September newsletter

Rosanna Paribello, OST Director

Adriana Guereque, OST Assistant Director

Gina Miranda, Student Services Director

Dana Gordan, Clinical Consultant

Parent Resources

EzChildTrack Parent Portal

Parent Handbook

Important Dates

Monday, September 22: Session 1 Begins
Election Day Registrations: October 7 - 10

Financial Aid Assistance Information

In our commitment to making our program as available as possible, we continue providing financial assistance for families. If you need information, please contact Adriana Guereque at aguereque@k12.somerville.ma.us. You can also contact the Site Director at your child's school.

Thank you for all your support to Community Schools – being with your children makes us all happy!

Counselor’s Corner

by Dana Gordon, Clinical Consultant

Welcome back, everyone!

I hope the transition to the new school year has been a good one so far! We at Community Schools are happy to have your kiddos with us in after-school and are excited to start a new year of “community” with you all. Through connection, fun, and learning, we strive to create safe and emotionally supportive environments for your students at all of our sites. We believe your children will thrive during the time they spend with us and will continue to strengthen their social-emotional learning and growth. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your teachers and site directors, who will be glad to help you. We look forward to an enjoyable and successful great year watching and helping your students grow!

Albert F. Argenziano

Site Director: Elizabeth Bell

Assistant Site Director; Brianna Arevalo

Ileana Perlera, Etta Resnick, Ana Cortez, Sana Kazemi, Gianna Bottiglio, Jennalyse Charles, Brandy Ellis, Shruti Sood, Mary Bready, Zaita Antonio, Sophia Ortega

Welcome back to After-School Argenziano families!! We are excited to see former students again, as well as welcome new students & families this school year! It is almost time for the fall season and cooler weather, but we are enjoying the warm weather outside as much as we can. All of our PK-5th-grade students were excited to kick off the new school year with some fun & creative activities and icebreakers to get to know each other.

Let’s check out what each group is up to and get to know the teachers...

Group 1 (Pre-K & K):

Hello and happy new school year! I am Miss Shruti, and this is my second year at Argenziano after-school. I am the lead teacher for group one, which consists of pre-k and (half of the) kindergarten students. So far this year, we have gone over the rules of afterschool and have learned about each other by doing activities such as making friendship bracelets, drawing self-portraits, and playing get-to-know-you games! Here’s to a fun-filled year of afterschool!

Group 2 (K & 1st grade):

Hi, I’m Mary and I’m the lead teacher in group 2! Before coming to Argenziano, I taught at an afterschool program in Brookline and a preschool in Medford. In group 2, we started the year by going over our afterschool rules, engineering buildings, cars, planes with legos and magna tiles, and playing outside.

Group 3 (1st grade):

Hello, I am Ms. Brianna, also known as Ms. A to some students. I am one of the group 3 teachers as well as the Assistant Site Director here. I have been working in SPS and after-school for 10 years, and working with kids for almost 18 years. So far, we have started the school year by reviewing rules & expectations for our group, which are similar to the Argenziano school rules. We have also done some crafty activities, read aloud books, Lego, fuse beads, gym games, and plenty of outside time on the playground! Etta is also one of the group 3 teachers. This will be her 4th year with the Afterschool, and she worked with most of the students last year who are in group 3 now. Ms. Etta is really into crafty activities and is very creative. kind and patient with the students she teaches!

Group 4 (2nd grade):

Hi, my name is Sana, and I’m the lead teacher for Group 4 with our second graders. I really enjoy getting to know my students and helping them grow in both their learning and curiosity. Every day brings something new, and I love being part of their little successes.

Group 5 (3rd & 4th grade):

Hi, my name is Ms Ana, and I'm with group 5, which is 3rd and 4th grade this year! I'm so excited to see familiar faces as well as new faces! We've been having fun with dancing, having some gym time, and enjoying this wonderful weather we've been having!

Group 6 (4th & 5th grade):

Hi, my name is Ms. Perlera or Ms. P, and I am the group 6 teacher. I have been working in after-school for 3 years. We have started this school year off by going over the rules and expectations for after-school.

Arthur D. Healey School

Site Director: Amanda Oppman

Assistant Site Director: Alexander Walters

Nicholas Triant, Suri Gonzalez, Christopher Thompson, Samuel Macmillan, Delmis Aviles, Rafael Santos,

Miriam Borges, Ryan Ribeiro-Bisetti, Maria Lima Da SIlva, ALEXA RYAN,

Hello families, and a happy start to Fall! We are so excited to be back for this year and are looking forward to all the amazing memories we are about to make. Our staff have been working hard for the last few weeks to create engaging and exciting clubs and activities for the students to participate in for our first session.

