Wednesday, September 28, 2022

 Dates to Remember

Friends of Cutler Movie Night                                                 September 30, 2022

Professional Development Day, No School                          October 7, 2022

Indigenous Peoples Day No School                                        October 10, 2022

FoC School Store Week                                                             October 17-21  

Parent Teacher Conferences                                                    October 25 & November 1

From the Principal

Dear Cutler Families,

It was a pleasure to meet so many of you last week at our Ice-Breaker evening. I enjoyed watching children show you around our quaint school with such pride and confidence. The ice cream was a wonderful way to end the evening together as a community. Thank you to everyone who was involved in planning this evening.

This Friday we will have our first School Council meeting and I will enjoy hearing from this working group about the strengths and opportunities at Cutler, as part of my Entry Plan. We will also talk through our School Improvement Plan, which will then be presented to the School Committee. This document is a working document that we update annually and it steers the work of the school. Once we refine it, I look forward to sharing our goals with the larger school community (all of you!).

Wishing you a weekend filled with the joys of the season. Pumpkins, apples, crisp air… and soccer?  Lots of sports!

Warmly,

Juliana


Review of Materials

Please log into your Aspen Parent Portal (where you go for report cards) to review your data!   Once in, under “Start a new Returning Student Registration,” Click "Initiate", then NEXT to follow through the tabs. Instructions for completing the form are included on the first page.

If you have more than one student in the district, you will need to complete the forms for each student. 

If you need help getting into Aspen, you can email aspenhelp@hwschools.net.

Thanks for helping us ensure all our information is correct. 

Arrival/dismissal reminders:

Please remember:
§  Adult supervision on the playground begins daily at 8:15 am.
§  School begins at 8:25 am.
§ Dismissal is at 2:57 pm. Wednesday dismissal is at 12:45 pm.

BUS 9:  Bus Elementary Bus Route 9 Time Change 9/26

 

We have been working with Salter over the past few weeks to tighten up route timing to ensure that all students arrive at school on time. After many days of monitoring route arrivals at the schools, we have determined that we need to shift the start time of Elementary Route 9 back by five minutes. This change will take effect on Monday, September 26th. All other bus routes will remain unchanged unless future adjustments are needed.   

 

With this slight adjustment, we are confident that all of our Elementary transfer buses will arrive at their schools on time. Thank you for your patience while Salter has been working through the new routes this fall.  If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to:

mcarter@saltertrans.com 

hwtransport@hwschools.net 

 


From Lynne Nardella, Health Office News

The Health Office is looking for gently used boys' and girls' leggings sweatpants, and underwear.  Please think of us when cleaning out clothes for the winter.  You can send them in or drop them off at the front office or the nurse's office.  Thank you!



And, as above, please review your child's health record in Aspen (see above)! 



Cutler Movie Night: 
Mark your calendars for Friday, September 30th to join us for Cutler's 5th annual Family Movie Night!
Bring your blankets, chairs, and warm clothes to enjoy an outdoor movie at Cutler. 
This is a family event- no drop offs please! 
The movie starts at sundown (@6:30), so you can arrive any time after 6PM.
Popcorn, water and snacks will be provided
$10 suggested donation per family.
(movie will be shown indoors if it rains)

Movie Night Donations needed: Please consider contributing to the Cutler Movie Night fun. Please review the available slots here to sign up.  We appreciate your kind offering of pre-packaged, nut-free treats and assistance. 

All donations may be dropped off by Wednesday afternoon & placed in the container near the front entrance of 18 Perkins St. in Wenham. Please reach out to Tara at 508-527-6868 if other arrangements are needed. 

Directory: 
Hello Cutler Families! It's time to sign up for the Elementary Directory!  In order to be included, you must Opt-in and complete a new form every year.  This is separate and apart from any contact information collected by the schools or individual classroom or Friends groups. Once you complete the fields in this form, click on the "submit" button at the bottom, and your information will be included in the 2022-2023 Elementary School Directory.

Link to Elementary Directory sign up:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7hpyrHiEsS3RQgfOQ0tYo8pZ3WYMQ4pE9VCum6oB8iOOJaQ/viewform?fbclid=IwAR0512FVH0weLHdNSYPqlD8C47lQ6mi6_gLcL8jCCharCO6VEpUGkwvS2Z8

Submissions due 9/30/22.

