Dear Greenwood Families,

Happy Monday! I’ve lived my whole life in New England, yet it still comes as a surprise when we leapfrog straight from chilly weather to toasty summer temperatures. That’s a sure sign that we’re heading into the last few weeks of the school year! We have a LOT happening over the next 28 days, so let’s dive in!

Early Release - Wednesday, May 18th

Our next early release day for students is on Wednesday, May 18th. All students will be dismissed at 11:55am in order for WPS staff to have professional development sessions in the afternoon. Please note: there will be a scheduled lunch block for students prior to dismissal.

Reminder - Optional Class Placement Survey

Just a reminder about the Optional Class Placement Survey for students in grades K-3 that went out last week - we are asking for any input to be provided no later than Friday, May 20th. The link to the survey can be found here.

For our Grade 4 families...Galvin Middle School has its own process for students entering 5th grade in the fall, and they will be in communication about that (if they haven’t already been in touch).

Greenwood Science Fair

Science! We are so excited to see all the different topics and what kinds of projects will be on display at this Saturday’s Greenwood Science Fair. Join us out back on Saturday, May 21st between 9:00-11:00am to learn from our Gator Scientists! (And you can do some shopping at the Scholastic Book Fair as well.)

Wakefield HRC - Asian Pacific Island Heritage Event

The Wakefield Human Rights Commission is planning a multi-cultural event to commemorate APAH

month. It will be held on Sat., May 21st, from 2 - 4 p.m., at the Americal Center's Heritage Room. Please see the linked flyer for more information.

Reminder - “Chat with a Counselor” Zooms

Andrew Cedrone and Jen Hart, School Counselors at the Galvin Middle School, are hosting bi-monthly Zoom meetings to answer parent questions about social, emotional, and mental health in schools. Families with students at any grade level are welcome to participate, however, the one being held this Wednesday, May 18th from 12:00-1:00pm will include Dorie Blieden, who will be the 5th grade counselor at Galvin next year. A nice opportunity for our 4th grade families to meet her! More details about these Zooms can be found here.

NAMI Course for Caregivers

Mrs. Beardslee, our Greenwood School Psychologist, wanted to share information about an upcoming free six-session course for parents and family caregivers of children and adolescents with emotional and/or behavioral issues. This course is open to anyone in Massachusetts and is being presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness over six Tuesday evenings. Please see the flyer for more information and to register.

Health Reminder

I’ve kept this reminder as a constant throughout the year, and I want to draw your attention to it once again as we are currently seeing an uptick in COVID cases throughout the district. It is so important for everyone to maintain vigilance in order to keep school operating as smoothly as possible. Please keep children home if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

Fever of 100.0 or higher, chills, or shaking chills
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Muscle aches or body aches
Cough (not due to other known cause such as chronic cough, asthma, allergies)
Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, when in combination with other symptoms
Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

If a positive case of COVID is identified in your child’s classroom, you will receive a letter via School Messenger to let you know. Our school nurse, Mrs. Doherty is always happy to answer any questions you may have or provide clarification.

Greenwood School Social Media

We are on Facebook and Instagram! 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