Dates to Remember
Week of December 12-16 School Store
Tuesday, December 20, 4:30-5:30 Solstice Stroll
Friday, December 23 - Early Release, 11:15 a.m. Winter Recess begins
Monday, December 26-Monday, January 2 - No School Winter Recess
Tuesday, January 3 - Back to School School Resumes
Monday, January 16 - No School Holiday
It’s the most…. busy… time of the year!
On Tuesday, December 20th from 4:30- 5:30 we will celebrate the longest night of the year with a Cutler community Solstice Stroll. Students in all classes are going through the design process and making lanterns that will be hung on display on our school campus. We invite you to view our lanterns, enjoy a hot, festive cup of cocoa and enjoy the cheer of the season! More information will come to you from the classroom level.
This month we are excited that the Discover Museum in Acton is coming to us on December 13th to work with our 1st graders around Light and Lasers, and then again on the 21st to work with our 3rd graders around Weather and Climate. It’s wonderful to have so many programs supported by our Friends group, happening once again.
Enjoy a sweet photo of our kindergarteners filling the bird feeders outside the office! May we all remember to enjoy the small moments, just as our kindergarteners do, especially this December!
Warmly,
Juliana
From Ann Creilson, Adjustment Counselor
Dear Cutler Families,
It’s hard to believe December is here! While it is an exciting time of year, we understand that some families may be experiencing hardship. In the spirit of the holiday season, the district is collaborating with a group of community members in an effort to provide holiday assistance. We are collecting donations that will be converted into gift cards for distribution to our school families to purchase gifts for the holidays or items to support their household. Please see the attached flyer for more information and ways to make a donation via Venmo.
If you would like to donate a gift card, please drop them at Cutler and to the attention of Ann Creilson. Examples of gift cards that work best are: Amazon, Target, Walmart, Visa, or local businesses.
We will be collecting donations until Wednesday, December 15th.
If you are a family in need of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at a.creilson@hwschools or 978-468-8475.
In addition, here are some local resources you may find helpful.
Acord serves clients in Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Topsfield, and Wenham. They offer weekly food distributions, holiday meal programs, school vacation lunch bags, nutrition education and outreach, and emergency meal assistance. They also partner with local farms to provide fresh produce to their clients every week. They can be reached at 978-468-7424 or acord.director@gmail.com.
The Hamilton Foundation was created to help meet unexpected, urgent, and short-term needs of Hamilton residents due to job loss, death, divorce, or catastrophic illness. It also maintains a directory of over 60 regional social service agencies and refers people to those programs when appropriate. Please call 978-233-1816 and leave a message and someone will return your call.
WISSH assists Wenham residents in need of temporary financial or social service assistance. Their mission is to identify the social service needs of Wenham residents and to coordinate and implement appropriate immediate unmet financial assistance to those in need. You may call WISSH at a confidentially maintained phone number, 978-468-5520 Ext. 9.
Beverly Bootstraps provides critical resources to families and individuals so that they may achieve self-sufficiency. They offer emergency and long-term assistance including access to food, housing stability, adult and youth education, counseling and advocacy. The best way to contact them is to fill out this form and a case manager will reach out to you. You may also call them at 978-927-1561 and a message will be relayed to a case manager for you.
I maintain connections with all of the above organizations. If you need help accessing them or if there are other supports that I might assist you with, please do not hesitate to reach out. I’m happy to help out in any way I can.
Warmly,
Ann Creilson
Cutler School Adjustment Counselor
From Food Services
There will be no more bagels available as an alternative lunch option starting in December. It is not a substantial lunch option and students are/will be able to choose a sun butter and jelly sandwich or a deli sandwich.
Also, the Food Services Department is looking to be more ecofriendly and has partnered with PATH Water! The cafeteria will be selling these reusable water bottles (SpongeBob and Patrick) for $5. There is even space to put a name on the bottle.
To purchase— checks can be made out to HWRSD, cash or your child can use their lunch code.
Wendy Ng, our Nutrition Services Director has partnered with PATH Water to co brand a HW design bottle as well. Wendy has included a QR code on the HW bottles that bring individuals straight to the school lunch menus. These will be available in January 2023.
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.
Lunch Menus:
Volunteer Opportunities- Every Wednesday morning from 9:00 to 11:00. Come to Cutler on Wednesday mornings to help make materials for our students We will meet in the gallery. Please contact Mary Adamik if you have any questions.
Lost and Found:
Our lost and found is overflowing! Please have your children check the lost and found in the cafeteria. Any unnamed and unclaimed items will be donated Friday, December 16.
From Lynne Nardella, Health Office News
We are still waiting for Aspen updates from 96 families. Please review your Aspen account to ensure that all information is correct. We will be sending reminders to individual families next week.
School Store: School Store will run the week of December 12th! The Store opens at 8:15 in the cafeteria and operates until the bell. There is a $3 max spending limit and small bills are appreciated!
Erasers, keychains, pencils, pens, notebooks, folders, and more are available for sale!
Monday 12/12- K & 1
Tuesday 12/13 -2 & 3
Wednesday 12/14- 4
Thursday 12/15-5
Friday 12/16 - make ups
Cutler Cookie Swap: Each year Cutler families bake a plethora of cookies for the faculty and staff to “swap” in the teacher’s lounge before the holiday break.
We hope that you consider baking (or buying) for this fun and giving holiday event. Cookies/treats can be brought to Cutler on the morning of Monday, December 19th (the day of the swap)
Thank you in advance for your help!
Link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0f4eaaa82da6f58-cutler
From The Hamilton Human Right Commission and the Wenham Human Rights Committee:
