Embedded Files
June 13, 2025
Our last Friday Newsletter 👏👏👏
Thank you to Mrs. Hemmis and Mrs. Kenney for an amazing Chalk Fest last Friday night. Enjoy some of the pictures from the event below 🎨
Kindergarten students had a wonderful trip to the Zoo today! Thank you to all of the chaperones who helped out to make this trip possible.
Our PreK classrooms are starting their own "graduation" for those students moving up to kindergarten in the fall. Very happy we have them for a few more years!
The Book Swap took place today and there were MANY smiling faces of students who were excited to take home some new books for the summer. Thank you to all of the family volunteers who helped set up and break down all of the tables and books and for helping students select books. If there is one piece of advice from this mom and administrator is to read, read, read all summer 🤓
This afternoon our Second Graders had their ice-cream social and earlier this week visited RSS. It is going to be hard to let them go on Tuesday 😭
Grade 2 Clap-Off Information - LAST DAY TO COMPLETE
We are excited to celebrate our second-grade students on Tuesday, June 17th at 11:00 am with our Clap-Off. To the right, you will find an aerial map of where we are asking families to line up (baseball field). We will have cones set up that we ask families to stand behind as noted "parents/guardians." Second-grade classrooms will parade onto the field as noted by the arrow. After students parade around the field, they will line up at the location designated "Grade 2 Student Pick-Up." This Google Form must be filled out by June 13th in order to help us plan efficiently for this event. There will be cones at this location with your child's teacher's name for you to pick them up after the parade. Please wait until the parade is complete before heading over to the "Grade 2 Student Pick-Up" location so that all students are celebrated. Grade 2 teachers will bring the remaining students back into the school until dismissal at 12:20 pm. Due to the limited parking spaces we have at Shaker Lane, we kindly ask that families bring one car to our clap-off if at all feasible.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's classroom teacher, Ms. Deacon, or Mrs. Kane.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific title.
LYSC-Reg-Sign.pptx2025-06-24_CommunityForumFlyer.pdf2025-05-17_SplashScreen.pdf
Grade 2 Clap Off Map
June 6, 2025
What a great week of events we had!
Thank you to Mr. Bentley and the family volunteers for another year successful Field Day! The weather cooperated and the kids had a great time! Thank you to our PreK staff for their amazing efforts for our littles to have their own mini-field day as well 🫶
Thank you to Ms. Jung for bringing back our second-grade concert that has been missing since 2020! What a comeback! It brought tears to my eyes to see our second-graders look so ready for Russell Street 😭
Last but not least, our Kindergarten Staff creates miracles as many of you saw today at their performance. I was able to catch the second performance and love the new additions incorporated from the students' learning experiences this year. Kudos to the kids on a great performance 🙌
Grade 2 Clap-Off Information
We are excited to celebrate our second-grade students on Tuesday, June 17th at 11:00 am with our Clap-Off. To the right, you will find an aerial map of where we are asking families to line up (baseball field). We will have cones set up that we ask families to stand behind as noted "parents/guardians." Second-grade classrooms will parade onto the field as noted by the arrow. After students parade around the field, they will line up at the location designated "Grade 2 Student Pick-Up." This Google Form must be filled out by June 13th in order to help us plan efficiently for this event. There will be cones at this location with your child's teacher's name for you to pick them up after the parade. Please wait until the parade is complete before heading over to the "Grade 2 Student Pick-Up" location so that all students are celebrated. Grade 2 teachers will bring the remaining students back into the school until dismissal at 12:20 pm. Due to the limited parking spaces we have at Shaker Lane, we kindly ask that families bring one car to our clap-off if at all feasible.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's classroom teacher, Ms. Deacon, or Mrs. Kane.
There are A LOT of events happening every day from now until the end of the school year. Please review the Upcoming Events page to learn more.
Have a great weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific title.
2025-05-17_SplashScreen.pdfMay 30, 2025
Congratulations to our LHS 2025 Graduates!! 🎓🥳🎉
There were so many wonderful activities taking place at SL this week, from end of curriculum celebrations, kindergarten screenings for our incoming students, and a Hi-Five Friday with the LPD, just to name a few. The next two weeks will include more celebratory events for grade levels as we close out the 2024 -2025 school year!
Grade 2 Clap-Off Information
We are excited to celebrate our second-grade students on Tuesday, June 17th at 11:00 am with our Clap-Off. To the right, you will find an aerial map of where we are asking families to line up (baseball field). We will have cones set up that we ask families to stand behind as noted "parents/guardians." Second-grade classrooms will parade onto the field as noted by the arrow. After students parade around the field, they will line up at the location designated "Grade 2 Student Pick-Up." This Google Form must be filled out by June 13th in order to help us plan efficiently for this event. There will be cones at this location with your child's teacher's name for you to pick them up after the parade. Please wait until the parade is complete before heading over to the "Grade 2 Student Pick-Up" location so that all students are celebrated. Grade 2 teachers will bring the remaining students back into the school until dismissal at 12:20 pm. Due to the limited parking spaces we have at Shaker Lane, we kindly ask that families bring one car to our clap-off if at all feasible.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's classroom teacher, Ms. Deacon, or Mrs. Kane.
From Mrs. Hevenor in the Library
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following students, whose families recently donated new books to the Library Birthday Book Program: David Olivieri, Parker LaPan, Maya Datla, and Landon Meehan. Thank you to the following who also donated new books to the library: Ellie Spiegel, Promise Martin, Colby Lemons, Morgan Boss, Mrs. Scaringella, and Connie Turner (Brooke Lindgren’s grandma). Over 90 books were donated to the Library this year through the Birthday Book Program and other donations!! Thank you so much for your support and for celebrating your children in this way.
ALL library books are now due! If you’re not sure what book your child has checked out, or if you have questions about returning books by the end of the year, please email me at khevenor@littletonps.org. Happy Summer Reading!
There are A LOT of events happening every day from now until the end of the school year. Please review the Upcoming Events page to learn more.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific title.
2025-05-17_SplashScreen.pdfMay 23, 2025
A week ago at this time, we were celebrating Springfest on a warm sunny night! We want to thank the PTA and all of the families and staff who volunteered to make this night a success! We were expecting a washout and ended up with wonderful weather and very happy children!
Thank you to Kanniard Residential Group for sponsoring the Kona Truck for our students and staff on Wednesday. Although it was a cold day, this did not stop the excitement of a cool treat! Thank you 🙌
K-5 Chalk Festival
Littleton Public Schools will host our first combined (SLS & RSS) on Friday, June 6th, from 5-7 p.m. at Russell Street School. Pre-registration for this event is required to ensure we can provide chalk for all participants. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
What is a Chalk Festival, you ask?
A Chalk Festival is an outdoor/ "plein air" art-making event and art show. Students will make their art at the festival on the sidewalk using chalk pastels.
Children will create a plan for their Chalk Fest art in art class during the weeks leading up to the event. Families and friends may help students make their art. Students will decide on the idea and the direction of their art. Siblings may work together. Students may work with a partner from their class. This must be indicated at pre-registration. I've included a slideshow of chalk art examples to inspire you.
There are A LOT of events happening every day from now until the end of the school year. Please review the Upcoming Events page to learn more.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific title.
May 14, 2025
SPRINGFEST IS HERE 🥳🎉🎈👏
Our school has been buzzing all day long in preparation for tonight. Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped set up today: Tasha Clark, Emily Kane, Cassie Buck, Stephanie Lyons, Gina Herdeg, Leah Lee, and numerous others who have helped prepare for tonight and will be here tonight! We hope to see you sometime between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm 🥳
SAVE THE DATE!
Littleton Public Schools will host our first K-5 Chalk Festival on Friday, June 6th, from 5-7 p.m. at Russell Street School. Pre-registration for this event is required to ensure we can provide chalk for all participants.
What is a Chalk Festival, you ask?
A Chalk Festival is an outdoor/ "plein air" art-making event and art show. Students will make their art at the festival on the sidewalk using chalk pastels.
Children will create a plan for their Chalk Fest art in art class during the weeks leading up to the event. Families and friends may help students make their art. Students will decide on the idea and the direction of their art. Siblings may work together. Students may work with a partner from their class. This must be indicated at pre-registration. I've included a slideshow of chalk art examples to inspire you.
Help the Nutrition Department create next year's lunch menu!
Fill out this quick survey to let us know what your student(s) would like for lunch next school year.
Littleton Nutrition Department Survey
We hope to see you tonight!!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific title.
