September 10, 2017


Greetings Quashnet School Community,



September 11th is the National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Mashpee Kiwanis Honor Mrs. Emery 

At the Quashnet School we value service year-round! This last year our focus has been to raise enough money to fund a service dog for a local veteran. Our own Mrs. Emery, in the main office, began the campaign to help students realize the great gift of "paying it forward" - students could donate their right choice tickets and sponsors would match student donations with money. We are so appreciative of the generosity of so many corporations, individuals, including the Quashnet staff, Mashpee Police, Cape and Islands DA's Office, Barnstable County Sheriff's Dept., Kiwanis, and so many more who have supported this initiative in our partnership with Heroes in Transition. Since this initiative is built on character education, so many students have also volunteered their own time and effort in conducting can drives, lemonade stands, and helping neighbors to raise funds for the project. With this combined effort we were able to raise approx. $12,500! Well, with all this effort and community connection we are still in need of approximately $1,500.  We are all so proud of our students who demonstrate

the spirit of Service and Remembrance daily. If you are able, please consider supporting this initiative.  Truly every penny adds up and no donation is too small.  Thank you to Mashpee Kiwanis for recognizing Mrs. Emery's service to our school with the Unsung Hero Award. She along with many other staff members are providing opportunities for our students to "pay it forward" and support the caring, generous, and wonderful children in Mashpee.

I sincerely hope you will be able to join us for Quashnet School's Open House, this Thursday, September 14th from 6:00-7:30 PM. We will begin with introductions and other important Quashnet information in the gym, and then teachers have prepared a comprehensive informational session for you.  It is a worthwhile time to get to meet your child(ren)'s teacher(s) and understand the classroom expectations.  A strong home/school connection supports a student's academic success.   Please be sure to visit the PTO table, Kiwanis, Mashpee Drug Task Force, and others before leaving. For our English Language Learners,  we will have a special presentation of DoTalk in room 131 with Ms. Grover. Please be sure to stop in if you are interested in multilingual communication. 

Thank you so much for completing and returning the numerous forms this week.  We appreciate you getting these done so we can move on to the business of teaching and learning.  We will be accepting the $12 Chromebook fees during Open House and will also be happy to accept any other forms you still need to turn in.  Should any fee be a financial challenge throughout the year, please call me directly @ 508-539-1550 x4186.   

The first four days of school teachers have been working on building a strong classroom community, establishing shared expectations, developing class rules, and reviewing the Falcon Five. This is an important step in starting slow to then go fast.  This week, all students will be participating in STAR ELA and Math benchmark assessments.  These assessments are computer based and are one of the tools we use to set individual student goals based on need. STAR assessments, like MCAS, are not something to study for. We ask students to take their time, use strategies, and read every question. Please reinforce with your child(ren) the importance of always doing their personal best - the more accurate the assessment, the better the goal! We also use these scores to help us in establishing WIN (What I Need) groups for reading.  

After school clubs will be out this week!  I will e-mail a link to all families. Please be sure to check the day of the week the club meets and the grade level it is intended for. Clubs are filled on a first come, first serve basis however, if there is an overwhelming interest we do try to accommodate as many students as possible.  At times we have had to split the clubs into two 8 week session rather than one 16 week session.  Club confirmations will be sent home prior to the start of the clubs, that will ensure your child's participation in the club of their choice. The clubs run from the week of Sept. 26 - January 25th.  Session 2 will begin the week following.  There are no fees for any other the clubs, money earned from the Stop & Shop A+ program help to offset the cost.  Please be sure to sign up for the A+ Program at Open House!  

Have a wonderful week everyone.  My thoughts are with those still suffering from Hurricane Harvey and those dealing with Irma.  The Quashnet School will soon begin a campaign to help support those in need. Stay tuned -

Respectfully,
Mrs. O'Brien 

PS - two notes from your PTO:   
1. Have you RSVP'd to the PTO BBQ yet?  It's coming this Friday, Sept. 15th at 5:00 PM. See you there! 
2. PTO is in need of baked goods for the OPEN HOUSE Bake Sale - any donations can be dropped off at the main office -  Thank you for your continued support :-)