Dear Greenwood Families,
Happy Monday! I hope everyone was able to enjoy the long weekend and do something fun at some point (or at all points!). Everyone at Greenwood is working hard, kids and adults alike, and it’s always great to take a little break and reset!
Early Release - Friday, October 18th
Our next early release day for students is on Friday, October 18th. All students will be dismissed at 11:55am in order for WPS staff to have professional development sessions in the afternoon. While there will not be a scheduled lunch block during the morning, families will have the option to sign up for a “Grab & Go” lunch. See next blurb for details!
Grab & Go Lunches - Friday, October 18th
Due to the necessary adjustments to our instructional schedules on shortened school days, we will NOT have a scheduled lunch block during the morning on early release days (kids will still have snack!). However, we WILL be offering the opportunity for children to pick up a “Grab & Go” lunch before they leave the building or go to Wakefield Academy. While still free to access, families will have to sign up in order for their child to take a lunch on any early release day. I will be sending out a separate School Messenger with the sign-up link on Tuesday, October 15th. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions about this!
Safety Drill Practice Recap
Last week we held a schoolwide drill on Thursday to practice staying safe within the school building, including a drill for shelter-in-place and for lockdown. Students did a great job listening to directions from adults and practicing safety routines in the classroom.
Evacuation Walk Practice - This Thursday!
On Thursday, October 17th, Greenwood students and staff will practice the procedure for leaving the school and relocating to an off-campus site. The initial steps for leaving the building are the same as for a fire drill, which we have already practiced as individual classrooms and as a whole school. In the case of an event where students and staff are not safely able to re-enter the building after evacuating, we walk to our designated reunification site, the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish at 1155 Main Street. Our evacuation practice will begin at 9:00 a.m., and we should be back to school no later than 9:45am. A police detail will be present to assist us in street crossings. Keep your fingers crossed for a sunny day!
Early Literacy Screener (DIBELS) Update
Please see the below linked letter for information regarding the beginning of the year literacy screener and family reports that will be distributed soon. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
Early Literacy Letter (English)
Early Literacy Letter (Spanish)
Early Literacy Letter (Portuguese)
Contacting the Main Office
Again, since Ms. Paiva is out on leave, anything you would normally email her about can be sent to both me (tiffany.back@wpsk12.org) and Majed Chankhour (majed.chankhour@wpsk12.org), who is filling in for Marie during this time period. And as always, don’t forget to include the classroom teacher as appropriate!
Lunchroom Volunteers
Keep the volunteers coming! Kids love to see everyone at lunchtime!
Do you have any free time between 12:00-1:10pm on school days? Looking for a way to help out at Greenwood? We are finally bringing back lunchroom volunteer opportunities! If you’d like to come in and help support students while they’re eating lunch, please see the linked Sign-Up Genius to select time slots through the end of October. Single days, multiple days, one time slot, the whole lunch block…we welcome any and all helpers!
Lunchroom volunteers will help students with those tricky thermoses, hand out napkins and utensils, support students while they sort items into composting/food rescue/trash, and help clean tables at the end of each lunch. Oh, and the most important thing - bring smiles and laughter!
NOTE: You will need to have a CORI form completed before coming in for any lunch shifts - please contact Ms. Paiva about the process or to check if you have a current one on file
Greenwood School Social Media
We are on Facebook and Instagram, and one of my personal goals this year is to show off the fun we’re having throughout Greenwood! Check us out - @wpsgreenwood on both Instagram and Facebook!
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.
Thank you for everything you do to support your children and their learning! Let’s have a great week!
Tiffany Back
Principal, Greenwood School