Dear Elmwood School Parents

Elmwood School Mr. David Ljungberg, Principal http://hopkinton.schoolwires.net/Domain/9

Dear Elmwood School Parents,

I hope you are enjoying the remaining days of summer and taking advantage of some of the finest days, yet! As you know, I sent out a message to your child last week, introducing myself and welcoming him/her back to school. I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some helpful information as you begin to make plans for the opening of Elmwood School on Wednesday, September 5th.

It has been a busy summer at Elmwood as I have transitioned to the Principal's office and welcomed Mr. Tim Kearnan to his new role as assistant principal. I feel fortunate to have Mr. Kearnan as my colleague and look forward to your getting to know him in his new role as well. We have been busy planning and preparing for the first day of school.

On a personal note, I have had a great summer spending time with my family, gardening, hiking, fishing, and camping. The highlight of my summer was hiking in the White Mountains in early July. It’s hard to believe that the mountain summit temperatures are already dipping down to the 40’s and 50’s!

Mr. Wright, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Dunn, custodial staff, have been working tirelessly moving furniture, cleaning classrooms, and waxing floors. The building looks fantastic! Mrs. McPhail, School Secretary, has been busy in the main office organizing files, registering new students, ordering supplies, and updating student records. Teachers have been busy taking workshops, courses, and preparing their classrooms for the upcoming school year.

As we anticipated, it has been a busy summer for hiring. I am excited to introduce to you our newest members of the Elmwood Faculty/Staff:

Grade Two Teachers :

Carrie Salz: Ms. Salz holds a Bachelor of Science in Instruction from Long Island University, a Master of Education Degree in Literacy, and a state of Massachusetts teaching license in the field of Elementary Education (Grades 1-6). Additionally, Ms. Salz also holds a certification for the state of New York (Pk, K, and Grades 1-6). With four years of experience in the classroom, and highly regarded by her former colleagues and references, Ms. Salz will bring quality instruction to her new Elmwood classroom.

Jill Jenkinson: Ms. Jenkinson will be joining Elmwood School as a classroom teacher next year. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Framingham State University and a Master's of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University. Over the past year, Jill has proven herself to be hard working, dedicated, and passionate about teaching. Her focus on children and desire to deliver instruction to meet the needs of students will continue to support the success that Elmwood School has achieved.

Anita Kelly: Mrs. Kelly has eight years of experience working as a first and second grade teacher in the Quincy Public Schools, and has most recently worked at the Elmwood School this past spring to fill in for Mrs. Hamwey during her maternity leave. In addition, Mrs. Kelly has a Bachelor of Science in Education and Sociology, from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a Master of Arts in Education from Cambridge College. Mrs. Kelly is excited about the opportunity to work with teachers, students, and parents at Elmwood School.

Special Education:

Barbara Mullen: Mrs. Mullen joins us from Center School, where she has been teaching as a Learning Specialist for the last eight years. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She also holds a Master's in Education from Framingham State University. Mrs. Mullen’s professionalism is highly regarded by her colleagues. She brings a wealth of experience to her .5 shared position at Elmwood and .5 shared position at Hopkins School.

Kim Desjardins: Mrs. Desjardins will be filling in for Mrs. Hammer's maternity leave. She has a wide range of experience working as a Lead Behavioral Therapist, a Treatment Coordinator with Youth and Family Services, and most recently, in her role as a Special Education teacher with the Blackstone-Millville Regional School District. In addition, Mrs. Desjardins has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications/Speech and Hearing, from Rhode Island College, and a Master of Arts in Education, Moderate Disabilities, from Lesley University. One of Mrs. Desjardin’s references stated, “It is with utmost confidence that I recommend Mrs. Desjardins. Her approach and demeanor with students is always positive and warm…she conveys a sincere interest to succeed.” Another reference stated that “Mrs. Desjardins takes the time to understand each child’s unique needs…Mrs. Desjardins exemplifies every quality a teacher of special education should possess.” I am looking forward to having Mrs. Desjardins start out the year with us!

Julie Day: Mrs. Day will begin her work on Wednesday, September 5th as Mrs. Callahan begins her maternity leave. Mrs. Day has worked as a Special Education short- term and long-term substitute teacher in the Hopkinton Public Schools for the past two years, including time at Elmwood and Hopkins Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry and Physiology and a degree in Child Psychology. I know that Mrs. Day will do an outstanding job in her role as a Learning Specialist short-term substitute, and look forward to working with her this fall.

Library: Cindy Martel: Mrs. Martel will begin her role as our part time library assistant. Most recently, Mrs. Martel has worked as a substitute teacher in varying capacities at the elementary level since 2008. She completed two months as the Library Aide at Elmwood School during the spring of 2011. Mrs. Martel is very passionate about children’s literature, and is currently in the final stages of completing a children’s chapter book. We look forward to having Mrs. Martel join the Elmwood staff.

Information Relative to Planning for School Opening

Open House Very soon, we will be opening our doors and greeting your child for the first day of school. You are invited to attend an Open House at Elmwood School on Monday, August 27th from 9:00 AM-10:30 AM. Please note that although classrooms will be locked, this will be an opportunity to take a self-guided tour, locate classrooms, and become familiar with the Elmwood School layout.

General School Communication, Going Green Initiative, Additional Online Information

We are now in our fourth year of our Going Green initiative. Teachers will send memos to you via listserv and/or email, as will the school offices. Please be sure to update your email information so that you will continue to receive information from your child’s teacher and school. Furthermore, parents are encouraged to regularly check school web sites for updated information.

