Pleasant Street School News
building a community of learners that strive for excellence
August 30, 2015
Welcome Back!
This year marks my fifth year in the district as principal and my last year at Pleasant Street School! Next school year we will open the doors to our beautiful, brand new, state of the art Athol Elementary School!! As we prepare to combine Pleasant Street School, Riverbend, and Sanders Street Schools the district administrative team will be busy planning and preparing for that transition throughout this school year. Great attention and care will be given to not only the building project specifics- brick, mortar, and design- but also ensuring that teaching and staff assignments are made to insure the best possible people are in place within grade level positions and roles. The word "synergy" comes to my mind and as will look to create a learning environment where the sum total is far greater than the individual parts.
At school years end, when we close the doors at Pleasant Street, Riverbend, and Sanders Street Schools, the district will undoubtedly look to the community and to consider ways to honor and to celebrate the occasion. These respective schools have been a source of rich history within our community with grandparents, parents, and now their children all sharing a part.
There is so much more that I could say as we move forward into this new school year about our curriculum work, learning expectations, and the many ways we are teaching children to think at higher levels, but I will close with some final more personal thoughts. As my son went off to college a week ago and his absence is felt within the Ellis household in a thousand different ways, I want to challenge families to be truly present in your children's lives each day. Everybody says it, and it is completely true, your children will grow up too fast! So while they are young take the time to listen, to ask questions, and to celebrate in all of their little successes and challenges. Sit down and share meals together apart from the distractions of televisions, computer screens or phones. As parents and guardians we have tremendous influence in our children's lives and in their approach to school, to problem solving, and to setting goals for their futures. Set high expectations and your children will meet them!
Warm regards,
Principal Ellis
Snapshots from the first few days of school!
Accidental Twins
Reading break
Turn and Talk in Mrs. Jones' class
Second graders getting to know one another
Farewell Ms. Morin, Thank you for your service!
Mrs. Coleman in action in first grade!
Survey says...
Back to School Playground Party Was a Big Hit!
Our School District is Now Offering Free Breakfast & Lunch!
As part of the 2010 Healthy and Hunger-Free Kids Act, Athol-Royalston Regional School District, along with other districts, will begin offering free meals to all students this school year. For parents, that means no more forms to fill out, no online meal account to remember, no last minute scramble for change before the bus, and no more lunchboxes to pack. All students can eat for free!
For more information on the the free breakfast and lunch program including requirements for selecting meals versus ala cart items please click on the link below:
http://www.arrsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/school-lunch-flyer.pdf
Menus
- Breakfast menu for September
- Lunch menu for September
Summer learning!
Please remember to send in your summer reading lists and your summer calendar math packets. We will be celebrating students for their efforts. We also welcome pictures, projects, or other artifacts you may want to share that reflects one of the many adventures in summer learning that you had with your children. We will be displaying submissions in our school lobby during the month of September.
Community Events & Postings
Do you have news to share or want to inform members of our school community about family friendly events in our area? if so, please email or forward a flyer or link.
Thank you :)
United Way of North Central Massachusetts-20th Annual Day of Caring is September 17th.The United Day of Caring is an amazing event that mobilizes the power of volunteers from local companies and community residents. Hundreds of volunteers along with 2,000+ local school students unite for the common cause of completing important projects for local non-profit agencies. Their collective work creates an immediate and meaningful impact on the community.
The Day of Caring begins with kick-off breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton followed by the enthusiastic volunteers dispersing to their project locations. These dedicated teams of volunteers work from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to complete their projects. After their hard work, they are rejuvenated at the Day of Caring Barbeque held at the Polish American Citizen Club (PACC) on West Broadway in Gardner immediately following project wrap-ups at 2:00 p.m. Great food, lively music and door prizes make it the perfect end to a day of unity, fellowship, community impact and fun!
http://volunteer.uwncm.org/aam/general/event/?doc_id=1921
The Nurturing Program will be offering a new class for parents starting in September 2015. Space is limited so please click on the link below to find out more about how you can be involved in this opportunity.
http://www.arrsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Nurturing-program-2015.pdf
Big Brothers/ Big Sisters Program is enrolling children for the 2015-2016 school year program. They serve children in the Athol/Orange area with transportation provided from Riverbend and Butterfield Schools. Please click on the link below for more information about this program and how you can be involved.
http://www.arrsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Big-Brothers-Big-Sister-Program.pdf
September 2015 edition of the Common Thread, community newsletter of the North Quabbin Community Coalition
http://www.nqcc.org/pdfs/2015_09_comm_thread.pdf
For other local events, happenings, and resources in this area... you can also check the North Quabbin Community Coalition website below:
These are not school sponsored events but are posted here as a public service for families in the greater North Quabbin community.
Upcoming Events...Mark your Calendars!
Upcoming Events and Dates!
- August 31- First day for kindergarten and preschool programs
- September 4- no school- Labor day break
- September 7- Labor day holiday no school
- September 23- District half day, noon dismissal, lunch is served
Check back soon for more news!
News from Principal Ellis
Email: dellis@arrsd.org
Website: arrsd.org
Location: 1060 Pleasant Street., Athol, MA 01331
Phone: (978) 249-2405