3 Tiger Drive

978-897-6700

Principal- Keith Kinney kkinney@maynard.k12.ma.us

Assistant Principal-David Snyder dsnyder@maynard.k12.ma.us

Administrative Assistant- Joanne Lochiatto jlochiatto@maynard.k12.ma.us

Administrative Assistant- Marie Roche mroche@maynard.k12.ma.us

Greetings,

One week left until vacation for the students and they are certainly looking forward to this well deserved break. Fowler students have been working hard on all fronts, including MCAS. Our students have risen to the challenge and prepared well for this all year. When all is said and done, our learners are encouraged to show what they know and leave it at that.

Over the course of the next several weeks, there will be lots and lots of important dates that will be sent out. I will keep my writing to a very limited level in order for all to focus on the dates starting today. I will be updating all the information below as I receive it! Please see below!

BEST DAY EVER

April 12th: Celebration of Fowler's PTO fundraiser. Students will have fun with a variety of inflatables and Kona Ice. This is weather permitting.

Save the Date: Fowler Fine Arts Night

• Fowler Fine Art Night
• May 2nd 6-8pm
• Art Show Fundraiser
• Book Fair, Music, Games, Food and Kona Ice Truck

Save the Date: Fowler Book Fair

It’s Book Fair Time!

The Fowler School Library will be holding a spring Book Fair Monday, April 29th through Friday, May 3rd! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to discover new and exciting books. Students will be able to visit the book fair during library classes and/or with their teachers as a class. The book fair will also be open the evening of Fine Arts Night in the main lobby, so caregivers can enjoy the fun too!

Please note that checks cannot be accepted, only cash or credit card payments.

Feel free to reach out to Kiley Swenson (kswenson@maynard.k12.ma.us) with any questions.

Grade 8 HEADS UP EVENTS (All dates and events are subject to change)

Grade 8 Semi-Formal Dance (Boys and Girls Club): May 3, 2024 - this event is run totally by the Boys and Girls Club. (This has not been confirmed to be the date yet at least to Fowler)

Grade 8 Graduation: June 14th (or the last day of school). It starts at 9:00 and is held in the auditorium. Once the ceremony is over, the 8th graders are dismissed for the year (even if it is before the regular dismissal).

Grade 8 Last Lunch: June 13th (or the last full school day) This is a special lunch to celebrate their last lunch at Fowler. The cafe usually has a BBQ just for the 8th graders. We eat outside and have an ice cream truck come. We have had families drop off yard games for the kids to play, and last year, the PTO had inflatable axe throwing for us. It starts at lunchtime and goes on until the end of the day.

Grade 8 Field Trip: June 12th. We are booking a trip to APEX in Marlborough. We will leave Fowler at about 8:30 and return at 1:30.

MCAS Updates:

• Grade 6: Because of the snow, grade 6 will have their makeup session next Tuesday (noted in the dates below)
• Homework Club is Cancelled Next Week: Because of MCAS for grades 4 and 5 and there not being any assigned homework for these days, we are canceling HW Club!
• Grades 7 and 8 Make Up: For those those students who are in grades 7 or 8 that missed a session last week, this will be made up next Tuesday.
• MCAS Dates: Updated to reflect this weeks snow delay

April 2: Grades 7 and 8 ELA (Session 1)

April 3: Grades 7 and 8 ELA (Session 2)

April 5: Grade 6 ELA (Session 1)-

April 9: Grade 6 ELA (Session 2)- New date because of snow delay

April 10: Grades 4 and 5 ELA (Session 1)

April 11: Grades 4 and 5 ELA (Session2)

May 7: Grade 5 and 8 Science, Technology, Engineering (Session 1)

May 8: Grade 5 and 8 Science, Technology, Engineering (Session 2)

May 13: Grade 6 Math (Session 1)

May 14: Grade 6 Math (Session 2)

May 15: Grades 4 and 5 Math (Session 1)

May 16: Grades 4 and 5 Math (Session 2)

May 20: Grades 7 and 8 Math (Session 1)

May 21: Grades 7 and 8 Math (Session 2)

May 28: Grade 8 (Session 1)

May 29: Grade 8 Civics (Session 2)

Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for MCAS (this is a repeat memo)

● Make sure your child gets enough sleep, eats properly, and gets to school on time. During test time, make this a special effort.

