January 10, 2016


Greetings Quashnet School Community,

Please join us for an instrumental concert on Tuesday night in the gym starting at 6:30 PM.  I hope you will be able to come out and support our talented musicians under the direction of Mrs. Hill and Miss Sherman. It is always a great night of entertainment!

On Thursday evening, there will be a parent technology night in the Quashnet School library beginning at 6:30 PM.  It will be interactive with learning stations and Chromebooks.  Do you want to know more about PowerSchool and how to navigate it?  Maybe you are interested in learning about the google platform to share docs or calendars.  Colleen Terrill and Suzy Brooks, our Associate Directors of Instructional Technology, will be here along with some high school students to help YOU get the most out of the night.  I hope you can make it - bring a friend!  Just a reminder - this is a parent only night, please!
Can you guess where Mrs. Avtges is going?  Yes!! Out to recess! This has certainly been an odd winter so far.  One day it is 60 degrees and the next it is 30 degrees.  This does not help the lost and found which is overflowing again with jackets and sweatshirts and gloves, oh my! If your child is missing clothing - it may be in the cafeteria.  Be sure to check it out when you are at school.

Students should also be dressing for the winter.  The field at recess is like a wind tunnel. Students should come to school prepared to head outside every day... it is cold out there!

Quashnet is getting ready to get a little greener!  Under the direction of Mr. Gus Stickley, we will begin composting in the cafeteria on a regular basis.  Students will no longer be throwing away food products.  This will help the town financially by reducing the amount of trash we produce, and yes, it's a lot.  The compost will be used to enrich the soil in the fifth-grade garden and at a local farm. Thank you to DPW Director Catherine Laurent,  Mr. Stickley and others in leading this initiative.  I am happy to say our Quashnet students will be piloting this program for the district. There will be more to come as we begin this endeavor in the upcoming weeks.

It seems every week I discuss school drop-off and how important it is to get the school day off to a good start on time, organized, and ready to learn. Just an FYI for parent/guardian drop-offs - all buses are at Quashnet by 8:10 AM.  Although we don't mark students tardy until 8:15 AM, the target time should be between 8:00 and 8:10 AM. Thank you for being so efficient in the drop-off line.  Having students ready to hop out of the car is great and helps all those headed to work behind you!

Session 1 after school clubs end on January 28th.  Next weekend, Session 2 choices will be posted and are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, February 2.  I will include a link for electronic sign-ups next Sunday. Some classes have limited space and will be filled on a first come first serve basis.

To our sixth grade families -  Principal Balestracci and the staff at MMHS will be hosting a Program of Studies Open House on January 19th from 6-8 PM at MMHS.  This is an early chance to see all the wonderful opportunities that Mashpee Middle High School has to offer.  I hope to see you there a week from Tuesday, 1/19/16.

               No School Monday, 1/18/16,  in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."    Martin Luther King, Jr.

Have a wonderful week and an excellent long weekend ahead! 

Respectfully, 

Mrs. O'Brien