Dear Families,

Thank you all for a great start to the school year!  It was so great to welcome our returning students and meet our new students at Open House and Kindergarten Meet and Greet!  As many of you know, I like to “show” instead of “tell” you how great this week was, so please check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram to see and the learning and fun we had this week at Walnut Square!

To learn more about Walnut Square routines, learning standards, behavior expectations, and discipline practices, please visit https://walnutsquare.haverhill-ps.org/walnut-square-routines/.  I am happy to set up a time to meet with you if you have any questions.  

September is an exciting month!  We have our Plant, Paint, Cross-Pollinate Title 1 event on September 14th- more information will be sent home next week.  September is also Attendance Awareness Month and Library Card Month!  More information about attendance is listed below my letter.  With access to technology, innovative programming, and educational resources, a library card gives students of all ages the tools to succeed in school. Best of all, it has so many amazing books!  To celebrate Library Card Month, take a picture with your library card and email it to jrubera@haverhill-ps.org.  If you don’t have one, you can apply for one here:  https://haverhillpl.org/library-card-application/.  The Haverhill Public Library is one of my favorite places to visit…maybe I’ll see you there sometime!  

For our Superstars at Walnut Square, our monthly theme is safety.  School is a safe place where all students can learn and grow.  To stay safe, we follow school rules.   School rules are basic expectations on how you behave at school.  They are in effect at all times.  We have rules to keep everyone safe and help everyone learn.  We have two rules at Walnut Square:  

1:  Follow directions given by grown ups.  

2. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.  

During the month of September, we will be teaching and reviewing rules as well as teaching routines (what students do frequently throughout the day and procedures (the steps students need to take in order to accomplish a routine).  Discussing rules, routines, and procedures at home with your child is a great way to help support your child in school!  

As with all family updates, this will be posted on our school website, https://walnutsquare.haverhill-ps.org/ and sent to you via School Messenger and Remind.  In addition to the Walnut Square School website, you can also “like” our Facebook page, Walnut Square Elementary School, follow us on Instragram, @walnutsquaresuperstars, and/or follow my channel on YouTube, @jenrubera, to get updates and see all of the fun and learning taking place at Walnut Square!   Please contact me if you have any questions.  Have a wonderful long weekend, and I look forward to seeing you when school resumes on Tuesday, September 5th.  Thank you!  

Sincerely, 

Jen Rubera 

Principal

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.   

Title 1 Letter to Families 

Walnut Square is a Title 1 School.  Please click on the link to read the letter to families about Title 1.  Title 1 Notice English    Title 1 Notice Spanish Title 1 Notice Portuguese.

  School Supply List 

The following items are greatly appreciated!  

• Headphones that will plug into student Chromebooks.  
• Number 2 pencils (Ticonderoga pencils are preferred)
• Crayola crayons 
• Large glue sticks 
• Dry erase markers
• Paper towels 
• Ziploc bags of all sizes 
• Baby wipes 
• Clorox wipes
• For grade 3 students:  a package of 5 highlighters:  pink, green, orange, blue, and yellow 

Transportation

Bus routes are available and posted here:  https://www.haverhill-ps.org/transportation/.  

Technology Updates 

Grade 1 and 2 students, please bring your Chromebooks and chargers with you to school if you haven’t done so. If you have lost or misplaced your charger, you may purchase a new one for $39.00.  Please contact Mrs. Greene if you have any questions.  

HPS has chosen School Device Coverage (SDC) to insure the Chromebooks that students have been issued. The cost of coverage for the year is $20 and includes accidental damage, loss, fire, and theft. Families have the option to sign up during the month of September:  

https://www.haverhill-ps.org/technology/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.  

Qustodio, a FREE student safety/digital wellbeing platform, helps parents/guardians control their child’s access to the internet on their school issued devices. Qustodio is FREE for HPS Students/Families. More information and how to sign up for Qustodio can be found on our website at:  https://www.haverhill-ps.org/technology/athome/student-safety-and-digital-wellbeing-platform/

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. Please email Jen Rubera (jrubera@haverhill-ps.org) if you are interested.  

• PTO:  The PTO is a group of parents, educators, and alumni who work together to raise funds to plan enrichment activities to help students.  Please click here to read about the PTO.  

Mark Your Calendar!

• Monday, September 4th:  Labor Day- NO SCHOOL 

• Tuesday, September 5th:  First Day of School Pre-K and Kindergarten 

• Thursday, September 14th:  Plant, Paint, Cross-Pollinate Project Grade 3 and Title 1 Event:  Grade 3 1:30-2:30 pm; Title 1 Event:  5:30-6:30 pm 

• Wednesday, September 20th:  School Picture Day 

• Thursday, October 5th:  Title 1 Event:  “SEL”-ebrate the ABCs of Walnut Square!  6:00-7:30 pm