February 12, 2023

As the school’s occupational therapist, I am pleased to introduce my therapy dog Stanley to the Willett Community. Stanley is a two-year-old Saint Bernardadoodle who will soon be making classroom visits to students at Willett. Studies support that therapy dog promote physical, social, cognitive, emotional, and mental health benefits. Unlike service and emotional support dogs, therapy dogs interact with all people and petting is encouraged!

Stanley’s therapy dog journey began when he was 12 weeks old. In 2021, he passed his American Kennel Club (AKC) STAR Puppy Test, and in 2022, his AKC Good Citizen Test (as shown in picture below). This month Stanley met all the requirements and received his Therapy Dog Certification from the American Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD). He is a sweet and gentle giant who is ready to meet and greet students at Willett!

During Stanley’s visits, it is requested that students and staff wash hands before and after direct contact to help prevent the spreading of germs. Therapy dogs are required to meet cleanliness and grooming requirements and although Stanley has hair and is bathed using hypoallergenic shampoo, there is no guarantee that he is hypoallergenic.

If you have any questions, reservations, or prefer that your child not interact with Stanley, please reply directly to me through this email.

Sincerely,

Christine David and Stanley (Therapy Team)

Important Information about MassHealth and SNAP Benefits:
In response to the COVID-19, MassHealth put protections in place that prevented members’ MassHealth coverage ending, and qualifying Massachusetts households began to receive extra SNAP at the beginning of each month to buy food. Due to recent action by the federal government, these protections and extra benefits will be ending soon. Please visit the Welcome Center website for more information on what you can do now.

We are requesting families provide a paper note if there is a change to your child's dismissal for the day. There are instances when an email is sent, and a staff member may be absent that day.

First graders read "Spoon" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and learned about how to love themselves for who they are. They talked about how their own special characteristics make them unique and amazing, and how differences are to be celebrated and embraced. Great job, first grade!

Please remember to send a change of clothes to school with your child.

The Mobile Dentist is returning to Willett on Monday May 1st. If you have submitted consent previously this school year, your child will be seen again. If you did not previously consent and would like to, please call the office, and request a dental consent form to be sent home with your child.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

We are so lucky (and thankful) for our teachers and staff! Scratch tickets and shamrock cookies to kick off St. Patrick’s Day today!! May your clovers have leaves of four and may your luck be evermore!

Yearbook Request for 4th Grade Families

It’s that time of year when the Willett PTO begins work to publish the school yearbook! Special request for all 4th grade families: please be on the lookout for a flier that is going to be sent home with your student(s) requesting a baby picture and an optional personal message. We are requesting that all pictures and messages be submitted to willettyearbook02703@gmail.com by March 27th!

Fondly,
The Willett PTO 🐳

https://www.smore.com/6jsw5

https://www.smore.com/80h21

The APS Welcome Center is happy to share the Family and Community Resource Guide. This guide is for the APS Community, including families, students, and staff, to access local resources and support. You can access the guide by visiting the Welcome Center webpage, or using this direct link:

https://coredocs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3035/APSWC/2421108/Family_Community_Resource_Guide.pdf

Did you know that the APS Welcome Center is open and continues to serve all APS families, students, and staff?

The Welcome Center is here to:

• Offer support for families to complete district tasks, included but not limited to New Student Registration, Transportation, Food Services, “how-to” tutorials, translations and interpreting
• Strengthen relationships between APS and the Attleboro community by:
• Connecting families and staff to local resources and supporting this access
• Providing referrals to local support agencies
• Sharing information on behalf of and about community organizations through community fliers and the Welcome Center webpage
• Within the Welcome Center you can find:
• Staff ready to assist with district tasks, clarification of APS information, connections to local resources
• Computers with internet access for APS families and students, hotspots available for loan to APS families
• Information detailing local resources, programs, and events
• Access to translations and interpreters
• Contact the Welcome Center:
• If you need assistance completing district tasks
• You would like to learn more about available resources
• You have questions or suggestions you would like to share
• You would like to connect with a local community organization

All APS Community Fliers can be found within the Welcome Center website. To view this week’s fliers, including information from throughout Attleboro please visit the Welcome Center webpage or click here for current fliers.

"Research supports that student attendance has a direct correlation to student achievement and graduation rates. Therefore, communication between schools and families regarding student attendance is critical in supporting academic success. All schools will follow the notification schedule outlined below. Students and parents should consult the Student Handbook for details about the procedures and consequences associated with excessive absenteeism at each school."

Families with students in grades 3 and 4 - please note the dates below. We ask that all efforts are made to have students present during testing days. Please do your best to avoid these dates when scheduling appointments and vacations.

ELA:

Grade 4 - April 3,4

Grade 3 - April 5,6

Math:

Grade 4 - May 8, 9

Grade 3 - May 10, 11

You may notice that an additional button, called Rooms, will be visible at the bottom right of our Attleboro Public Schools mobile app. This button is part of our integrated system of communication and will allow for your child’s teachers/coaches/and other staff to share detailed information (assignments, special events, practice schedules, etc.). More information is forthcoming, and we will have a table set up at Welcome Back Night.

Lunch applications can be found on the Food Services website, including the online application, a downloadable version in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and a link to access all other languages. Please note that even the online application can be completed in many languages. Direct link can be found here: https://www.attleboroschools.com/page/food-services

Please go to the App store and search Attleboro Public Schools. There is a new app which will be an excellent means of finding information in one location. You will see updates both from the district and our school. As we use this new tool, administration will be using less of the ASPEN email function.

• Apple Store
• Google Play Store