May 9, 2025
We had a great week of learning, fun, and activities. Ms. Deacon and Ms. Garlisi planned a wonderful last Community Meeting for the school year that coincided with our Spirit of Shaker Lane Spirit Day. Each grade level sang a special song, are creating a memory to "sail into the summer" that will be viewable in our lobby later this week, and took a special SLS picture 😍
Join Mrs. Susser this Wednesday evening at 6:30 at the Reuben Hoar Library with your pajamas for storytime. This will be a great event as we close out our reading initiatives for the year!
Grade 2 Performance Information from Ms. Jung
Dear Shaker Lane Families,
We’re excited to announce that the 2nd Grade Music Performance is coming up on Wednesday, June 4th, and all families are warmly invited to attend! The students have been working hard and can’t wait to share their music with you.
To accommodate our six second grade classes, the performance will be split into two groups:
Group 1 – 9:30 AM
Classes: Madyda, Pratt, Warnock
Group 2 – 10:30 AM
Classes: Ward, Garlisi, Holm
Each performance will last approximately 30 minutes. Between the two groups, there will be a 30-minute break (10:00–10:30) to allow families time for taking photos and getting settled for the second group’s performance.
Student Attire:
Please have your child wear Shaker Lane colors: blue, yellow, or both to show their school spirit!
Siblings in Kindergarten, Grade 1, or T Class:
If a family member is attending the performance, younger siblings in K, T, or 1st grade class will be allowed to leave their class to watch the show with their family.
We look forward to celebrating this joyful event with you. Thank you for your continued support!
STEM Challenge
There is a lot of excitement about our PreK-12 STEM Challenge. Check out STEM updates for details.
Happy Mother's Day to all of our Shaker Lane Moms 🌺
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific title.
May 2, 2025
What a half day we had!! Kindergarten had their KindKids presentation this morning, we had our K-2 dance party at 11:30, and our generous PTA treated us to a staff luncheon this afternoon. We have quite the dancers in our school and it was really sweet to see the kids sing along to the songs this afternoon. The best part of the event was a second grade student saying, "Mrs. Kane it feels like the last day of school...we need to plan something like this on our last day!" You got it buddy!
Thank you to our amazing PTA for a wonderful luncheon from Moe's. It is a very rare occasion, if ever, that we all get to sit together and enjoy a meal. Thank you to all involved for this special luncheon today 🤗
As some of you are aware, there was a traffic incident earlier this week that involved a middle school student who was riding their bike home from LMS. The student is okay, however, it is important to be reminded of bike safety for students and safe driving speed for adults. With the beautiful weather upon us, we have already seen an increase in families walking, biking, scooting to and from school. Please be sure to drive slow on main roads and no higher than 5 mph when approaching Shaker Lane or in our parking lot. Student safety is of the utmost importance to all of us. Thank you.
Here is a bike safety video a staff member in LPS shared that would be great to show to your child. Most of our students will be riding with an adult but this is a great video to share for the times they may be on their own or have older siblings.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific title.
April 18, 2025
Our PreK students enjoyed their Reading Challenge dance party celebration yesterday! They have quite the moved for three, four and some five year olds! They enjoyed a popsicle treat while dancing and playing on the playground. K-2's Reading Celebration dance party will be on Friday when we return.
Grade 2 STEAM day will be on Thursday when we return.
If you are interested in a yearbook, the deadline is coming up for purchasing the Shaker Lane 2024-2025 yearbook!!
http://yearbooks2.pixami.com/ShakerLa.../home3/Bookstore.jsp
During checkout, please be sure to include the last name of your child's teacher under "Home Room". Yearbooks will be sent home with your child in June. Deadline for ordering is Wednesday, April 30th!
Have a wonderful April break!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific title.
April 11, 2025
Today our K-2 students enjoyed a special presentation by Erin O'Connor of Happy Humans Mindfulness. She talked to students about the functions of the different parts of the brain in 'kid-friendly' language and how they help each other. Erin reinforced many strategies that we have taught students at Shaker Lane on how to help their bodies calm down in a fun and engaging way! This weekend, ask them how they can make a brain model with their hand. Thank you to Liz Forkel for writing an LEF grant to secure this programming for our students 💙💛
THEY DID IT!! Today marked the ending of our Reading Challenge and the students read 838 hours which surpassed our goal of 800 hours!! Reading to your child and having them read to you as they are learning to read are the building blocks to becoming a fluent reader. Keep up the great work!! The Dance Party will take place next Friday 💃🕺
If you are interested in a yearbook, the deadline is coming up for purchasing the Shaker Lane 2024-2025 yearbook!!
http://yearbooks2.pixami.com/ShakerLa.../home3/Bookstore.jsp
During checkout, please be sure to include the last name of your child's teacher under "Home Room". Yearbooks will be sent home with your child in June. Deadline for ordering is Wednesday, April 30th!
Enjoy the weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific title.
April 4, 2025
We hope you had a great week! The first of two weeks of our Reading Challenge is going well. So far we have already accumulated over 281 hours!! Way to go kiddos 😀
Bus registration for the 25-26 school year is open. Please sign up as soon as possible. Information can be found on the district's website and also here.
We are looking for donations of recycled items for an upcoming STEM Challenge. Check out STEM updates for details.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific name.
March 28, 2025
Yesterday, our Time to Play Spirit Day was enjoyed by many students! From games of Jenga to tic-tac-toe, the students engaged in social development which included sharing, taking turns, and following rules. Little did they know they were learning! We also had our March Community Meeting, where we introduced our upcoming Reading Challenge. Last year, students read or were read to for over 700 hours! We are setting our goal at 700 hours, and if we reach the goal, a schoolwide dance party will ensue 💃🕺Read more about the challenge here. Our Therapy Dog, Gizmo, has settled in nicely over the past two weeks. Gizmo currently comes to Shaker Lane on Tuesdays and Thursdays to help support our students and staff who might need a little extra TLC to get through the day. Ms. Deacon shared the tips below the Gizmo's picture at our Community Meeting for students and staff
The Shaker Lane Building project continues to move forward. At the May 6th Town Meeting, a short presentation and Q & A will begin at 6:00 pm, before the meeting. At this meeting, all residents are welcome to learn more about the project and ask questions to members of the Shaker Lane Building Committe. The SLBC website is on the Littleton Public School's website and can be accessed here for those who would like to read more about the project, review meeting minutes, and be informed of upcoming meeting dates.
Check out the STEM updates for the latest news from Shakey's Imagatorium.
There is an upcoming SEPAC meeting on April 1st. Visit the tab for this information or click here.
Bus registration for the 25-26 school year is open. Please sign up as soon as possible. Information can be found on the district's website and also here.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
*Make sure to review all the tabs in the newsletter for information related to each specific name.
From Mrs. Hevenor in the Library
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following students, whose families have donated new books to the Library Birthday Book Program: Anna Moquin, Colton Horne, Toma Jacobson, Norah Baillio, and Anthony Iuliano. See the Shaker Lane Library Birthday Book Program flyer for more information on how to honor your student and stock the library with great new books. THANK YOU also to Ellie Spiegel, Max Powers, Emerson Bulger, and Connie Turner (Brooke Lindgren’s grandmother), and the PTA, who recently donated new books to the Library! Please take a look at the Library’s Amazon Wish List, if you’d like to add new books to our collection. There have been lots of wet library books recently! Please remember to store your student’s book in a separate backpack pocket from their water bottle, or in a ziplock bag, especially as the weather gets warmer. Happy Spring and Happy Reading!
Saying hello to Gizmo is always welcomed.
Gizmo will be at SL on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Stand or sit in a chair while petting, do not sit/kneel on the ground at his level.
Gizmo’s job at school is to help kids be calm and feel better. He cannot play at school.
Only Ms. Deacon or the dog’s handler can give commands like sit, come, down etc.
Gizmo will start visiting classrooms soon!!
Wellness Committee
The Wellness Committee is excited to announce our first-ever Spring Into Wellness Community Event!
Join us on Tuesday, April 29th, from 6-7 pm at Littleton Middle School for relaxing activities such as yoga, art, guided mindfulness, painting flowers for the town center, spice tasting, and a dance party!
Students of all grades are invited to bring their Parent/Guardian and enjoy these activities together.
Healthy snacks and fruit-infused water will be available.
Wear your comfy clothes and bring a water bottle to stay hydrated.