● Help your child practice MCAS test questions. Review the test together so you will all get familiar with the expectations. Practice tests can be found by following this link.

● Make sure that your child is well-rested and eats breakfast.

● See that your child arrives at school on time and is relaxed.

● Wear comfortable clothes and be prepared for all types of weather.

● Encourage your child to do the best work possible and to have a positive attitude.

● Encourage your child to listen/ read carefully to all test-taking directions and to ask questions if any directions are unclear.

● Talk about the test in a positive manner

● Encourage best effort.

● Encourage your child to focus on his or her strengths, such as a good memory or strong analytical skills.

● Assure your child that the test is only one measure of academic performance

● Assure your child that their teacher has provided them with excellent strategies to help them have a successful test experience.

Confidence is key to giving your best effort. Each child has different strengths and weaknesses. Letting our students know that we believe in them and support them no matter what is a key ingredient to turning these tests from a total drag to a positive experience.

Have a great weekend!

Keith

Dear Staff and Fowler Families,

On April 8th Massachusetts will be experiencing a solar eclipse (if you haven’t heard already)! The last eclipse we experienced here in Massachusetts was on August 24, 2017. That said, many of our students won’t remember this (or they were not even born yet) and will likely be very interested in what this phenomenon is. We love curiosity, but we also need to support our students in knowing the dangers of directly viewing the eclipse. We have asked each teacher to take some time to review with our students what an eclipse is and what dangers are present with the event.

Here is a student-centered NASA website with some great information.

With the support of our PTO, each Fowler student will receive a pair of viewing glasses. Our teachers will review with our students the proper use of these viewing devices. The hard part is that our students will be transitioning home during this event. We ask that at home you also discuss this event with your student. Here are some key points to consider in your conversation.

1. The glasses are blackout glasses and they are designed to only view the eclipse. They should only be used when looking up at the event. If they are worn as props, students will not be able to see anything.

2. The glasses should not be worn while walking- they are not sunglasses.

3. It will become dark during the eclipse. This may frighten some students. They won’t expect it to be dark during the day. Having this chat and reinforcing that this is expected and part of the event will ease their minds.

4. Providing explicit directions to not directly look at the eclipse is critical. As a home-school team, we need to remind our students of this and expect them to follow our directions.

We’re proud to announce that, Arabella C, has been selected as an NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award recipient. Arabella will receive $500 in a 529 college savings account to be applied toward their higher education. Recipients are chosen based on their demonstrated work to support the five pillars of NJHS: scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. Join us in congratulating Arabella and her accomplishments!

Good morning,

I hope the message finds you and your family doing well.

As you may have heard, school attendance in Massachusetts has been down significantly over the past two years. This reduction in attendance goes well beyond what ought to be expected, even given the COVID pandemic and the current cold and flu strains known to be circulating.

The same is true in the Maynard Public Schools, where our attendance rates are somewhat better than the overall state rate but still are stubbornly high.

The impact of school attendance on children's future success is well understood. Students who attend school 95% of the time or more (9 or fewer absences per year for any reason) overwhelmingly are much more likely to do well in their schoolwork, pass all standardized tests such as MCAS in huge percentages, graduate from high school on time, and go on to be successful in the future: be it in college, another post-secondary training, the workforce, or the military.

To support students and families who are having difficulty achieving a strong attendance rate, the Maynard Public Schools has formed a team of staff members, including teachers, secretaries, paraprofessionals, and school counselors. The team will work with building administrators and other staff members on the issue of school attendance. Team members are based at each of our three school buildings.

This group is currently working carefully to identify students who have been having attendance issues and for whom it has been difficult to establish communications with home or receive verifiable reasons for absences.

Ultimately, this group's goal is to support families and students by helping to identify what may be hindering better attendance. They realize that good attendance depends on many factors.

They will also use various methods to support families, including setting up family meetings and helping families connect with resources such as transportation, food, medical care, and extra academic help.

Outreach through phone, email, and home visits will be done to ensure that as many families in need of support as possible will be contacted.

The new Maynard Attendance Team will begin active outreach in the community on Monday, April 1st, and continue through the remainder of the school year. They will work before and after regular school hours and meet with students and their families in school and even at the students’ homes.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or Curriculum Director, Chuck Caragianes.

Sincerely yours,

Buenos día,

Espero que este mensaje los encuentre bien a ustedes y a sus familias.

