Dates to Remember
February 7 100th Day of School
February 20-February 24 February Break
March 13 Teachers' Workshop; No school for students
From the Principal
Dear Cutler Families,
Last week’s Global Play Day was a true success! Students were busy with blocks, board games, beads, and everything else you could imagine. I was struck by how kids connected with new peers, children played across grade levels, and how there was almost no conflict. It was refreshing to see kids engage in play that went uninterrupted. There was even a Monopoly game going in 4th grade that lasted a good portion of the morning. Two kindergarteners delivered this note:
Teachers are eager to incorporate more opportunities like this in the working of our school year, and I look forward to keeping this spirit alive!
“Play is the work of childhood.”Jean Piaget
In other news our 5th grade is working with Jane Roundy, a former Cutler teacher and they are learning all about composting. This week Mrs. Roundy visited our 5th grade classrooms and brought the trash from our lunches. We sorted the trash and learned that half of the weight of our trash is in uneaten, untouched food. This included unopened goldfish packages, granola bars and untouched apples. We will move forward thinking through how to sort our food waste in order to be more mindful, as well as thinking about other ways to sort our waste. Please stay tuned for more information on our evolving composting work.
Thank you for your continued support, and for supporting our learning in so many ways.
Have a wonderful week.
Juliana
Kindergarten Registration:
Dear HWRSD Families:
We would like to invite all eligible incoming kindergarten families to the 2023/24 Kindergarten Parent Information Session on Tuesday, March 7th at 6:30 p.m. at Buker School. To be eligible for kindergarten for the 2023/24 school year, your child must turn 5 years old prior to September 1, 2023.
The Kindergarten Parent Information Session will include a general overview of the kindergarten registration and screening process, information on how to prepare for kindergarten, and a look at a typical day of a kindergartener.
Kindergarten Registration will begin the week of March 13th and additional information and links will be posted on the website after the information session. We are asking families to register their children during this week so we can plan staffing and programming for the 2023/24 school year.
Kindergarten Registration: March 13th - 18th
Office Hours
Mon - Fri: 8:00 am - 11:00 am
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Under Massachusetts Special Education Law, we are required to screen all children entering kindergarten to determine if a student has any special learning needs. Once you have completed the registration and submitted all of the necessary documents, you will receive an email to sign up for a kindergarten screening appointment.
Kindergarten Screening Dates:
Monday, April 25th @ Cutler
Thursday April 27th @ Buker
Friday, April 28th @ Winthrop
Please note that screening locations are not correlated to or do not guarantee Kindergarten School placement. Sign-up information to follow.
If you have any questions about Kindergarten Registration, please contact the Family & Community Engagement Liaison & Registrar, Jen Caufield.
From Our Adjustment Counselor, Ann Creilson:
Cutler School Food Drive
As part of our 100th day of school celebration on February 7th, we will have a school wide food drive to benefit Acord, our local food pantry. Acord is located in Hamilton and offers weekly food distributions, holiday meal programs, school vacation lunch bags, nutrition education and outreach, and emergency meal assistance. The students are eager to support them and hope to collect 100 items per grade level. We will be collecting Acord’s most needed items from Monday, February 6th through Friday, February 10th and each grade level is asked to bring in items listed below. Thank you so much in advance for your help with this!
Kindergarten- Coffee, tea, hot chocolate
First Grade- Grains and grain mixes like Rice-A-Roni, rice pilaf, quinoa, farro, couscous
Second Grade- Canned goods like chili, hearty soups, baked beans, canned meats or fish
Third Grade- Breakfast items like pancake mix, cereal(hot and cold), jam, syrup
Fourth Grade- Condiments like mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressing, soy sauce, etc.
Fifth Grade- Paper items including paper towels, toilet paper, tissues
Absent/Tardy Safe Arrival Phone Line
To report your child absent or tardy (NOT for dismissals), please call the safe arrival
line @ 978-468-8472.
Last Minute Dismissal Changes
For last-minute dismissal changes, please call the front office @ 978-468-5330.
If at all possible, please let us know by 1 p.m. The end of the day can get very hectic
and teachers cannot always check their emails.
§ Early Release is at 11:15 am. There is no lunch served on early release days. You may wish
to pack a larger snack on early release days.
From the Health Office:
Cultural Enrichment:
Over the next four weeks, Cutler third and fourth graders will be participating in the Patton Homestead-based Lark STEAM program.* Through this exciting program, students will grow their understanding of local and international habitats (specifically those of the heron and the crane) through pixel art, coding, and 3D design. Partners from the Ipswich River Watershed Association and the Japanese Paper Theater Company will further enrich the artistic and cultural aspects of this study of our local habitats.
* This program is supported in part by a grant from the Hamilton-Wenham Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
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.
HW Friends of the Arts
News from the Hamilton Wenham Garden Club: The Hamilton Wenham Garden Club Juniors Program is hosting two events for young people who have an interest in gardening. Come by the museum to plant some seeds to take home in anticipation of Spring! Drop in between the hours of 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 5th, 2023 1:00-3:00 pm, Wenham Museum, Burnham Hall* Main Street, Wenham
For more information, or to RSVP, please email Jennifer Tymann at jtymann2@verizon.net
In addition to the snack cart we would love for Cutler students to make heart decorations, pictures or signs for our Cutler Faculty and Staff. Signs can be dropped off by February 16th to 212 Asbury Street South Hamilton
Any questions please contact Karen stevensonka@hotmail.com
