The Penguin Post

Tuesday, June 20 - Field Day

Wednesday, June 21 - 4th Grade Moving Up Ceremony (9:30 a.m.)

Thursday, June 22 - Last day of school - half day - dismissal at 12:20 p.m.

Thank you so much to the Phelps 4th grade for their generous gift to Phelps!

We are so excited that Phelps now has a Little Library at our playground!

Have fun reading and donating!

Here is our 2023-2024 school year calendar. Please take the time to mark important days and events.

Take some of the burden of back to school shopping off your plate. You can order all of your school supplies through SchoolTool Box. Orders placed by July 16 will be shipped directly to the school and delivered right to your child's classroom. You can place your order SchoolTool Box order here!

Orders placed after July 16 will ship to your home address.

If you would prefer to go shopping for supplies, you can find the class supply lists here.

Last summer we upgraded our library with new furniture and our playground with the gaga ball pit....this summer we have TWO more projects planned! We can't wait to show all of our Phelps community in September!

Report cards will be sent electronically on Thursday, June 22. Just a reminder that you need your PowerSchool account set up to have your report card emailed.

Next year's homeroom will be listed on the report card, however ALL students in grades K-3 will come home with a letter on June 22 with their placement for the fall. 4th grade families can expect a letter from Doering in the middle of August with next year's placement.

The Girls on the Run team had an AMAZING inaugural season at Phelps this year. Thank you to our coaches, Mrs. Domina, Ms. O'Connor, and Mrs. Durocher for all of your hard work this year. The girls had an awesome experience and concluded their season with a 5K at Western New England University and a community service project at the Agawam Senior Center. Great job to all!

With school out for the summer, it important to keep you kids engaged physically and mentally. Here are some great ideas for you:

1. Take family field trips.

Whether you can take a day off work, or simply plan something fun in the evening, take a few hours to go to the zoo, visit a local museum, or find a baseball game to attend.

2. Volunteer locally.

Find a local charity or talk with other community organizations about ways your kid can help out during the summer.

3. Plan a family game night.

Or make it a party and invite some friends over. Most importantly, let them plan the activities and menu!! You’re busy enough during the day, so don’t feel like you need to be the family cruise director all summer. Getting them in on the planning allows you to settle back and just have fun!

4. Read a book series.

Almost every kid in school will have some type of required summer reading. But, outside of that, let them get creative and pick a longer book series to read over time. Bonus points if you read the book at the same time!

5. Plan a family dinner night.

Again, let them do the menu planning. Encourage a certain theme, whether it’s Italian, Mexican, or burgers and fries. When it’s time to cook, you can help, but you would be surprised at how many kids begin to love cooking after they first give it a try.

6. Work out together.

Invite your kids along on your morning run or when you go to the gym. You might even think about planning some kind of “30 Day Fitness Challenge” to energize them over the summer.

7. Give screen time a purpose.

Take advantage of all of the positive aspects of iPads and iPhones. Find some fun, educational apps to download (we’re sure your kid’s teacher would have suggestions) to help them continue learning over the summer. Or, find a fun app you can connect over, like Heads Up, Words With Friends, or Mad Libs.

8. Take a hike.

Literally, go for a hike. While you’re at it, find some memorable spots you can revisit—something like a waterfall, quiet creek, mountain overlook, or just the perfect spot to watch a sunset.

9. Clean out the house and have a garage sale.

Sure, they might hate this idea, but it’s their stuff, too. This will help them take ownership of things around the house and possibly help them keep their rooms and closets cleaner in the future. For even more incentive, offer to give them the money they make from selling their stuff.

10. Make puzzle time.

Grab a massive, 1,000-piece puzzle, put it on the kitchen table, and spend a few weeks putting the whole thing together.

The staff Crystal Apple Award for the month of May was Mrs. McNeff!!!

Mrs. McNeff is new to Phelps School this year and has proven to be an incredible asset to our building. She has built positive and productive relationships with students all while addressing some challenging academics. She encourages her students to take risks and it has been awesome to see the progress they have made within her groups! Mrs. McNeff is always willing to collaborate with other team members and implement strategies to support her students. She is funny, kind, and hard working...we are all so lucky to have her. Congratulations on a successful first year at Phelps!

We are ready to go for our THIRD annual Back to School Playground Party! Be on the lookout for an invitation that will be emailed/texted to families in July!

We are looking for parents willing to join next year’s 4th Grade Committee! We need your help to make your kids’ last year at Phelps the best yet!

This group plans and organizes fundraisers and events for the 4th Grade Class including:

- Class field trip

- Class picnic

- Slideshow

- Year end gifts!

If interested, please email the Phelps PTO: phelpspto@gmail.com

Please also consider being a Committee Chairperson (take the lead). Let us know if you're interested!

Thank you for helping to keep 4th grade events running by participating! We couldn’t do it without you!

Mr. Villamaino & Mrs. Domina

Email: avillamaino@agawamed.org
Website: https://www.agawamed.org/o/bjp
Location: 689 Main Street, Agawam, MA, USA
Phone: 413-821-0586