Dear Greenwood Families,
Happy Sunday! It feels like a luxury to have a full week of school ahead of us - November is always a month that ends up being a little choppy. You can be sure that everyone here will take advantage of all that available learning time!
“Executive Functioning Corner”
As mentioned during the whole-group session at Back-to-School Night, executive functions are brain-based skills everyone uses to organize information and perform tasks. We all know the importance of these skills for not just school, but for life! Last year the Greenwood Instructional Leadership Team spent a lot of time learning more about executive functioning skills and discussing ways to share information with our entire Greenwood community.
One of the biggest takeaways for many was that these are skills that must be taught, and we need families to join us in that work! So this week we are going to focus on the first of four executive functioning skills that are extremely important for elementary school students to learn, develop, and practice. This skill is called response inhibition. Please take a moment to check out this chart created by the Greenwood ILT about response inhibition. This chart includes a definition, what this skill looks like at various grade levels, and tips for teaching and developing this skill at home. We hope that families find this useful!
School Picture Retakes - Thursday, November 21st
O’Connor Studios will be at Greenwood this Thursday to do individual picture retakes for students who were absent or would like a new photo taken. Please have your child bring their original photos with them to school on that day.
From the Elementary Science Teachers
Take a moment to check out their newsletter to see what has been going on during science!
Greenwood All-School Meeting - Grade 4 Hosting
For many of our upcoming All-School Meetings, each grade level will be responsible for hosting an assembly to share about a positive attribute that we want our Greenwood community to embrace and embody. Our 4th graders will lead us off to talk about “cooperation” on Monday, November 25th at 9:45am, and we would like to invite 4th grade parents/guardians to attend if you are able to do so. (Seating will be up in the balcony.) We look forward to seeing you!
Wakefield Parent University - Upcoming Session
Wakefield Public Schools Parent University presents a virtual autumn series with a focus on mindfulness. With today’s hectic schedules, stresses, and life demands, students and caregivers alike can forget to focus on their own wellbeing. Our November sessions will explore the benefit of mindful practices and their impact on our physical and mental health.
At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 19, Dr. Christopher Willard, a clinical psychologist, author, and lecturer at Harvard Medical School, will teach caregivers how they can engage their children and teens in mindful practices. Dr. Willard will be sharing fun, science-based mindfulness practices through awareness, movement, games, play, and creative activities designed for all ages.
Register for these sessions to access the Zoom links at bit.ly/WakefieldParentU.
Early Release - Wednesday, November 27th
Our next early release day for students is on Wednesday, November 27th. All students will be dismissed at 11:55am to begin Thanksgiving break. There will NOT be a lunch block during the school day, but Grab & Go Lunches will be available for those who sign up (survey will be sent out early on Monday, 11/25). There is NO after-school program for Wakefield Academy on this day.
Wakefield Academy - Wednesday, November 27th
The Wakefield Academy after-school program will be closed on Wednesday, November 27th for Thanksgiving break. The Wakefield Academy before -school program will be open as usual on this day.
No School - Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th
All Wakefield Public Schools offices and school buildings will be closed on Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving break.
From the Wakefield Educational Foundation (WEF) - Online Auction!
The Wakefield Educational Foundation is happy to announce WEF's Annual Auction! The auction will began on Wednesday, 11/13 and runs through Friday, 11/22. Linked here is a preview of the items that are available so far. Shop for the holidays and support WEF at the same time - thank you for your support!
Massachusetts Partnership for Youth - Free Resource for Parents & Caregivers
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is continuing to sponsor a free Parenting Solutions Library. MPY is offering this valuable resource in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit organization located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Through this partnership, MPY is providing proven resources to help students’ families thrive.
Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The Parenting Solutions Library is easily accessed using the link on MPY’s home page. No log in or passcode is needed.
WPS Community Forum - The Science Behind Later School Start Times
The Wakefield Public Schools Student Services Subcommittee and the WPS Administration welcome community members to hear from Dr. Judy Owens about the science behind later school start times. The community forum will take place at Galvin Middle School Auditorium at 7:00 p.m on Wednesday, November 20th. This is the first of three community forums that will be held in the coming months to hear about the science behind sleep and later school start times, along with opportunities and challenges communities have faced in making this change. At the close of the three community forums, the administration and the subcommittee will present recommendations to the larger School Committee.
If you have questions about the upcoming meeting, please contact Deidre Sandonato, Assistant to the Superintendent at deidre.sandonato@wpsk12.org.
From the Wakefield Human Rights Commission - Student Participation Opportunity
The Wakefield Human Rights Commission invites all Wakefield students to creatively participate in the 2025 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CORETTA SCOTT KING DAY EVENT at the Galvin Middle School, on Monday, January 20th, beginning at 10 a.m.
How can you participate? Submit (WHRC@Wakefield.ma.us) poetry and photos of drawings, paintings and sculptures that illustrate the work, philosophy and vision of MLK and CSK that promote non-violence, peace and justice in the world. We would appreciate receiving these creative works by January 5th but no later than the morning of January 11th.
Participating students will receive recognition and prizes. Artwork will be exhibited at the event, on the WHRC website and all will receive WHRC certificates of appreciation. $25 gift cards will be awarded for Best in Show to an elementary school student and to a middle/high school student. Runner-ups will receive Cravings gift certificates. And, we are offering a special prize for a class project so get your crayons and paint ready.
Not an artist? Would you or your classmates like to present a reading or musical interlude at the event? Please contact sherrioken@gmail.com with your ideas and proposals and to volunteer.
All are invited to participate in this very special, annual event.
Contacting the Main Office
Ms. Paiva will be back soon, but not quite yet! So 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 month of December. 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