Parents are automatically registered for Listserv when they complete the Student Information Sheet at the beginning of each school year. We also communicate Hopkinton community events and activities through a separate E-Flyer listserv; for this one you must actively register by logging on to the District Website and clicking on “E-Flyers and Listserv.” The school department is committed to keeping listservs confidential, and all communications will remain school related.

If you would like to email a staff member, the Hopkinton email convention for most staff members is the “first letter of the first name + last name @hopkinton.k12.ma.us” . For example, “John Smith” would have an address of: [email protected] . In addition, contact information for all staff members is located on each school’s web site.

Curriculum Nights

Parents are invited to learn more about our schools, teachers, and curriculum at our Curriculum Nights (Grades 2-3). Curriculum Nights are for parents only. Curriculum Nights in each building are from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.

Grade 2: September 18 (Parents only) Grade 3: September 13 (Parents only) Transportation Bus routes will be posted on the District’s website in late August. Please visit the Hopkinton Public School’s Transportation Web Site for bus routes. They will also be published in The Hopkinton Crier and Metrowest News, as well as posted at Colella’s and Hopkinton Drug.

Bus changes are not permitted. See School Committee policy on Student Transportation. Only students who live more than two miles from school or whose parents have paid a bus fee will be provided bus transportation. Students must have their bus ID affixed to their coat or backpack. Staff is assigned to supervise our students during dismissal.

There is a bus fee for any child wishing to ride the bus who lives less than 2 miles from each school. For information, please contact the Business Office.

Although we do not have crossing guards, we do allow walkers/bikers. Please notify the office if your child will be walking or riding a bike to school.

Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up Parents may drop-off their children to Elmwood’s side entrance closest to the main driveway entry beginning at 8:00. See directions/map here. http://hopkinton.schoolwires.net/Page/219

Parent pick-up of students takes place at the front entrance of Elmwood, following the departure of all the buses. See directions/map here.

Attendance

Please refer to the School Committee policy regarding Student Attendance.

Absences

For the safety of your child, it is essential that you notify the school if your child will be absent due to illness or an appointment that cannot be scheduled at another time. Please call at any time to let us know that your child will not be in school. You will either speak directly with the School Nurse or be connected to voicemail. Please leave your child’s full name, his/her homeroom teacher’s name, and the reason for the absence. If you fail to call us, the School Nurse will need to call you to ascertain that your child is safe at home. Students missing over seven non-consecutive days of school, without a doctor’s note, will be reported to the District’s Attendance Officer.

Early Dismissal of a Student

If your child needs to be dismissed early from school, please send a note in that day explaining the reason for dismissal. Check in with the office staff and they will notify the teacher that you have arrived. Be prepared to show a photo ID for identification and safety purposes. If an adult other than his/her parent is picking up a child, a note must be sent by the parent with your signature and contact information. Do not go to the child’s classroom to meet him/her. Please wait in the lobby.

Dismissal Changes

School offices require at least one hour’s notice prior to dismissal in order to safely process dismissal change requests sent via email. Under extenuating circumstances less than one hour to dismissal, a parent or guardian must call the office and speak with school staff directly.

We are pleased to announce that Mary O'Brien of Attleboro Falls, MA will be our new Food Service Director. Although Mary is new to the Whitsons Culinary Group, she has worked in School Lunch programs in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for approximately 25 years. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Mary has been a Food Service Director since 1999, first in East Greenwich, RI, and most recently in Middleborough, MA. Mary will be joining us shortly and looks forward to meeting you and working with Hopkinton's students, parent, and staff to ensure a smooth and successful transition for all.

Elementary students eat lunch daily in the cafeteria. They have a 25 minute lunch period and a 15 minute recess. Students have the opportunity to purchase the school lunch or to bring their own lunch from home. Milk may be purchased separately.

Lunch - $2.25; Milk - $0.50

The elementary school lunch menu and prices can be found on the schools’ web sites. School lunches may be pre-paid. It works like a debit account with a “PIN” (personal identification number). To pre-pay, send a check payable to "Hopkinton School Lunch" to school with your student or mail the check to: Food Service Director, 89 Hayden Rowe Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748. Pre-payment may only be used for lunches and milk. Another payment option is to use the online food services payment web site.

Toys, electronics, cell phones, etc.

Please leave toys, stuffed animals, electronic games, and other important valuables at home. They are distracting to students and have occasionally been lost or broken. Students should come to school ready to learn—without items that will interfere with their ability to do so. We have educational games and balls, jump ropes, and hula hoops for recess.

Clothing Restrictions and Suggestions

Clothing should be appropriate for the various types of learning activities that can happen throughout the school day – from recess and Physical Education, to sitting and working at a desk or on the floor. Clothing should not have inappropriate words or graphics and should be age appropriate.

Considerations:  Sneakers are required for Physical Education classes, and are recommended as “everyday” shoes.  Hats may not be worn in the building.  The children will go outside for recess most days unless there is inclement weather. Dress for the weather! Coats, hats, gloves, and other appropriate outdoor gear are recommended.  Dress in layers to maintain comfort both inside and outside the building. It’s easier to take off extra layers if a student is warm.

After School Daycare Program

Kidsborough operates an after school program at the Elmwood facility. It is privately owned and operated. The Elmwood program is available from 2:30pm through 6:00pm. You may contact them directly.

See you soon!

Respectfully,

David Ljungberg, Principal