Please email the Wellness Community with any questions!
lbotko@littletonps.org ncroteau@littletonps.org
March 21, 2025
The Shaker Lane Staff would like to thank the PTA and all families for the snacks provided during conferences. Our staff had a full day of meetings with families and these treats were great "grab-and-go" between meetings 🥰
On behalf of former Shaker Lane student Olivia Branco, she would like to thank all families and staff for their contributions to the fundraising bake sale. She received $770 in donations and will be sending these funds along to Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles to help LA wildfire survivors. What a great way to show HEART ♥️
The Shaker Lane Building project continues to move forward. At the May 6th Town Meeting, a short presentation and Q & A will begin at 6:00 pm, before the meeting. At this meeting, all residents are welcome to learn more about the project and ask questions to members of the Shaker Lane Building Committe. The SLBC website is on the Littleton Public School's website and can be accessed here for those who would like to read more about the project, review meeting minutes, and be informed of upcoming meeting dates.
Have a fantastic first weekend of Spring!!
Michelle & Rebecca
March 14, 2025
Thank you to all of the families who attended conferences today. We hope you found this time together
with your child's teacher beneficial and productive.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have noticed an increase in the number of students who are tardy to school. Our school day begins at 8:55 am. At that time, it is expected that students are in their classrooms which is the time when instruction begins. For this time to be accommodated, doors open to SL at 8:40 am to allow students time to get settled into their classrooms by 8:55 am. We appreciate your support in ensuring students are in their classrooms by 8:55 am to begin their day.
As our 2nd trimester comes to an end, this is a good time to share a summary of all the STEMtastic learning that has been happening in the Imagatorium! Click here to take a look.
Please take a moment to read the Nurse's section to be informed of the measles outbreak, especially if you are traveling to Texas, its neighboring states, or internationally.
Have a great weekend!!
Michelle & Rebecca
March 7, 2025
We look forward to seeing families at conferences next Friday. On Friday, we have a high school student hosting a bake sale to help LA wildfire survivors. See the flyer created for this event by high school student Olivia Branco.
Mrs. Roper will be the guest reader for our upcoming PJ and Storytime on Wednesday at the Reuben Hoar Library. We hope you will join her next Wednesday at 6:30 pm 📚
Just a reminder that Shaker Lane will be introducing Therapy Dog Gizmo next week. Please read this letter introducing Therapy Dog Gizmo that was sent out on Tuesday. Within the letter is an opt-out Google Form that we ask families to complete should you not want your child to interact with Gizmo. We asked to have completed by today, March 7th. We look forward to introducing Gizmo next week!
Have a fantastic weekend!!
Michelle & Rebecca
February 28, 2025
Just a reminder that all families should be signed up for our SchoolStatus notification system. School and district news, updates, and alerts will be communicated through this platform.
Only the primary contact is initially added; please have the primary contact add other family members by clicking here or in the SchoolNow App. We highly recommend downloading the SchoolNow mobile app to your smartphone
Thank you to all the families who utilized the PickUp Patrol dismissal program this week. Beginning on Monday, we ask that families try their best to move all dismissal changes to this platform. Changes to any dismissal plan must be made by 2:15 pm. We appreciate your adherence to these changes to ensure our students arrive home safely.
Have a fantastic weekend!!
Michelle & Rebecca
Ms. Munnelly has a great recommendation for families this month. See the heartwarming Rescue and Jessica story below about the relationship between a service dog and her handler 💙
Munnelly March Literacy PSA.pdf
February 14, 2025
We had a very busy week with successful events with our Shakey's Storytime & Global Play Day. During Shakey's Storytime, we had almost 200 different screens joined to the 3 rooms at the same time and some of those had multiple kids on the same screen. Lots of older siblings came back to listen too showing how much this event is loved. Thank you to all our staff who read and PTA members who monitored the rooms to make this event a success 📚
Global Play Day on Wednesday was a great learning experience for our students. While the kids think they weren't "learning," little did they realize that problem-solving, negotiating, and compromising, just some of the ideals kids worked through on Wednesday are the building blocks of learning to get along.
After the break, sign-ups will be sent out to families for our March 14th conference date. Please take some time to sign up for a conference with your child's teacher.
As we move through the Shaker Lane Building Project we invite families to continue to visit the website dedicated to this project. You can learn where we are in the process and be informed as we move through the phases with the Mass. School Building Authority.
We wish all our families a wonderful week together without the rush of the morning routines to get to school.
Have a wonderful February break!!
Michelle & Rebecca
February 7, 2025
Happy 100th day of school!! The kids looked adorable today from what they would possibly look like at 100 years old, to festive and creative 100 items on their shirts.
We are excited for our Monday night Shakey's Storytime! On Monday afternoon, we will send out the information needed to sign in to listen to our staff read to the students. This information will have a list of staff who are reading during the 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm timeframe and the rooms they will be in. Students will be receiving a coloring page and hot cocoa for the event to keep them busy while we are reading. We hope to see many kids there 📚
As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we will be piloting a new dismissal program after the February break. We are in the beginning stages of prepping for the implementation of this program titled PickUp Patrol. Once we have more information available for families, we will reach out on how to enroll. In the meantime, please continue to send in notes at the start of the day for any changes in your child's dismissal plans. If you need to contact us during the day, please be sure to call the office by 2:00 pm.
Thank you to all of the families who donated to our Souper Bowl for Caring. We collected 348 cans to donate to Loaves and Fishes. Thank you for partnering with us and showing the kids we can be contributing members of our community ♥️
Save the Date! Spring Festival of Math and Literacy
When: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Who: All RSS families and SLS 2nd Grade Families
What: Family event celebrating math and literacy
Where: Russell Street School
Have a great weekend and get ready for more snow and the Superbowl!!! ❄️🏈
Michelle & Rebecca
January 31, 2025
Welcome to February! Looks like snow is on the way for a New England Winter Week ❄️
One more week for our Souper Bowl for Caring donations! We have collected 240 cans to donate to Loaves and Fishes 🙌
On Wednesday at 2:30 pm we will be offering a school building tour to Senior residents as part of our community outreach. This tour has come about as a result of the Coffee and Information presentation on January 8th at the Senior Center. While all residents are welcome, we are tailoring this tour for the Seniors in Littleton. If you can help spread the word to resident Seniors you are in contact with in Littleton, this would be greatly appreciated. We are moving forward with our Shaker Lane Building project and community outreach will be critical to the success of this endeavor.
Global Play Day is usually the first Wednesday of every February. Due to our upcoming Early Release on Wednesday, we will have our Global Play Day celebration the following Wednesday, February 12th. More information will be shared by your child's classroom teacher.
Attendance Matters Update: Well, January was an extremely tough month at Shaker Lane for illnesses that really had a huge effect on the overall well-being of students and staff. January Attendance Rate: 85% with a Chronic Absenteeism rate of 13.5%. Both rates are up, as expected. We are truly hoping that we are beginning to see the germs dissipate and lead to a healthier building overall in the month of February. Please see the Attendance Matters tab for tips on helping your child stay healthy at school.
Mrs. MacGregor and Mrs. Hevenor collaborated this week to introduce Media Literacy to our K-2 students. Check out the STEM updates for more details.
Kindergarten registration for the upcoming school year is on Monday the 3rd. Registration is done completely online. You can find the information needed to register your kindergarten student for the 2025-26 school year on our website under student registration.
Please be sure to frequently check the Upcoming Events tab in the newsletter for a list of what will be coming up at Shaker Lane.
Have a great weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
Mrs. Hogan selected a great book for families to check out at our Shakey's Little Free Library. Read more below!
Wonder Walkers January Google Document.pdfJanuary 24, 2025
Despite the cold weather and only a few opportunities to go outside, we had a great four days of fun and learning! For our first week's collection of cans for the Souper Bowl of Caring we collected 100 cans 🥳🥳
We will be collecting cans for the next two weeks until Friday, February 7th to try and reach our goal of 500 cans 🥫🙌
Just a reminder that when you are changing your child's dismissal routine, you must send in a note with your child that morning. If an emergency occurs during the day and you need to change your child's dismissal routine, you must call the office by 2:00 pm. Changes to dismissal routines after 2:00 pm create a challenging situation for the office staff and classroom teachers. We will be piloting a new dismissal reporting system after the February break. More information about this system will be shared with you prior to the break.