Upcoming Friends of Cutler Zoom

There will be a Friends of Cutler zoom meeting on Monday, October 17th at 7:30PM. All are welcome to attend to find out more about the Friends of Cutler, the great events we have planned for the year, and the work that is being done behind the scenes in support of the students, staff, and school grounds! An update will also be provided on the long awaited playground installation! 



Monday, September 19, 2022

News to Use 09/19/2022


Dates to Remember

Icebreaker Night TONIGHT                                                     5-7 p.m.

School Pictures  TOMORROW                                               September 20, 2022

Friends of Cutler Movie Night                                                 September 30, 2022

Professional Development Day, No School                          October 7, 2022

Indigenous Peoples Day No School                                        October 10, 2022

FoC School Store Week                                                             October 17-21  

Parent Teacher Conferences                                                    October 25 & November 1

From the Principal

On Thursday morning we had our first All School Meeting. Fifth graders helped me host the meeting. We welcomed new members of our school including students and staff, we played the New Teacher Game and heard interesting stories about some of our new staff members including scuba diving trips, Mt. Fuji hikes, ambidextrous talents and American Idol tryouts! We ended by reading a story about making friends. It was wonderful to be together as a school community!


We are excited to welcome families this evening to Cutler School. Ice-Breaker Night will begin in classrooms from 5-6pm. We will serve  ice cream in the cafeteria starting  at 5:30. Please make sure all children are supervised in the building and while visiting classrooms. 


There will be a table set up near the office for anyone that needs to have a CORI check complete. CORIs are needed for all volunteers. If you would like to be a chaperone for a field trip, you will additionally need to get your fingerprints done. I will send a separate email outlining the process for getting your fingerprints completed. Thank you for your help!


As part of my Entry Plan, I am hosting parent listening sessions to hear from all of you. I will frame my questions around two guiding questions: 

  • What are the strengths you see in the Cutler community? 

  • What opportunities or challenges do you see?

I am holding these in person at Cutler in the cafeteria on 

This Wednesday, September 21st at 10am, 

Friday, September 23rd at 12 noon and 

Wednesday, September 28th at 7pm.


If you would like to attend, please sign up with Mary Cadle in our front office at 978-468-5330, or email at m.cadle@hwschools.net. If you aren’t able to attend but would like to send me any reflections, you are welcome to send me an email at j.schneider@hwschools.net or reach out to set up a time to meet. 


School Pictures: O'Connor Studios has provided scholarship certificates for families that may find those helpful. Please contact school counselor, Ann Creilson, at a.creilson@hwschools.net.

Review of Materials

As we start the year off, we want to make sure we have the most up-do-date contact and medical information. You can do this online. 

Log into your Aspen Parent Portal (where you go for report cards). Once in, under “Start a new Returning Student Registration,” Click "Initiate", then NEXT to follow through the tabs. Instructions for completing the form are included on the first page.

If you have more than one student in the district, you will need to complete the forms for each student. 

If you need help getting into Aspen, you can email aspenhelp@hwschools.net.

Thanks for helping us ensure all our information is correct. 

Arrival Reminders

We want to remind everyone that adult supervision begins on the playground at 8:15 in the morning. If driving your children to school in the morning, please wait until 8:15 to drop them off.


Absences

A reminder that if your child will be absent, please call the Safe Arrival Line: 978-468-8472. Please do not call the office, but instead use the Safe Arrival Line to report any absences or late arrivals.


Dismissal Reminders


Car Drop Off and Pick Up - The car line is a live line, meaning that there are moving cars. For the safety of all, please have your children enter and exit your vehicle on the driver's side. Kids should not be walking around vehicles. Walkers and those who park, please be mindful not to walk through the live drop-off/ pick-up line.Please cross at the front of the line, or at the end of the sidewalk. Thank you for your help with this!

Car Pickup Procedures - We just want to remind everyone that we will continue to use a single car pickup line along the grass.  Teachers will load 4 cars at a time.  We are asking that each car have an 8.5 x 11 paper sign with the student(s) name to display in the front window.  If you have last year’s signs, please feel free to use them.  If not, we ask that you write your student's last name in a bold dark marker and include first name(s) under the last name so that we can see clearly.  This is very helpful for any teacher who may be helping at car pickup.  


