report card.
Parents have expressed concern about students being retained as a result of the school closure. Your child will not be retained; he/she will be moving onto the next grade. As you know, given the extended closure it’s expected that all children will return with some gaps- and our educators will be prepared to address them when we come back together.
Next Year Supply Lists
Melissa Wallace, Lead Learner and Principal of Dawson Elementary School
Email: melissa_wallace@wrsd.net
Website: http://www.wrsd.net/dawson/
Location: 155 Salisbury Street, Holden, MA, USA
Phone: 508-829-6828
Facebook: facebook.com/DawsonElementarySchoolDolphins
Twitter: @dawsondolphin