Abbot Press
Vito Umbro – Principal Joanna Perron – Assistant Principal
25 Depot Road – Westford – MA – 01886
978-692-5580
October 1, 2012
MCAS Testing Dates – Please Mark your Calendars
English Language Arts – March 2013
Grade 3:
ELA Reading Comprehension Session- March 21st & 22nd
Grade 4:
ELA Composition Session A & B – March 19th
ELA Composition MAKE-UP Session – March 28th
ELA Reading Comprehension Session – March 26th & 27th
Grade 5:
ELA Reading Comprehension Session – March 18th & 20th
Mathematics & Science & Technology/Engineering – May 2013
Grade 3:
Mathematics – May 13th & 14th
Grade 4:
Mathematics – May 9th & 10th
Grade 5:
Science & Technology/Engineering – May 7th & 8th
Mathematics – May 15th & 16th
Virtual Author Visit with JK Rowling
The Grade 3 students will participate in a Scholastic Book organized virtual author visit and Fan
Q&A webcast with J.K. Rowling on October 11th at 12:00PM.
Grade 3 Game Day – Friday, October 12th
Thanks to Recess Helper volunteers Grade 3 students will have the opportunity to play a variety of
structured recess games.
Car Drop Off Rules When Van is Loading/ Unloading Passengers
When dropping off or picking up your child your child please do not pass the van parked in front of the
school building when their lights are flashing. Flashing lights indicate that the van is loading or
unloading passengers.
Change of dismissal/Student Absence
Please do not send an e-mail to the office or to your child’s teacher to inform us of an absence or
change in dismissal. A teacher or secretary may be out for the day and the e-mail will be read. Also,
depending on when the e-mail is sent the teacher or secretary may not have time during their day to
check their e-mail. Please send your child to school with a note detailing any changes.
It is imperative to inform teachers in writing of any changes to your child’s routine. Without a
note outlining any change, we follow your original plan.
School Arrival Time
It is the beginning of the year and I understand students are excited to get to school, see their friends
and begin their day. For accountability purposes, students are not to be dropped off at school before
8:15, unless they are enrolled in the Early Arrival program or Roudenbush Program. There is not staff
available to supervise students dropped off before 8:15.
If you need to have your child arrive at school before 8:15AM, you may be interested in our Early
Morning Arrival Program. Students registered for the Early Morning Program may be dropped off at
school between 7:00AM – 8:15AM. During this time children play in the gym, create craft activities
or chat with friends while being supervised by our Principal Aides. To find out more about our
program and how to register, please contact the Abbot School main office, 978-692-5580.
We have completed 3 of our mandatory 10 fire drills of the year. Students have been
exiting the building and lining up on the front lawn of the Abbot School as teachers and administrators
ensure all procedures were followed.
Notes from the Nurse
Beginning this week all students will receive a vision screening.
Third graders will also have a hearing screening hearing.
Fourth graders will have a height and weight screening. This will be taken for a BMI calculation.
Terry Grassi
(978) 692-5580 X17
tgrassi@westfordk12.us
October 5, 2012 – Early Release for Teacher Professional
Development - Dismissal will be at 11:40am
C.O.R.I Form Deadline – January 1, 2013
The Westford Public Schools require all staff members and volunteers to have a CORI (Criminal
Offender Record Information) check every year. I encourage you to take a moment and stop by the
Main Office and complete the form. The form must be completed at the school and we will take a
copy of your license. You have to wait until your CORI form has been approved in order to volunteer.
There are no exceptions to this policy. Please do not let this simple form to stop you from volunteering
or chaperoning field trips. CORI forms will NOT be accepted after January 1, 2013.
Abbot School’s First Annual Family Game Night!
Thank you to all that came out for our first annual Family Game Night! Everyone had a great time
playing games from the past to those more recent. Many parents and students expressed an interest in
having another Family Game Night – stay tuned for more information.