Our PreK team this year is Ms. Suri and Ms. Delmis. Ms. Suri has been with Healey after-school for several years as she has worked her way through various positions to become our lead PreK teacher. Ms. Delmis joined our team last year and together, her and Ms. Suri create a safe and welcoming space for our youngest friends. In the coming months you’ll read all about their adventures with the alphabet and how they use art and play to teach important lessons to the kids.

Our Kindergarten team is made up of Mr. MacMillian and Mr. Chris. Mr. Mac is a Healey para during the day and is in his second year with after-school. He loves to find creative ways to engage the students and even had his kids publish their own book last year! Mr. Chris has been with us since he was in high school and has been a reliable assistant teacher for 4 years now working with all age groups. The students love playing with Mr. Chris as he tells stories and chases them around. They especially love that he’s tall enough to get their balls unstuck in the gym!

Our 1st & 2nd grade team consists of Ms. Maria and Mr. Ryan. Ms. Maria is in her second year with afterschool and loves finding ways to keep things fresh and interesting so students are eager to learn. Mr. Ryan is one of our high school helpers who does an amazing job of interacting with the kids and helping them to have the most fun in the program.

Our 3rd-7th-grade group is our largest group in the program in many years. We love that students want to keep coming back, and that is in large part due to the amazing staff. Our 3rd and 4th grade teachers are Ms. Alexa, Mr. Rafael and Ms. Mirian. Ms. Alexa worked with us last year as a therapeutic specialist and transitioned to lead teacher this year after enjoying her time with the students. She loves to work on SEL skills with the kids and has found plenty of ways to incorporate these lessons into her clubs. Mr. Rafael is another long-time staff member who started as a high school helper and assistant teacher, and this year joins our lead teaching staff. Mr. Rafael loves sports and can always be found playing a FIFA-level soccer game with the kids. Ms. Mirian is brand new to our team and is our high school helper in Mr. Rafael’s class. She is eager to learn from the other staff and students and has been a huge help in encouraging our groups to participate in quiet reading. Our 5th-7th-grade teacher is Mr. Triant, affectionately known as Mr. T to the kids. Mr. T has held many roles during the day at Healey, from para to substitute and even a short stint as interim dean of students. He is in his 4th year with afterschool and is a favorite among all the grade levels, thanks to his ability to make everyone feel welcome. He’s always ready to joke around and creates some out-of-the-box club ideas to keep students wanting more.

Behind the scenes are myself, known as Ms. O to the kids, and Mr. Walters, also known to the kids as Mr. Alex. We are your point of contact for all after-school questions. We love to pop into all the classrooms and make sure the kids know we are here to help them and keep them safe. As a team Healey afterschool is looking forward to a great year ahead and we can't wait to share all our club activities coming up!

Benjamin G. Brown School

Site Director: Kelsey Kent

Assistant Site Director: Justin penezic

Ashley Marks, Jessica Alvarenga Lazo, Marie Cheney, Grace Barton,

El Ark, Jesus Castro, Ryleigh Martell, Vijayalaxmi

Kindergarten

The students are learning each other's names by playing name games! They are learning the schedule and how to be safe in the classroom as well as outdoors. We are enjoying walking to Lexington Park on Wednesdays. Our biggest learning goal for September is getting to know our safety rules as well as our environment. Being in a new school and learning new faces and names is a lot for our little friends. We are even practicing our twice-a-month fire drills! This is a good group of listeners, and we’re excited to start clubs like Kadet Camp, where they’ll learn how to use some of our big kid materials, as well as how to deal with big/small problems in the Small Problems Vs. Big Problems club.

1st grade

What can I say? It’s been an adventure so far!! We have been spending some time getting to know each other and getting used to our schedule. They’ve been working on some social skills like kindness and boundaries. They have been working on some really creative projects, like an axolotl, learned about space, having fun playing outdoors, and challenging our minds with LEGOs as well. This group has been showing amazing creativity and imagination. I also have them challenging themselves with the Impossible Puzzle, and they have been working so hard at trying to solve it. One student has even created their own impossible puzzle. They are so excited for clubs to start, so they can explore more activities and hopefully make new friends.

2nd grade group is a GROUP.

