Dear Greenwood Families,
Happy Monday! While this time of year is always a busy one in “school life,” it feels even busier this year than usual. However, that’s a really good thing! Think about it...many of the normal end-of-year activities are events that get booked and put on calendars months in advance. Due to the pandemic and necessary safety protocols, we haven’t always been sure about what we might or might not be able to do. As we’re able to slowly expand what we can do, we’re quickly adding dates to calendars and trying to do as much as we can. Getting busier means that we’re ABLE to do these activities! While we’re not back to 100% normal yet, we’re definitely on our way.
No School for Students - Wednesday, May 19th
All WPS staff will be taking part in a full day of professional development activities on Wednesday, May 19th, so there will be no school for students on that day.
Optional Class Placement Survey
Just a reminder that on Monday, May 10th, families of students in grades K-3 received a brief optional online survey for an opportunity to provide input about your child for the class placement process. This should be completed no later than Wednesday, May 19th.
Back Parking Lot
If you are dropping your child off or picking them up in the back of the school via Greenwood Avenue, please do not pull into the staff parking lot to do so. This creates a safety hazard as students and families walk from the sidewalk toward the school building. If you are dropping off, please pull up along the sidewalk on the street and have your child exit the vehicle. If you need to park, that should be done on the street. The parking lot is for Greenwood staff members only. Thank you for helping to keep our kids safe!
Dogs on School Property
With the stretch of nice weather, it’s time for another reminder to everyone about the Wakefield School Committee policy stating that animals are not allowed on school property. If you are at arrival or dismissal with a dog in tow, you must wait away from the school. This policy is for the safety and comfort of all of our students and families. Thank you to everyone who has been mindful about staying on the Main Street or Greenwood Avenue sidewalks with their furry walking partners at arrival and dismissal!
Upcoming Air Quality Testing
As took place earlier in the school year, there will be another round of air quality testing in each of the schools starting this week. Testing must be done during the school day while people are in the building, so a technician will go into each room briefly. We just wanted everyone to have a heads up in case kids mention a “visitor”!
From the Wakefield Educational Foundation - Celebration of Learning
Dear WPS Community:
WEF is always so proud of the commitment and outstanding work of our teachers, administrators and staff. This year, in particular, we want to commend our staff and we also want to recognize our students and their families for their flexibility and resilience during challenging times.
WEF in partnership with WPS has reimagined our annual Celebration of Learning and have produced videos to highlight some of the amazing work of our staff and students during this unusual and unprecedented year.
Thank you to Superintendent Doug Lyons and all of our principals for your participation and support of this project. Special thanks to Diana Ho and Julia Sparano, Media Specialists from WMHS and Woodville, and student, Aidan Bright of the class of 2021, who pulled this all together to create this virtual celebration.
We hope you will enjoy and share our pride and appreciation of our WPS school community.
The Wakefield Educational Foundation Board of Directors
End-of-Year Dates of Note
Things are moving along so quickly, I want to make sure some important dates are making it onto calendars...
No School (Professional Development) - Wednesday, May 19th
No School (Memorial Day) - Monday, May 31st
MCAS for Grades 3 & 4 (In-Person Model) - Monday, June 7th and Tuesday, June 8th
Moving On Celebration for Grade 4 - Monday, June 14th
Last day of school for Kindergarten - Wednesday, June 16th
Kindergarten Screening (for incoming K students) - Thursday, June 17th and Friday, June 18th
Last day of school for students in grades 1-4 - Friday, June 18th
Exact times and additional details for these will be communicated as they are finalized/confirmed.
Last Day of School
The last day of school will be a half day for students, which means that dismissal will be at 11:25am. This applies to Kindergarten on Wednesday, June 16th and Grades 1-4 on Friday, June 18th.
Health Reminder - Stay Vigilant!
Thank you for supporting us in our efforts to keep everyone safe by practicing and promoting safety precautions, which include hand hygiene, mask-wearing, social distancing, and avoiding group gatherings and travel to high-risk states where the rates of transmission are high (here is a link to the MA Travel Guidelines, in case a need to travel out of state arises). We are also asking for you to keep children home if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
Fever of 100.0 or higher, and/or chills
Cough (not due to other known cause such as chronic cough, asthma, allergies)
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Headache when in combination with other symptoms
Muscle aches or body aches
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
Nasal congestion or runny nose when in combination with other symptoms and not due to other known causes such as allergies
Unusual rash when in combination with other symptoms
Our school nurse, Mrs. Doherty, is always happy to answer any questions you may have or provide clarification.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions. Thank you for everything you do to support your children and their learning!
Tiffany Back