From the Principal: 3/11/24

Dear Greenwood Families,

Happy Monday! Did everyone remember to “spring forward” this weekend for the start of Daylight Saving Time? I guess we’ll know who missed it by any hour-late arrivals here at school on Monday morning…Hopefully, everyone will be back on track well before our conference days begin on Wednesday - we’re excited to welcome everyone back into the building to talk about our favorite subject - kids and learning!

Early Release - Wednesday, March 13th

Our next early release day for students is on Wednesday, March 13th. All students will be dismissed at 11:55am in order for scheduled conferences with families to take place. There will NOT be a lunch block during the school day. (See next blurb…)

Grab & Go Lunches - Wednesday, March 13th

As mentioned in my letter last week, this month we have two early release days (3/13 & 3/20) and some additional adjustments to our instructional schedules on those particular days. Due to this, we will NOT have a scheduled lunch block during the morning on those days. However, we WILL be offering the opportunity for children to pick up a “Grab & Go” lunch before they leave the building.

You must sign your child up if you want them to grab a lunch before they go - lunches will be prepared based on the number of sign-ups and teachers will have a list of who is signed up.

Lunch Signup for Wednesday, March 13th - only if a school lunch is needed

This signup will also be sent out via School Messenger and must be completed before the end of the school day on Tuesday. Because of shifting family needs, we will send a separate signup out for each week.

No Afternoon Wakefield Academy - Wednesday, March 13th

The following message was sent out by Estelle Burdick to Wakefield Academy families at the end of January: “I am writing to inform you about a schedule change regarding our Wakefield Academy program in March. After careful consideration, we have decided to close Wakefield Academy after-school program at all four elementary schools and our Doyle ECC on March 13th and March 20th, which are the two parent-teacher conference days. This decision has been made due to shortages in staffing, which makes it unsafe to open on these days.”

Wakefield STEAM Night

It’s time for STEAM Night! This fun event will take place on Thursday, March 14th from 5:30-7:00 pm at the Galvin. This interactive elementary math and science showcase will feature hands-on experiences from Curious Creatures, Caterpillar Lab, the Beebe Library, and many others, along with offerings from WPS staff members and PTO groups. It’s sure to be a good time!

Reminder 2024 MCAS Dates

Grades 3 & 4 These went out in a previous message, but just in case you missed them…MCAS testing for grades 3 & 4 will take place on the following days:

English/Language Arts - Tuesday, April 9th and Wednesday, April 10th

Math - Tuesday, May 21st and Wednesday, May 22nd

Testing begins at the start of the school day. Children who are absent or significantly tardy on the day of testing will take that day’s session during a makeup time on a different day. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Lunchroom Volunteers

Thank you to all of the fantastically dedicated volunteers who have been making lunchtime a little brighter! You are so greatly appreciated!!

Do you have any free time between 12:00-1:10 pm on school days? Or 10:30-11:50 am on regular early release days? Looking for a way to help out at Greenwood? Then join us for our lunchroom volunteer opportunities! If you’d like to come in and help support students while they’re eating lunch, please see the linked Sign-Up Genius to select time slots through the end of Aprill. Single days, multiple days, one time slot, the whole lunch block…we welcome any and all helpers!

Lunchroom volunteers will help students with those tricky thermoses, hand out napkins and utensils, support students while they sort items into composting/food rescue/trash, and help clean tables at the end of each lunch. Oh, and the most important thing - bring smiles and laughter!

NOTE: You will need to have a CORI form completed before coming in for any lunch shifts - please contact Ms. Paiva about the process or to check if you have a current one on file

Greenwood School Social Media

We are on Facebook and Instagram, and one of my personal goals this year is to show off the fun we’re having throughout Greenwood! Check us out - @wpsgreenwood on both Instagram and Facebook!

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.

Thank you for everything you do to support your children and their learning! Let’s have a great week!

Tiffany Back

From the Principal: 1/8/24

Dear Greenwood Families,

Happy Monday! As I’m writing this, I’m still wondering which of the many weather forecasts will turn out to be the most accurate. I’m saving my shoveling for the early afternoon in hopes that the “second wave” doesn’t bring too much more snow - nobody likes Monday morning shoveling! (Okay, *I* don’t like Monday morning shoveling. Your mileage may vary.)

Greenwood All-School Meeting - Grade 4 Hosting

Just a reminder about our All-School Meeting on Monday at 9:00 am. Our 4th graders will lead us off to talk about “cooperation” and we would like to invite 4th grade parents/guardians to attend if you are able to do so. (Seating will be up in the balcony.) We look forward to seeing you!