Como habran escuchado, la asistencia escolar en Massachusetts ha disminuido significativamente en los últimos dos años. Esta reducción en la asistencia escolar va mucho más allá de lo que debería esperarse, incluso dada la pandemia de COVID y sus variantes conjunto. Con las de resfriado y gripe que están circulando.

Lo mismo ocurre en las Escuelas Públicas de Maynard, nuestros índices de asistencia son algo mejore que el índice estatal general, pero no obstante siguen demasiado altos.

Sabemos de el impacto que la asistencia a las escuelas corresponde con el éxito y futuro de los niños. De los estudiantes que asisten a la escuela el 95% del tiempo o más (nueve ausencias o menos por año por cualquier motivo) estos tienen una abrumadora mayoría de probabilidades de obtener buenos resultados en sus tareas escolares. Así como aprobar todos los exámenes estandarizados como el MCAS en porcentajes enormes y graduarse de la escuela secundaria y al mismo tiempo seguir teniendo éxito en el futuro. Ya sea en la universidad, en otra formación postsecundaria, en el mundo laboral o en el ejército.

Para apoyar a los estudiantes y las familias que tienen dificultades en lograr una alta participación en la asistencia escolar las Escuelas Públicas de Maynard han formado un equipo de personal especial. Este grupo incluye maestros, secretarias, para-profesionales y consejeros escolares. El equipo trabajará con los administradores de cada colegio y otros miembros de personal sobre el tema de la asistencia a la escuela. Los miembros del equipo están ubicados en cada uno de nuestros tres edificios escolares.

Actualmente, este grupo está trabajando cuidadosamente para identificar a los estudiantes que han tenido problemas de asistencia. Aquellos para quien le ha sido difícil establecer comunicación con el hogar o recibir razones verificables de las ausencias.

El objetivo de este grupo es apoyar a las familias y a los estudiantes ayudándolos a identificar qué puede estar obstaculizando una mejor asistencia. Sabemos que la buena asistencia a la escuela depende de muchos factores.

También se utilizarán varios métodos para apoyar a las familias, esto incluye; la organización de reuniones familiares, ayudar a las familias a conectarse con recursos como transporte, comida, atención médica y proveer ayuda académica.

Nos estaremos comunicando por teléfono, correo electrónico y/o visitas domiciliarias para garantizar que nos contactemos con la mayor cantidad de familias que necesitan este apoyo.

El nuevo Equipo de Asistencia de Maynard comenzará estos comunicados y se activará en la comunidad el lunes 1 de abril y continuará durante el resto del año escolar. Trabajarán antes y después del horario escolar habitual y se reunirán con los estudiantes y sus familias en la escuela e incluso en los hogares de los estudiantes.

Si tiene alguna pregunta o inquietud, comuníquese con el director del colegio de su hijo o con el director del plan de estudios, Chuck Caragianes.

Atentamente,

Bom Dia,

Espero que esta mensagem encontre você e sua família bem.

Como você deve ter ouvido falar, a frequência escolar em Massachusetts diminuiu significativamente nos últimos dois anos. Esta redução da frequência escolar vai muito além do que seria de esperar, mesmo tendo em conta a pandemia da COVID e as suas variantes como um todo. Com os resfriados e gripes que estão circulando.

O mesmo acontece nas Escolas Públicas de Maynard: as nossas taxas de frequência são um pouco melhores do que a taxa geral do estado, mas ainda são demasiado elevadas.

Sabemos o impacto que a frequência escolar tem no sucesso e no futuro das crianças. Os alunos que frequentam a escola 95% do tempo ou mais (nove ou menos faltas por ano por qualquer motivo) têm uma probabilidade esmagadora de ter um bom desempenho nos trabalhos escolares. Além de passar em todos os testes padronizados como o MCAS em grandes porcentagens e concluir o ensino médio e, ao mesmo tempo, continuar a ter sucesso no futuro. Seja na faculdade, em outro treinamento pós-secundário, no mercado de trabalho ou no serviço militar.

Para apoiar alunos e famílias que têm dificuldade em alcançar uma elevada participação na frequência escolar, as Escolas Públicas de Maynard formaram uma equipa especial de funcionários. Este grupo inclui professores, secretárias, para -profissionais e conselheiros escolares. A equipe trabalhará com os administradores de cada escola e outros funcionários na questão da frequência escolar. Os membros da equipe estão localizados em cada um dos nossos três edifícios escolares.