I mean a GROUP GROUP. They are one large group of creative, karaoke (K-Pop Demon Hunter)s. There is nothing more humbling than trying to get the attention of 29 kids- singing at the top of their lungs. It is a joy, and a little bit like herding kittens. They love to play with LEGO and sing on Karaoke Tuesdays. I’m sure you can hear “Take Down” through this picture.

3rd Grade

Look at these big kids! Who would have thought that these kids, who were in 2nd grade, would have plowed through to 3rd grade so fast? They’re already acting like 4th graders! Watch out, families! This group is ready to be helpers. They’ve already volunteered to help out with our little grades (maybe they miss K-2 Groups already). They are a bunch of helpers, and many of them are signed up for our Student Council group this year. These kids will create clubs for the little kids and help lead them! Look out for these special helpers!

The 4th & 5th grade

Have been off to a great start to 2025-2026 Afterschool! They have enjoyed indoor activities for instance: Learning about each of the 50 states and taking a quiz on them, as well as creating friendship bracelets together! While also enjoying the beautiful August/September weather outside, partaking in outdoor activities, playing organized soccer matches, and gaga ball! We hope to continue the early-year momentum and look forward to our students being able to partake in clubs starting September 22nd!

East Somerville Community School

Site Director: Yolanda Andrade

Assistant Site Director: tbd

Raymond Corsini Joanne Simon, Sonia Barahona, Mario Quiroz, Sharon Castellon, Ashley Castro, Michael Chiaravalloti, Mario Valladares, Jaime Albayeros, Taylin Smith, Olivia Oliveira, Devin Andrade, Bryan Rodriguez, Luzmila Magana, Bryan Rodriguez, Kayla Lopez, Virgilio Garcia, Jessy Munos-Palacios, Emily Posada

Hello East Somerville Afterschool Families!

We were so excited to welcome students back for the 2025–2026 school year! September has been a wonderful start, with many familiar faces returning and plenty of new friends joining us this year. Once clubs began, all of our students got right to work, learning, exploring, and growing in their chosen activities. During our first month, we focused on reviewing rules, learning routines, and launching our exciting club sessions.

Our Pre-K students have been adjusting beautifully to both school and Afterschool for the very first time. While they don’t have clubs, they have been busy with hands-on activities that help them grow, learn, and get comfortable in their new routines.

Our youngest friends in Kindergarten–2nd Grade have been working hard on learning their new schedule. We’ve spent lots of time doing kindness and friendship activities and getting used to our new space. Together, the group shared different ways they are good friends while creating puzzle pieces with self-portraits and kind words. Since starting clubs, they’ve enjoyed various activities in the gym and explored the outdoor space. Our 2nd graders got to enjoy their first popsicle treat as a reward for their hard work! Students have been practicing how to follow directions, support one another, stand up for themselves and others, and meet expectations in the hallways and classrooms. Their dedication and teamwork really paid off—great job, 2nd grade! shine.

Our 2nd graders got to enjoy their first popsicle treat as a reward for their hard work! Students have been practicing how to follow directions, support one another, stand up for themselves and others, and meet expectations in the hallways and classrooms. Their dedication and teamwork really paid off—great job, 2nd grade!

3rd–7th Grade, Our older students came back ready for clubs and activities, developing their Afterschool routines while strengthening problem-solving skills and critical thinking. This year, they are also focusing on building strong relationships with peers and teachers. We are encouraging our 3rd–7th graders to lead by example as they work toward becoming the best versions of themselves.

We are so proud of the positive energy and excitement our students have shown during this first month, and we can’t wait to see all that they will accomplish this year!

Friendly Reminders:

This is a perfect opportunity to double-check if you have the Remind App! Again, this is the best way to get in contact with us for many things, especially with what's going on at the moment.

Link to Join: https://www.remind.com/join/east-2026

Please label your child's clothing, backpack, etc., as items are often lost or left behind. Lost or forgotten items can be found at the school's lost and found.

Michael E. Capuano Early Childhood Center

Site Director: Michael Horowitz

Assistant Site Director: Sarthak Khamal

Bryan Convey, Ana Treska, Neelam Sehil, Mei Idri, Joao Detoledo, Yesenia Real, Mamata Chalise, Latifa Mortady, Devin Baxter, Fanta Diawara, Rute Zephyr, Gabriela Miranda

At the Capuano School, after school starts, a brand-new year with joy, happiness, and welcoming thoughts! We welcome all the new Pre-School students. We are welcoming back all the Kindergarten students. We would also like to say, “Welcome!” to all of the parents.

