Friday, April 26, 2013

Dates to put on your calendar...



April 30 – Spring Photos
May 1 – 6:30pm – Grade 4 Spring Concert
May 1 – 7:30pm – Grade 5 Spring Concert
May 7, 8 – Grade 3 Math MCAS
May 9, 10 – Grade 4 Math MCAS
May 11 – PTO Plant Sale at FWS, hard top 10am – 2pm
May 13, 14 – Grade 5 Math MCAS
May 14 – Incoming Kindergarten Orientation, 1:45pm
May 15, 16 – Grade 5 Science MCAS
May 17 – Dinosaur Show for Grade 1 parents, 9am
May 21 – Parent Coffee at True North, 9:00am  Please join us to share thoughts and insights about Francis Wyman School.
May 23 – Grade 2 Concert for parents, 9am


Falmouth Teachers Visit FWS

A group of Falmouth teachers and administrators from Teaticket Elementary School visit FWS to learn about our RTI program.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Kindergarten Enjoys

Kindergarten enjoys singing with Rick Goldin in "I Like Read" Thank you @FrancisWymanPTO #fwschat



Principal for a Day




My name is Maayan Oved, and today I was Principal for the Day.  My assistant was Lily Algeri.  First we came down to the office and did announcements.  We used the loud speaker to call students to come get their instruments.  We called Dr. Conti on the phone and talked about our school procedures.  Next we visited all the classrooms and told them some advice about how to behave at school.  I had lunch with Mrs. Astone to discuss the rest of the day.  We wrote an email to all the teachers and sorted papers in the office.  This afternoon, we read stories to the incoming Kindergarten students during story hour.  It is a very busy job.  To be good at it,  you should be organized and keep a good schedule.  There are a lot of meetings and events going on all the time.  We made many decisions.  Even though the job is hard, it’s fun to be Principal! 





Monday, April 22, 2013

Change in Cafeteria Procedures

Starting Monday, April 22, we will be implementing some new procedures in the cafeteria. These changes are a result of our review of our safety plan through our School Safety Team along with discussions among classroom teachers and lunch duty teachers. Classroom teachers and duty teachers will be assisting the students as they learn this new system.

Previously, students sat with their homeroom classrooms during the lunch period. In October, when we received our new round tables, we changed this procedure to allow for more options for seating per grade. This provided a new way of accommodating our students with food allergies by having "blue" tables for students who brought "home lunches" to school and "pink" tables that were designated for allergy sensitive students and for students who bought the school lunch which is allergy sensitive. For the past several months, we have been working to successfully implement this new procedure which of course brought us new situations that needed to be fine- tuned.

Throughout the year, we have been actively reviewing our school safety procedures so that we can determine improvements. The open seating in the cafeteria presented a very difficult situation in regards to effectively evacuating students from the cafeteria and then accurately accounting for students. Due to our large student population of up to 300 students at lunch, we have determined that it is necessary to change our current practice of seating to provide a safe situation for our students.

The new seating will still have "blue" and "pink" tables. The difference is that students will sit with their homerooms. Each homeroom will have one "blue" table and one "pink" table. This will still allow for appropriate access for our students with food allergies. The classroom teachers will assist students in determining the appropriate table to sit at each day as it will vary depending on their lunch.

We anticipate that some students may be disappointed by this new seating procedure if they had been sitting with friends from other homerooms. We know the students really enjoyed this aspect. Please know that it was after great deliberation by the entire staff that we have come to believe this change is necessary. We will work to assist students in the transition to this new procedure and will continue to assess its effectiveness and make adjustments.

Lunchtime will continue to be a time for students to eat lunch together and enjoy each other's company.  Students are certainly allowed to talk and socialize. When the noise level becomes too high, they are signaled to quiet down to a more manageable noise level for safety reasons.  The noise level is monitored to assure that teachers can obtain student attention in the event of an emergency.

In the upcoming weeks we will continue to assess the effectiveness of school procedures and make adjustments as necessary. We hope that parents will support this decision as we work to provide a safe environment for our students at lunchtime.



Sunday, April 21, 2013

Back to School on Monday

When we left for April vacation, we could never have imagined what would unfold over the course of the week. Patriot's Day has always been a day of inspiration as it is the day we remember our Massachusetts heroes of the American Revolution and the rich history of bravery that our country is founded upon. On Patriot's Day, we also celebrate the determination and courage of the many athletes who run the Boston Marathon, pushing themselves to high levels of achievement. We could not have imagined the course of events that would follow this week with the Marathon Bombings. The tragedy that occurred will forever remain in our hearts as we remember the beautiful lives that were lost and the many who are injured and maimed. We have also been deeply moved as we witnessed the spirit of a people who continue to have the courage, determination, and compassion that was exhibited by so many of our citizens. The police departments, fire departments, first responders, medical professionals and citizens,  have displayed the kind of character that our country was built upon. As we move forward, Patriot's Day will continue to be a day of inspiration, a day when we celebrate that the "Spirit of America" is alive in well in Massachusetts.

Our students will return to school on Monday and our objective will be to get back to the routine of school and focus on learning. We will be ready to support our students should they have any questions or concerns. We have all been touched by this tragic event and I am sure some in the Francis Wyman School community may have personal connections with this event. Please feel free to contact us if you know your child may need some emotional support. 