PreK & Kindergarten report cards will be released in the ASPEN parent portal on Monday at 4:00 pm.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
January 19, 2025
We hope everyone had a great week! On Thursday, Ms. Garlisi and Mrs. Dyadko chaired our Community Meeting and kicked off our 'Souper Bowl of Caring' event. We are partnering with Souper Bowl of Caring to collect soup and other canned items to donate to Loaves and Fishes. Our goal is to collect 500 cans by February 7th. You can send in items with your child up until that date. Each week, we will tally how many cans we have collected and announce how we are doing. We hope you will join us in this event to help give back to our community 🥫
This year, we have changed our Friday Newsletter based on family feedback from the 23-24 school year. Having acclimated to it for the past few months, we would like your feedback through this quick survey. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to complete it by January 31st. Your feedback is important to our School Council as we work to determine the best way to communicate with families.
At school, students learn how to be responsible and safe online. One of the big topics is how to balance time with technology. Check out this family information sheet with tips for how to support media balance at home.
Have a great long weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
January 10, 2025
We finally got outside to recess today! The kids were very excited to get some fresh air and play in a larger space other than their classrooms.
Next week, we have our January Community Meeting on Thursday which will focus on Kindness and helping others. Be on the lookout for a SOUPER way we can help our community 🍲
Check out the STEM updates for a spotlight on coding.
From Mrs. Hevenor in the library
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following students, whose families have donated new books to the Library Birthday Book Program: Henry Pierce, Troy Shulman, Harrison McGrellis, Aynoor Ahmed, Ellie Spiegel, and Teddy Light. See the Shaker Lane Library Birthday Book Program flyer for more information on how to honor your student and stock the library with great new books. THANK YOU also to Ellie Spiegel, Sage Chrobak, Colin Glennon, Maria Misiolek, and Morgan Boss, who recently donated new books to the Library! Please take a look at the Library’s Amazon Wish List, if you’d like to add new books to our collection. Happy New Year and Happy Reading!
Have a fantastic weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
January 3, 2025
We hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Break and a great start to the New Year! The students settled back into their routines nicely the past two days and we look forward to 5 fun-filled days next week!
Please take a look at the coffee hour and information session we are offering next week in collaboration with the Elder and Human Services Department to share our Shaker Lane Building Project with community members outside of the Shaker Lane School. We have several grandparents that reside in Littleton and we would love to have our SL families extend this invitation to them in the hopes they can attend.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
December 20, 2024
We want to wish all our families a happy and safe Holiday Break. May you all find time to celebrate family and friends sprinkled with some relaxation from the business that the holidays bring.
As we close out the 2024 calendar year, I would like to share a very special video Ms. Deacon and Mrs. MacGregor put together. Some of you are aware that Ms. Deacon took on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's challenge called 'Your Presence is Powerful.' Schools across Massachusetts were given the opportunity to share why they attend school. This video, called "Our Presence is Paw-erful" is a compilation of students and staff sharing why they attend Shaker Lane. Grab some tissues and find a few minutes to watch this heartwarming video of why we come to Shaker Lane. We will keep you posted as to the results in January! Kudos to Ms. Deacon and Mrs. MacGregor for the creation of this video 💙💛
A letter from Ms. Jung
Dear Shaker Lane Families,
As we wrap up this year and head into the holiday break, I wanted to share some of the wonderful things our K-2 students have been learning in music class.
Over the past few weeks, students explored the instruments of the orchestra and learned about the different instrument families. We also dove into a special unit on The Nutcracker, where students listened to music from the ballet and engaged in fun musical activities to bring the songs to life. It's been a joy to see their excitement and creativity during this unit!
Thank you for your continued support, and I hope you all have a joyful and restful holiday season. Wishing you and your families a Happy New Year filled with music and cheer!
See you in 2025 🎉
Michelle & Rebecca
Mrs. Kane would like to share her favorite book with you for the month of December. As part of our Literacy Promotion Group, we highlight a favorite book from a staff member each month. Check out this book over the vacation week to read more about Emily and Arthur!
December 13, 2024
We hope you had a great week! With one week left before the Holiday Break, we encourage you to come in and view our Lost and Found items pictured in this message. These items will be donated over the break.
The December PTA meeting next week will be canceled. Stay tuned for the meeting date in January.
There are a few new STEM updates from Shakey's Imagatorium.
Attendance Matters: As the winter months approach, germs and bad weather increase, and student attendance decreases naturally. Check out these tips to get through the long winter months or visit the attendance tab to read all about it.
Have a great weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
Seasonal books available in Shakey’s Library. Go and get yours today!
Lost & Found Items
December 6, 2024
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It was great to get back to a full week of learning and routines with the students this week. Our staff are working hard to build momentum as we head into the next two weeks before the Holiday Break.
Attendance Matters Update:
We are proud to announce that our chronic absenteeism rate for November was 10.7%, down 2.1% from October, which is great news! Please remember, that this just includes students who have been absent six or more days this school year.
A great celebration is our November attendance rate of 98.6%! Kudos to our students and families on this great success 🙌
Your Presence is "Paw-erful!" Check out this link to learn about the Department of Education's Attendance Contest that Shaker Lane will be entering. Students have been chosen by their classroom teachers to participate in this special project that highlights Shaker Lane and why it's so special and why kids like to attend. The focus here is on the positive reasons students like to attend school and not a focus on absenteeism. If you, as a parent, would like to share your thoughts about why Shaker Lane is so special, please email your positive thoughts to Ms. Deacon via email at rdeacon@littletonps.org and your thoughts will be added to the presentation via written form.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
November 27, 2024
As we head into Thanksgiving Break, we want to wish you all a wonderful time with family and friends. The next month is a great time to reflect on the positive things that are going well and begin to celebrate the year.
There are a few new STEM updates from Shakey's Imagatorium.
Have a wonderful long weekend.
Michelle & Rebecca
Great finds in Shakey’s Library, something for everyone!
November 22, 2024
We hope you all had a great week! It was great to have five days of learning before heading into our upcoming Thanksgiving Break.
Earlier this month, the success of our Cultural Fair had us thinking of other ways we can celebrate our community's heritage at Shaker Lane. Starting in January, we would like to invite families to present at our monthly Community Meetings. If you are willing and available to present at one of our Community Meetings that take place most months on Thursday at 1:45, please fill out this Google Form at your earliest convenience. We hope to have families present to our whole school community and share their cultures with us!
See Mrs. MacGregor's favorite book and reading recommendation below 📚
Please click here to read a Thanksgiving message from Ms. Deacon. We are thankful for all of you!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
JabariJumps.pdfNovember 15, 2024
Thank you to all of the families who attended conferences today. We had a great turnout and truly appreciate the partnership in helping students move forward together. Thank you to our food service department, specifically Diane Werling and Tia Clark for handing out parfaits to keep our families well fed during conferences 🙌
On Tuesday evening, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, we will host another Shaker Lane School tour to update the community on the current building and our ongoing building project. We encourage all families to attend and to share this invitation with neighbors, even those without students at Shaker Lane. Please sign up here in advance to help us organize the tours effectively.
Littleton Public Schools is excited to introduce SchoolStatus, a new platform designed to streamline communication across our district. With SchoolStatus, parents can easily access important school information, updates, and connect with the school community.
How it works:
Personalized Communication: Receive alerts via text, email, voice call, or the SchoolNow mobile app.
Easy-to-Use: Manage your communication preferences with a few simple steps.
Stay Informed: Never miss a school event, deadline, or important announcement.
Next Steps: Next week, you'll receive an onboarding email, text, or phone call with instructions on how to confirm your contact preferences, including language preferences.
Have a great weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
November 8, 2024
Our Cultural Fair on Wednesday evening was AMAZING! Thank you to all of the families who shared their heritages with us. This was our second year hosting this event along with Russell Street. We had 14 families share their culture with us which ranged from visual representations, games and activities, foods, and other creative artifacts. Enjoy this short video of our families.
A special thank you to Masala Bay for donating Samosas for all to enjoy during our evening!
This year we had two special dance presentations at our Cultural Fair from our very own Littleton students! Thank you to Binal Patel & Whitney MacIsaac for coordinating these incredible Bollywood and Irish Step Dancing performances. The children were incredible 💃
We look forward to seeing families on Friday at our conferences. While you are here meet our lunch staff! They will be here on Friday serving up samples of our strawberry parfaits with homemade granola along with free pencils, stickers & bookmarks! YUM!
This month, Ms. Deacon and I will be reading Acceptance is My Superpower by Alicia Ortego in classrooms. Our diversity reading this month focuses on how each child can learn to love themselves, accept everyone around them, celebrate their differences, and never feel shame.