All of the teachers here at the Capuano are veterans. We have five classrooms this year. The four Pre-K classrooms are 108, 202, 214, and 246. The teachers in 108 are Ms. Latifa and Ms. Mamata. The teachers in 202 are Mr. Sar and Ms. Devin. The teachers in 214 are Ms. Yesenia and Ms. Rute (pronounced Hootie), and the teachers are Ms. Mei, Ms. Ana, and Ms. Fanta. The Kindergarten classroom is room 218, and the teachers are Ms. Gabriella and Mr. Brian.

We are settling into our new routines and finding our footing. The daily schedule in each classroom includes center-based play and activities, recess in the gym or outdoors, and snack. We are learning how to have a circle and what the classroom and playground rules are. All the kiddos are having fun doing art, social-emotional activities, moving their bodies, and playing!

The beginning of both Pre-School and Kindergarten is a time of a lot of change. There is a lot to learn. In Pre-K, we are learning to line up, wash our hands, be good friends, share toys, and we are learning to have some independence. In Kindergarten, the schoolwork really kicks in. There’s much less play, and it can be a bit of a shock for children.

The themes for activities have been Welcome, All About Me, and Friendship. Teachers have read books like “Hands Are Not For Hitting”, and “Feet Are Not For Kicking.” We also use books in connection with activities. For example, a teacher read “My New Friend Is So Fun!” and then children made friendship handprints. Some classes read “Froggy Goes to School,” and then children drew themselves. Drawing self-portraits focuses children’s attention on their appearance, informs us about how they perceive themselves, and tells us about their level of awareness in general. The intention behind the themes and activities is to help children build self-awareness, foster awareness of the world around them, help children build relationships, and help us better understand the children.

At the Capuano School, after-school is off to a roaring start. We are looking forward to a fun year!

John F. Kennedy Elementary School

Site Director: Allison Pelletier

Assistant Site Director: Kelly Lopez

Nicole Tolbert, Savannah Paul, Maureen Nichols,

Liliam Borges, Christmary Orellana, Mary Lou Hodgdon, Laura Modhal, Silvana Dinka, Christopher Montejo

PreK

Pre-k has been setting in wonderfully! We’ve been getting to know each other and starting to learn the school's rules. During the first week, we engaged in simple activities such as watercolor painting and drawing, as we learned the expectations for using classroom materials. This week, we are learning about feelings, kindness, and emotions. We made books about feelings and created greeting cards for our loved ones. I’m excited to see what this year has in store for our new pre-k friends!

Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, we have had lots of fun with reading and art projects. We read Pete the Cat and His 4 Groovy Buttons, did button art and counted them. We also read The Story of Ferdinand and made art depicting bulls and flowers. We listened to meditation music and did mindful reading. Kids had lots of free choice time to play with their friends!

1st Grade

It is already mid-September and still warm!

We are excited to be able to support your children in their journey of learning, knowing, using, and being part of the community. During the first weeks of school in our program, first-grade students have set up rules and expectations, and have shared their feelings about responsibilities now that they are older. We have shared all about summer adventures. In the first hour, we enjoyed a bunch of wonderful books and created bookmarks, simple origami, coloring by numbers, and air-dry clay. Legos and other constructive toys are part of our choices. Outside the structure, we have used soft balls and jumping ropes, and other games.

2nd Grade

Hello Second Grade Parents,

Our second graders are having a wonderful time engaging in a variety of activities! They especially enjoy playing together in the gym and on the basketball court, which helps them develop teamwork and social skills. We've also begun a daily 15-minute reading session, providing valuable reading practice. In addition, students are enthusiastically participating in activities like drawing and building with LEGOs, fostering their creativity and problem-solving abilities.

3rd - 6th Grade

Hello Families,

We extend a heartfelt thank you for your incredible generosity in fulfilling our classroom wishlist! Your dedication and support are deeply appreciated and truly benefit our program. It's been wonderful welcoming students back to afterschool. We've been busy setting expectations for the year and enjoying a variety of activities together, games of UNO, reading sessions, drawing, and crafting. We're already creating many new memories!

Winter Hill Community Innovation School

Site Director: Diana Posada

Assistant Site Director: Maria Henriquez

Tanty Koita, Nehemie Simon, Luz Janampa, Roxana Alfaro, Ruolx Dorvilier, Olivia coleman, nancy nimako, aryanna peart, olivia prophete

This year, we are also welcoming some amazing new highschoolers to our team, Ms. Olivia, Ms. Ary & Ms. Liv, if you see them, feel free to say hello!

