WEEKLY BULLETIN September 27, 2013

What’s Happenin’ in School

New Information Series for Parents of Young Learners

Welcome to the Burlington Public Schools Early Childhood Information Series!  We are excited for the opportunity to share information about early childhood development with you.  Our hope is that the sessions provide you with useful tools to understand the development of your child.  Here are the dates and proposed topics of each session:

October 10,2013 - Life Skills and Social Thinking Curricula

November 21, 2013 - Opening the World of Learning (OWL) Curriculum

December 12,2013 - Morning and Nighttime Routines in the Home

January 16, 2014 - Fine and Gross Motor Activities

February 6, 2014 - Reading to Your Child and Homework Routines

March 6, 2014 - Transitions to New Buildings and Classrooms

April 10, 2014 - Technology for Early Learners

May 22, 2014 - Fun Activities for the Summer

The sessions will be held in the School Committee Room, housed in Burlington High School. Each session will begin promptly at 6:30pm, and will last approximately 1 hour.  We will also be available for questions after each session.  In order to ensure that the Information Series is useful to you, we ask that you please complete a brief survey.  This will help us better understand your family’s needs, and tailor the information sessions to topics that are relevant to you.  Please click on the link below to access the survey:

Information Series Survey

If you have specific questions pertaining to the the Information Series, please feel free to email Naomi Abelson and Tiffany D'Abbraccio at beccinfoseries@gmail.com.  You can also access useful information regarding the series by visiting the BECC Information Series blog at beccinformationseries.blogspot.com.  We look forward to seeing you on October 10th!

Sincerely,

Tiffany D’Abbraccio, M.S.Ed., Special Education Teacher

Naomi Abelson, Behavior Specialist

Happenings Around Town

Burlington PAC presents our annual Special Education Department Open House

Join us on Monday, September 30th for an informative night where you will have the opportunity to meet and talk with PAC member’s as well as special education staff from the Burlington Public Schools.  Come meet Louise D’Amato, Director of Special Education along with Special Education Team Chairs from each school.  Here you will get to meet the staff, learn about what’s new in the district, ask questions and talk with staff members from your child’s school.  Don’t miss the opportunity to learn what is new with the PAC and the Special Education Department in the Burlington public schools.  Doors open at 6:30 for networking presentations begin at 7:00.

 For more information on this event please contact us at burlingtonspedpac@gmail.com

FANTASTIC PUMPKIN FAIR

Friday night, October 18th, 2013 6-9 pm at the Fox Hill School. Come join in the fun of our annual fall tradition. Great games, fall crafts, fabulous prizes and a few good scares. The ever popular Haunted Hallway will be sure to fright, along with many old favorites: Moon Bounce, Cake Walk, Pumpkin Painting, Spin Art, Face Painting, Duck Pond, Pizza, Hot Dogs, Cupcake Decorating, Popcorn, Cotton Candy, Raffles, plus lots more games and activities. Admission is free; tickets for each activity/game can be purchased at the door. Open to the public. For additional information, contact Julie Quinn at quinns@rcn.com.

Parent Technology Night

Open House for Grades 3-5, Tuesday, Sept. 24

Open House for grades 3-5 is Tuesday, September 24, from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. This event provides an opportunity for parents to meet our teachers and learn about the programs at FWS. The format for this information night is designed for parents, not for students. The schedule is as follows:

6:00 - 6:30 - Principal's Meeting in the auditorium for parents and teachers
6:30 - 7:15 - Grade Level Presentations
7:15 - 8:00 -  Classroom Visits

There will be a brief meeting in the auditorium at 8:00 pm for any  parent who would like to volunteer at FWS but has not yet attended a Confidentiality Meeting. All volunteers must complete a CORI background check every three years and attend one Confidentiality Meeting.

Weekly Bulletin September 20, 2013

Dates to Remember

Sept 24 – Back to School Night, Grades 3-5 6pm – 8pm

Oct 1 – School Pictures

What’s Up at School?

Student Accident Insurance:

Parents and students can go to our website (www.isi1959.com/student_accident.html ) and sign up for coverage by completing a Massachusetts Voluntary Enrollment Form and returning payment to the address listed.

