Lowell Parent Newsletter
June 13, 2021
Table of Contents
Tips for Heading to the Middle School
Math Night Resources
Juneteenth Resources
Highlights from Our Week
Important Dates
Grade 5 Moving On Open Circles - SEL Team
Fun Day Message
Note from our Nurse- medication, epi-pen, and inhaler pick-up
Parent Diversity Council invitation Thursday at 7:00 pm
Art Showcase link
Summer Enrichment Opportunities for rising 6th-12th grade students
Summer Solstice Celebration
PTO Corner
Elementary Summer Resources Zearn and iReady
Summer Loner Devices
Summer Reading
Lowell Highlights from Field Day Week! Ms. Donahue and Ms. Loguidice
Message from Stacy
Greetings Lowell,
We are kicking off our final full week of the school year. As we come to the end of this school year, I can't help but notice students have been struggling with their peers a little more than usual. Last week several students needed extra guidance support or were referred to the office for support from Candice and me. This is by no means uncommon. However, it does seem to be more than usual for the end of the school year.
Of course, the kids and staff are all looking forward to summer vacation and having a less hectic schedule. But some students and many adults worried about the lack of structure the school year brings.
This year, this is even more true because we just got back together after such a long time away from each other. Deep down inside, the kids don't want to see this come to an end. They love seeing their friends and teachers.
Here are a few tips from Scholastic Parent News that might help frame what's happening and how we can support students as they transition to summer.
The end of the school year brings the expected joy at finishing another year and perhaps some sadness at leaving behind a year filled with great experiences, teachers, and friends. Consider that this may be a bittersweet time for your child, and help him celebrate as you ease any anxiety associated with the end-of-school days.
Communicate and Connect
The daily life and structure of school, your child, has grown used to is about to end. She may be overjoyed to enter the free and easy days of summer, but more likely, she is probably experiencing some nervousness about leaving the familiar world of school. Will she see her friends over the summer? Will she ever see her teacher again? She may even already be worried about the unfamiliar name she's heard the next grade.
- Let your child know that he doesn't have to feel unequivocally happy about school ending even though his classmates may seem through-and-through ecstatic about the prospect of summer vacation. Relate a personal story about when you were sad to leave school or ask him to tell you what he'll miss about being in school.
- Help your child keep in touch with classmates. Ask her which friends she'd like to keep seeing over the summer, and gather contact information for them. Before school is out, arrange some summer playdates for her to know that she can look forward to seeing her class friends weeks after school ends. If your older child has an email account, encourage her to keep in touch by computer.
- If your child is attached to his teacher, have him write an end-of-year thank-you letter or card, or create another kind of remembrance. Working on the project will help him feel connected to his teacher, and he'll appreciate the idea of giving something that will last beyond his attendance in class.
- Finally, if your child is anxious about a new building or new grade, try to arrange a visit while this year's still in session. If that's not possible, schedule a time during the summer to make the trip or find out if there will be an orientation. Letting your child know that she doesn't have to walk into a new situation sight-unseen will help ease first-day-back worries.
Celebrations and Closure
Your child's school probably has an assortment of end-of-school activities and celebrations. Encourage her to take part in rituals and parties so she can gain a sense of closure and accomplishment while commiserating with her peers about feelings concerning the end of school. Don't forget to tell her yourself how proud you are! If your child is graduating from elementary to middle school or finishing junior high, have a special celebration to commemorate the event.
- Spend time remembering the year with your child. Consider making a scrapbook of memories or remembering and writing down some of the year's major events and accomplishments. To get him started, have him write a letter to himself, telling his September self about what it's like to be finishing school now. For some great ideas of how to make this time special and fun, check out this list of five ways to celebrate at home.
- Finally, remember that this year was tough and we all grew in ways we never thought possible. Celebrate the successes!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Phelan
Juneteenth will be Celebrated at School on Friday, June 18th
Celebrating Juneteenth Through Read Alouds:
As Juneteenth approaches we will be sharing books with each grade level K-5 around this important holiday. Texts such as All Different Now By Angela Johnson, and Juneteenth for Maizie by Floyd Cooper will be read aloud. Students in grade 5 will study Juneteenth through their current Social Studies unit as well.
