Dear Greenwood Families,
We had a great kickoff to the new school year at Greenwood, and everyone is excited about all of the adventures that lie ahead of us! While we’re still learning and practicing school and classroom routines, we definitely feel like we’re getting into the swing of things and will hit the ground running when we return after the long weekend!
Beginning of the Year Paperwork
Families received an email from Ms. Paiva with a letter linking to the “paperwork” that is required at the start of the school year. Please be sure to complete the required items in a timely manner, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Science Letter Regarding Allergies
In order to keep families informed about organic materials being used in science classes, the linked letter was sent out via School Messenger on Friday morning. Any questions can be directed to me or your child’s science teacher (Laurel Laroche - Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd; Jennifer Holder - 3rd, 4th).
First Fire Drill
Greenwood had the first fire drill of the year on Thursday, and everything went very smoothly! Kids moved with their classes quickly and quietly to exit the building and waited patiently until we got the “all clear” signal from the Wakefield Fire Department to reenter the building and continue on with our learning. Practicing safety routines is important!
Rolling Arrival (Grades K-4)
On Tuesday, September 8th we will begin our “rolling arrival” procedure. Please note that there is no supervision outside prior to 8:30am - any student arriving before that time will wait outside until the doors open (bring those umbrellas on rainy days!).
8:30am - 1st bell rings, back doors open, students enter the building and go to their classroom
8:30-8:40am - student arrival window
8:40am - 2nd bell rings, back doors close
Students arriving after 8:40am must enter through the front door of the school and sign in at the office. (They do NOT need to be signed in by a parent/guardian.) They will then proceed to their classroom with a tardy slip.
We will have staff members at the back doors ready and able to support students as they enter. Getting to greet students as they arrive makes for a wonderful start to each and every day!
Dismissal Crowds
We do love to see everyone gathering at dismissal to pick up students! However, we ask that family members stand away from the building (closer to the basketball court) both while waiting for and during the actual dismissal process to provide room for all teachers to be able to bring their classes out and dismiss them in an organized fashion. Please let your child give the “thumbs up” or “I see mine!” signal to their teacher and then come to you, rather than walking up to them. Thank you for your cooperation with this!
PE Classes - Appropriate Footwear
In order to ensure that students are able to participate safely and fully during PE classes, we are asking that students either wear or bring sneakers on the day that their class has gym. We’ve seen a few twisted ankles and cases of tripping/falling when kids are wearing Crocs or slides - we’d like to avoid this moving forward. Nurse Alicia and Mr. Kelleher thank you in advance for your help with this!
In case you’re wondering which days your child has PE…
Tuesday
Doherty, Swift, Braham, Campbell
Wednesday
Conway, Morse, Ricupero, Wallace, McCann
Thursday
Frazier, Morse, Ricupero, Braham, Wallace, Campbell
Friday
DiVasta, Doherty, Swift, McCann
Save the Date Reminder - Back to School Night
Next week’s issue of Gator Tales will have more details, but please be sure that Thursday, September 17th from 6:00-7:30pm is blocked off on your calendar for Greenwood’s Back to School Night!
WPS Student Support Services Website
Looking for information and/or resources to help support your child’s social-emotional health? Want to find out more about ways to look into counseling and family support? Please check out the Student Support Services website for the Wakefield Public Schools. There is a lot of helpful information to be found there.
Afterschool Playground Use
Once the school day is over, many students enjoy spending outdoor time at the Greenwood playground, blacktop areas, and the Greenwood Garden. And we love to see it! However, just a gentle reminder that Wakefield Academy often uses the same areas for the afterschool program and our “school rules” are still in effect. The expectation is that all students are respectful of themselves, of others, and of school property. This includes following any directives from the adults who are supervising students at Wakefield Academy, regardless of whether your child is enrolled. We want everyone to be safe and have fun after school!
Lunchroom Volunteers
It’s a new year, and we are once again looking for adults to support students during lunchtime!
Do you have any free time between 12:00-1:15pm on school days? Looking for a way to help out at Greenwood? We are finally bringing back 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 the moth. 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 start to the school year!
Tiffany Back
Principal, Greenwood School