December 9, 2018


Dear Quashnet School Community,


Quashnet School's "Choral Reef" - Most Original! 

It was great to see so many of you at the Mashpee Christmas Parade Saturday evening.  The Quashnet Chorus represented our school proudly! Even with the cold weather, the music and festive spirit warmed the air! A very special thank you to Mrs. Emery, Mrs. McCue, and Mrs. Boyd for their organization and planning for Quashnet School's participation in this community event. Eastern Bank graciously welcomed us as we waited for the parade to begin. The Mashpee Chamber of Commerce did a remarkable job. It's GREAT to be in Mashpee - a connected community!

I hope you are planning on joining us this Thursday evening for our annual Pasta Supper and Gingerbread Village viewing. It is a wonderful time to celebrate each other and our school community.  If you haven't RSVP'd yet, please do so by Monday so we have enough pasta for everyone! Don't forget, Lifetouch will be at school beginning at 5 PM for complimentary family photos. Dinner will be served starting at 5:30 PM. Gingerbread/candy structures can be dropped off this Monday morning, 12/10/18, for display in the front lobby. You can't miss the gingerbread cottage theme with the front of the main office - it is so amazing! The best decorations yet!

K-Kids will have a table set-up at the Pasta Supper.  They have made beautiful fleece blankets and will have them on sale for only $15.00 each. All proceeds go toward helping others and supporting their spirit of giving. These blankets are very cozy and warm! 

Even with all this fun, please know that academics are still the focus in the classrooms. This coming week is a full week of school.  No half days, no days off.  Regular routines and having both learning and behavioral expectations help all of us.  Every day at school is an academic day. This is why attendance is critically important regardless of the day or season.  Students can make up worksheets when they are out, but when they are not in school they miss the skilled instruction from our teachers and the rich classroom discussions.  This is where the learning takes place. 

The Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education grades our school every year.  One measure they use for grading schools, along with MCAS performance, is the percentage of chronically absent students that are enrolled. A student who is absent 10% or more of their enrolled days in a school is considered chronically absent.  At this point in the year, we have just completed 63 school days.  If your child has been absent 6 days or more, he/she would be considered chronically absent from school. Students enrolled the entire year which is 180 days and are absent 18 days or more, would be considered chronically absent. Absenteeism has a negative impact on student learning.  That being said, we are heading into flu and cold season. It is wise to only be absent when illness hits or emergencies happen.  Nurse Kristin has been reminding us all about the need to wash our hands frequently and to be good stewards of health.  Air fives and air fist pumps will limit the spread of germs.  Our custodial staff works hard to keep the building clean. Wishing you all a healthy winter!

PTO Update:  At the last PTO meeting, there was a discussion about communicating with families and sharing all the ways PTO supports our school. So.... I will be posting a link monthly with the meeting minutes so you can stay informed - just click this link:  PTO Meeting Minutes 11/28/18. Minutes will also be posted in the front lobby of the school and/or follow the PTO on Facebook. Thank you, Cathy Lewis, for keeping the minutes and sharing them.  

For your planning purposes - The KCC/QS basketball game is scheduled for Friday, February 8th.  Practice begins in January.  More info and sign ups coming soon!  

Social Emotional Learning, SEL


The holiday season can be fun and exciting, but it can also cause stress and anxiety in children and adults.  A couple of ways to manage this from an SEL lens are suggested below.  These tips come from the American Psychological Association, APA, to help parents/guardians effectively manage holiday stress.

• Strengthen social connections – We know that strong, supportive relationships help us manage all kinds of challenges. So, we can view the holidays as a time to reconnect with the positive people in our lives. Accepting help and support from those who care about us can help alleviate stress. Also, volunteering at a local charity on our own or with family can be another way to make connections; helping others often makes us feel better, too. 
• Initiate conversations about the season – It can be helpful to have conversations with our kids about the variety of different holiday traditions our families, friends and others may celebrate or not. Parents can use this time as an opportunity to discuss how some families may not participate in the same holiday traditions as others. Not everyone needs to be the same. It is important to teach open-mindedness about others and their celebrations.
• Set expectations – It is helpful to set realistic expectations for gifts and holiday activities. Depending on a child's age, we can use this opportunity to teach kids about the value of money and responsible spending. We need to remember to pare down our own expectations, too. Instead of trying to take on everything, we need to identify the most important holiday tasks and take small concrete steps to accomplish them.   
• Take care of yourself – It is important that we pay attention to our own needs and feelings during the holiday season. We can find fun, enjoyable and relaxing activities for ourselves and our families. By keeping our minds and bodies healthy, we are primed to deal with stressful situations when they arise. Consider cutting back television viewing for kids and getting the family out together for fresh air and a winter walk. Physical activity can help us feel better and sleep well, while reducing sedentary time and possible exposure to stress-inducing advertisements.

First Term Report Cards will be issued this Thursday. With conferences just last week, there should be no surprises.  Your child will also be conferencing with their homeroom teacher to discuss their progress.  Caution! - do not compare the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 with letter grades.  There is NO comparison. Teachers assess students on how they are achieving grade-level standards on a consistent basis. A 4 is above grade-level consistently, a 3 represents consistent grade level work.  A 2 means that a student is progressing.  It is not a "bad" report card to have a 2 - progress is being made.  If your child receives a 1 on a particular standard, they have not demonstrated progress and that standard is an area of focus.  If you have any questions at all, please reach out.   

Enjoy the week ahead - hope to see you on Thursday! 

Respectfully, 

Mrs. O'Brien, Principal