Last Week at the Lowell
Student Diversity Council
Dates to Remember
Fun Day Hosted by PTO Tuesday, June 15th, picnic with Lennie
Half-Day for Parent-Teacher Conferences, Wednesday, June 16th Lunch will not be served. However, a bag lunch will be sent home.
Fifth Grade Move-Up Ceremony 12:00-2:30 Thursday, June 17
Grades K-4 Picnic with Lennie (bring a small blanket and stuffed animal to lunch) On the front lawn during lunch. Thursday, June 17th
Parent Diversity Council - 7pm
Celebration of Juneteenth Friday, June 18th
Move-Up Day for grades K-4 1:15-2:00 Monday, June 21st
Tuesday, June 22 - HALF DAY
- Clap Out, 12:15 pm - 12:30pm (Families can gather at the corner of Orchard Street and George Street for a final clap out for the 5th grade students.)
- We will also clap out Candice Whitmore and Wayne MacLeod- It's their last day with students too!!!!
5th Grade Moving On Open Circle Activity
On Monday morning Amanda Skypeck (6th Grade Guidance) and Jim Duffy (6th Grade Special Education Teacher) will join us to facilitate an open circle activity with each of our fifth-grade classes. Each class will go one at a time, for roughly 20 minutes.
Teachers:
We will meet in the Library at 8:30, starting with Ms. Brodeur's class. We know this is a late addition to the schedule, but it is an important one! We want to make sure students feel comfortable and excited about the big transition. We thank all our teachers and staff for their ongoing support and collaboration with us! Please see below for details:
Activity:
Lowell Leopard will be passed around, one student speaking at a time. Students can share one thing they are excited about Middle School, one thing they are nervous about, and their favorite Lowell School memory.
8:30-8:50: Ms. Brodeur's Class
8:55-9:15: Ms. Burton's Class
9:20-9:40: Ms. Sudbay/Ms. Walker's Class
~SEL TEAM
FUN DAY! Tuesday, June 15th.
Tuesday is Fun Day!
Please apply sunscreen, and be sure that your child has sneakers and a water bottle. There are some water games, so K-2 students might want to bring a change of clothes. Grade 3 – 5 may be dismissed from outside.
Thank you! The PTO is super excited to sponsor this school-wide event.
This Week at the Lowell
June 16th
Due to Parent Conferences. Students will be dismissed at 12:15pm on Wednesday.
June 17th: Picnic with Lennie
June 17th: 5th grade Moving-On Ceremony
Note From the Nurse: MEDICATION Pick up
Parents please phone Nurse Taverna at 617-923-6475 or email katherine.taverna@watertown.k12.ma.us to make arrangements to pick up Epi-Pens, Asthma Inhalers or any other medication that
Is kept with the nurse during the school year.
Thank you
Kathy Taverna
Lowell Parent Diversity Council
Agenda:
- Student Diversity Council Updates
- Announce Parent Reps for Council
- Introduce New Assistant Principal: Mr. Qi Chen
- Vision for 21-22 school year.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/96342530411
Meeting ID: 963 4253 0411
Thursday, Jun 17, 2021, 07:00 PM
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Creativity Perseveres!
As our community transitioned from Remote School to Hybrid Classes to Fully In-person School, our students, our projects, the way we taught and the way we interacted changed.
But throughout all those changes, the common thread of creative engagement persevered. Our amazing students came to art classes ready to engage, challenge themselves and learn new skills and concepts. The connections they made in class and the compliments and advice they gave each other, all contributed to the impressive body of student work you will see here. Our artistic community is resilient and creative. They find joy, strength and solace within themselves and share it with our community through visual art.
The Watertown Fine, Applied and Performing Arts Department believes in the power of art to heal, to empower, and to inspire.
In this spirit, we offer you our second Virtual Art Show!
FREE Summer Enrichment Opportunities for Rising 6th - 12th Grade Students!
Watertown Community Education is pleased to offer FREE summer enrichment courses for Watertown Public Schools students entering grades 6-12! These in-person summer enrichment courses are designed to provide students with the opportunity to try a new hobby, explore an area of interest, engage in activities with their peers, be physically active, and simply have fun! We are most fortunate to share that for the 2021 Summer only, these enrichment courses are being offered FREE of charge to students as we have additional federal funding for schools. Please note that while some of these courses may have an academic component or complement a core subject area, these enrichments are not academic courses, are non-credit-bearing, and do not provide grades. For more information, including full program details, and a list of course offerings, please click here: https://www.smore.com/85u3z. Registration opens on Friday, June 11th at 6:00 PM. Please reach out to Jeff Bodner jeffrey.bodner@watertown.k12.ma.us 857-241-8499 or Debi Cornelius debora.cornelius@watertown.k12.ma.us 857-241-8067 with any questions.
