QUASHNET SCHOOL

Mashpee
A Connected Community!

September 4, 2016

Greetings Quashnet Community,

Are you ready? Monday is a school night! The staff at Quashnet School is waiting for your arrival. Not to worry if you are not sure where the classroom is, each grade level will be meeting in a specific location and all teachers will have a sign with their name on it. Looking at the Weather Bug forecast with a 70% chance of rain - we will meet inside the building this year.
Grade 5 and 6 - gym
Grade 4 - in the back of the cafe
Grade 3 - at the cafe tables
I hope everyone has received the bus schedule. It was sent out by the Superintendent's office and published in the Mashpee Enterprise. There is also a tab on the blog for your convenience. Please know that the first week of school the busses can run a little late.

Please note that this Thursday, September 8th, is the State Primary Election Day in Massachusetts. Quashnet School is the polling location for our town. In cooperation with Mashpee Police Chief Carline, Quashnet School will have two uniformed officers on duty during the school day, and access from the gym into the school will be restricted. The Director of DPW, Catherine Laurent, will have barrels and tape set up in the front of the school to separate voters from students. Together we all work to ensure the safety of our students and staff on voting days. Please be extra cautious in the parking lot as not every voter is as familiar with our set up as we are. Thankfully, there will be no school for students on November 8th for the Presidential election.

Food for thought - every year teachers are required to reflect on their practice and set goals for student learning. Goals help us focus each day on what is important and provides us a way to measure success. As the new year begins, a meaningful conversation with your child would be to consider what they or you want out of this academic year. Write it down! It is important to be specific when thinking about a goal, how will you measure success, and if it for the whole year or a portion of it. Along with the goal, consider what steps you might need to take along the way or help that may be needed from others. Being in school everyday on time is a meaningful goal if that is a challenge, perhaps getting homework in on time or setting up a routine to complete it, staying for after school help, or volunteering as a student or parent for events are some examples.

If you haven't looked ahead at the calendar, next week is not a typical one. Wednesday, 9/14, is Open House at Quashnet starting at 6:00 PM in the gym, Thursday, 9/15, is an EARLY RELEASE DAY with dismissal at 11:30 AM, and Friday, 9/16, there will be NO SCHOOL for students. Although we realize that this is not an ideal time for a change in schedule, teachers will be participating in valuable professional development. Anita Archer is a world renown educator who will be in Mashpee on four separate occasions this year and will be sharing her knowledge with our staff. Her expertise is in explicit instructional strategies and we are extremely fortunate to have her. All of our students will benefit from teachers implementing her strong and effective instructional practices. Anita Archer comes to us through our work with the Tower Foundation Grant and our work with MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support). If your child has any change in dismissal instructions for the THURSDAY- EARLY RELEASE DAY, please be sure to SEND A NOTE! Thank you!

Ouashnet School's beautiful labyrinth was looking a little sad this summer, but with the generous support from Briggs Landscaping
the labyrinth is back to its glory and
ready for business!

Check out the before and after pictures.

Thank you BRIGGS LANDSCAPING for volunteering your time to support our school!

You are a valued community partner!