Abbot Update 5.31.19
Dear Abbot Families,
Abbot was on island time today and it made for an amazing field day experience. The activities were a ton of fun for the students and the weather couldn't have been better. There's an incredible feeling of community when the entire school comes together with so many parent volunteers. It makes for an exceptionally memorable and heart warming day. A huge thank you to the MANY volunteers who dedicated their time to helping with set-up, clean-up, and stations. We simply couldn't have done this without you. I predict that we will all sleep well tonight!
Please see below for important updates.
Enjoy the weekend!
Sincerely,
Lori McDermott
Abbot School Principal
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Staff Update
Monica Sateriale, 4th grade teacher who was out on leave, has decided not to return to Abbot next year. We wish her all the best in the future! The position is posted and we will be forming an interview committee to hire a new 4th grade teacher. I will keep you updated as we move through the process.
Communication Survey
One of the Abbot School Improvement Plan goals this year was to increase overall communication. Please complete this short survey to provide your valuable feedback. The information provided will help me in planning for next year. Thank you!
PTO
The final Abbot PTO meeting of the year is on June 11th at 2:50 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. We will be voting in the board for the 2019-2020 school year and also voting on the Abbot PTO bylaws. Check them out on our webpage by clicking on the About Abbot PTO tab. We welcome feedback before the meeting - please email abbotschoolpto@gmail.com. There are also board positions open, so there is still time to join us!
School Store
We are looking forward to our final PTO school store this Tuesday. Students will enjoy the close-out sale with most items on sale for just 50 cents. Please see the attached flyer for more details. Our Compassion Corner will be dedicated to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which is an idea that came from 4th grader, Amber.
Bus Pass Notification - 2019/2020 Bus Passes
Registration Begins on Friday, May 31
Late Registration charge applies as of July 15
Bus Pass Registration for school year 2019-20 begins on Friday, May 31, 2019.
In order to obtain the appropriate number of buses and avoid overcrowding buses at the start of the school year, all registrations must be received before July 15. As of July 15, a $30 per-student late registration charge will be applied.
Additional busing information and online registration may be accessed via the Westford Public Schools website at https://www.westfordk12.us/district/transportation.
The bus pass fee for school year 2019-20 remains the same as for 2018-19:
1 student: $275
2 students: $550
3 or more students: $750 (family cap)
Bus passes will be mailed to home addresses prior to the start of school in August. Questions may be emailed to bus@westfordk12.us.
Parents of Incoming 3rd Graders
We are excited to invite parents of second grade student to a "third grade orientation", on June 4 from 6:30-7:30pm at Abbot School. At this event you will tour Abbot, meet the principals, some of our third grade teachers, our guidance counselor, and our school nurse. You will also hear about our wonderful school and have the opportunity to ask questions. Hope to see you there!
Lunch Account Balances
The school year is coming to a close, and it seems many students have negative balances in their lunch accounts. Reminder slips and emails have been sent, and it would be great to end the year with all of Abbot students paid up to date. If any negative balance remains at the end of the school year, it will carry over to next year and the debt remains active when the next school year begins. Thank you for your attention to and assistance with this matter.
REMINDERS FROM PREVIOUS UPDATES
Updated 2019-2020 WPS Calendar
The 2019-2020 School Calendar has been updated due to the change of a professional development day (March 12th changed to May 19th). Attached please find the newest version, Rev. A. A hard copy on green paper was also sent home with students.
A Message From the PTO
Nab/Abbot Baseball Outing Update:
If you ordered tickets to the Spinners Game for Wednesday 6/19 those tickets will come home in an envelope with your child the week of June 10th.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Westford Public Schools Diversity and Inclusion Team is a committee made up of staff looking to promote diversity and inclusion within the district. We are looking for parent volunteers who are interested in being part of a group of parents who can be a peer contact for immigrant families in the district. This group would be a resource to help immigrant families access district information and resources while also providing a contact who can relate to their situation. If you are interested in this opportunity please contact Mary Mathew at mmathew@westfordk12.us.
Dates to Remember
June 4 Before School Orchestra (7:30am)
PTO School Store
Incoming Grade 3 Parent Information Night
June 5 Final Before-School Band Practice
Band/Strings In-School Spring Concert (9-10am)
Band Concert (7-8pm)
June 7 Grade 5 Talent Show (1:45-2:30pm) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
COMMUNITY NEWS
Blanchard Theatre Arts Presents "Charlotte's Web"
Adults and children of all ages won't want to miss this enchanting take on E.B. White's classic children's book. With showtimes at 7pm on Friday and Saturday, there are two chances to join us in the Katie Enos Auditorium at the Blanchard Middle School to see Fern, Wilbur, Charlotte, Templeton, and all of their barnyard friends. More info at https://www.facebook.com/events/2408394075891909.
LAST NIGHT 2019 - Needs Your Help
WA Last Night 2019 is the all-night, substance-free celebration for our Westford Academy graduating seniors, which will be held on Friday, June 7th starting at 10:00 PM. With almost 100% participation, Last Night is a highlight for WA graduates. It takes over 300 volunteers and many, many generous donors to make this evening a success. Parents of all students from K to 12, are encouraged to volunteer. For more information, please see the Last Night website at www.walastnight.org
This year Last Night Needs more Volunteers! Help is especially needed before and after the event with set-up and decorating. Any amount of time that you can volunteer would be a great help. To volunteer in any capacity, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Cindy McKeen at volunteer@walastnight.org.
3rd Walk-a-thon to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell
Westford Girls for a Better Tomorrow (WGBT), a group of middle school aged girls, will host their 3rd Walk-a-Thon on Saturday, June 8th 2-4 pm at the Stony Brook Middle School Track to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell. Rain date is Sunday, June 9th. Adults & children of all ages are welcome to join the fun! We will have raffles, snacks & games for kids. Registration begins at 2 pm with the walk-a-thon starting at 2:30 pm, but walkers can begin walking anytime between 2:30 – 4 pm. Suggested Donation to Walk: $10 per person or $25 per family. For more information or to donate, please visit https://fundrazr.com/wgbt_walk2019 or contact us at wgbt.westford@gmail.com . Thank you for your support!
Challenge Success
Please read the latest Challenge Success Newsletter http://bit.ly/WestfordCSMay19Newsletter
Girls' Basketball
Any girls interested in playing basketball this summer should come to the Grey Ghost Basketball Clinic from June 18 through June 21st. This clinic is run by the WA Girls' Basketball program and is appropriate for all levels of players from recreational to AAU/travel basketball players. Counselors include current members of the WA Varsity Girls' Basketball team plus current NCAA college basketball players Emily Bramanti (Stonehill - NCAA D2) and Cammy Desrochers (Framingham State - NCAA D3). Please see the flyer that was sent home with your student or email Coach Russ Coward at rcoward@westfordk12.us. Thank you very much for your support!
WESTFORD ACADEMY BOYS’ BASKETBALL SHOOTING CLINIC is now Open to All Boys Entering 2-9 Grade (Entering Fall of 2019). Westford Academy Boys' Basketball Head Coach Chris Bramanti, and members of the Westford Academy Boys' Basketball program will host a four day, three hour per day shooting clinic from Tuesday, June 18th through Friday, June 21st from 8:30am to 11:30am. Registration can be found on www.basketballwa.com or you can email Coach Bramanti at cbramanti@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