Abbot Update 6.7.19 | Westford Public Schools

Dear Abbot Families,

The end of the school year is rapidly approaching with just one more full week left. As a few students told me today, "Six more wake-ups!". I am anticipating that next week will feel quite different with our fifth graders enjoying Environmental Camp Week. I am happy for them, but a little sad for us, as we will surely miss having them in the building.

This time of year can bring about mixed feelings as we all begin thinking about closing one chapter and looking ahead to the next. As you know, our children take their cues from us. To that end, I encourage you to focus on the positive with your children by celebrating their success and embracing the excitement and potential for what lies ahead. Change is good!

Please see below for important updates.

Enjoy the weekend!

Sincerely,

Lori McDermott

Abbot School Principal

________________________________________________________________________________________________________Dismissal

Please be aware that buses may be a little later than usual bringing students home as a result of 5th Grade Camp.

Band and Strings

Congratulations to our Band & Strings students for an outstanding in-school performance on Wednesday and to the Abbot School Band for an outstanding evening performance. It is always amazing to see the progress that is displayed after just one school-year. This speaks to the dedication and perseverance of our students and the support provided to them by their teachers and all of you.

Newspaper Club

Please click here to read this year's final issue of the Abbot Gazette.

Nab/Abbot Baseball Outing Update

If you ordered tickets to the Spinners Game for Wednesday 6/19 please check your child's backpack for the tickets as they were sent home today (Friday). Please contact Amy Bailey, at bailey.amy.e@gmail.com, if they have any issues.

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. Unfortunately, just TEN people have provided feedback so far. It's really short - I promise! The information provided will help me in planning for next year. Thank you!

Staff Update

Mrs. Sanderson and Mr. Dunlea have decided not to return to Abbot next year. We wish them all the best in the future! The hiring process is underway and I am thrilled that we have such a large selection of highly qualified candidates. Trust that this is a top priority and that we will find the very best fit for Abbot School. As always, I will keep you posted.

Move-Up Day

Abbot students in grades 3 and 4 will participate in Move-Up Day on Friday, June 14 at 1:30pm. The goal of this activity is for students to see their classrooms and meet their classmates and teachers. In the event that a teacher is not in place, thoughtful plans will be executed to ensure that all students have a positive experience. Second graders will be visiting Abbot from 9:45-noon, during which time they will meet their third grade penpals, tour the school, visit their classrooms and meet their classmates and teachers. Very exciting!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OF FIFTH GRADERS

Grade 5 Environmental Camp

It's time for 5th Grade Camp! The students are very excited to experience this much anticipated tradition. Car riders must be at school by 8:15am in order to get on the bus for camp. Let's hope the excitement gets everyone out of bed a little earlier. :)

Grade 5 Completion Ceremony

We are looking forward to our 5th Grade Completion Ceremony on Monday, June 17 at 9am in the Abbot School Gymnasium.

REMINDERS FROM PREVIOUS UPDATES

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 10 - 14 Grade 5 Environmental Camp (Mon-Thurs - 8:25am-2:30pm, Fri - 8:25am-12:45pm)

June 10 Westford Walking Tour (Anderson/Antonelli - 11am, Kelly/Martinson - 11:30am)

June 11 PTO Mtg (2:50-3:50pm)

June 12 Westford Walking Tour (Breen/Conlin - 11am, Mulholland - 11:30am)

June 14 Move-Up Day

June 17 Last Day of School (dismissal at 11:40am)

Grade 5 Completion Ceremony (9:00am)

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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!

Westford Youth Soccer Association- Registration is now open for the Fall 2019 Season!

Registration for the Fall 2019 Soccer Season is now open! Registration deadline for players in grades 3-8 is June 23rd. There is a **NEW** option for players entering grades 3-6 in the fall. Players in grades 3/4 and 5/6 now have the option of registering for the traditional TRAVEL program or our new REC program. Players in the REC program will practice once a week and play other Westford teams and possibly teams from neighboring towns such as Acton. Players must choose between REC or TRAVEL- they cannot play both. REC and TRAVEL players should sign up to attend assessments starting on June 9th. Check out the WYSA website to sign for assessments, register for the soccer season, or for more info: http://westfordyouthsoccer.com/. Questions about the REC program? Please email: rec@westfordyouthsoccer.com

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