Hello folks! We hope you are having an awesome start to your school year. We know that we definitely are. Thank you ALL for the continued support and kindness. We have received so many wonderful donations and have been getting to know everyone! Please take a moment and enjoy reading about the many fun activities that each group has been participating in.

From Mr. Ruolx's Classroom: 3rd-6th grade is excited to kick off another great year at Winter Hill! We all have been enjoying the last handful of nice days and enjoying the weather. Students are settling into routines, making friends, and exploring fun activities. Our goal has been to build a welcoming space where everyone feels included and engaged. We’re looking forward to another year of learning, laughter, and growth together with some new faces but same ROAR expectations. Stay tuned for more highlights in next month’s update!

Our Pre-K and Kindergarten students with Ms. Luz and Ms. Roxana have had a joyful start to the school year! They spent their first days getting to know their teachers and new friends, building a warm and welcoming classroom community. Each day was filled with laughter, curiosity, and exciting moments of discovery. From creative projects to playful activities, the children explored and learned in fun ways. We are so proud of how quickly they adjusted and joined in with big smiles. This is just the beginning of a wonderful year ahead!

1st and 2nd grade: With Ms. Diana & Ms. Tanty, the 1st+2nd grade have been having the opportunity in afterschool to engage in some outdoor time and some stations! Each day we are able to choose different stations, each showing each other about sharing, teamwork (with our Connect Four battles) and strengthening our coloring/drawing skills.

West Somerville Neighborhood School

Site Director: Joshua Leibovitz

Assistant Site Director: Seana Read

Jane Fabiano, Darly Pierre, Gianna Amari, Joseph Amari, Rodrigo Rodriguez, Katherine Yanes, Henry Duarte, Teodor Todorov, Valerie Perez

Welcome back returning families, and welcome new families!

We’re so excited to be back together after the summer. It’s been wonderful reconnecting with returning students and welcoming new friends into our community. Now that we’ve settled into our routines, the afterschool program is buzzing with energy, creativity, and laughter across every grade level.

Pre-K

Our youngest friends have jumped right in with Ms. Jane and Ms. Darly, who start each afternoon with a friendship circle to help everyone feel included. Whether they’re singing songs, sharing stories, or reading picture books (Pete the Cat has been a big favorite so far), Pre-K is off to a strong start. The rest of their afternoons are filled with building, crafting, yoga, and lots of imaginative play.These Kiddos are never tired and always look forward to Show and tell on Fridays!!!!!

Kindergarten-2nd Grade

After growing about 3 inches over the summer, our Kindergarteners are adjusting beautifully to the parts of Afterschool that are exciting & new to them this year, like clubs and reading time. Mr. Rodrigo has been leading them in group games and music activities, while our 1st graders have been practicing relaxation with yoga and diving into seasonal crafts. Get ready to decorate your homes with all the handcrafted autumn decor coming home with your kiddos soon–you can never have too many construction paper pumpkins! We are so excited to welcome our new 2nd graders! You’d think they were the new 5th grade, the way they’ve all grown over the summer. Mr. Josh is looking up just to talk to them! Our 2nd-grade friends have been loving afterschool and especially enjoying the chance to be helpers for the younger kids. Whether it's reading buddies, lending a hand in kickball or jump rope, or just looking out for their fellow friends, they truly shine as role models. And when they’re not busy reading or playing soccer, you can often find them with Ms. Jane, happily helping with her younger ones.

3rd–6th Grade

Now welcoming the new school year of afterschool, it’s our 3rd through 6th graders! And let me tell you, Seana and I are no match for them. Whether it’s playing sports or testing our brains in trivia, we end up losing every time. (We’re pretty sure it has something to do with our age… or maybe our knees!) Our friends have been doing amazing so far, and it’s only been a few weeks. We just know this year is going to be a blast for them. When we’re not playing games or getting creative with arts and crafts, we’re focusing on homework time. Some of our kids have packets to complete, while others dive into reading; though, with how much they enjoy it, we can’t even call it homework!

Reminders for Families

Please join our WSNS Afterschool class on the REMIND APP for the quickest updates. Email Josh or Seana for the code.

Pack extra clothes for younger children in case of accidents or emergencies.
Afterschool does not have its own Lost and Found. We use the Lost and Found located outside the main office. Please be sure to check it regularly!
With Session 1 clubs beginning, please try to pack/dress kiddos appropriately for the activity. For example, if you have Parkour Club on Monday, it’s a good idea to wear/bring shoes you can run around in. Club assignments will be shared after the start of clubs!

Thank you for your continued support—we can’t wait to see what this school year brings!

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