Changes in Dismissal Plans - If your child has a change in their regular dismissal plans, please send a note to the classroom teacher in the morning whenever possible.  We understand that sometimes a change in dismissal plans will occur after the school day has started. In these situations, we ask that you do your best to let us know as early as possible in the day.  If writing an email, please send it to Mary Cadle, m.cadle@hwschools.net as teachers may not be able to check their emails regularly during the school day.


Please remember:
§  Adult supervision on the playground begins daily at 8:15 am.
§  School begins at 8:25 am.
§ Dismissal is at 2:57 pm. Wednesday dismissal is at 12:45 pm.

From Lynne Nardella, Health Office News

Just a reminder to please review and update your emergency and contact verification information in Aspen.  See above.


HW Special Education Advisory Council Autism 101 Workshop

The Hamilton Wenham SEPAC is pleased to bring AANE (Asperger Autism Network) for this virtual presentation on Tuesday, Oct. 11th @ 7:30 pm. This workshop will go over what you can expect raising an autistic child/teen/young adult (through age 22). We will cover strengths of the profile, common challenges, considerations for home and school, support strategies, disclosure, and more. 

Use this LINK to register and submit questions. 


From Food Services Department

Our  food services department is still short staffed and needs PT workers, subs or anyone that would like to volunteer a few hours a week. If you are interested, please contact Wendy Ng, Director of Nutrition Services at  w.ng@hwschools.net 


From Melissa Graham (String Jam)

Hello ukulele families! 

I just wanted to remind you all to send in your String Jam registration forms in the next week, if you plan to have your student attend String Jam this year. I need to have an estimate of how many fifth grade students will be joining String Jam, so that I can plan for the coming months. 
Here is the link to the String Jam website. If you can’t find the registration form that I sent home, there is a link to the form on the String Jam website.

Please email me at stringjam237@gmail.com if you have any questions. However, I will be traveling from September 28-October 11. Because of this, it may take a couple of days for me to respond during that time. We will be camping in some areas with limited cell service. 
I’m really looking forward to starting String Jam on October 14th! 
Melissa Graham


From the HWRHS Girls Soccer Program:

Each soccer season, our families find old jerseys and shorts taking up space in their dresser drawers.  We are offering a way to recycle that old equipment and to support a worthy group at the same time. We will host a donation day for HW families.  We will pass the equipment on to an organization called A Light for Zimbabwe. A Light for Zimbabwe is a non profit organization that helps better the lives of southeastern Zimbabwean families and children through orphan sponsorship. See this link for more information http://www.alightforzimbabwe.org/.  On Saturday, September 17, we will collect at the following times:
Iron Rail Field, drop boxes out all day
Pingree Field, 10-11am, 1-2pm, 3-4pm

Please drop travel uniforms, intramural shirts, and intramural shorts.  The pieces should be CLEAN AND IN GOOD CONDITION.  We will also collect old soccer balls.  Hopefully this is just the start to our recycling/reusing program.  In the future we hope to provide an opportunity for swapping travel uniforms, cleats and shinguards amongst our families in town.

We look forward to seeing you at our drop on September 17,
Maddie Graber
Caroline Monahan
(members of the HWRHS Girls Soccer Program)


School Wide Event Volunteers needed: 

Cultural Enrichment Committee
  • This committee focuses on supporting the curriculum with a yearlong theme that incorporates core and special area subjects. The committee helps to identify programs that enhance the curriculum along the path laid out by the current year’s theme. The committee identifies, develops, and/or supports engaging activities for the students during the school day as well as evening celebrations such as the Cultural Festival! 
Cutler Apparel
  • Volunteers help with designing, selecting, and maintaining H/W and Cutler-themed inventory. Items can be sold during any Friends sponsored event. Rotation of volunteers needed to maintain a table at each event.
Please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/yJPQW2wsF5Zooo5w8 or email rsbarstow@gmail.com by September 23rd if you would like to volunteer for the committees listed above


Cutler Movie Night: 
Mark your calendars for Friday, September 30th to join us for Cutler's 5th annual Family Movie Night!
Bring your blankets, chairs, and warm clothes to enjoy an outdoor movie at Cutler. 
This is a family event- no drop offs please! 
The movie starts at sundown (@6:30), so you can arrive any time after 6PM.
Popcorn, water and snacks will be provided
$10 suggested donation per family.
(movie will be shown indoors if it rains)



Directory: 
Hello Cutler Families! It's time to sign up for the Elementary Directory!  In order to be included, you must Opt-in and complete a new form every year.  This is separate and apart from any contact information collected by the schools or individual classroom or Friends groups. Once you complete the fields in this form, click on the "submit" button at the bottom, and your information will be included in the 2022-2023 Elementary School Directory.

