The Phelps Elementary School staff and administration would like to welcome parents/guardians to this year’s Back to School Night! We feel this is an exciting opportunity for families to meet the teachers and staff, learn about what your children will be working on this school year, and learn ways that you can support your child at home . It will be held on Thursday, September 14th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Please note that this event is for parents only.
Please take some time to look over the Phelps Parent/Guardian Information Packet for the 2023-2024 school year. This packet includes important information about arrival and dismissal procedures, attendance, updates, and other helpful reminders.
There are several forms that parents need to complete at the start of each year. Below are the links if you have not completed them yet:
- Morning Broadcast Opt-In
- 2023-2024 Parent/Guardian Signature Form (includes use of photos, military status, and acknowledgement of School Committee policies, etc.)
Sunshine Calls are Coming!!!!
Teachers are nominating students to receive Sunshine Calls. A Sunshine Phone Call home is simply a positive phone call home to let you know what an amazing job your child is doing at school in modeling our core values of being safe, responsible, and respectful! Reasons for nominating a student can range from being a good friend to working hard at learning a new concept. Mr. Villamaino & Mrs. Domina make these calls home and then head up to the classroom to acknowledge students in front of their peers and give them a sunshine keychain.
Here is the new order form for you to purchase snacks for classroom celebrations. Due to food allergies, we are unable to accommodate outside food coming into the classroom for celebrations. You will see several new options on this year's order form.
Student safety is always our number one priority. We have noticed a number of parents parking across the street to dismiss their child as a walker. School Street is very busy and our concern is that there are no crosswalks where students are crossing. Our carline is very efficient and moves quickly. Additionally, the Law Offices of Nyles Courchesne have asked that I communicate to our families to not use their parking lot at both morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. We appreciate your cooperation with this.
We are excited to partner with Westfield Bank this year to bring school banking to Phelps!
Westfield Bank is offering their Ready, Set, Grow program to Phelps students. It is a program set up to encourage children to start saving at an early age. Westfield Bank will be at Phelps every Thursday morning beginning September 28 for students to make deposits into their accounts. In order to open an account, simply complete the application with a minimum of a $1.00 opening deposit. As a bonus, Westfield Bank will credit an additional $25.00 into the account!
Westfield Bank - Ready Set Grow Parent/Guardian Information Letter
Help Your Child Succeed in School - Build the Habit of Good Attendance
DID YOU KNOW?
• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
• Missing 10%, or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.
• Students can still fall behind if they miss just 1 or 2 days every few weeks.
• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
• Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit in preschool so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Eventually good attendance will be a skill that will help them succeed in high school and college.
WHAT YOU CAN DO?
• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine. • Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before. • Keep your child healthy and make sure your child has the required shots. • Introduce your children to their teachers and classmates before school starts. • Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor or another parent. • If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
Visit Attendance Works at www.attendanceworks.org for free downloadable resources and tools!
