Abbot Update 4.26.19
Dear Abbot Families,
We had a busy first week back from vacation. As I visited classrooms, I noticed many students working on persuasive essays. I am so impressed with the wide range of topics Abbot students are passionate about - from the type of pizza served in the cafeteria to hand dryers in the restrooms. Reading their writing is so much fun!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Lori McDermott
Abbot School Principal
________________________________________________________________________________________________________Math MCAS
Grade 3 will take Math MCAS on Thursday and Friday. Remember, a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast is important.
National Poetry Month
Nabnasset School Principal, Susan DuBois was our "Monday Mystery Reader" during morning announcements this week. She read My Book!, by David L. Harrison, which is an adorable poem about how wonderful it feels to read your very first book. The students were thrilled to hear Mrs. DuBois on the Abbot School loud speaker and it was such a special treat to have her here. Mrs. Dobski also took some fourth grade students over to Millennium Preschool to read poetry to the preschoolers. It was a special treat for all involved.
Abbot School Yearbook
THE DEADLINE FOR ORDERING THE 2018-19 ABBOT SCHOOL YEARBOOK HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO MONDAY, MAY 6.
If you haven't already done so please order your copy here: https://tr5.treering.com/validate
PASSCODE: 1014533099032519
PRICE: $15.00
Orders can be placed ONLINE ONLY.
If you have any questions please email Kathy Knapp at kat.knapp@ymail.com
Stony Brook Parent Information Night
Parents of 5th grade students will be invited to attend an information session at Stony Brook on May 2 from 6-7pm. The goal of this event is to meet the Stony Brook leadership team and learn about the structure of middle school. This is an event that parents of 5th graders won't want to miss, so please save the date.
5th Grade Camp - A Message From Elaine Santelmann
Now that spring is upon us, plans are underway for all fifth graders to attend a five-day outdoor environmental program in June at the Stony Brook Conservation Land. This fun-filled week features a wide array of outdoor challenges, science activities, and team building. Students and staff look forward to it all year! This year's program will be June 10-14.
Your child will have a notice with all the fine print in their backpack today. You can also read it here.
Each student needs to be enrolled to attend camp. The enrollment form can be found here. It is also posted on each school's website: Abbot's is under Quick Links on the home page. When you enroll your child, don't forget to sign up to volunteer. We can't operate a program of this size without your help!
We hope to see you there!
Elaine Santelmann
K-5 Science/Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator
5th Grade T-Shirts
Please remember to return the 5th grade T-shirt form that was sent home this week with your payment. The form is attached for your convenience.
Chess Club - Session 3
We are excited to announce that we will be offering one more session of Chess Club beginning on May 3. A flyer went home with students. Please return the flyer by Wednesday as we will likely need to hold a lottery due to such high interest. The lottery will be held at 9am on Wednesday morning. You will be notified via email by Wednesday evening by 4pm as to whether or not your child will be participating. We will let you know either way.
Student Council
Mrs. Jerzylo and I had a very productive Student Council meeting on Thursday. We spent the majority of the time planning for our Memorial Day Program that is scheduled for May 24 at 1:30pm outside at the flagpole. All are welcome. More details to come soon.
REMINDERS
Field Day
Our school-wide Field Day is scheduled for May 28 and will be here before we know it. The theme this year is "On Island Time" and we are looking forward to a funfilled day of community building events. Students are encouraged to wear tropical attire and sneakers, bring a water bottle, hat and sunscreen. We will need several volunteers for this event, so please consider joining us for a day that's sure to be one of the most exciting days of the year. Please volunteer here.
K-12 District-wide Art Show
WPS will be hosting its first ever K-12 Districtwide Art Show at Westford Academy on Wednesday, May 8 from 5-7 pm. There will be artwork from each building as well as performances from music and theater students throughout the evening. A reception will be held outside in the courtyard (weather permitting) at 6:30 pm. Tickets will not be sold for this event, but optional donations will be accepted at the door. Please see the attached flyer. Hope to see you there!
Library Books
With only about 35 school days left (yikes), it's time to check under the beds and behind those couches for those missing library books. We appreciate your support in keeping our library fully stocked.
Dates to Remember
April 29 Westford Museum (Antonelli, Mulholland)
April 30 Before School Orchestra (7:30am)
Living Lab (Kelly, Mulholland - 8:45-10:15am)
Living Lab (Anderson, Conlin - 10:15-11:45am)
PTO Meeting (2:50-3:50pm)
May 1 Living Lab (Antonelli, Martinson - 8:45-10:15am)
Living Lab (Breen - 10:15-11:45am)
May 2 Chorus Rehearsal (7:30am)
Grade 3 Math MCAS, Session 1
May 3 Grade 3 Math MCAS, Session 2
Chess Club, Session 3 (2:30-3:30pm) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________COMMUNITY NEWS
Westford Academy Theater Arts presents THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON imagined by PigPen Theatre Co. and directed by Maggie Sulka on April 26 & 27 and May 2 & 3 at 7:30 pm and April 28 & May 4 at 2:00 pm in the Westford Academy Performing Arts Center. General Admission Seats will be sold at the door: Tickets are $15.00 for Adults and $10.00 for Students and Seniors. This show is recommended for audiences aged 1-99!
