March 27, 2022

Dear Quashnet School Community, 

Spring is here and it feels great!  Even though there are still cold days, we know the warmth is on the horizon. This is also the season the lost and found grows exponentially! If your child is missing a coat or sweatshirt, lost and found is located in the cafe.  Lunch is a great time to check for missing items. 

 

As you know, lunch is free for students every day. The portions are strictly regulated and sometimes students are still hungry.  Please know, that if a student brings a home lunch or snack to supplement, they can still get a school lunch. Lunches are ordered in the morning during homeroom.  

A sign of spring is that field trips will be coming soon. In order to chaperone on a trip, parents/guardians do need to have a current CORI form completed and registered as a school volunteer.  If you are interested in potentially chaperoning a trip, getting an early start on this process makes sense. Linked HERE is the district website with the CORI form and information on volunteering.

All classes have been working hard to complete ST Math puzzles and build their mathematical skills. Thank you, Mrs. Pimental, for all of your help leading the way with ST Math! 

This is the LAST WEEK to contribute to our fundraiser to support the children of Ukraine. Every penny counts and will make a difference. Collection jars are in each classroom, the main office, and in the front lobby.  Please help Quashnet School help others.  💙

As shared by Superintendent DeBoer: 

Class of 2025 is hosting a "Swing into Spring" dance for students in PreK-6th grade & their "special someone" guests. 
Please see the attached flyer for details & sign up at this link:
https://bit.ly/36kGwCk

Proceeds will benefit the Class of 2025.  

We are in the planning stages for our Summer 2022 Falcon Discovery
Camp - open to all MPS students currently in grades K - 8.  More information and registration forms will be emailed to our families–hopefully by the first week in April.  We hope your children will be able to join us.

Reminders from last week:

All students in Grades 3-6 will soon be taking the English Language Arts (ELA) MCAS test.  At Quashnet, the ELA MCAS is scheduled for next week, April 5&6.  Each test is scheduled for 120 minutes in the morning, but students do have as much time as they need during the school day to complete each session.  

MCAS is a celebration for students TO SHOW WHAT THEY KNOW! It is a cumulative assessment where students should apply all the reading and writing strategies they have learned over the years. MCAS is a computer-based assessment, scratch paper can be used for notes, but all answers are submitted electronically. Student scores are shared with families in the fall. 

The type of questions and content of the ELA assessment is provided on this link: https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/ - select Grades 3-8 Test Designs.  

If you would like to see sample questions by grade level, there is a sample test that you can view by clicking this link: http://mcas.pearsonsupport.com/student/practice-tests-ela/. With this link, you will also be able to view a Math and Science MCAS. Teachers do review practice tests with students. 

On April 5&6, if your child has a cell phone or smartwatch, please consider having them leave these devices at home for both testing days. Per DESE, students are not allowed to have any electronic devices with them during testing. If a cell phone or smartwatch is in school, it/they will need to be held by a teacher or put in a locker. 

If you have any questions regarding MCAS or testing protocols, please be sure to call or email me directly.  

A Quashnet School favorite is coming back this year.  Career Day is scheduled for Friday, May 27.  Flyers went home looking for parents/guardians or community members that would be willing to share their chosen career path with students. This exposure can broaden students' career knowledge and understanding of so many opportunities ahead of them. If you are willing to volunteer and share your career pathway or have any questions, please contact Cheryl MacIntire in the QS office at 508-539-1550 or by email at cmacintire@mpspk12.org. 

We hope you will be able to join us!  For those of you unfamiliar with this event, a volunteer is scheduled to share their career choice with their child's homeroom class and several other classes for approximately 30 minutes in each room. We do work to accommodate your schedule. The goal is for each homeroom to have up to 5 visitors over the course of the day. Your help is needed to make this the best Career Day yet! 

Wishing you a fabulous week ahead! Just an FYI - Monday, April 4 is an Early Release Day with student dismissal at 12:30 PM.  

Respectfully, 

Principal O'Brien