Monday, September 12, 2022

 Dates to Remember

Icebreaker Night                                                                         September 19, 5-7 p.m.

School Pictures                                                                           September 20, 2022

Friends of Cutler Movie Night                                                 September 30, 2022

Professional Development Day, No School                          October 7, 2022

Indigenous Peoples Day No School                                        October 10, 2022

FoC School Store Week                                                             October 17-21  

Parent Teacher Conferences                                                    October 25 & November 1

From the Principal

Today marks the first day of our first full week of school. I’m looking forward to the routines of the new school year!

I have had the opportunity to read in most classrooms, and by the end of this week will have visited every classroom. I have shared the story The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, a beautiful story about finding our voice and sharing pieces of our own stories. One 3rd grader in Mrs. Hanson’s class summed the book up beautifully today, sharing with the class, “Even if we look different from each other, we have lots of things in common, and sometimes we even find things that are unique. But we can connect when we share these things.” It was a heartwarming conversation, and I was struck by how connected and safe our Cutler students feel. 


As part of my Entry Plan, I am hosting parent listening sessions to hear from all of you. I will frame my questions around two guiding questions: 

  • What are the strengths you see in the Cutler community? 

  • What opportunities or challenges do you see?

I am holding these in person at Cutler in the cafeteria on 

Wednesday, September 21st at 10am, 

Friday, September 23rd at 12 noon and 

Wednesday, September 28th at 7pm.


If you would like to attend, please sign up with Mary Cadle in our front office at 978-468-5330. If you aren’t able to attend but would like to send me any reflections, you are welcome to send me an email at j.schneider@hwschools.net or reach out to set up a time to meet. 


Wishing you all a nice week.

Icebreaker Night

Ice Breaker evening is scheduled for September 19 which includes both parents and students.  All teachers will be in attendance and ready to greet students and their families in classrooms from 5-7 pm. The classrooms will be open for all, with plenty of information to share about the upcoming year. After families visit the classrooms, free ice cream, non dairy options, and toppings provided by Friends of Cutler and served by the Hamilton Wenham Regional High School National Honors Society will be available on the playground and all are welcome to stay to enjoy the social aspect of the evening. We sincerely hope that every family will attend.

Review of Materials

As we start the year off, we want to make sure we have the most up-do-date contact and medical information. You can do this online. 

Log into your Aspen Parent Portal (where you go for report cards). Once in, under “Start a new Returning Student Registration,” Click "Initiate", then NEXT to follow through the tabs. Instructions for completing the form are included on the first page.

If you have more than one student in the district, you will need to complete the forms for each student. 

If you need help getting into Aspen, you can email aspenhelp@hwschools.net.

Thanks for helping us ensure all our information is correct. 

Arrival Reminders

We want to remind everyone that adult supervision begins on the playground at 8:15 in the morning. If driving your children to school in the morning, please wait until 8:15 to drop them off.


Absences

A reminder that if your child will be absent, please call the Safe Arrival Line: 978-468-8472. Please do not call the office, but instead use the Safe Arrival Line to report any absences or late arrivals.


Dismissal Reminders


Car Drop Off and Pick Up - The car line is a live line, meaning that there are moving cars. For the safety of all, please have your children enter and exit your vehicle on the driver's side. Kids should not be walking around vehicles. Walkers and those who park, please be mindful not to walk through the live drop-off/ pick-up line.Please cross at the front of the line, or at the end of the sidewalk. Thank you for your help with this!

Car Pickup Procedures - We just want to remind everyone that we will continue to use a single car pickup line along the grass.  Teachers will load 4 cars at a time.  We are asking that each car have an 8.5 x 11 paper sign with the student(s) name to display in the front window.  If you have last year’s signs, please feel free to use them.  If not, we ask that you write your student's last name in a bold dark marker and include first name(s) under the last name so that we can see clearly.  This is very helpful for any teacher who may be helping at car pickup.  


