October 25, 2024 - Week 9

 Hello Dale Street! 

It has been an amazing week at #beproudbedale, both indoors and outdoors. The weather has been great and the autumn foliage has been terrific. Inside Dale, we had some wonderful activities that I wanted to share with you. Please take a moment to scroll through to catch a glimpse of the excitement and stay updated on important information.

On Thursday, students in Mrs. Gutierrez's fourth-grade classroom led an awesome social-emotional learning assembly. Students shared wonderful messages of positivity and kindness Bravo! 

Congratulations to this week's Positive Referrals!  

So proud of Sienna, Minka, and Winifred (3 Dale Street Rockstars) who took the initiative to organize their own fundraiser and raised $110.35 for our Brother Wolf Animal Rescue Shelter drive! There are 2 days left to donate. 

Student Drop-Off Reminders  

In the morning, students should visit the playground (if the weather cooperates) after they exit the bus, are dropped off, or put their bikes in the bike rack. If you are dropping off or your child is riding their bike to school, please remember that there is no supervision until 8:10 a.m.  We ask that you do not drop off before this time. Thank you!  

Positive Sign Thursday! 

"YOU INSPIRE!"

Congratulations to our Lucky Plate winners! These students were all smiles as they received a special token for the book vending machine. 

October Lunch Menu

It was great to listen to Grade 5 teacher and Major in the US Army Reserves, Ms. Burnham sharing insights about Afghanistan on Wednesday. This was a preview for students’ upcoming reading unit.

This week in World Language with Señora LeVangie, fifth graders did a fantastic job presenting their country projects! They researched a country and created an ebook as part of their Hispanic Heritage Month unit.

Halloween at Dale Street

The Dale Street staff enjoys making Halloween a safe, exciting, and consistent experience for all students.  On Thursday, October 31st, all of our classrooms:

• encourage all students to dress up in their costumes.  Please note that students’ faces may not be covered with a mask, hood, or other items. Please do not allow your child to bring fake weapons into school to accompany their costume and particularly violent themes should be avoided.  Additionally, please leave face paint at home.    

• will have Halloween-themed activities.  Activities will be teacher-directed and run throughout the morning.  The classroom teacher will reach out to head room parents if support is needed.  

• will have a 'Party in a Bag'.  Please have your child decorate (if they wish) or simply print their name on a brown paper bag. Please send in the brown bag on October 31st, filled with a few of your child’s favorite food items. Some examples are: juice box or mini water bottle, small salty snack, fun sweet snack (cupcake, cookie), additional items could be a piece of fruit, a small yogurt, or any additional healthy snack.  Adding a little note to your child's bag will definitely make them happy! Students' snack times and the Halloween-themed activities will take place at different times in the morning depending on each class' schedule.  

We understand and are happy that the children may receive a lot of treats on Halloween night. Come Friday, November 1st, the staff at Dale Street encourages healthy foods for student snack times to help promote optimal learning.  Thank you in advance for your continued support. 

Mrs. Nee's fifth-grade class is building excitement for our upcoming Wild Robot movie field trip. They have been working hard to create a really cool project that ties in with Medfield’s Core Values of Respect and Inclusivity.

Thanks to our Friday DJs who kept the lunchroom rockin' today.

Today, students in Ms. DiPesa's fourth-grade class dove into their next Investigating History unit using the “Notice & Wonder” strategy. The collaboration and discussion were fantastic! 

As a reminder, Thursday, October 31st is an early release day for staff professional development. Dale Street students will be dismissed at 11:40 a.m. Morning breakfast will not be served on this day. Please remember to update your child's School Dismissal Manager if they will be dismissed to a different location than usual. Thank you!

Click here for the link to Community Postings

Follow us on Facebook - K-5 Medfield Elementary Schools

Follow us on X/Twitter @s_grenham

Thank you so much for your continued support. 

Steve

Inclusivity * Respect * Responsibility * Continuous Growth

October 18, 2024 - Week 8

   Hello Dale Street Families, 

We hope that you all had a good week. Things are going very well at #beproudbedale. The students are working incredibly hard and it is such a treat to work with them each day. The staff also continues to work very hard. I couldn't be more proud of our ROCKSTAR students and staff!  Check out some of the happenings from this past week...