Free Virtual Event: Summer Solstice Celebration 2021
Sunday, June 20, 2021, 11:00am to 2:15pm
https://hmsc.harvard.edu/summer-solstice
The Harvard Museums of Science & Culture have celebrated the summer solstice since 2013. Join the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture on Sunday, June 20 for our virtual and bilingual (English-Spanish) Summer Solstice Celebration. We hope you will join us, virtually, from wherever in the world you might be!
Followed by a special welcome from our new Executive Director, Brenda Dione Tindal, at 11:00 am (ET), families and kids ages 4 to 14 are invited to hear a sun-inspired bilingual story set in ancient Mexico, meet a Harvard University astrophysicist who studies the sun, and enjoy an uplifting clown performance live from Bogotá, Colombia. Register for Summer Solstice Celebration: Kids & Families.
In the afternoon, starting at 1:00 pm (ET), everyone is welcome to join us as we learn about the significance of the summer solstice from cultural astronomer Anthony Aveni, explore the art of making botanical sun prints with photographer and master gardener Mary Kocol, and learn how to forage for local edible plants in Massachusetts with naturalist Russ Cohen. Register for Summer Solstice Celebration.
On June 16 we will launch a webpage featuring Museum at Home resources. At your own pace, you will be able to explore short videos about objects from our museum collections paired with do-it-yourself activities, download solstice-themed coloring pages, and listen to the new HMSC Connects! podcast featuring Harvard Forest ecologist John O’Keefe. Check hmsc.harvard.edu in mid-June for updates!
This webinar is free and will be hosted via Zoom. Advance registration is required. Please note that registration closes 30 minutes prior to the event start time. To join the program, you will need to download the free Zoom app in advance. If you already have Zoom, you do not need to download it again. For details on how to improve your Zoom experience, visit the How to Attend an HMSC Program webpage.
PTO Corner
PTO Update
Tuesday, June 15th we'll be celebrating Fun Day!
This is a mash-up of our annual End-of-Year Picnic and Field Day.
Check out the attached flyer for more details.
All kids will need sneakers, a water bottle, and sunscreen applied.
We still need volunteers, so please use this link if you can help.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090845a5ad2fa2f85-funda
Join the PTO
The PTO is a great way to meet other families and get more involved in the events at school. We welcome everyone. There are many opportunities to volunteer - as a grade level coordinator, helping with events, making e-flyers, etc. Please reach out to lowellelementarypto@gmail.com for more information.
Elementary Summer Resources
Zearn and IReady
This summer all students entering grades 1-6 will have the opportunity to access i-Ready personalized instruction in literacy and math as well as Zearn for math. Both of these resources are familiar to your students as they have been using them recently.
Zearn is a way to practice core math skills and work on grade level content. If you choose, your student can continue to work within i-Ready online instruction this summer and can play online math games, at home games, or anything else that gets them engaged and challenged in math. A recommended amount of time to spend on summer math work is 2-3 lessons per week or about 30 minutes 2-3 times per week. Use of both of these programs over the summer is optional.
As the year comes to a close, more information about accessing these programs will be shared with families.
Does Your Child Need a Device for the Summer?
This summer students will have access to online learning resources, like i-Ready and Zearn math. If you would like your student to access these resources AND you do not have a device at home for them to use, please fill out this form to reserve a Chromebook for summer. One form needs to be filled out per student.
Please note that there are limited devices available so families that have a device at home should not request a school-issued Chromebook.
All students will be required to pick up the device on June 22nd between 1:00 and 2:15 at the Hosmer School, 1 Concord Rd. When you pick up the Chromebook, you will be required to sign a technology agreement.
Elementary Summer Technology Reservation Survey
Lowell Color Field Day 2021
Contact Us at
Email: Stacy.Phelan@watertown.k12.ma.us
Website: https://lowell.watertown.k12.ma.us/
Location: 175 Orchard Street
Phone: (617) 926-7770