Memorial Mustangs

Dear Memorial Families and Caregivers:

Let me begin by wishing you all a Happy New Year filled with many successes and continued progress. During winter break, I hope you had the chance to catch up with friends and family and enjoy some rest and relaxation. I certainly spent some time reflecting on 2022 and my life changes, and think about the work and opportunities that lie ahead in 2023.

As we approach the holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King JR., Dr. King’s work, and his legacy, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes of his, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”One of the things I appreciate most about our Memorial staff is that we are not silent about the things that matter and together we continue to provide a high-quality service for children and families. At Memorial, we place great value on seeing our students showing continued success and academic progress as they move through their academic journey while here at Memorial. I am excited to begin our work for the second half of the school year to ensure that learning continues.

As we ring in the new year, we see this as an opportunity to check in with students and families to ensure that our students are on-track, prepared and ready for the second half of the year. I had the pleasure this week to sit in on some classrooms meetings. I was so inspired by the conversations amongst our scholars as they reconnected with each other. What I have also observed, as we approach the midpoint of the school year, is that students are academically strong and that our instructional and support team remains energized.

Memorial continues to strive to become a school focused on educational equity and find unique and innovative ways to partner, support and create opportunities that make our neighborhood school a place where all children enjoy learning, develop strong relationships, and continue to grow each day socially, emotionally, and academically.

As always, thank you for your continued support.

Warmest regards,

Troy Holding

The New Year is a great time to highlight the importance of comprehensive, sequential music education taught by our exemplary music teacher, Mr. Tom Rice. The 4th grade band is a group of students who have similar interests and get to spend some time together every week making beautiful music together. Providing a nurturing environment such as the school band also helps out students become more confident in their social skills.

1. BOKS (Building Our Kid's Success) program is starting up again for another round. This is a before school physical education program. Please click on the attached link for registration and deadline information:

BOKS (Build Our Kid's Success) Program

2. At this time of year, we work to determine the number of children who will enter kindergarten at Memorial Elementary School for the coming school year. Do you have a younger child at home? Will they be five years old by August 31, 2023? Are you a resident of Natick? If so, your child is eligible to start kindergarten this coming fall. Please inform us via google form of all kindergarten enrollment plans for the 2023-2024 school year by January 10, 2023. To access the google form, click below on the Intent to Enroll Form. If you have any questions, please email us at memorial23-24@natickps.org. Enrollment, registration and orientation information will arrive in the mail in late January. The actual orientation process will begin in late February/early March.

Intent To Enroll Form

3. As we head into the holiday season, I want to share with you a wellness programs from Spark Kindness, a wonderful community resource that “makes sure no one feels alone, bullied, unsupported, or unconnected—every day and especially in the most challenging times”. Attached is the link to all their upcoming events of interest: Spark Kindness

4. LABEL, LABEL, LABEL!!

Please remember to label all items coming in to school! Winter is a season of layers and free floating items, which often get left behind, lost or misplaced. Help us get them back to you by labeling each item with your student's name!

5. The Black Pumas genre of music nourishes my soul and elevates my mood. Please enjoy my weekend vibe: COLOR (Live Music Session)/Black Pumas

The Memorial PTO is a parent and teacher run, non-profit organization committed to enhancing and enriching the education of our students and fostering a sense of community within our school. The PTO provides assistance to teachers within the classroom settings, raises funds for educational materials and experiences, advocates school and family social interaction, and provides an unbiased forum for sharing information on issues that impact our students. We believe in cultivating a positive learning environment to allow for students to achieve their highest potential. Please become an active participant in the PTO. Below is the link to their website:

https://www.memorialnatickpto.org/

or email them at:

pto@memorialnatickpto.org

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title II
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title VI
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Title IX
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5