Atualmente, esse grupo está trabalhando cuidadosamente para identificar alunos que tiveram problemas de frequência. Aqueles para quem foi difícil estabelecer comunicação com o domicílio ou receber motivos verificáveis​​para ausências.

O objetivo deste grupo é apoiar famílias e alunos, ajudando-os a identificar o que pode estar atrapalhando uma melhor frequência. Sabemos que uma boa frequência escolar depende de muitos fatores.

Vários métodos também serão usados ​​para apoiar as famílias, incluindo organizar reuniões familiares e ajudar as famílias a se conectarem com recursos como transporte, alimentação, cuidados médicos e ajuda acadêmica adicional.

Estaremos nos comunicando por telefone, e-mail e visitas domiciliares para garantir que cheguemos ao maior número possível de famílias que precisam desse apoio.

A nova Equipe de Assistência Maynard começará a divulgação ativa na comunidade na segunda-feira, 1º de abril, e continuará durante o restante do ano letivo. Eles trabalharão antes e depois do horário escolar normal e se reunirão com os alunos e suas famílias na escola e até mesmo nas casas dos alunos.

Se você tiver alguma dúvida ou preocupação, entre em contato com o diretor da escola ou Diretor Curricular do seu filho, Chuck Caragianes.

Sinceramente,

DESE is coming! DESE is coming! PRESS RELEASE

During the week of March 25, 2024, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s will conduct their triennial Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of Maynard Public Schools to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations. Parents and other individuals may call Jesus Pena, Public School Monitoring Chairperson, at (781) 338-3767 to request a telephone interview. Click the link below for more details.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT-ftY22ci4xMBmnrNwve-CoRkhJLYGu1maE5zALhAVw6iI-y5H1YoA3pjHrwRv4t0UjoDS4MQHFVo4/pub

If you hadn’t heard, Maynard will join the town of Berlin in being recognized at the WooSox baseball game on May 22, 2024.

To order tickets:

https://fevo.me/maynard24

You can select “Town Takeover Ticket” in the rolldown bar under “Ticket Type”.

I don’t know of any blocked off sections just for Maynard.

Proceeds support the Assabet Valley Boys and Girls Club.

1. Adult and Youth Mobile Crisis Intervention: Call 800-640-5432

2. Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org/chat

3. Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

4. Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline: Call 800-327-5050 or visit helplinema.org

5. OUT Metrowest for LGBTQ Youth: Call 508-875-2122 or visit outmetrowest.org

6. Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ Youth: Call 866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or visit thetrevorproject.org

7. Planned Parenthood: Call 888-258-4448 or visit plannedparenthood.org

8. National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 800-799-7233, text LOVEIS to 22522, or visit thehotline.org

9. Eating Disorder Hotline: Call 800-931-2237, or visit nationaleatingdisorder.org

10. Seize the Awkward: text SEIZE to 741741, or visit seizetheawkward.org

April 2: Grades 7 and 8 ELA (Session 1)

April 3: Grades 7 and 8 ELA (Session 2)

April 5: Grade 6 ELA (Session 1)-

April 9: Grade 6 ELA (Session 2)- New date because of snow delay

April 10: Grades 4 and 5 ELA (Session 1)

April 11: Grades 4 and 5 ELA (Session2)

May 7: Grade 5 and 8 Science, Technology, Engineering (Session 1)

May 8: Grade 5 and 8 Science, Technology, Engineering (Session 2)

May 13: Grade 6 Math (Session 1)

May 14: Grade 6 Math (Session 2)

May 15: Grades 4 and 5 Math (Session 1)

May 16: Grades 4 and 5 Math (Session 2)

May 20: Grades 7 and 8 Math (Session 1)

May 21: Grades 7 and 8 Math (Session 2)

May 28: Grade 8 (Session 1)

May 29: Grade 8 Civics (Session 2)

March 22, 2024: Flower Play “Rock of Ages” 7:00 PM

March 23, 2024: Flower Play “Rock of Ages” 1:00 PM

March 26, 2024: Term 2 grades are published

ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) Resources

SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) Resources

Interested in learning more about the Maynard community and the many wonderful things happening around town? Check out the monthly Maynard Advantage Newsletters by subscribing at maynardadvantage.org

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