Abbot Entrance Flowerpots
The Abbot School would like to express our thanks to Stephanie Tortora for planting and maintaining
the two large flowerpots as you enter the Abbot School. She created such a beautiful arrangement of
seasonal plants. I smile ever time I walk into the Abbot School.
Subscribe to the Abbot School News
Subscribe to the Abbot School News today by visiting the Westford Public Schools website and
clicking on the drop down menu, About, at the top of the page, then click on Newsletters. Complete
the information to subscribe. You can also view this newsletter on online by visiting the Abbot School
website. This newsletter will be posted under the section title Announcements, which is located on
the right side of the page. By subscribing to the School News you will receive my bi-weekly
newsletters, The Abbot Press, and all school and district news that is posted electronically.
Building Safety
To ensure the safety of the students and staff in the building, we ask that all visitors and volunteers
sign in at the Main Lobby and wear a badge while on school grounds. Prior to leaving, please sign-out
and return your badge. I have reminded all staff to ask people in the building not wearing a badge if
they could please return to the office to pick one up.
Car Transportation
Drop Off: When dropping your children off in the morning please drive slowly and be aware of
students walking to school. You may drop off your children beginning at 8:15AM. Students should
enter the school at the front lobby and make their way to the playground area in the rear of the
building.
Pick-Up: When picking up your child at the end of the day, please have the Vehicle Identification
Card clearly visible on the right hand side of your windshield or in the passenger side front window.
We will begin dismissal of students in the car line at approximately 2:30PM. When getting in line for
pick-up at the end of the day, please drive slowly in front of the building and line up on the right side
of the driveway.
Fisher Way:
Cars using Fisher Way to come and go from the school should drive with
caution and reduce their speed. Many of our students use this street to walk or ride to and from
school.
Walkers/Bike Riders
Students walking or riding bikes to school must enter the building through the Main Lobby doors. The
Abbot School has two bike racks located outside the Bell Lobby doors available for student use. Bike
riders should use these racks to secure their bikes. To ensure safety, Walker/Bike Rider dismissal will
be called after bus dismissal, approximately 2:40PM.
School Lunch
Lunch tickets (10 and 20 days) are available for purchase all year in our cafeteria beginning the first
day of school. On-line ticket purchases are also available with an additional service fee. Please visit
the Food Service web page at
http://westfordco.learningnetworks.com/pages/Services/foodserv/index for information on lunch
prices, ticket information, free/reduced meal program information/applications and monthly menus.
Elementary K-5 Lunch – $2.25, Dessert - $.40, A la Cart Milk - $.55
Checks should be made payable to: Westford Schools Lunch Program.
WESTFORD SEPAC MEETING
Westford Special Education Parent Advisory Council
The Westford SEPAC is proud to host:
SPECIAL EDUCATION IN WESTFORD
PRESENTED BY
COURTNEY MULLER, DIRECTOR OF PUPIL SERVICES
Wednesday – October 3, 2012 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Crisafulli School Library, 2nd floor 13 Robinson Road, Westford, MA
Please join the Westford Special Education Parent Advisory Council for our first meeting of the 20122013 academic year as we welcome Courtney Muller, Director of Pupil Services to present on Special
Education in Westford. Ms Muller will provide an overview of her team and introduce the new Special
Education Team Chairs from Blanchard, Stony Brook, Miller, Robinson, and Crisafulli.
Other planned topics include trends in the student population and services being provided, the
budgeting process, and the challenges the Pupil Services organization is focused on. Whether your
child is currently has a Special Education plan (IEP or 504) or not, this is the perfect opportunity to
hear, first-hand, about Special Education in Westford.
If you have a topic you would like Ms Muller to address, please send an email, to
WestfordSEPAC@yahoo.com, in advance of the meeting.
R.S.V.P. not required, but appreciated, so we can ensure adequate seating. Send email to
WestfordSEPAC@yahoo.com.