A Note from the Nurse:

Please remember to keep your children home if they exhibit any signs of illness: fever, runny nose, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. A child must be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school.  Thank you.

Happenings Around Town

BHS Athletic Boosters Craft Fair

Saturday, October 19th

10 - 3

Burlington High School

123 Cambridge Street

$2.00 Admission includes

a FREE raffle ticket

The Burlington High School Athletic Boosters Club will host their annual Craft Fair, Saturday, October 19th.  The fair will be at the BHS cafeterias from 10 - 3. 

This year, 100 crafters will offer lovely jewelry, holiday items, doll clothes, home decorations, cards, books, and more.  Our new cafe section will feature unique sauces, jellies, chocolates, and other gourmet items. Our bake sale table will feature delicious snacks.  Enter the HUGE raffle including a wide variety of our crafters creations.  Enjoy lunch at our concession stand and dining area.  Visitors are encouraged to park in the Student Lot and ride the shuttle to the cafeteria-entrance. Admission is only $2, and includes a FREE raffle ticket.  BHS is handicapped accessible. 

Open House Grades K-2 Tuesday, Sept.17

Open House for grades K-2 is tomorrow night, Tuesday, September 17 from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. This event provides an opportunity for parents to meet our teachers and learn about the programs at FWS. The format for this information night is designed for parents, not for students. The schedule is as follows:

6:00 - 6:30 - Principal's Meeting in the auditorium for parents and teachers
6:30 - 7:15 - Grade Level Presentations
7:15 - 8:00 -  Classroom Visits

There will be a brief meeting in the auditorium at 8:00 pm for any  parent who would like to volunteer at FWS but has not yet attended a Confidentiality Meeting. All volunteers must complete a CORI background check every three years and attend one Confidentiality Meeting.

Weekly Bulletin 9/13/13

FRANCIS WYMAN SCHOOL - WEEKLY BULLETIN

September 13, 2013

Dates to Remember

Sept 17 – Back to School Night, Grades K-2  6pm-8pm

Sept 18/19 – Camp Bournedale, Grade 5 students

Sept 24 – Back to School Night, Grades 3-5 6pm – 8pm

Oct 1 – School Pictures

Happening Around the Neighborhood

Truck Day  - September 15

A & F Bus Co. invites you to helpus FILL THAT BUS with non-perishable food items to benefit the Burlington Food Pantry.  Please bring your donation toBurlington Truck Day on Sunday September 15^th from 10am – 3pm.  Look for the school bus parked on theCommon!   Donations also accepted at Shaw’s Supermarket!

Items most needed: Cereal, pancake mix, pancake syrup, canned chicken, tuna, soups, personal hygiene items, 

Canned veggies, fruit, baked beans, Coffee, tea, and cocoa, Juices (100% juice please!),

Mac-n-cheese, rice, side dishes, Pasta, spaghetti sauce

.

Stay Connected to FWS

Communication Options

(How you can stay informed about what is going on at FWS!)

Principal’s Blog – http://franciswymanschool.blogspot.com/ -The Principal’s Blog can be accessed directly with the link above or through the PTO website and Francis Wyman School website. Sign up for email notifications so you don’t miss any blog posts. You will get email notification every time I post. There is a variety of information put on the blog such as the Weekly Bulletin, special events, information nights, and photos. The Weekly Bulletin is posted every Friday.

Francis Wyman Facebook – Search for Francis Wyman Elementary School. You may see two options for Francis Wyman School. The official page is the one with the colored photo. To stay connected you should “LIKE” the page. Facebook will provide you with current information and reminders of upcoming events.

Twitter – follow @FW principal and #fwschat - Twitter contains timely information such as what is going on in the moment, including photos and reminders. Also, you may follow Assistant Supt. Patrick Larkin’s account as he shares a great deal of interesting information on many education topics. @patrickmlarkin

Francis Wyman School website – http://www.burlington.org or more directly http://www.burlington.org/departments/schools/francis_wyman_elementary_school/index.ph

The school website contains static information that does not change often. You can find the School Handbook and information regarding policies. Items such as the school calendar and staff lists are also on the website. The school website can be accessed through the Burlington Public Schools website http://www.burlington.org

Francis Wyman PTO website -  http://www.franciswymanpto.org - The PTO website is full of information for parents. There are links to the Francis Wyman School website for a more direct line to information most pertinent to parents. There is also a link to the Principal’s Blog. Accessing the PTO website is a great option to stay informed and know about upcoming events. Sign up for E-News  - The email notifications from E News is  very helpful to parents. Sign up through the PTO website.