Congratulations to these three Dale Street Rockstars for being raffle winners in this month’s 'Wordale' challenge! 🎉 Their names were drawn after correctly solving the word puzzle, earning them a special Book Vending Machine token! 📚✨ A big shoutout to Mrs. Knott for organizing and running this fun and engaging activity each day. 👏

Our fundraising efforts are ongoing to support Brother Wolf Animal Rescue in Asheville, North Carolina after they suffered a devastating loss from Hurricane Helene. 🐾💔 As a reminder, our Coin Collection drive will run until Tuesday, October 29th. Every little bit helps!

 

  This can be a time of year when we see an uptick in cases of head lice (pediculosis). Please do not be alarmed, as this is a common occurrence in the community among elementary school children. Lice are spread by direct contact with the hair or headgear of a person infested with lice. Lice can only spread by crawling; they do not fly, swim or jump. They may also spread more easily with sleepovers, or when a person shares items such as combs, brushes, hats, blankets, or pillows with another person with lice. Lice can only survive 24 hours or less away from the scalp. Head lice are not a health hazard or due to poor hygiene and are not responsible for the spread of any disease. Lice are small, tan-colored insects about the size of a sesame seed that lay tiny, pearly gray/brown or white eggs (nits) in the hair. Children with both long and short hair can get head lice. Steps to prevent the spread of head lice:

•  Keep clothing and hair accessories (brushes, combs, headbands, hats/ helmets, etc) separate from others. 

● Check your child at least weekly for head lice, especially when there is an uptick of cases in the community. It is easier to treat when you catch it early. 

● Individuals with long hair might want to keep their hair tied back in pigtails or braids. 

● Observe your child for signs of an itchy scalp. Symptoms include lice visibly crawling on the scalp and hair and/or nits adhered to the hair shaft, tickling feeling or something moving in the hair, itching and scratching on the scalp, sores on the head caused by scratching and/or irritability and trouble sleeping. Eggs (nits) may be glued to the hair shaft close to the scalp. The nits are most often found at the back of the neck, behind the ears, or on the top of the head. 

● Check your child’s hair for lice or eggs (nits). Nits are tiny, pearly gray/brown or white eggs that often hang in a teardrop shape off the hair shaft. They are firmly attached to the hair shaft and unlike dandruff, are not easily removed. Your school nurse is more than happy to help you as well! 

● Nits are typically no more than ¼ inch from the scalp. Lice are typically darker in color and are about the size of a large sesame seed. 

● If you suspect your child has head lice, please contact the nurse at your child’s school. This information is kept confidential. 

Fall Teacher Conferences

Teacher conferences have been scheduled for Thursday, November 14th and Friday, November 15th with each day being an early dismissal for Dale Street students. Fall conferences will be held in person, however, a virtual option through Google Meet will be available upon request. Teachers will be reaching out directly to families to schedule a conference time. Here is the letter that was sent out to Dale Street families earlier this week.  We are looking forward to meeting with you and value your partnership.  

Congratulations to this week's Positive Referrals!  

Reminder: Permission slips for our trip to The Wild Robot are due by Monday, 10/21. Please note that we cannot accept cash for payment. Checks should be made payable to Town of Medfield - Dale Street School. Thank you!

October Lunch Menu

Dale Street's picture make-up/retake day is Friday, October 25th.  

Why do some volcanoes explode? Ask 4th graders in Mrs. Scott's class. They know it has to do with the thickness of the lava! 

Halloween at Dale Street

The Dale Street staff enjoys making Halloween a safe, exciting, and consistent experience for all students.  On Thursday, October 31st, all of our classrooms:

• encourage all students to dress up in their costumes.  Please note that students’ faces may not be covered with a mask, hood, or other items. Please do not allow your child to bring fake weapons into school to accompany their costume and particularly violent themes should be avoided.  Additionally, please leave face paint at home.    

• will have Halloween-themed activities.  Activities will be teacher-directed and run throughout the morning.  The classroom teacher will reach out to head room parents if support is needed.  

• will have a 'Party in a Bag'.  Please have your child decorate (if they wish) or simply print their name on a brown paper bag. Please send in the brown bag on October 31st, filled with a few of your child’s favorite food items. Some examples are: juice box or mini water bottle, small salty snack, fun sweet snack (cupcake, cookie), additional items could be a piece of fruit, a small yogurt, or any additional healthy snack.  Adding a little note to your child's bag will definitely make them happy! Students' snack times and the Halloween-themed activities will take place at different times in the morning depending on each class' schedule.  