For more information contact: WestfordSEPAC@yahoo.com
Join the Westford SEPAC Yahoo group to receive notices of SEPAC meetings and other Special
Education related events and workshops in the Westford area. Send an email to
WestfordSEPAC@yahoo.com and ask for an invitation to the Yahoo group.
THIS MEETING IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
P.T.O News and Updates
Westford Elementary PTO (WEPTO) needs your support. Our biggest fundraiser, Invest
in Your Child, is underway and to date we have raised less than 50% of our goal of
$22,000. In order to continue providing the quality programs WEPTO brings into our
schools that benefits each and every child, we need additional donations to meet this
goal.
100% of the revenue raised goes to support WEPTO programs and activities. With
your support, WEPTO was able to:
Fund over 170 small group, hands-on educational programs to enhance individual
learning
Give 1,500 Star Reader Books to our children to further encourage their love of
reading
Sponsor Math & Science nights at each school to further enhance these important
areas of learning
Support the Living Lab at the Day School for all of our children's appreciation of the
environment
Award Library grants to each school to purchase new books for all students to enjoy
Provide additional support to all six (6) elementary schools and their staff
Parents have asked for fewer fundraisers throughout the years, and we can do that.
If every elementary parent donated $40 per student, WEPTO could eliminate ALL
additional fundraisers. The suggested donation amount is $40 per student but any
amount is greatly appreciated. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Many
employers match charitable donations, please check with your employer to see if they
offer this great benefit.
Please invest in your child's education and donate to the WEPTO today! To obtain a copy
of the Invest in Your Child flier with the buck slip, please follow this link:
http://www.westford.com/westelmpto/PDFs/PTO_Invest_In_Your_Child.pdf.
Thank you for your continued support of WEPTO. If you have any questions, please
contact Margaret Carlson at kmcmmoc@yahoo.com or 978-692-1540.
Shoebox Recycling – Fundraiser
As of Friday, September 28th, the Abbot School has collected 4 boxes of lightly used shoes and we are
ready to ship them off. This is a year- long fundraiser. Please continue to send in all of your used but
wearable pairs of shoes and drop them in the large cardboard boxes located in the Bell Lobby.
Students may drop off shoes as they come into school. The shoes will be shipped for reuse all around
the world. Each box generates $20.00 in revenue x 15 boxes = $300.00 x 4 times a year = $1,200 to
purchase supplies. Thank you for all of your support.
Abbot School Box Tops Contest!
Contest Deadline - Friday, October 19th
Would you like to hear fun music playing on the morning announcements?
If Abbot School collects a total of 5,000 box tops by the deadline of October 19th, then music will be
played everyday on the morning announcements for a whole week! Collect as many box tops as you
can and send them into school to be placed in the box tops collection box in the school lobby. Please
clip box tops on the dotted line to save volunteers hours of work!
Don’t forget...every box tops coupon submitted is worth 10 cents for the Westford Elementary PTO
Arts & Education Program. That adds up fast! Any questions, please contact Tracy Towers at
towersta@verizon.net or Laurie Moore at laurie.a.m.m@gmail.com.
Absentee Line: 978-692-5580 extension 40
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http://twitter.com/abbotprincipal
A Look Ahead
Week of 10/1/12
Mon., Oct. 1
Tues., Oct. 2
Wed., Oct. 3
Thurs. Oct. 4
Fri., Oct. 5
Week of 10/8/12
Mon., Oct. 8
Tues., Oct. 9
Wed., Oct 10
Thurs. Oct 11
Fri., Oct 12
October Community Meeting
Recess Helper Orientation – 10:30AM
Safety Patrol Meeting – 2:45pm
Grade 5 Chorus – 7:30AM
School Newspaper – 2:45PM
Community Service Club Meeting – 2:45pm
Early Release Day – 11:40AM - Professional Development Day
School Spirit Day – wear the school colors of gray/maroon
No School
Grade 5 Chorus – 7:30AM
School Newspaper – 2:45PM
Student Senate Meeting – 2:45pm
School Individual Photo Day