Red Sox Night
Habitat for Humanity is partnering with The Rajiv Plauri Memorial Fund to raise funds for affordable housing as well as annual academic & athletic scholarships for Westford youth. A flyer with details is attached.
Kids Can Be Cruel!
Children don’t want adults to be involved in their social lives. They hate it when teachers interfere. Yet teachers are witnesses to the exclusion of low-status children in elementary schools and the popularity wars of middle school and they must act to protect the weak. Parents also see the friendship difficulties of their own children. Some take their children’s social ambitions to heart and worry that their children are not popular. Other parents hope the school can protect their children from all social pain. Social cruelty among kids is one of the most difficult things that adults must confront in raising or educating children.
Join the Westford Parent Connection on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 for Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Friendship Development, Popularity, And Social Cruelty In Childhood, a dynamic presentation by Dr. Michael Thompson. Dr. Thompson is an internationally recognized, highly acclaimed speaker, author, and psychologist. His talk will be held at the Stony Brook Middle School, 9 Farmer Way, Westford, at 7:00 p.m. Due to the generosity of many sponsors, the presentation is free and open to the public. It is appropriate for parents, guardians, and teachers of children of all ages, but may be particularly helpful for those who have younger kids in their lives.
Dr. Thompson walks teachers and parents through the complex social world of childhood ad addresses a number of questions: What do social relationships in school predict about happiness in adult life? What is the normal sequence of child friendships, from the parallel play of the two-year-old to the intimate self-disclosure of the adolescent? Why do cliques form and what are the differences between boy and girl groups? Why are children scapegoated and how can their parents and school protect them? Dr. Thompson will draw on research to highlight the differences between friendship and popularity. He makes suggestions about the management of social problems in schools, and builds the case that while all children yearn for popularity, is it friendship that truly helps children survive and thrive.
For more information about Dr. Thompson, go to http://michaelthompson-phd.com/. For more details about the Westford Parent Connection, check out https://www.westford.org/wpc/ or contact Mary Anne Seraphin at mary.anne.seraphin@gmail.com.
Sunday, May 5, Marks The 20th Annual Westford Road Race
The Westford Charitable Foundation reaches a significant milestone in 2019: the Westford Road Race is being held for the 20th year! For two decades, runners have come from all over to participate in the Family Fun Run and the USA Track & Field sanctioned and certified 5K and 10K races. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised and given back to the community to support a wide variety of local causes. Want to participate in what is sure to be a big celebration? Pre-registration (if completed before April 21) is $15 per person for the Fun Run, $25 per person for the 5K race, and $30 per person for the 10K race. After April 21, the cost increases to $30 for the 5K and $35 for the 10K. (The price for the Family Fun Run remains $15 per person.) The first 600 pre-registered runners are guaranteed t-shirts. All entries are nonrefundable. Runners can register at http://roadrace.westford.org/regform.html or can register the day of the event from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Abbot School. The Westford Road Race is held in memory of Cindie Davis Holub. For more information – about the courses, start times, numbers, and so on – go to http://roadrace.westford.org/ or contact Westford Charitable Foundation founder Lori Cogliano at lcogliano@lycos.com.
On May 5th there will be a FAMILY FUN DAY at Westford Academy from 4pm-7pm after the annual Westford Road Race!
This day is to benefit a scholarship for a young man by the name of Trebor Dooley. Trebor graduated from WA back in 2005. Trebor was an amazing young man who was so special to so many people. Unfortunately Trebor lost his second battle to brain cancer this past July.
Because he meant so much to so many of us here at WA, we are hosting a FAMILY FUN DAY in his honor to raise money for a scholarship in his name.
Join us on May 5th from 4pm-7pm here at WA for some fun & games as well as a concert by another WA grad, Caroline Gray, who is currently a Nashville recording artist!
The TRIBUTE TO TREBOR COMMITTEE
For more information, email Melanie Jozokos mjozokos@westfordk12.us
Westford Summer Music Program - The Westford Summer Music program is now accepting registrations for band and orchestra students entering grades 5 through 9 in September 2019. Band and orchestra ensembles will rehearse daily from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Stony Brook School on July 8th through July 12th . During the week, the students will prepare new music and give a free performance on Friday, July 12th at 11 a.m.
For more information and registration please visit: www.westfordk12.us/summermusic
For questions, please contact:
Julie Ottesen - jottesen@westfordk12.us
PARENT SUPPORT GROUP
This support group is free drop in group available to any parent who is concerned that their child might be struggling with a mental health issue. This can be something such as ADD, or some sadness, lots of worries or perhaps something more defined. This is a pro bono group offered for parents to come together and share ideas, offer support to each other and realize that they are not alone in our concern for our children. Facilitators are: Dianne Walsh, LICSW (Cogitative-Behavioral Therapist) and Sue Hanly, RN (school nurse at Stony Brook Middle School). All groups include discussion and sharing by any member who is interested in getting feedback from the group. You do not need to be a Westford resident to attend. To be included on the group email feel free to contact: Dianne Walsh, LICSW dwalsh@perkinschool.org or 508-566-3189
Sue Hanly, RN smhanly1@gmail.com or 978-501-0837
Please call the Westford Health Dept for any questions at 978-692-5509.
Dates: 5/14
Location: Millennium School (behind Abbot) Large Old Purpose Room
Time: 7:00 pm-8:00 pm
May 14 The impact on mental illness on the entire family
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