Please read the Commissioner of MA two page resource on understanding Chronic Absenteeism here. Check out the Attendance Matters page to see how chronic absenteeism is defined and information about the letters that were sent out on Monday.
Attendance Matters Update:
We are proud to announce that our chronic absenteeism rate for October was 12.8%, down a little bit from September, which is great news! Please remember, this just includes students who have been absent four or more days this school year.
A great celebration is our October attendance rate of 98.4%!! Kudos to our students and families on this great success 🙌
If you need clarification about our absenteeism policy and the release of letters by the district, please check out the Attendance Matters tab.
O'Connor Studios will be returning on Thursday, November 14th for students who were absent on portrait day, or for those who need their portrait retaken. If you'd like to order portraits, please use your original order form. There are additional order forms available for pickup in the front office. If you are having your student's picture retaken, return your original package to the photographer on retake day. No order form is necessary. Please note that retakes are only offered for students who paid for a portrait package, or who were absent on the first day of pictures. Thank you."
From Mrs. Hevenor in the Library
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following students, whose families have donated new books to the Library Birthday Book Program: Decorah Donaway, Karnik Kandukuri, Claire Bubp, Isabel Oldenquist, Cooper Brennan, Lydia Herdeg, Vinny Miller-Kanniard, Dhanya Balavinodh, Liam Forkel, Grayson O’Dea, and Ben Gillen. See the Shaker Lane Library Birthday Book Program flyer for more information on how to honor your student and stock the library with great new books. THANK YOU also to Ellie Spiegel, Puja Sharma, Jason Kane, Shaker Lane PTA, David Olivieri, and Connie Turner, who recently donated new books to the Library! Please take a look at the Library’s Amazon Wish List, if you’d like to add new books to our collection.
Do you have some free time that you’d be willing to share with me? I’m looking for regular volunteers to help add books to our online library catalog. Please email me at khevenor@littletonps.org for more info. Happy Reading!
Have a wonderful long weekend!
Michelle & Rebecca
Shaker Lane Building Project - Tour Offerings
Our educational needs for our Shaker Lane School (PreK-2) have significantly changed since it was built. We are exploring the possibilities for a reimagined Shaker Lane School, designed to better align with 21st-century learning with the necessary space for our current and future programming needs. The Massachusetts School Building Authority is currently reviewing three possible scenarios for the Shaker Lane School; addition/renovation, a new building built on the lower field, or a new building built on the upper field. The Shaker Lane Building Committee (SLBC) has been actively sharing details with the public. There was a public update/listening session on October 16, a public information session on October 23, and a ten-minute presentation at Town Meeting on October 29. Town officials attended a walkthrough of the existing school on October 22, and viewed first-hand how space constraints are creating challenges for staff as they continue to put the needs of students first.
Additional site visits for the community have been scheduled below that will consist of a tour of Shaker Lane and Q&A/Informational session. Please sign up here to attend one of the tours listed below.
Wednesday, November 13, 6:30 - 8:00
Tuesday, November 19, 6:30 - 8:00
All town residents seeking information and updates on the project are also encouraged to visit the Shaker Lane School Building Project website at http://bit.ly/47cAP4B.
During conferences next Friday, November 15th, Shaker Lane will also be offering two scaled-back tours at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. These tours will consist of hallway and other non-classroom locations to allow for conferences to take place as intended.
Parent Solutions LIbrary Flyer.pdfOctober 31, 2024
Wishing you all a great weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
We had a great Halloween Parade! The weather felt more like the summer rather than October 31st but our little paraders still had a great time! Thank you to all of the families who came out to see them 👻
Conference sign-ups went out on Wednesday. Please be sure to sign up for a time to meet with your child's teacher on November 15th.
Our Cultural Fair is next Wednesday the 6th from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm. We have over a dozen families presenting about their culture along with special dance presentations and several interactive activities that are planned for students. We look forward to seeing many Shaker Lane and Russell Street families at this event!
We hope those of you who celebrate Diwali have a wonderful time together!
Wishing you all a great weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
Here are some good books found in Shakey’s Free Library. Patrica Polacco is an award-winning author who grew up on a farm in Michigan. She now lives in California and is 80 years old.
October 25, 2024
We hope you all had a wonderful week! Yesterday, we had our second Community Meeting of the year. We came together as a school to talk more about how we can show HEART in our cafeteria which some have referred to as our restaurant. It was great to hear that the kids have excellent restaurant etiquette 😁
Wishing you all a great weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
We hope you all had a wonderful week! Yesterday, we had our second Community Meeting of the year. We came together as a school to talk more about how we can show HEART in our cafeteria which some have referred to as our restaurant. It was great to hear that the kids have excellent restaurant etiquette 😁
Thank you to all the families who have tried the Pass the Peppers STEM challenge this week! There is still time to participate and raffle prizes will be announced Tuesday morning.
Kids Matter: Check out all the positive benefits that coming to school has on young children in the Attendance Matters tab this week!
We hope to see you next week at our Halloween Parade at 1:50 🎃
Wishing you all a great weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
October 18, 2024
We had our first School Safety Drill yesterday. The students did a great job listening to the adults in the building on how we will keep them safe. We will conduct a second drill in the spring.
Check out the STEM Updates to learn about our school podcast and the Family STEM Challenge!
Check out the Attendance Matters tab to see what good school attendance means in the easy-to-read visual.
Welcome Room Ambassadors! Now that all Room Ambassadors have been selected, Ms. Deacon will be reaching out to you to talk about how to support your classroom's teacher and school community.
Have a wonderful weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
We had our first School Safety Drill yesterday. The students did a great job listening to the adults in the building on how we will keep them safe. We will conduct a second drill in the spring.
Check out the STEM Updates to learn about our school podcast and the Family STEM Challenge!
Check out the Attendance Matters tab to see what good school attendance means in the easy-to-read visual.
Welcome Room Ambassadors! Now that all Room Ambassadors have been selected, Ms. Deacon will be reaching out to you to talk about how to support your classroom's teacher and school community.
Have a wonderful weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
A letter from Ms. Jung
I'm excited to introduce a new project for our music class: the "Make Your Instruments at Home" series! This is a fun and interactive series designed to encourage students and families to get creative while exploring the world of music together.
For our first project, we'll be making an ocean drum - a simple and engaging instrument that replicates the soothing sound of ocean waves. I've included a link with step-by-step instructions and a short video to guide you through the process:
https://hgmusictherapy.com/ocean-drums/
Here is what you will need:
1. Clear plastic plates
2. Paper plates
3. Hot glue gun or a tape
4. crayons, markers, stickers, etc. - anything you want to decorate with
5. Beads or other dry goods as filler
Once you've completed the ocean drum, I'd love for you to send in a photo or video of your child making or playing the drum! This is a great opportunity for families to bond while learning about rhythm and sound, and I can't wait to see what you and your child create.
Thank you for your support, and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
Lost & Found items are building up!
Please join the Shaker Lane School Building Committee at the joint meeting on October 23, 2024, at 7:00 PM at the Littleton Police Department Community Meeting Room. This will be a hybrid meeting. The Select Board, FinCom, and School Committee will be in attendance to learn more about the Shaker Lane building project. To access the meeting virtually, click here.
We hope you can join us!
SHAKER LANE BUILDING COMMITTEE UPDATE
The Shaker Lane Building Committee (SLBC) has been working on phase two of the project (Feasibility Study) throughout the summer. The Feasibility Study has been completed and submitted to the Massachusetts Building Authority, and MSBA is currently reviewing this document. The feasibility study includes three possible scenarios for the current Shaker Lane School: addition/renovation, a new building built on the upper field, or a new building built on the lower field. The SLBC has been working with our architectural firm, Studio G, to look at various school designs for the three scenarios. The SLBC will hold two upcoming public meetings to update the community on our progress with the Shaker Lane project: Wednesday, October 16th, and Wednesday, October 23rd. Both meetings will be hybrid at the Littleton Police Station Community Room and begin at 7:00 pm. We recently sent out a postcard to all residents, providing them access to our SLBC website to learn more about the project and submit any questions our community may have. You can also access the SLBC website at the Shaker Lane Building Project.
Our educational needs for our Shaker Lane prek-2 school have significantly changed since it was built. We are looking forward to a reimagined Shaker Lane School, designed to better align with 21st-century learning and provide the necessary space for our current and future programming needs, resulting in an exciting and vibrant learning community for our youngest learners.
