🎈Celebrating our 4th Grade Bobcats! This past Tuesday we celebrated our 4th graders and their leadership at Ben Hem this past year. They performed their chorus concert for our whole school and then hit the fields to celebrate with each other. I had the chance to speak with each class and we shared our fondest memories of Ben Hem. I feel honored to have spent that time with all our rising Bobcats and thank them for their hard work. To all the families that are leaving Ben Hem, you made it! These were unusual times for education and we appreciate your partnership and grace as we worked together to figure it out. You have great kids. I can't wait to see what they accomplish in the future.

Whole School 4th Grade CLAP OUT on the last day of school:

• Classes will line the fire lane at the back of the building at 11:45 am

• Students can sit or stand along the fire lane

• 4th graders will exit the building out the recess doors and walk the fire lane to receive our cheers

• 4th graders reenter the building at the East Evergreen doors (think Spirit Parade route)

• Everyone returns to classrooms to begin dismissal

If 4th-grade parents want to take part, please line the fire lane too. All students will reenter the building and we will follow regular dismissal procedures. If the weather is an issue, we will adjust and line the hallways. Parents will not be invited in.

Next Year's Classroom Teacher Line Up:

• Kindergarten: 5 classes
• Amber Mitchell, Caroline Kruszewska, Emily Kaufman, Laura Muller and Haley Cunningham
• First Grade: 4 classes
• Christine Nemeskal, Kathy Krakauer, Ali Huse, Lauren Sullivan

• Second Grade: 6 classes
• Benita Dewing, Sharon Letovsky, Lili Borrego, Jackie Killorin, Michelle Munger, Loren DiLorenzo
• Third Grade: 5 classes
• Nina LaPlante, Jacqui Snodgrass, Marygrace Goldwait, Lee Silverberg, Vicki McShane
• Fourth Grade: 5 classes
• Sarah Dahlheimer, David Slater, Erin Corcoran, Lindsay Kern, Lisa Briones

Remaining End of Year Events:

• Meet the Team Day - Monday, June 12 at 1:45 pm: This is a chance for rising students to meet the teachers on that grade level and walk through classrooms to get a feel for what they will experience next year. We transitioned to Meet the team Day post-COVID when we changed the time that we communicate class placement.
• Grade 2 Field Day Make Up - Tuesday, June 13: We had to use our rain date to host our second grade field day events. Let's hope for sun!
• Early Release Day - Thursday, June 15, 2023: Thursday is the last day of school. It is an early release day. Students will dismiss at 12:05 pm.

3. Forward Planning: School Year 2023-2024

• Exciting program updates for Ben Hem: METCO is coming in the fall. We are excited that our School Leadership and School Committee has agreed to expand our METCO programming to the elementary level. Instead of starting our program in Grade 5 at Wilson Middle School, interested families will be able to join our Natick School community in Kindergarten. Ben Hem will be the host school as we feed to WMS. I will be reaching out over to summer to share updates and ask for support in welcoming all our new families to our community.
• Reports of Student Progress Reminder: Your child's ROSP will be available on Thursday June 15 in PowerSchool. Each year parents call the office looking for copies of this report in August to enroll their student in fall sports. Unfortunately, the system is turning over and we often cannot help with this until the beginning of the school year. Please download your child's report of student progress in June to ensure that you have access to what you need in August. You can download this document as a PDF and save it until you need it.
• PTO Summer Playdates will be coming under separate cover. Each year our PTO hosts incoming Kindergarten families for playdates (and popsicles if it is hot outside). I will also be at these events to provide building tours to incoming kindergarten students and their families along with other families that are new to Ben Hem.

All our best,

Karen and the Ben Hem team

Casey Brown (BenHem Alumni) and Coach of the Women's Soccer Team at Boston University is running a Soccer Camp at the Cole Center in Natick for girls 3rd through 8th grade. Here is the link if you are interested in learning more about this program.

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• 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