We understand and are happy that the children may receive a lot of treats on Halloween night. Come Friday, November 1st, the staff at Dale Street encourages healthy foods for student snack times to help promote optimal learning.  Thank you in advance for your continued support. 

The Dale Street Site Council held our first meeting of the school year this week. The Committee made up of parents, community members, and school staff are tasked with the following:

1. Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards

2. Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school

3. Reviewing the annual school building budget

4. Formulating a school improvement plan

I would like to thank Lynne Nicholas (parent representative), Kristin Martin (parent representative), Darcie Robertson (parent representative), Elizabeth Kelley (parent representative), Tom Ramlow (community representative), Kristen LeVangie (teacher representative), Sara Isaacson (teacher representative), and Kelsey Buff (teacher representative) for joining me on the Council this year. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Positive Sign Thursday! 

"YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!"

Professional Development Day - Early Release

Thursday, October 31st, is an early release day as staff will be involved in professional development in the afternoon. Please mark your calendars.

✅📋 Don’t forget to add this item to your to-do list today – buy tickets for MCPE’s 2024 Fall Ball! We still have tickets available but they are selling fast!

This year’s “Blue & Silver Fall Ball” celebrates our Medfield love and pride 💙🤍, and will be held at the Cape Club of Sharon on Friday, November 15th from 7pm to midnight. The Cape Club’s beautiful outdoor setting includes a cozy and chic new pavilion space with firepits and lots of room to lounge. Enjoy time gathering with friends and neighbors for hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, fireside chats, dancing, a silent auction, and fundraising for Medfield Public Schools.

Tickets are $150 each; availability is limited and this event typically sells out so don’t wait!

A special thank you to Evie in Mr. Douglas' class for creating this beautiful positivity sign! 💖 I’ll hang it up with pride! 

This year SEPAC is pleased to announce that Kayla Hurst (Medfield mom, pastor, and professional photographer) is partnering with us to offer a special day of mini-sessions. Kayla is experienced in photographing families with various needs and capturing the love and joy that makes your family special. Each mini-session is 20 minutes long, and SEPAC volunteers will be onsite all day to assist and support your family as needed.

All proceeds from these mini-sessions will support the Medfield SEPAC.

When: October 26, 2024

(Rain Date: November 2, 2024)

Time: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Where: 100 Centre Street, Dover (private property)

Cost: $95/family

*We never want a family to miss an event due to financial concerns. If you need financial assistance, please reach out to sepac@email.medfield.net.

What You'll Receive:

- 20 minutes of fun, silliness, and stress-free memory-capturing.

- A private, digital photo gallery with at least 5 edited photos (available 2 weeks from event date)

- Unlimited rights to download, print, and share the hi-res images however and wherever you choose

CLAIM YOUR SPOT HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSesF6PF4H9YHQgLmRHhxysp2hiF6K7EoHPPANCucpRtXtoRfQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Bring your smiles, laughter, and anything that represents your family's unique spirit (or makes everybody comfortable)! We welcome everyone—let’s capture some beautiful memories together.

Lastly, we wanted to remind everyone about the Medfield Public Schools Student Services Website which has a lot of great information, including a detailed description of the special education programs and services offered at each school. Check it out!

https://sites.google.com/email.medfield.net/mpsspecialeducationprocedurean/continuum-of-services

Dear Community Members:

My name is Erik Ormberg.  I am the head football coach at Medfield High School.  I am reaching out to you folks to help promote a FREE FOOTBALL CLINIC for all youth football players (K-6th grade).  I have coached in Medfield for almost 25 years.  All the assistant coaches are alumni or residents of Medfield.  All of us are looking to strengthen the relationship with the youth programs in town. We are shooting for the Saturday before Thanksgiving (November 23rd) for ONE HOUR (10:30AM--11:30AM) with a lunch to follow.  Please make sure to register as we are ordering shirts for all attendees.  YOUTH CLINIC REGISTRATION.  This event is NO-pad, NO experience necessary, and is completely FREE OF CHARGE.  We hope all the kids and their families can attend our home Thanksgiving day game as we prepare for our 59th year of playing Dover-Sherborn.  (10AM, Thursday, November 28th at MHS Turf).

We’d love to get a photo at the end of the game with all the kids and our players holding that Thanksgiving Day Trophy.

Click here for the link to Community Postings

Follow us on Facebook - K-5 Medfield Elementary Schools

Follow us on Twitter @s_grenham

Thank you so much for your continued support. 

Steve

Inclusivity * Respect * Responsibility * Continuous Growth