October 11, 2024
Thank you to all of the families who attended our Book Fair evening this past Tuesday. It was a great success! The unveiling of our Masked Reader event appeared to be a hit! Despite our voice-changing capabilities, there were some really clever students who were able to figure out who our Masked Readers were 🤖
Our long-standing Halloween Parade tradition will be held on Thursday, October 31st at 1:50 pm. Details for the parade can be viewed here. We hope can join us for this fun event!
Throughout the school year, we practice two safety drills. Our first safety drill is scheduled for next Thursday from 9:40 - 10:00. You can read more about our safety drill here.
If your child is in Transitional - Grade 2, they will be coming home with our early literacy fall screening results today. There is a letter from our Director of Teaching and Learning, Beth Steele, enclosed in the envelope along with these results.
Mrs. Dyadko's book share for this month can be seen here. This is a great book to help children learn that we all make mistakes!
Take a look at the STEM Updates page for some new exciting happenings!
Look here for the "Save the Date" to join us to talk about the importance of coming to school and how we can work together to reduce absenteeism in LPS!
Enjoy your weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
Thank you to all of the families who attended our Book Fair evening this past Tuesday. It was a great success! The unveiling of our Masked Reader event appeared to be a hit! Despite our voice-changing capabilities, there were some really clever students who were able to figure out who our Masked Readers were 🤖
Our long-standing Halloween Parade tradition will be held on Thursday, October 31st at 1:50 pm. Details for the parade can be viewed here. We hope can join us for this fun event!
Throughout the school year, we practice two safety drills. Our first safety drill is scheduled for next Thursday from 9:40 - 10:00. You can read more about our safety drill here.
If your child is in Transitional - Grade 2, they will be coming home with our early literacy fall screening results today. There is a letter from our Director of Teaching and Learning, Beth Steele, enclosed in the envelope along with these results.
Mrs. Dyadko's book share for this month can be seen here. This is a great book to help children learn that we all make mistakes!
Take a look at the STEM Updates page for some new exciting happenings!
Look here for the "Save the Date" to join us to talk about the importance of coming to school and how we can work together to reduce absenteeism in LPS!
Enjoy your weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
SHAKER LANE BUILDING COMMITTEE UPDATE
The Shaker Lane Building Committee (SLBC) has been working on phase two of the project (Feasibility Study) throughout the summer. The Feasibility Study has been completed and submitted to the Massachusetts Building Authority, and MSBA is currently reviewing this document. The feasibility study includes three possible scenarios for the current Shaker Lane School: addition/renovation, a new building built on the upper field, or a new building built on the lower field. The SLBC has been working with our architectural firm, Studio G, to look at various school designs for the three scenarios. The SLBC will hold two upcoming public meetings to update the community on our progress with the Shaker Lane project: Wednesday, October 16th, and Wednesday, October 23rd. Both meetings will be hybrid at the Littleton Police Station Community Room and begin at 7:00 pm. We recently sent out a postcard to all residents, providing them access to our SLBC website to learn more about the project and submit any questions our community may have. You can also access the SLBC website at the Shaker Lane Building Project.
Our educational needs for our Shaker Lane prek-2 school have significantly changed since it was built. We are looking forward to a reimagined Shaker Lane School, designed to better align with 21st-century learning and provide the necessary space for our current and future programming needs, resulting in an exciting and vibrant learning community for our youngest learners.
October 4, 2024
Our Book Fair is in full swing of being set up! Thank you to Emily Kane who has spent the day here working on this for our students as well as all of the volunteer coordination. Are you coming to our Masked Reader night on Tuesday evening starting at 5:30 pm? Here is a fun little video to get the kids excited! Full disclosure the voice capabilities that we were able to use weren't that great. We will have better and less creepy ones on Tuesday evening 😁
Each month Ms. Deacon and I select a book to read to each classroom that focuses on Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belonging. We offer these readings to classroom teachers to sign up at a time that works for them to allow staff to take a quick break. This month we are reading the book It's Okay to Be Different by Sharon Purtill. A reading of the book can be found here if you would like to review it with your child.
As shared in the September 20th Friday Update, we continue to offer ways to promote literacy outside of the school day to develop fun ways to increase reading at home. Mrs. Barth will be reading at the Reuben Hoar Library for P.J. Storytime on Wednesday, October 9, at 6:30 p.m. We hope you can join her for this fun event!
Mrs. Barth also highlighted a couple of Great Books Found in Shakey's Free Library - 'A' Was Once An Apple Pie by Suse Macdonald & Magic Puppy by Sue Bentley. Check these out and many others in our Shakey's Free Library.
Attendance Matters - Time to Celebrate!! The results of student attendance for the first month of school have been calculated! Shaker Lane had an attendance rate of 97%! We are on our way to success!
Save the Date: October 29, 2024 from 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM; "Coffee with the LPS Assistant Principals" to talk about the distict's initiative on attendance and why it matters. We will also share some helpful tips on how to improve your child's attendance and decrease absenteeism rates. Please join us!
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
Our Book Fair is in full swing of being set up! Thank you to Emily Kane who has spent the day here working on this for our students as well as all of the volunteer coordination. Are you coming to our Masked Reader night on Tuesday evening starting at 5:30 pm? Here is a fun little video to get the kids excited! Full disclosure the voice capabilities that we were able to use weren't that great. We will have better and less creepy ones on Tuesday evening 😁
Each month Ms. Deacon and I select a book to read to each classroom that focuses on Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belonging. We offer these readings to classroom teachers to sign up at a time that works for them to allow staff to take a quick break. This month we are reading the book It's Okay to Be Different by Sharon Purtill. A reading of the book can be found here if you would like to review it with your child.
As shared in the September 20th Friday Update, we continue to offer ways to promote literacy outside of the school day to develop fun ways to increase reading at home. Mrs. Barth will be reading at the Reuben Hoar Library for P.J. Storytime on Wednesday, October 9, at 6:30 p.m. We hope you can join her for this fun event!
Mrs. Barth also highlighted a couple of Great Books Found in Shakey's Free Library - 'A' Was Once An Apple Pie by Suse Macdonald & Magic Puppy by Sue Bentley. Check these out and many others in our Shakey's Free Library.
Attendance Matters - Time to Celebrate!! The results of student attendance for the first month of school have been calculated! Shaker Lane had an attendance rate of 97%! We are on our way to success!
Save the Date: October 29, 2024 from 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM; "Coffee with the LPS Assistant Principals" to talk about the distict's initiative on attendance and why it matters. We will also share some helpful tips on how to improve your child's attendance and decrease absenteeism rates. Please join us!
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
September 27, 2024
We had a great week this week with our first Community Meeting on Thursday! This was a great time for all of us to come together to talk about HEART (Honesty, Effort, Acceptance, Respect, Take Responsibility) and our school's mission statement: We are building a safe, caring, and ready-to-learn community. At our Community Meeting, we introduced some very important staff members who help our school run smoothly and safely as well as learning how to show HEART throughout all the spaces in our school day. As students show HEART outside of their classrooms, staff other than their classroom teachers are going to celebrate this by handing out stickers. We look forward celebrating students showing HEART!
We want to remind families of our handbook policy regarding hoods and hats. Hoods may not be worn in the upright position. Hats and head coverings are permitted for religious observance or medical purposes. Students can continue to wear a hooded sweatshirt, but the hood cannot be pulled over the head while inside the building. A student may wear a hat to and from school, unless it is for the reasons mentioned our handbook. Staff will ask your child to remove their hood or hat while in school. Thank you for your support in following the guidelines in the student handbook.
The first STEM Update of the year is ready for you! Please check out the STEM Updates section of the newsletter.
Thank you to the MANY families who have already responded to our Cultural Fair survey. This is the last week to share your thoughts with us before our planning begins. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey by Monday to help us gather information on family presentations.
Attendance Matters! Check out the link here to learn how to "Help Your Child Succeed in School: Build the Habit of Good Attendance Early." The quick article/handout can also be located on the Attendance Matters page.
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
We had a great week this week with our first Community Meeting on Thursday! This was a great time for all of us to come together to talk about HEART (Honesty, Effort, Acceptance, Respect, Take Responsibility) and our school's mission statement: We are building a safe, caring, and ready-to-learn community. At our Community Meeting, we introduced some very important staff members who help our school run smoothly and safely as well as learning how to show HEART throughout all the spaces in our school day. As students show HEART outside of their classrooms, staff other than their classroom teachers are going to celebrate this by handing out stickers. We look forward celebrating students showing HEART!
