Willett Whaler

Enjoy the Winter Break (February 19-23). We look forward to your children returning to school on Monday, February 26th.

We know that families play an essential role in reinforcing timely and regular student attendance. See the link below for some tips on encouraging and supporting your student. As a reminder, all APS Attendance Policies can be found in the student handbooks.

• Do you know anyone with school age children ready for Kindergarten for next year? The Attleboro Public Schools is pleased to host Kindergarten Information Night on March 7, 2024. This evening provides families with information on how to enroll a student in Kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year. Early Learning Center parents should also plan to attend this evening to receive information for the next steps in the ELC to Kindergarten process. More information can be found here: https://attleboropsma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/apswc/page/kindergarten-registration-2023-024

Please enjoy reading this year's Annual Report Card for the 2023-2024 school year.

• Any resident of Attleboro or student attending the Attleboro Public Schools (through a guardian) can access the William James College INTERFACE Referral Service. The INTERFACE Helpline helps individuals in subscribing communities become connected with outpatient mental health and wellness resources.
  
  Through the Helpline that operates from 9 AM- 5 PM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 8 AM- 6 PM on Tuesday and Thursday, callers will complete an intake which takes about 15-20 minutes and then within a day or so of their call will be assigned to work with a Resource and Referral Counselor who will help them navigate the challenges of finding mental health services, including obtaining a referral match to an outpatient provider, as well as information and resources related to mental health and wellness. Please see What to Expect When You Call the Helpline or visit interface.williamjames.edu for more information.
  
  The INTERFACE Helpline is not an emergency service. If you or the person you are seeking to assist requires a crisis response to meet immediate safety needs, please call 988, 911, go to your local emergency room, or find your local crisis services by calling 833-773-2445 and asking for crisis support.

Dear Parents or Guardians,

We at the Computational Cognitive Developmental Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education are interested in how children learn about the world around them. To answer the question of whether young children can learn from a limiting case analysis about the principles of water displacement, we are conducting an online study over Zoom.

Your child will play a game with the experimenter over a video call and will answer questions about what will happen to the water level after an object is submerged in it.

If you are interested in having your child participate in the study (the study is open to 6-, 7- and 8-year-olds), please fill out the following super short survey to provide us with your contact information.

https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1zXmkcSVYw9IeTs

If you do so, we will be in touch to schedule an online 30-min appointment outside school hours that works for you. We will be able to offer a $10 Amazon gift card as a token of appreciation for your participation.

Sincerely,

Igor Bascandziev

If you have any questions, please contact me at: igor.bascandziev@gse.harvard.edu

Willett Community!
📢 We are seeking local businesses to join our Community Business Partners program. Do you own a business or know anyone that does?! Please help spread the word!

As a Community Partner, you will be contributing to an incredible cause - the development of our future leaders! In return, we want to provide your business with maximum brand awareness in our community!

The primary component of our Community Business Partners program is our Event Shirt. Your logo or name will be displayed on the shirt worn by 400 students and 60+ teachers year-round, providing continuous exposure for your business!
Also, our friends at Booster Gear are offering a 15% discount on any custom apparel order for your business! Just visit their website and say you’re a proud Community Partner of Willett Elementary!

Please see the sponsorship information below for pricing and details. Thank you for being a valued member of the Willett Elementary community! Here’s to a great partnership!

All donations are tax deductible. Please send your name, phone number, and business logo (or name) to email address: willettptopres@gmail.com by March 1, 2024 to secure your spot. Please make checks payable to Willett Elementary PTO and mail to 32 Watson Ave., Attleboro, MA 02703 by March 1, 2024.

On behalf of Willett Elementary School, thank you so much for your time and consideration! 🐳

There is a promotion from Whitson's in February. You will find ingredients lists for two special items not found on the menu below.

On March 14, 2024, from 6:00-7:30 PM, Attleboro Public Schools (APS) will host A Night to Discover: APS Student Learning and Community Partnership Showcase. Now in the second year of this annual event, this evening is an opportunity for APS staff, students, families, and community organizations to come together as students throughout the district display their learning experiences and local community resources share information about their services and programs. The goal of this event is to bring all stakeholders from the community together to celebrate student successes and share resources. More information to come soon. We look forward to seeing you there!

February

19-23 - No School - February Break

March

Read Across America Week

• Monday, March 4th- Stripes Day

• Tuesday, March 5th- Animal Day (animal clothes/stuffed animals)

• Wednesday, March 6th- Book Character Day

• Thursday, March 7th- Mismatch Day

• Friday, March 8th- Sleep Book Pajama Day

7 - Kindergarten Information Night (6:30 - 7:30 PM)

15 - Early Release Day

Ashlyn, Royal, Nimit, Bobby, Ruth, Mackenzie, Jordyn and Davi

We have selected dates for our MCAS testing in the Spring of 2024. Please do your best to not schedule vacations on these dates:

Grade 3

• ELA - April 3rd and 4th
• Math - May 8th and 9th

Grade 4

• ELA - April 1st and 2nd
• Math - May 6th and 7th

Please see these important newsletters for information about our Title I programming.

Title I Home School Compact

Title I Family Engagement Plan

Students have begun wearing smart watches in school. What follows below is the language from page 27 of the Student Handbook.

Students are not allowed to capture photos, voice recordings, or video images of any person(s) in the school building at anytime. This includes film and digital cameras, laptops, the video component of a video phone, photo, or video recorders, or through the use of any other technology used to capture photos or record video images. Exceptions can be made for students fulfilling the requirements of an activity assigned by a teacher.

The secret use of sound or videotaping devices is illegal (MA General Law Chapter 272 section 99). Videotaping or sound recording a class or individual without the permission of everyone involved is a criminal offense with severe penalties. Students engaging in such activities will be subject to disciplinary action. The inappropriate use of a video or picture cell phone is prohibited at all times; and may also be subject to the Cyber Harassment Policy.

All personal devices must be stored in backpacks and accessed only with permission of the educator for educational purposes. Personal devices are the responsibility of the student to keep safe and operational.

Please note that even though meals will be free for all students this school year, it remains essential for families who believe they qualify to complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2023-2024 school year. Visit our Food Services page to learn more and Apply Online: https://www.attleboroschools.com/o/aps/page/food-services2

The APS Community Resource Guide has moved! Click the link below to access the updated list of local resources and community supports: https://www.attleboroschools.com/o/apswc/page/community-resource-guide

New School Year Information

Please check out this highly informative back to school information from the district.

https://www.attleboroschools.com/o/apswc/page/for-families-aps-welcome

Free / Reduced Lunch Applications

Much like the transportation application process, we will not be sending home paper copies of the SY 23-24 Free/Reduced Lunch applications this year. We will be sending out a series of notifications to families with this information and it is included in the New School Year Information document above. We will send a small number of paper applications to each building so that you have them available if they are requested. Lunch applications can be completed online and are found on the Food Services webpage here: https://attleboropsma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/aps/page/food-services2