Changes in Dismissal Plans - If your child has a change in their regular dismissal plans, please send a note to the classroom teacher in the morning whenever possible.  We understand that sometimes a change in dismissal plans will occur after the school day has started. In these situations, we ask that you do your best to let us know as early as possible in the day.  If writing an email, please send it to Mary Cadle, m.cadle@hwschools.net as teachers may not be able to check their emails regularly during the school day.


Please remember:
§  Adult supervision on the playground begins daily at 8:15 am.
§  School begins at 8:25 am.
§ Dismissal is at 2:57 pm. Wednesday dismissal is at 12:45 pm.

Health Office News

Just a reminder to please review and update your emergency and contact verification information in Aspen.  See above.



Staff Lounge Restock
Thank you to everyone who signed up to restock the Staff Lounge. Your donations are greatly appreciated by the staff and Friends of Cutler!

Volunteer Opportunities
We are also still looking for volunteers for a number of Friends of Cutler events and activity opportunities. Friends of Cutler is 100% volunteer based; we rely on volunteers to support our students and staff throughout the year. Please consider signing up for one of our many open volunteer opportunities. 

Classroom Liaisons Each classroom needs two parents for a year-long commitment. Responsibilities include emailing communications to parents from the Friends of Cutler, soliciting volunteers when requested, and supporting the needs of the class for special projects and activities. Much of this volunteer work is completed via emailFifth Grade parents help organize and staff bake sales and plan and execute 5th Grade Week.
  • 2 Liaisons are needed for each of the following classrooms: Drinkwater, Greene, Kershaw, Hanson, Valentine, and Duffy.
  • 1 Liaison is needed for each of the following classrooms: Gorse and Purcell Quarles.
Please fill out the form below or email rsbarstow@gmail.com if you would like to be a classroom liaison! 

School Wide Event Volunteers needed: 


School Store
  • The School store committee oversees the operation of the school store, maintaining the inventory and keeping costs within budget. The store is available to each grade during the first week of every month. Each student can spend up to $3.00 on several novelty items.
Cultural Enrichment Committee
  • This committee focuses on supporting the curriculum with a yearlong theme that incorporates core and special area subjects. The committee helps to identify programs that enhance the curriculum along the path laid out by the current year’s theme. The committee identifies, develops, and/or supports engaging activities for the students during the school day as well as evening celebrations such as the Cultural Festival! 
Cutler Apparel
  • Volunteers help with designing, selecting, and maintaining H/W and Cutler-themed inventory. Items can be sold during any Friends sponsored event. Rotation of volunteers needed to maintain a table at each event.
Movie Night
  • Volunteers help in the planning and organizing a Friday night of fun at Cutler where students and their families can enjoy food and a movie! Last year we had our first ever OUTSIDE movie night and it was a big hit!
Please fill out the form below or email rsbarstow@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer for the committees listed above

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

News to Use, September 6, 2022

 Dates to Remember


Today is Early Dismissal: 12:45 dismissal time; lunch will be served.

Icebreaker Night                                                                         September 19, 5-7 p.m.

School Pictures                                                                            September 20, 2022

Friends of Cutler Movie Night                                                 September 30, 2022

Professional Development Day, No School                           October 7, 2022

Indigenous Peoples Day No School                                        October 10, 2022

FoC School Store Week                                                              October 17-21  

Parent Teacher Conferences                                                     October 25 & November 1

From the Principal

It has been a wonderful start to the year! Last Wednesday we welcomed our 1st- 5th graders and it was truly a relief to see normalcy in a way that we haven’t seen in almost three years. Kids and teachers were enjoying greeting each other at morning meetings, welcoming new (and old) staff and students and I heard from so many that the overall tenor felt so much more calm.  We are excited for a new year!

We had our kindergarten orientation and traditional bus ride yesterday morning, and I can confidently say that both children and their caretakers are ready for the big first day, today! We are so excited to have our new kindergarteners join us to begin their school journey.