NOTE: If there happens to be a weather-related delay, we will reschedule this meeting and notify everyone of the new date.

Early Release - Wednesday, January 10th

Our next early release day for students is on Wednesday, January 10th. All students will be dismissed at 11:55 am in order for WPS staff to have professional development sessions in the afternoon. Please note: here will be a scheduled lunch block for students prior to dismissal.

Reminder - Snacks

Right before the break we noticed a slight uptick in students who were coming to the office because they did not have a packed snack for their morning break. Please know that while school lunches are provided free of charge to any student who wants one, we do not have that same capacity when it comes to snacks. We appreciate your assistance with this!

2024 MCAS Dates - Grades 3 & 4

While we’re still a couple of months away from the testing windows, planning and scheduling for this year’s MCAS tests is underway! Students in Grades 3 & 4 will complete computer-based testing in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. There are two sessions for each subject area, and tests must be scheduled within the window provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We are sharing these dates now in the effort to avoid scheduling appointments that would remove your child from school on the MCAS testing days.

ELA - Tuesday, April 9th and Wednesday, April 10th

Math - Tuesday, May 21st and Wednesday, May 22nd

If you already have a known conflict with these dates, please let me know ASAP.

Fall 2024 Kindergarten Registration

Do you have a child who will be entering Kindergarten in the fall of 2024? Do you know someone else who does? It’s just about time for us to start looking ahead and thinking about welcoming next year’s crew! Here is the general plan - more information to come!

In early January, WPS will send a mailing to all families of kindergarten-age children in Wakefield. Information will also be posted on WPS social media and in the Wakefield Daily Item. Families will be asked to complete the online registration between January 16th and February 2nd. (The WPS website will be updated once it’s ready to go!) There will be a virtual WPS District Kindergarten Information Meeting with elementary principals for families - this is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 21st at 7:00 pm.

Kindergarten screening dates will be in June - exact dates will be finalized and shared once we know the date for the last day of school.

From Wakefield Academy

The following note was sent out to all families last week by Estelle Burdick, Director of Wakefield Academy. Just in case you missed it:

“Happy New Year! We have exciting news! Our February Camp is now open for enrollment! We have such a great vacation camp scheduled for your child or children. Our February Camp is open to students PreK to Grade 4. All PreK activities take place on-site and include shows, activities, and lots of fun and games. Our K-4 students will enjoy field trips (yes, that includes our traditional trip to Altitudes and Prince Pizza!) as well as shows and activities on-site. Both camps have limited enrollment, so use the link here to see the details. Register today!

Our Winter Enrichment session filled up fast, but there are still openings in several programs such as Kids Test Kitchen at Walton, Wicked Cool Paws and Claws at Woodville, our Generals Ski Club and Art Club at Galvin...just to name a few! All of our Galvin Winter Homework Clubs grades 5 through 8 are now open for enrollment as well. Use the link here to check out our fantastic programs!

Save the date! Wakefield Academy WoW Summer Camp will be opening for enrollment soon! While we are still working out our costs, we do have the dates locked in. Our WoW summer camp will start July 1st and end August 8th. Our WoW Academic camp will begin July 8th and end August 8th. Both will be held at the Galvin Middle School. Our WoW PreK camp will run from July 8th through August 8th and will be held at the Doyle ECC. We will have lots of fun activities and themes for your child to enjoy! Thank you for your patience as we work out the final details!

Thank you for entrusting your children to us and we hope you and your family have a happy and healthy new year!”

Lunchroom Volunteers

Thank you to all of the fantastically dedicated volunteers who have been making lunchtime a little brighter! You are so greatly appreciated!! Do you have any free time between 12:00-1:10 pm on school days? Or 10:30-11:50 am on regular early release days? Looking for a way to help out at Greenwood? Then join us for our lunchroom volunteer opportunities! If you’d like to come in and help support students while they’re eating lunch, please see the linked Sign-Up Genius to select time slots through the end of February. Single days, multiple days, one time slot, the whole lunch block...we welcome any and all helpers!

Lunchroom volunteers will help students with those tricky thermoses, hand out napkins and utensils, support students while they sort items into composting/food rescue/trash, and help clean tables at the end of each lunch. Oh, and the most important thing - bring smiles and laughter!

NOTE: You will need to have a CORI form completed before coming in for any lunch shifts - please contact Ms. Paiva about the process or to check if you have a current one on file

Greenwood School Social Media

We are on Facebook and Instagram, and one of my personal goals this year is to show off the fun we’re having throughout Greenwood! Check us out - @wpsgreenwood on both Instagram and Facebook!

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.

Thank you for everything you do to support your children and their learning! Let’s have a great week!

Tiffany Back