May 20, 2018


Dear Quashnet School Community,

Have you heard that we are upgrading our Quashnet library? The furniture in the space is original to the building and is not in the greatest shape.  The new shelves and furniture will be in the space for the start of school in September. As part of the preparation work for this upgrade, library books need to be returned by June 1 for inventory and packing. We appreciate your help looking for any library books at home or in backpacks.

Several people have asked me about the police cruisers out in front of school lately. They have been here to help with a sixth grade field trip. Each sixth grade class participates in a courthouse drama where students assume roles and they learn about the court process. The experience begins at Stop and Shop where a student acts out shoplifting. Loss prevention officers and Mashpee police offers give the students a first hand look at what happens next.  From the police department the class travels to Barnstable Court to perform a mock trial.  The trip ends up at Dino's for pizza and a discussion on what was learned and about citizenship. Thank you to our school guidance counselor, Mrs. McCue, for arranging this worthwhile experience for our students along with Stop and Shop, Mashpee Police, Barnstable Juvenile Court, and Dino's. FYI -There are two trips this week and one next week.

Each Grade 3 class will be participating in a fabulous field trip starting this week where students learn about the rich history in Mashpee. Students will visit the One Room School House located in the Community Park and then will tour the Wampanoag Museum on Main Street. We appreciate the support from Mr. Frank Lord and the Wampanoag Education Department for sharing these treasures in Mashpee and Mrs. Schreiner's work in organizing it.

This Friday is Career Day! At Quashnet School, Mrs. MacIntire, organizes this wonderful event for our students. An array of volunteers from parents, family members, medical personnel, first responders, and more visit classrooms at Quashnet School. These volunteers share their career, their interests, how they chose their careers, along with their educational path. Each classroom will see 4-5 guests. We appreciate all of our volunteers and their willingness to share their stories with our students. Students and teachers are encouraged to dress according to their desired career path.

Next week is the unofficial start to summer! It is hard to believe that Memorial Day is almost here. Monday, May 28th, school will not be in session in observance of the holiday. If you are looking for a way to recognize the holiday,  this link will bring you to a calendar of local events-  http://capecodonline.com/things-to-do/memorial-day-weekend-events-cape-cod/.

On a final note today, it is with a heavy heart that we again are seeing terrible images of school violence on our television sets. As you know, in Mashpee, the schools have a terrific relationship with Mashpee first responders, our school resource officers and each other. Please call, email, or come in when you are concerned about a situation or if something just doesn't seem right. Reinforce with your children the importance of talking to their teachers and adults in the building if something makes them feel uncomfortable. We will respond. It is important to practice: If you see something, say something.  This link is a parent/guardian resource:  Talking to Children About Violence for Parents and Teachers.

Respectfully,

Mrs. O'Brien