Francis Wyman PTO Now on Facebook - Search for Francis Wyman Elementary PTO and LIKE our page to follow events and updates for the school PTO.

Francis Wyman PTO Twitter - @FrancisWymanPTO

Burlington Public Schools Website - http://www.burlington.org - Information about all the schools in Burlington can be found on this page. The Superintendent’s Blog and the Asst. Supt.’s Blog can be accessed here. The Technology Department offers many good ideas such as great iPad apps for kids. Information about Special Education can be found here as well.

Bournedale Meeting Location

Please take note that the Camp Bournedale Meeting, Tuesday at 6pm, is at Fox Hill School, not Francis Wyman.  Sorry for any confusion.

Weekly Bulletin - September 6, 2013

Dates to Remember

Sept 9 – First Day for Kindergarten

Sept 10 – Camp Bournedale Meeting, 6pm FWS auditorium

Sept 17 – Back to School Night, Grades K-2  6pm-8pm

Sept 18/19 – Camp Bournedale, Grade 5 students

Sept 24 – Back to School Night, Grades 3-5 6pm – 8pm

Oct 1 – School Pictures

Happening Around the Neighborhood

BBSA Ripken Majors Tryouts 2014

BBSA Ripken Majors Tryouts will be Saturday, September 21, 2013 at Simonds Lower Park beginning at 2:00 pm.  11 year olds who would like a chance to play in Majors are required to attend the try out.  12 year olds are not required to try out, but the experience will give the players a better idea of how different Ripken Triple A is versus Ripken Majors. Ripken Majors is very competitive.  A couple of things to consider on the benefit of repeating Triple A is that it could be better for development and improvement over the long term progress of the player. With Majors being very highly competitive, it could be very discouraging for certain players. When signing up for the spring season, please consider the best option for your son or daughter. Please contact Pat O'Halloran with any questions patohalloran@verizon.net.

Welcome Back!

It was wonderful seeing all our students return to school today. Morning drop -off and morning bus arrival went smoothly. I was delighted to meet with every grade level today so that we could start the year off with our CARES Coupon Positive Behavior System. The students followed our school-wide expectations very well. The students in every grade successfully demonstrated audience etiquette earning their first CARES coupon of the year! We had a practice fire drill at the end of the day and the students were fantastic! Today was a day for establishing routines and getting reacquainted. After having such a great day today, tomorrow should be even better!

There are several exciting initiatives this year. One is the 1:1 iPad initiative in grades one, four and five. I encourage all parents to attend the Parent Technology Night that the BPS EdTech Team is hosting.  The Parent Technology Night is on Tuesday, October 1 from 7:00 - 8:00 at Marshall Simonds Middle School in the Library. Please join the BPS EdTech Team  for information about the BPS elementary school 1:1 iPad program. The session will provide an opportunity to learn about the iPad initiative at grades 1, 4, and 5 this school year. Our BPS EdTech team will discuss Foundational Apps, student access to devices, student responsibility, and digital workflow. Time during every Parent Tech Night session is also dedicated to technology related questions and support.

 A new math program called "Envision Math" is being implemented this year at all the elementary schools grades K-5. Envision Math aligns to the Common Core Standards and is based on the most current research. The teachers have attended professional development about the new program and are excited to begin! There will be an Envision Math Night for Parents on Wednesday, October 21. Information on the time and place for the meeting will be forthcoming. Mark your calendars now so you won't miss this informative  presentation.

Kindergarten Orientation is tomorrow, Wednesday, September 4. There are two sessions - 9:00 and 11:00. The letter from your child's  kindergarten teacher should indicate which time to attend. I look forward to seeing our kindergarten students and their parents tomorrow!