We want to remind families of our handbook policy regarding hoods and hats. Hoods may not be worn in the upright position. Hats and head coverings are permitted for religious observance or medical purposes. Students can continue to wear a hooded sweatshirt, but the hood cannot be pulled over the head while inside the building. A student may wear a hat to and from school, unless it is for the reasons mentioned our handbook. Staff will ask your child to remove their hood or hat while in school. Thank you for your support in following the guidelines in the student handbook.
The first STEM Update of the year is ready for you! Please check out the STEM Updates section of the newsletter.
Thank you to the MANY families who have already responded to our Cultural Fair survey. This is the last week to share your thoughts with us before our planning begins. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey by Monday to help us gather information on family presentations.
From Mrs. Hevenor in the Library
Hello everyone! We are off to a great start in the Library this year! It’s been an exciting couple of weeks as all students checked out their first books. Please be sure to check your student’s backpack for my letter about library expectations and opportunities. Honor your child on their birthday this school year by participating in the Shaker Lane Library Birthday Book Program. Click here for more information. The library also welcomes donations of NEW books. Check out my Amazon wish list here or my Google wish list here for ideas. Do you have some free time that you’d be willing to share with me? I’m looking for regular volunteers to help create an online catalog of the library collection. Please email me at khevenor@littletonps.org for more info. Happy Reading!Attendance Matters! Check out the link here to learn how to "Help Your Child Succeed in School: Build the Habit of Good Attendance Early." The quick article/handout can also be located on the Attendance Matters page.
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
September 20, 2024
Good evening Shaker Lane Families,
We hope you had a great week. There has been so much learning taking place in all of the classrooms. The students have settled into the 5-day routine and filling HEART jars in many of the classrooms! Our teachers are also settling into the 5 days and working hard to impart academic and social curriculum.
For the past year, a group of staff members have been working on ways to promote literacy outside of the school day and coming up with fun ways to increase reading at home. One of the ideas we had was to highlight a staff member's favorite book and a fun fact or helpful hint related to reading. This month, Grade 1 teacher Ms. Dussi would like to share her thoughts with you. Read more here about what she would like to share. Stay tuned for more fun ideas to promote reading at home!
Over the course of the past two weeks, we have had conversations with staff and families about the move towards a working snack in Grades 1 and 2. Our staff have closely evaluated our Time on Learning Minutes as defined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Adjustments have been made to grade one and two classroom schedules to incorporate a 10-minute snack break in addition to a 15-minute break they currently have in their school day. Some helpful advice on packing a snack: provide one snack that is easy to open in a prepackaged wrap, a sandwich baggie, or a small container. Other options could be a piece of fruit, a cheese stick, or a yogurt. When a snack is something more complicated such as a Lunchable, students lose time preparing the snack instead of eating it. Your help in this area would be greatly appreciated.
Attendance Matters - This week, please take some time to review the Littleton Public School's district attendance policy. It is linked on the Attendance Matters page.
Just a reminder to save the date of our Cultural Fair on November 6th. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey by September 30th to help us gather family presentation information.
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
Good evening Shaker Lane Families,
We hope you had a great week. There has been so much learning taking place in all of the classrooms. The students have settled into the 5-day routine and filling HEART jars in many of the classrooms! Our teachers are also settling into the 5 days and working hard to impart academic and social curriculum.
For the past year, a group of staff members have been working on ways to promote literacy outside of the school day and coming up with fun ways to increase reading at home. One of the ideas we had was to highlight a staff member's favorite book and a fun fact or helpful hint related to reading. This month, Grade 1 teacher Ms. Dussi would like to share her thoughts with you. Read more here about what she would like to share. Stay tuned for more fun ideas to promote reading at home!
Over the course of the past two weeks, we have had conversations with staff and families about the move towards a working snack in Grades 1 and 2. Our staff have closely evaluated our Time on Learning Minutes as defined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Adjustments have been made to grade one and two classroom schedules to incorporate a 10-minute snack break in addition to a 15-minute break they currently have in their school day. Some helpful advice on packing a snack: provide one snack that is easy to open in a prepackaged wrap, a sandwich baggie, or a small container. Other options could be a piece of fruit, a cheese stick, or a yogurt. When a snack is something more complicated such as a Lunchable, students lose time preparing the snack instead of eating it. Your help in this area would be greatly appreciated.
Attendance Matters - This week, please take some time to review the Littleton Public School's district attendance policy. It is linked on the Attendance Matters page.
Just a reminder to save the date of our Cultural Fair on November 6th. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey by September 30th to help us gather family presentation information.
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
September 13, 2024
Good afternoon Shaker Lane Families,
We all survived Friday the 13th and hope your evening goes well too!
Thank you to all of our K-2 families who attended our Back to School Night on Tuesday. It was an incredible turnout and our teachers were very appreciative of your time. We hope you found the evening informative about the upcoming school year.
This year, we are implementing a new reading program titled Wit and Wisdom. This knowledge-building curriculum has a different approach than our previous curriculum where students will build their knowledge through four modules of study throughout the year. You may notice fewer papers coming home than in years past as the students are collecting this information throughout each module. At the end of a module, student work will be sent home. Below is a Family Letter that I encourage you to read to explore more about the program as well as visit the Great Minds website for further information. There is also a detailed Tip Sheet for each grade level that will describe what Module 1 is about, what literature students will be engaged in, and how you can support learning at home. Teachers will be sending home the Tip Sheets for Modules 2-4 as they begin each section.Family LetterGrade K&T Module 1 Tip SheetGrade 1 Module 1 Tip SheetGrade 2 Module 1 Tip Sheet
Attendance Matters- Did you know that our youngest students miss 10% of the school year, which equates to 18 days per school year. This includes our preschool students who are identified with chronic absenteeism. Click here to read why it matters!
Mrs. Jung has updated the link from last week's newsletter. Please click here to share your musical talent with our students.
Just a reminder to save the date of our Cultural Fair on November 6th. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey by September 30th to help us gather family presentation information.
Have a great weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
Good afternoon Shaker Lane Families,
We all survived Friday the 13th and hope your evening goes well too!
Thank you to all of our K-2 families who attended our Back to School Night on Tuesday. It was an incredible turnout and our teachers were very appreciative of your time. We hope you found the evening informative about the upcoming school year.
This year, we are implementing a new reading program titled Wit and Wisdom. This knowledge-building curriculum has a different approach than our previous curriculum where students will build their knowledge through four modules of study throughout the year. You may notice fewer papers coming home than in years past as the students are collecting this information throughout each module. At the end of a module, student work will be sent home. Below is a Family Letter that I encourage you to read to explore more about the program as well as visit the Great Minds website for further information. There is also a detailed Tip Sheet for each grade level that will describe what Module 1 is about, what literature students will be engaged in, and how you can support learning at home. Teachers will be sending home the Tip Sheets for Modules 2-4 as they begin each section.Family LetterGrade K&T Module 1 Tip SheetGrade 1 Module 1 Tip SheetGrade 2 Module 1 Tip Sheet
Attendance Matters- Did you know that our youngest students miss 10% of the school year, which equates to 18 days per school year. This includes our preschool students who are identified with chronic absenteeism. Click here to read why it matters!
Mrs. Jung has updated the link from last week's newsletter. Please click here to share your musical talent with our students.
Just a reminder to save the date of our Cultural Fair on November 6th. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey by September 30th to help us gather family presentation information.
Have a great weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
September 6, 2024
Good afternoon Shaker Lane Families,
Did you notice how beautiful our front grounds looked at the start of the school year? Thanks to Cub Scouts Pack 21, they cleaned up the weeds and spread bark mulch to beautify our entrances. Thank you to Amanda Light for organizing this for our school 🤗
We look forward to seeing families at our Back to School Night on Tuesday. Please view the schedule here. This year, we have created an evening that encompasses a wide variety of resources for families beyond the classroom presentations. We hope families find this evening informative and helpful. This school year, Littleton Public Schools is focusing on initiatives to increase student attendance. As a district, the schools have collaborated and will be implementing several measures to help decrease student absences. Check out the "Attendance Matters" Initiative here or visit the Quick Links page at the top of the newsletter to gain information. Throughout the school year, you will be receiving a variety of communications about this important initiative! We look forward to partnering with all of our LPS families to embrace the fact that school does matter and so does your child!