Francis Wyman School is a school that CARES. We have witnessed our values in actions this week - Compassion, Achievement, Respect, Enthusiasm, and Self-reliance were all evident throughout this week's events. We will continue to foster these important values with our students!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Weekley Bulletin April 12, 2013


FRANCIS WYMAN SCHOOL - WEEKLY BULLETIN
April 12, 2013

Important Dates: 
April 15 – 19 – Spring Vacation
April 30 – Spring Photos
May 1 – 6:30pm – Grade 4 Spring Concert
May 1 – 7:30pm – Grade 5 Spring Concert
May 7,8 – Grade 3 Math MCAS
May 9, 10 – Grade 4 Math MCAS
May 13, 14 – Grade 5 Math MCAS
May 15, 16 – Grade 5 Science MCAS

BEF Exercise for Education
The 9th annual BEF Exercise for Education Road Race will be held on Sunday, May 19th.  We will be hosting a 5k run or walk, and a ½ mile fun run! The Fun Run starts at 9:00am, and the 5K at 9:30. The route starts and ends at the Burlington High School. Lots of activities and fun for everyone! Join us to run, walk, or just watch! Enjoy Mix 104.1, get some ice cream from Harvey the b.good Ice Cream Truck, buy some raffle tickets and so much more! On-line Registration will be open until May 17th! Your registration includes a t-shirt that you can pick up on race day.
To register online, visit http://burlingtonedfoundation.org/ and use the link on our home page. The costs are as follows:
·       $20 to register for the 5K online ($5 Savings)
·       $25 to register for the 5k the day of the race
·       $5 for Family Fun Run

Kindergarten Social
Children who will be entering Kindergarten this fall are invited to join the monthly Pre-K socials being organized by Mother-to-Mother.  You do not need to be a member of Mother-to-Mother to participate.  The first social will be held on Sunday, April 28thfrom 3:30 to 4:30 pm at the Francis Wyman school playground.  Please email Sharleen Davis at sharleendavis@hotmail.com to RSVP.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Please Join Us for a PTO Recruitment Event


 PTO Recruitment Event

Monday, April 29th 2013

7 - 9P.M.

Fitzwilliam Pub at the Marriott
1 Burlington Mall Road
The PTO would like to invite you to come and meet the current Board members and committee chairs to learn more about what they do. All Board positions are currently filled, however, co-Board positions can be accommodated. Committee meeting schedules are flexible to accommodate diverse scheduling needs.
 Current Board members:
  • Susan Astone, First Vice President
  • Rose Hatch, Co-President
  • Tamara Maniscalco, Co-President
  • Sharon Duggan, Second Vice President
  • Nancy Potter-Geswell, Treasurer
  • Cheryl Johnson, Secretary

Current Committee Chairs:  Sushil and Neeti Bhakatan (New Family Welcoming Committee), Lori Minichiello and Tamara Maniscalco (Teacher/Staff Appreciation Luncheon), Sharon Duggan and Sandra Calandrella (Yearbook), Jeanne McDonald (Fall Marketplace), Cathy Perry (Carnival), Joanie Tremblay (Carnival), Kristine Brown (Box Tops) Carol Flett (Kindergarten Story Hour).  
You must RSVP for this event.  Please contact the PTO no later than Monday, April 22nd. You can refer to the website for details at http://www.franciswymanpto.org

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Ball in the House Performs at FWS

Thank you to the PTO for bringing the amazing "Ball in the House" a-Capella group to our students.



Friday, April 5, 2013

Weekly Bulletin - April 5, 2013


FRANCIS WYMAN SCHOOL - WEEKLY BULLETIN
April 5, 2013


Important Dates: 
April 10 – Used Bookstore Open
April 15 – 19 – Spring Vacation
April 30 – Spring Photos
May 1 – 6:30pm – Grade 4 Spring Concert
May 1 – 7:30pm – Grade 5 Spring Concert
May 7,8 – Grade 3 Math MCAS
May 9, 10 – Grade 4 Math MCAS
May 13, 14 – Grade 5 Math MCAS
May 15, 16 – Grade 5 Science MCAS

Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Household Hazardous Waste Collection day is Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 8:30 am to noon at Francis Wyman Elementary School.  For more information, please visit the Board of Health website at http://www.burlington.org, Departments A-M, Health or call 781-270-1955.

Middlesex Sheriff Safety Academy
The Middlesex Sheriff’s office will hold its annual Youth Public Safety Academy for Burlington youths ages 9-11. The Academy will be held July 1 through 5 with the exception of July 4 which will be an off day for the students. To apply to have your child attend please go to the Middlesex Sheriff’s website, www.middlesexsheriff.org

Adopt-A-Class 2021
The Adopt-A-Class 2021 fundraising event will be held at Flatbread Pizza in Bedford for the annual Earth Day celebration on Sunday, April 21 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.  There will be garden fun, hula hooping and yoga classes for all ages, face painting, a farmers market, pony rides, and more!  It's going to be an awesome day, so plan ahead and bring the whole family!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Kindergarten Art Museum

Today is the annual Kindergarten Art Museum. There are five galleries- Impressionist I, Impressionist II, Egyptian, Illustrator, and Contemporary. The students have learned about many artists and have created artwork in the style of each artist. Parents and visitors pay a penny to enter. Students are assigned to each exhibit to explain the artwork. It is a delightful exhibit!