January 12, 2019



Greetings Quashnet School Community, 

The chill is in the air! Please encourage children to dress warmly. Our recess threshold is 20 degrees. Factoring in the windchill, if the temperature is 20 degrees or above we go outside for recess. Students spend 25 minutes on the field or playground and it is COLD out there! Coats, hats, and gloves/mittens are highly recommended. We are very fortunate to have received a variety of hand knitted and crocheted hats, mittens, scarves for students.  If anyone is in need of cold weather gear be sure to stop in the guidance office or look in the box near the front entrance - these newly crafted items are there for students.  

The concert season started last Thursday with the Quashnet choral groups performing at MMHS.  What a wonderful show and the setting at the high school made a huge difference!  Not only are the seats more comfortable for the audience, but the auditorium acoustics are MUCH better than the Quashnet gym. We are making the move for all choral concerts to be at MMHS.  Thanks for your feedback from those that attended!  The band concert is this Thursday @ 6:00 PM in the QS gym.  It is sure to be another great night at Quashnet School. All are welcome to attend, not just band members and their families.

On Monday, January 14th, all Mashpee schools will be participating in an ALICE drill. These drills are not intended to scare, rather they are intended to prepare for emergency responses. ALICE drills could be compared to a fire drill - it helps us know what to do in an emergency situation.  ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. All of these drills are completed with the support of the Mashpee Police Department. If you do call the school on Monday and do not get an immediate response, leave a message and we will get back to you asap. An actual drill will last approximately 10-15 minutes followed by a classroom check-in with MPD and administration. To prepare your child, please reinforce the importance of following the direction of the adult in any type of emergency response drill. If you have questions, never hesitate to contact me directly at mobrien@mpspk12.org. 

It is time to register for Session 2 After School Clubs. This link will bring you to the Google form to register: Session 2 Clubs 2019. Registration will be open for one-week closing on Sunday, 1/13/19. Confirmation of club participation will be sent home by January 25th. Space is limited in each club, and each club is filled on a first-come-first-serve basis. Clubs that are very popular may be broken into two 8-week sections to accommodate the greatest number of students.  Confirmation of club participation and meeting dates will be sent home to students by Friday, January 25th. If you have any questions at all, please call the office at 508-539-1550.  

Public Service Announcement for those affected by the Government Shutdown -FALMOUTH SERVICE CENTER--611 Gifford Street, Falmouth, MA 02540:  Government Shutdown - Assistance for Those Affected on the Upper Cape

Have you or your family been affected by the government shutdown? The Falmouth Service Center will, for the duration of this situation, be providing food for any individual or household that may be civilian and working for federal entities on the Upper Cape. 

Additionally, at this time, if a family or individual impacted by the federal furlough is having difficulty with a financial matter and requests financial assistance, FSC is waiving the Financial Assistance Class and the Falmouth-only requirement.  This would be for residents of Bourne, Sandwich, Mashpee and Joint Base Cape Cod.  This is a direct result of the federal shutdown and this change in policy will only be for the period of the crisis. Click here for more information or call us at 508-548-2794.

The following is a copy of an email sent by Mr. Gus Stickley, MPS Director of Food Services. This applies to our entire school community -

With the first four months of the school year wrapped up, I wanted to remind everyone that school meal applications can be submitted at any time throughout the school year.  Since personal situations can change, even temporarily, it sometimes becomes necessary to take advantage of any possible resources that you may qualify for.

I have attached an application to this email.  They are also available in the main office at each school, as well as the food services page on our websites.

Sincerely,

Gus Stickley
Director of Food Services
Mashpee Public Schools
gstickley@mpspk12.org
508-539-1550  ext 4190

App_Packet_Complete_FY19.pdf 

Social Emotional Learning, (SEL)

Mindful Education has been provided to students at Quashnet School for many years.  Mrs. McCue and Mrs. Morrison, two of our wonderful counselors, have instructed students in self-regulation strategies, how to be present in the moment, increasing focus, deep breathing activities, understanding decision making, and in using calming techniques to name a few.  

The following link will bring you to a mindful kids peace summit- it would be a great activity for families to participate in together. 

https://www.mindfulkidspeacesummit.com/first-page

We need YOU for the Quashnet basketball parent/staff team!  All are welcome to participate. The QS gym is open to players on Sunday mornings at QS @ 11:00 AM on 1/6, 1/13, 1/27, and 2/3 to warm up. Come shoot some hoops and have fun with other folks.  This is a great opportunity to meet other parents and join the fun in WINNING the FALCON TROPHY back for QUASHNET!!!  

Game on!  

QS vs KCC parents and staff on Friday, February 8th @6:00 PM 

Reminder about field trips - 

1. To chaperone a field trip you need to have a current CORI form completed with the Superintendent's Office.  This is a quick process. Download the form here:  Volunteer and CORI Form.

2.  It is also a requirement for all students to have updated re-registration information to attend a field trip. A permission slip is not enough. All updates need to be made to our PowerSchool database.  If you change your phone number, emergency contacts, or address, please notify the office and we will make the appropriate change for you. Thank you for your cooperation with this. 

PTO is sponsoring an upcoming performance at Quashnet School during Kindness Week on January 23rd.  Tony Memmel performed earlier in the year at KCC and was so well received, the PTO knew that QS students will love the performance tailored to the upper grades. The following is a message from Tony Memmel Musical Team: 

"Tony Memmel is coming to your school! 

About Tony: Tony Memmel is a songwriter with unique charisma and creativity. Though he was born missing his left forearm and hand, he taught himself to play guitar by building a homemade cast out of Gorilla Tape that he secures to his arm to hold a guitar pick. He is a highly sought after clinician, speaker, and composer. About the program: Tony provides customized programs that focus on overcoming adversity, vocational craftsmanship, artistic integrity, and entrepreneurial spirit. His assembly presentation covers his story of learning how to play guitar with one hand, the obstacles he faced, and the development of his duct tape prosthetic, which he builds and demonstrates. He plays music, instructs the students in singing along and also allows for question and answer time. To learn more about Tony and his music, please visit: tonymemmel.com."

Thank you, PTO!

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead. 

Respectfully, 

Mrs. O'Brien, Principal