March 31 & April 1 Grade 5 ELA MCAS
April 4 & April 5 Grade 4 ELA MCAS
April 7 & April 8 Grade 3 ELA MCAS
April 13, 5:30-7:00 Cutler Open House
April 18 - 22 April Vacation
Thank you for your help!
A big thank you to everyone that picks their child up at the end of the day for hearing our plea for greater care around our dismissal routine. We greatly appreciate your making the effort to stay in the moving line rather than parking and getting out of the car to collect your children. The average amount of time from the start of loading cars until we load the last car is eleven minutes. We are sure that our efforts to tighten things up have not just made this a safer routine, but also a speedier routine.
Last Day of School
We have received a number of inquiries about the last day of school. As of right now, the last day of school is Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Please remember, at this time, this may not be the actual last day of school. Any future cancellations in April, May or June will be added to the end of the school year.
News about MCAS Scheduling
MCAS season is here! Here are the dates by grade level:
Grade 3 ELA - April 7th & 8th
Grade 3 Math - May 12th & 13th
Grade 4 ELA - April 4th & 5th
Grade 4 Math - May 16th & 17th
Grade 5 ELA - March 31 & April 1
Grade 5 Math - May 9th & 10th
Grade 5 Science - May 19th & 20th
Update on Lunch in the Dining Hall
We have successfully made the transition back to eating lunch at the cafeteria tables in the dining hall. The students are enjoying eating with their classmates and are adjusting nicely to our dining hall routines and expectations. As the weather gets nicer, students in grades 1-5 will have the option of eating at the tables in the dining hall or eating just outside at the picnic tables.
Elementary Literacy Update
Elementary teachers have continued to use professional development time this winter to deepen their understanding of reading instruction. Teachers and administrators have felt that a consistent scope and sequence to follow has been missing, and in response to this, we applied for the Accelerating Literacy Grant from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in early January. The purpose of this competitive grant is to bring high-quality core instructional materials needed to accelerate literacy learning into schools. Last week, our district was awarded funding up to $159,260 to purchase literacy core instructional materials for grades K-5. Using the parameters of the grant, our curriculum team narrowed down the options to two programs which we are looking at closely this month. Over twenty teachers have volunteered to pilot our choices of materials, participate in training for the programs, and rate the programs in order to determine which materials will best fit our needs.
Food Services - Universal Free Meals Update:
Earlier this month, Congress passed an appropriations package that did not include language allowing the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to extend current child nutrition waivers past June 30th. As a result, schools in Massachusetts and across the country will no longer be able to provide universal free meals through the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) effective at the start of the next school year (SY 2022-2023).
Households will have to re-adjust to meal charges after such a long time not having to worry about it. Lunch prices are still TBD but will most likely resemble closely what has been charged in the past. It is important parents and guardians make sure they create and/or have access to their student’s MySchoolBucks prior to the next school year. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Wendy Ng, Director of Nutrition Services at w.ng@hwschools.net or 978-468-0306.
SEPAC/District Parent Orientation Announcement
The Special Education Parent Advisory Council, in collaboration with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, will be hosting a parent orientation to learn about the upcoming Special Education and Civil Rights review in our district. The parent orientation will be held virtually via Zoom at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. Please join us!
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82752055864?pwd=K2JtWDZ3dDFXczhLeDN3cXBKTWd6QT09
CORI Reminder
As we continue to move towards more normal operations, there will be opportunities for parents to be involved at our schools. We require any volunteers to have a CORI check and be fingerprinted. If you have already been CORI checked and fingerprinted, there are limitations. Fingerprints are good for 7 years and CORIs have to be redone every 3 years. If you need to update either, please don’t wait until the last minute as there is often a delay in getting approvals. Contact Janell Powers with questions.
MRMS Play - This is a Test
Miles River Middle School is excited to present ‘This is a Test’ by Stephen Gregg on:
Thursday, March 31 at 7:00 PM
Friday, April 1 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, April 2 at 4:00 PM
Saturday, April 2 at 7:00 PM
The production will be presented in the middle/high school library. Guests should enter through the middle school where they will be able to enjoy an exhibition of student artwork as they enter and leave the show. We hope this provides audience members a window into all of the wonderful art that takes place in our building.
Check out the show website linked here to learn all about the cast and performance. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online here and will also be available at the show.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Cutler Family Fun NightA Multicultural FestivalFriday, June 34:30-7:00The Friends of Cutler is pleased to announce that the community tradition of Family Fun Night returns this year - with a twist!Join friends and neighbors to celebrate cultural diversity with new international games, entertainment, food, and activities!
Note: If you would like to volunteer, or if your family would like to honor and celebrate your own cultural heritage at the event, please contact Matti Acworth or Laura Studley (marthareiss@yahoo.com or Laura.studley@gmail.com
CUTLER APPAREL:
Head on over to this informal survey (https://forms.gle/6CqDu7cmUDP7r8by6) to let us know what type of Cutler or Generals gear you and your family may be interested in picking up this spring. Thank you!
