Family Update

Posted on September 16, 2022

Dear Families,

We completed our first full week of school!  I am so proud of all our Superstars for coming to school every day this week ready to learn and grow.  We continue to practice routines and expectations to help keep everyone safe and help everyone learn.  

Picture day is Wednesday, September 21st.  This date, along with others, is posted below for you to mark your calendar!  You can also subscribe to our calendar by clicking on the calendar icon on the Walnut Square website.  

I am excited to announce our next Title 1 event!  You’re invited to join us on a fall nature walk around Lake Pentucket on Thursday, September 29th from 5-7 pm.  We will hike around the Lake Pentucket trail and view the beautiful sunset on Concord St.  This is a great opportunity for Walnut Square families, Pentucket Lake families, and J.G. Whittier families to meet and connect.  After the hike, families will receive resources to experience nature as a family.  This event will be held rain or shine, so proper dress, bug spray, and footwear are highly recommended!  Carriages and bikes are not recommended as it is a hiking trail.  Please click here to RSVP.  

Families, your feedback is appreciated! Please take this brief survey to help us improve Walnut Square School:  

Mark Twain said, “If you don’t like New England weather, wait a few minutes.”  It seems that the weather changes very often this time of year!  We encourage all to dress in layers so that we can stay comfortable.  Walnut Square uses the Child Care Weather Watch Chart from Weather Chart for Safe Outdoor Play to determine if there will be indoor or outdoor recess.    

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!   

Sincerely, 

Jen Rubera 

Principal

 

Mark Your Calendar! 

  • Wednesday, September 21st:  School Picture Day 
    • Wednesday, September 21st:  PTA meeting right after school 
  • Wednesday, September 28th:  Early Release Day- Dismissal is at 11:35 am 
    • Monday, October 10th:  NO SCHOOL-HOLIDAY
  • Wednesday, October 12th:  Early Release Day- Dismissal is 11:35 am
    • Monday, October 17th:  PTA meeting right after school 
  • Wednesday, October 26th:  K-8 Progress Reports Issued- 1st Trimester 
  • Thursday, October 27th:  K-8 Parent Teacher Conferences 
  • Wednesday, November 9th:  PTA meeting right after school 

iReady 

Walnut Square implements a Mathematics and Reading program called i-Ready. Students will begin iReady this month.  Below, you will find information about the program and how we will be using it in the classroom.

What is i-Ready?

i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.

The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.

What can I do to help?

To help prepare your child for the i-Ready Diagnostic, encourage them to: 

  • Get a good night’s sleep and eat a full breakfast the day of the assessment.
  • Try their best on each question and try not to rush.
  • Try not to worry about questions to which they do not know the answers—remind them that it is expected that they will only get about half of the questions correct.
  • Be respectful of other students who take longer to finish.

 

What happens next?

The i-Ready Diagnostic will provide results that helps us  identify your child’s strengths and determine next steps for instruction. We look forward to sharing these results with you throughout the year and providing a learning experience that will engage your child while teaching important skills and concepts.

If you have any questions about i-Ready, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can also learn more about i-Ready by visiting i-ReadyCentral.com/FamilyCenter. 

As always, thank you for your continued support and for being a partner in your child’s learning! It is much appreciated.

 

September Is Attendance Awareness Month! 

Showing up matters for R.E.A.L because it is an opportunity to:     

  • Build Routines 
  • Increase Engagement 
  • Provide Access to resources 
  • Support Learning

Routines: Daily attendance routines can reduce stress, increase your child’s self-confidence, and lay a foundation for good attendance in later grades. 

Engagement:  Participation in school helps your child connect with other children and adults and get excited about learning. 

Access to Resources:  Schools can give you access to meals, physical and mental health care and other supports, and fun enrichment activities (sports, clubs, music, afterschool, and summer programs, etc.). 

Learning:  Children learn best from hand-on activities and through meaningful interactions with their teacher and other students.   

 

Donations Requested

  • Our clothes closet is in need of the following items:  
    • Packages of new underwear size 4-8.  
    • Socks
    • Unisex clothing, sized 4-8 
  • If you would like to donate any of the items, please bring them to school.  Thank you!  

 

 

Transportation

 

Chromebooks

All students are provided 1:1  chromebooks with chargers and cases.  Grade 1 and 2 students, please bring your Chromebooks and chargers with you to school if you haven’t done so.   Haverhill Public Schools has chosen School Device Coverage (SDC) to insure the devices that will be given to your student as part of this year’s 1:1 device program. For only $20 per student, this insurance program will protect you and your student(s) in the event that your device is lost, stolen, or damaged accidentally over the course of the school year.  You will need your child’s device number, which can be found on the back of the device. Please follow this link for more information and to sign up.  Haverhill Student Device Insurance This information is also posted on the Parent and Student Resources page and the HPS Technology page.  For a copy of the HPS Student Device Policy, please click here:  HPS Student Device Policy English  HPS Student Device Policy Spanish.  

 

School Improvement Plan

Each year, every school shall adopt school performance goals and develop and implement a written School Improvement Plan to advance those goals and improve student performance. Please click on this link to view Walnut Square’s School Improvement Plan.  

 

Get Involved!  

  • School Site Council:  The Site Council is a balanced group of educators and families who meet monthly to discuss and develop the School Improvement Plan.