Dates to Remember
March 14 - 18 School Store
March 23, 6:00 pm Parent and caregiver Meet and Greet for Cutler Principal finalists
March 31 & April 1 Grade 5 ELA MCAS
April 13, 5:30-7:00 Cutler Open House
April 18 - 22 April Vacation
Meet with Cutler Principal Finalists
All parents and caregivers are invited to meet the finalists for the Cutler Principal position on March 23rd at 6:00pm in the Cutler Cafeteria. This will give all those interested a chance to meet the candidates in an informal setting to ask questions and give feedback. We look forward to seeing you there. Eric Tracy will announce finalists by Monday, March 21st.
Wonderful News from the Music Department
It is with great pleasure that we announce the return of Band and Chorus at the Elementary Level for 4th and 5th Grade students. Details about time, place and sign-up will be coming home in your children's backpacks. All students are eligible.
Title One Math teachers on Board!
We welcome with great enthusiasm our two new Title One Math Tutors, Megan Swaim and Holly Regan. Both Megan and Holly have already started to work with Cutler students and we are glad to have them as part of the Cutler team!
Mask Optional Policy:
As you know, on March 4th, each teacher held a class meeting to discuss and prepare for the new mask optional policy. Cutler School continues to be a kind, caring, and respectful community. Our goal is to make sure that everyone feels supported with their individual choices around mask-wearing. Please reach out to your child's classroom teacher if you have any questions or concerns.
A request for the Playgrounds
Please would you be kind enough to check your kitchen supplies for old pots and pans and various other non-sharp kitchen items that may have seen better days? We always appreciate donations of this kind which make for great play tools in the sandpits for the younger children. All donations can be delivered to Janie Bellenis in the Cutler Office.
Health Office News
Please note that the state-mandated Fifth Grade postural screening will take place during PE
next week. If you have any questions please contact Lynne Nardella at 978 626 8545.
Update on Cafeteria Policies:
Now that the mask mandate has been lifted, we are beginning to plan a return to our usual round table layout for lunch in the Cafeteria. Over the next week or two, we will be moving the round tables back into the room and meeting with students about expectations for behavior during lunch. If you have any questions or concerns about this plan, please reach out to your child's classroom teacher. As the weather improves, outside spaces will also be available for children for lunch.
Lost and Found
The Lost and Found area in the Cafeteria is once again becoming overloaded with items ranging from coats and hats to water bottles and lunch boxes. Please feel free to visit Cutler Cafeteria to have a look should your child be missing any belongings.
Attention Parent Volunteers:
Now that COVID restrictions are slowly being lifted, Cutler students will once again be able to take advantage of the much-anticipated field trip schedule we have had in place in the past. We can seldom undertake field trips without parents and caregivers giving us support and volunteering to chaperone. In order to accompany a class on a field trip, chaperones need to be CORI-checked as well as fingerprinted. If you think you would like to chaperone Cutler field trips, please register online for an appointment to have fingerprints taken at: http//www.identogo.com/FP/Massachusetts.aspx. Please note that when you are given a choice of agencies/sectors, you must choose PreK - 12 Grade Education. When you are asked to supply a "Provider ID" please use the following code for the Hamilton-Wenham School District: 06750000. All further questions should be addressed to Janell Powers in Central Office at j.powers@hwschools.net.
Exciting News from MSBA:
We have been officially invited by the Massachusetts School Building Administration (MSBA) into the 270 day eligibility period for the Cutler School Building Project. As you may know, the Statement of Interest submitted last year by the district was to examine the possibility of combining the Cutler and Winthrop Schools into one.
This is not a guarantee of a project, only the first step of many to come. The eligibility period is 270 days and is an opportunity for the district and the MSBA to:
Determine if the district is ready to manage and fund a major capital project
Determine the district’s financial readiness
Determine the community readiness
Provide a schedule of events throughout the 270 days
Identify needs for planning and budgeting
Please know that a building project like this has an extensive overall timeline. It could be up to 4-5 years before a shovel is put into the ground. We are excited about the project and confident that this project will be a way for our communities to come together positively for the benefit of our students and educators. If you would like to learn more you can check out the MSBA website.
Class of 2024 Fundraiser
The Hamilton Wenham class of 2024 is having an HW Generals sweatpants fundraiser to raise money for their class. Youth and adult sizes are available, and the sweatpants are NOT class-specific. They can be purchased using this google form. We appreciate your support!
News about MCAS Scheduling
MCAS season is approaching! 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
Dismissal & Absences:
Please be mindful that dismissal can be an extremely busy time in the Cutler parking lot. Our mission is to make sure that your children are loaded into their cars safely. Sometimes this can take a little time. At the moment we have ONE moving pick-up line, alongside the playground, in operation. Cutler staff members load four cars, and then, once filled, release them to load the next four cars. We would be most grateful if you would plan your pick up in good time so that we can avoid parents and caregivers parking on Asbury Street or the parking lot parallel to Asbury Street and walking over to collect their children, as well as cars pulling out and around stationary cars that we are still loading.
We would like to remind you that, should your child be absent for any reason, it would be most helpful if you would email the following three people: our nurse, Lynne Nardella, at l.nardella@hwschools.net, Janie Bellenis, School Secretary, at j.bellenis@hwschools.net, and your child's classroom teacher. Using this system will let everyone know at the same time and ensure that everyone is fully informed.
News about Kindergarten Registration
If you have an incoming Kindergarten student, please be sure to register ASAP! Registration is open from March 14-19, 2022 at the Central Office. Click here to view more detailed information. Current Winthrop PreK students do not need to reregister, but please email Jen Caufield at j.caufield@hwschools.net indicating your intention to have your child attend HW Kindergarten next year.
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
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!
