Welcome to the 2013-2014 School Year at Upham Elementary. I hope you had a wonderful summer break, filled with opportunities to learn and grow. Given the late start to our summer, it's hard to believe that our opening day is just over one week away.
We have been busy this summer preparing for the new school year in a number of ways. Our outstanding custodians have deep cleaned each classroom. The old front doors have been replaced and our second grade hallway and classrooms have brand new carpeting.
In addition to preparing our buildings for opening day, we have also spent a great deal of time this summer making further progress in developing our strategic plan and setting goals for the 2013-2014 school year. In particular, we will be focused on ways we can better support professional learning among our staff and ensure that we are differentiating our practice to meet the needs of all students.
On another key front, we have had some changes to our staffing. Upham's librarian, Rachel Keegan-McGlinn will be taking a two-month leave during September and October. During this time, classes will still come to the library for their weekly instruction. Jessica Gillis will fill in for Rachel. Daryl Hedlund will continue to teach Kindergarten classes and will help ensure that the library is a welcoming place to find a great book. Rachel will happily return in November. Ashley Fall, our new elementary assistant will take Rachel Davies spot. Below is the full roster for classroom teachers:
K Teachers- Bethany Bergeron/Julie Eagan
1st Grade Teachers- Jenny Leung/ Lisa Marie Scalone
2nd Grade Teachers- Dina Maggipinto/ Joanne Chartier
3rd Grade Teacher- Cheryl Grosso/Alison Harrington/Suzanne Whitehouse
4th Grade Teachers- Megan 0'Reilly/Beth Garry
5th Grade Teachers- Bethaney Duncan/ Becky Eccher
Something else I hope you have noticed is our new school website. The new site has a streamlined interface that we believe provides easy access to key resources. While we continue to add new content to our website, we hope you will provide us with feedback on how to make this site as responsive as possible to your needs. The new website address is here www.wellesley.k12.ma.us/upham-elementary-school
We are going to change Upham's Opening Day Arrival.
We are going to ask that you escort your child to the classroom on the first day. We are no longer going to meet in the middle parking area and search for the appropriate classroom teacher. We ask that you escort your child to your respective teacher's classroom. Please do not use this time to conference with your child's teacher. We simply want to avoid the stress and strain of the parking lot search.In the final week before opening day, there are some important things you can do at home to prepare your children to start the year successfully:
- Scheduling: This is a great week to ease your children into an "early to bed/early to rise" schedule. Talk about your morning routine, what has worked well in the past, and what the challenges have been. Create a plan that everyone understands and agrees to follow.
- Nutrition: Ensuring that our children start the day with a good breakfast is essential. Talk about healthy foods and give them options from which to choose. The same is true in your planning for snacks and lunches. Work together and build their capacity to make good nutritional choices. I encourage you to visit our food services website, which has some great information and resources for parents.
- Organization: Whether it is returning required forms to school or managing homework, organization is a success strategy that all of our students need to develop. For example, using a homework planner is often an easy way for our students to record their assignments and manage their time. You can help by building a common routine after school to check in on your child's progress and help them budget their time for homework and longer-term projects.
- Expectations: Wellesley is a community with high expectations for its schools. Too often, this can also create a high-pressure environment that can feel stifling to students. Our schools ought to be safe places where students are encouraged to develop new interests, where they will be challenged, and where they will not always succeed. It's important for our kids to know that we will support them through the highs and lows of these experiences. A great place to start is to ask your children about their goals and expectations for themselves this year.
I want to thank you for your continued support. We cannot be successful without you. It is an honor and privilege to serve you and your children. See you on September 3rd!
Dare To Dream,
Mr. Dees