I want to thank families and the Friends of Cutler for your overwhelming generosity. We were appreciative of the luncheon put on by the Friends of Cutler last Monday, and we are grateful for the treats you send in to stock our staff room, as well as the generosity that you show by sending in items for classrooms. Thank you all for the unique ways that you give to our school. 

Icebreaker Night

Ice Breaker evening is scheduled for September 19 which includes both parents and students.  All teachers will be in attendance and ready to greet students and their families in classrooms from 5-7 pm. The classrooms will be open for all, with plenty of information to share about the upcoming year. After families visit the classrooms, popsicles will be available on the playground and all are welcome to stay to enjoy the social aspect of the evening. As usual, the popsicles are free and provided by the Friends of Cutler. We sincerely hope that every family will attend.

Arrival Reminders

We want to remind everyone that adult supervision begins on the playground at 8:15 in the morning. If driving your children to school in the morning, please wait until 8:15 to drop them off.


Absences

A reminder that if your child will be absent, please call the Safe Arrival Line: 978-468-8472. Please do not call the office, but instead use the Safe Arrival Line to report any absences or late arrivals.


Dismissal Reminders


Car Drop Off and Pick Up - The car line is a live line, meaning that there are moving cars. For the safety of all, please have your children enter and exit your vehicle on the driver's side. Kids should not be walking around vehicles. Walkers and those who park, please be mindful not to walk through the live drop-off/ pick-up line.Please cross at the front of the line, or at the end of the sidewalk. Thank you for your help with this!

Car Pickup Procedures - We just want to remind everyone that we will continue to use a single car pickup line along the grass.  Teachers will load 4 cars at a time.  We are asking that each car have an 8.5 x 11 paper sign with the student(s) name to display in the front window.  If you have last year’s signs, please feel free to use them.  If not, we ask that you write your student's last name in a bold dark marker and include first name(s) under the last name so that we can see clearly.  This is very helpful for any teacher who may be helping at car pickup.  


Changes in Dismissal Plans - If your child has a change in their regular dismissal plans, please send a note to the classroom teacher in the morning whenever possible.  We understand that sometimes a change in dismissal plans will occur after the school day has started. In these situations, we ask that you do your best to let us know as early as possible in the day.  If writing an email, please send it to Mary Cadle, m.cadle@hwschools.net as teachers may not be able to check their emails regularly during the school day.


Please remember:
§  Adult supervision on the playground begins daily at 8:15 am.
§  School begins at 8:25 am.
§ Dismissal is at 2:57 pm. Wednesday dismissal is at 12:45 pm.

Health Office News

Just a reminder to please review and update your emergency and contact verification information in Aspen.



Welcome!

Hello Cutler Families! The Friends of Cutler would like to welcome everyone to the 2022-2023 school year! As a parent/guardian of a Cutler student, you are automatically a member of our parent-teacher organization – there is no sign up required! Taylor Whitcomb and Rachel Barstow are your 22-23 Co-Presidents. Rachel's children John and Meredith are entering 5th and 3rd grade. Taylor’s daughter Ryann will be in 3rd grade, and her son Landyn is in preschool (a 2023 incoming Cutler Kindergartner!).

 

The Friends of Cutler (FoC) is an organization which includes all parents, legal guardians, immediate family members, teachers, and administrators of the current students of Cutler. Our mission is to support and enhance the educational experience of the students. All of our activities are intended to encourage and facilitate school spirit with meaningful communication between home and school and to provide financial assistance for programs where needed. Friends of Cutler also provides funding to teachers for classroom supplies, materials and resources, and classroom projects or activities.

 

Friends of Cutler is 100% volunteer based and relies on volunteers throughout the year to run our various services and fundraisers, as well as to support the faculty, the classrooms, and the school. We are all part of this special community, and there are many opportunities to become involved no matter what your schedule or availability is. We are thrilled to welcome you to any committee! Please fill out the form below and indicate which volunteer opportunities you would like to participate in.

Descriptions of each volunteer position can be found here: 

 

Stock the Cutler Staff Lounge: 

Let’s show our Cutler Staff how much we appreciate them by stocking the lounge with snacks and beverages!

Donations can be dropped off at Cutler (please label items: Staff Lounge Restock). Please email rsbarstow@gmail.com for an alternative donation drop off if you are unable to send/bring items to school.

Donation deadline: Friday, September 9th