We are excited to bring back our well-received Cultural Fair this coming November! When we offered up this community event last year, it surpassed what we could have ever expected. This year we have planned some new events to complement the amazing presentations from families as well as partnering with the Russell Street School! While we are still in the planning stages, save the evening of Wednesday, November 6th for this event. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey by September 30th to help us gather family presentation information.
This 'Friday Update' will be the main form of communication for our school. Please be sure to read these updates each week. During Back to School Night, your child's teacher will share their main form of communication as well as others they may use. As a district, Littleton Public Schools has created a Parent/Guardian Communication Map that we ask you to review and access as questions arise throughout the year. As a school, we have a simpler version just for Shaker Lane Families titled "Who Ya Gonna Call?" This will be your communication map for any issues that arise at Shaker Lane. Please print and refer to this form throughout the school year.
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
Good afternoon Shaker Lane Families,
Did you notice how beautiful our front grounds looked at the start of the school year? Thanks to Cub Scouts Pack 21, they cleaned up the weeds and spread bark mulch to beautify our entrances. Thank you to Amanda Light for organizing this for our school 🤗
We look forward to seeing families at our Back to School Night on Tuesday. Please view the schedule here. This year, we have created an evening that encompasses a wide variety of resources for families beyond the classroom presentations. We hope families find this evening informative and helpful. This school year, Littleton Public Schools is focusing on initiatives to increase student attendance. As a district, the schools have collaborated and will be implementing several measures to help decrease student absences. Check out the "Attendance Matters" Initiative here or visit the Quick Links page at the top of the newsletter to gain information. Throughout the school year, you will be receiving a variety of communications about this important initiative! We look forward to partnering with all of our LPS families to embrace the fact that school does matter and so does your child!
We are excited to bring back our well-received Cultural Fair this coming November! When we offered up this community event last year, it surpassed what we could have ever expected. This year we have planned some new events to complement the amazing presentations from families as well as partnering with the Russell Street School! While we are still in the planning stages, save the evening of Wednesday, November 6th for this event. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey by September 30th to help us gather family presentation information.
This 'Friday Update' will be the main form of communication for our school. Please be sure to read these updates each week. During Back to School Night, your child's teacher will share their main form of communication as well as others they may use. As a district, Littleton Public Schools has created a Parent/Guardian Communication Map that we ask you to review and access as questions arise throughout the year. As a school, we have a simpler version just for Shaker Lane Families titled "Who Ya Gonna Call?" This will be your communication map for any issues that arise at Shaker Lane. Please print and refer to this form throughout the school year.
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
August 29, 2024
Good afternoon Shaker Lane Families,
It has been a great start to the year with our K-2 students. It is amazing how well the students have acclimated to the start of the school year in just three days!! On Tuesday, we welcome in our PreK students for their first day 🤗
We are in the beginning stages of our Shaker Lane Building Project since our acceptance into the Mass School Building Authority program in April of 2023. This summer, we spent several days gathering input from stakeholders connected to Shaker Lane to develop the vision of this project. This is just the first step in a multiple-year process. Over the next year, we will be sharing information about the Shaker Lane Building Project with community members in different formats. To start, we invite you to view the website dedicated to this project here and share it with community members across Littleton. Through this website, you can view the roadmap on the process of the project as well as presentations that have taken place up until this point. We will continue to communicate with the Littleton community and look forward to a a collaborative partnership through this project.
A message from Mrs. JungWelcome to the new school year! My name is Lisa Jung, and I am thrilled to be your child's music teacher this year. I am excited to embark on a musical journey with your child, filled with singing, playing instruments, dancing, and discovering the joy of music.
What to expect: In our music classes, students will explore a wide range of musical concepts through engaging and interactive lessons. We will learn about rhythm, melody, musical genres, music technology, and so much more! I am excited to share this musical adventure with your child!
Lastly: Share your musical talent to our students! If you play any instrument (of course, you don't have to be a professional) please fill out a google form down below for you to visit your child's music class to share your talent! Thank you so much for your support.
https://forms.gle/77SwKj9DsfNK89Mx5
Have a fantastic long weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
Good afternoon Shaker Lane Families,
It has been a great start to the year with our K-2 students. It is amazing how well the students have acclimated to the start of the school year in just three days!! On Tuesday, we welcome in our PreK students for their first day 🤗
We are in the beginning stages of our Shaker Lane Building Project since our acceptance into the Mass School Building Authority program in April of 2023. This summer, we spent several days gathering input from stakeholders connected to Shaker Lane to develop the vision of this project. This is just the first step in a multiple-year process. Over the next year, we will be sharing information about the Shaker Lane Building Project with community members in different formats. To start, we invite you to view the website dedicated to this project here and share it with community members across Littleton. Through this website, you can view the roadmap on the process of the project as well as presentations that have taken place up until this point. We will continue to communicate with the Littleton community and look forward to a a collaborative partnership through this project.
A message from Mrs. JungWelcome to the new school year! My name is Lisa Jung, and I am thrilled to be your child's music teacher this year. I am excited to embark on a musical journey with your child, filled with singing, playing instruments, dancing, and discovering the joy of music.
What to expect: In our music classes, students will explore a wide range of musical concepts through engaging and interactive lessons. We will learn about rhythm, melody, musical genres, music technology, and so much more! I am excited to share this musical adventure with your child!
Lastly: Share your musical talent to our students! If you play any instrument (of course, you don't have to be a professional) please fill out a google form down below for you to visit your child's music class to share your talent! Thank you so much for your support.
https://forms.gle/77SwKj9DsfNK89Mx5
Have a fantastic long weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
August 23, 2024
We are excited to see all of the students next week! I am sure there are a whole host of emotions going on at home from excitement to apprehension for both students and families.
We are happy to welcome some new staff to Shaker Lane as we start our new school year.-Mrs. Burgess is joining us in Kindergarten as Mrs. Furbush is on leave until the start of January. -Ms. Vachon is joining us as a new first-grade teacher.-Ms. Krol will be one of our K-2 Special Education Teachers. She will be working with students across all grade levels.-Ms. Freund will be joining us as an ESP supporting students across all grade levels as well.-Ms. Cadogan will be part of the Kindergarten team as an ESP working with Mrs. Duarte.
On Monday we will open up our K-2 classrooms for a "First Glance" from 7:30 am - 7:50 am & 3:15 pm - 3:35 pm for any students that would like to visit and see their new classroom. Teachers may or may not be in their classrooms at these times. Please note that these times will be adhered to as outlined in their exact minutes as we have a building staff meeting at 8:00 am and other events at 3:45 pm.
For those families who did not receive my emails in May about registering for the bus, please note that the information in my August update was incorrect. Any questions related to bus passes should be sent to busregistration@littletonps.org.
The last Kindergarten Get Together is planned for this Saturday from 10:00 - 11:30 on the Shaker Lane playground. Popsicles will be served and good times will be had by our newest members!
We hope to see you on Monday at one of our First Glance times!
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
We are excited to see all of the students next week! I am sure there are a whole host of emotions going on at home from excitement to apprehension for both students and families.
We are happy to welcome some new staff to Shaker Lane as we start our new school year.-Mrs. Burgess is joining us in Kindergarten as Mrs. Furbush is on leave until the start of January. -Ms. Vachon is joining us as a new first-grade teacher.-Ms. Krol will be one of our K-2 Special Education Teachers. She will be working with students across all grade levels.-Ms. Freund will be joining us as an ESP supporting students across all grade levels as well.-Ms. Cadogan will be part of the Kindergarten team as an ESP working with Mrs. Duarte.
On Monday we will open up our K-2 classrooms for a "First Glance" from 7:30 am - 7:50 am & 3:15 pm - 3:35 pm for any students that would like to visit and see their new classroom. Teachers may or may not be in their classrooms at these times. Please note that these times will be adhered to as outlined in their exact minutes as we have a building staff meeting at 8:00 am and other events at 3:45 pm.
For those families who did not receive my emails in May about registering for the bus, please note that the information in my August update was incorrect. Any questions related to bus passes should be sent to busregistration@littletonps.org.
When your child needs to be absent from school, please contact the main office staff by:
1) sending an email to slattendance@littletonps.org (you may copy the classroom teacher to make them aware as well as the school nurse if the absence is related to illness)
OR
2) Call the school at 978-486-3959 and press 4 to report the absence.
The last Kindergarten Get Together is planned for this Saturday from 10:00 - 11:30 on the Shaker Lane playground. Popsicles will be served and good times will be had by our newest members!
We hope to see you on Monday at one of our First Glance times!
Have a fantastic weekend!Michelle & Rebecca
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