Day School News
April 2, 2022
Dear Day School Community,
MCAS testing begins with English language arts next week. Third, fourth, and fifth grade students will each have a morning session in which they will read passages and answer comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary questions. Students will also have the opportunity to share written responses based on the passages they read. The results of these tests help us to plan supports for students and inform instructional practices. The MCAS is a single point of data that is considered in conjunction with formative assessment tools and classroom observations. The Day School staff believes students are well prepared. Students are encouraged to do their best, but need not stress about taking the exam. Please make sure students are well rested and eat a healthy breakfast in preparation for the day of the assessment. Please see the complete MCAS schedule posted in this newsletter or the family calendar.
Sincerely,
Chris Louis Sardella, Principal
Hilary Sturgis, Assistant Principal
Norman E. Day Elementary School
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kerry Clery has lunch with fourth graders Layla Azer and Neerja Moholkar. Dr. Clery came to discuss a story Neerja wrote in Mr. Fligg's class.
Day School STEM Fair
Day School hosted its annual STEM Fair this past week featuring amazing science inquiry projects and ingenious inventions using the engineering design process. Students had the opportunity to present their projects to their classmates on Tuesday and then we had a whole school Gallery Walk on Wednesday. Thank you to Mr. Fligg and Mrs. Jussaume for hosting the STEM clubs and all of the families who put up with exploding volcanoes and robots crashing into everything in their homes. We love science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at the Day School. Thanks for all of your support!
Click on the video above to see an amazing chain reaction project by fourth graders Jalil Kiragu, Griffin Hoffman, and Evan Legrow.
Yearbook Cover Contest
Ella Cohen, Grade 5
Winning Design for Yearbook Front Cover
Order Your Norman E. Day School Yearbook
To Purchase & Customize Your Yearbook
Must be a parent or student 13 years or older.
Regular Price: $18.55* (*Does not include sales tax, if applicable)
1. Go to www.treering.com/validate
2. Enter your school’s passcode: 101443116243115
Deadline: Apr 27
Customize Your 2 Free Pages
Add photos from your computer, Facebook, Instagram, Google Drive & more.
Answer fun Memory Questions to help remember the year.
The 2 Custom Pages are FREE and are printed ONLY in your book. Want more pages? Each additional 2 pages is just $0.99.
Aradhya Kare, Grade 5
Runner-up for Back Cover
Nilanjana Seal, Grade 5
Runner-up for Back Cover
Eliza Ford, Grade 5
Runner-up for Back Cover
Leah Nance, Grade 5
Runner-up for Back Cover
March SPIRIT Awards
Congratulations to the following students for exemplifying our Day School Core Values: Safety, Perseverance, Integrity, Respect, Inclusion, and Teamwork.
Perseverance
Vishal Dasari
Alana Morgan
Lyllia Plante
Braden Barnes
Max Dantas
David Zazzaro
Dia Mysore
Sia Singh
Jaxson Kilimonis
Inaaya Patel
Anay Soman
Alivia DaSilva
Ben McNiff
Haasini Behara
Cian Sullivan
Hadley Ducharme
Integrity
Seraya Patel
Shrihan Ambekar
James Jamieson
Taruni Peddi
Anay Bogelli
Jackson Hutchens
Respect
Griffin Hoffman
Thomas Margetts
Katie Blanchard
Zaylin Lopez
Charlotte Manchester
Krishvi Thamaraikannan
Bhagirathi Gondi
Gabriel Oakes
Layla Stolyarova
Inclusion
Mahita Damera
Parker Hale
Nathan Son
Alex Berglund
Abigail Howard
Teamwork
Gabriella Kinney
Maddie Witts-Linsner
Eva DeLoach
Abby Dugan
Eliza Ford
Sadie Brooks
Mackenzie Barnes
Sabrina Tome Goncalves
Lillian Murphy
Westford Education Foundation's Annual K-5 Ties and Tiaras Event: A Night of Dancing
The Westford Education Foundation is proud to announce their annual Ties and Tiaras Event for grades K-5.
Event date: Saturday, May 7th from 6:00 - 8:00pm
Venue: The outdoor tent at the Westford Regency, 219 Littleton Rd, Westford, MA 01886
Dress: Semi-Formal
Tickets available from March 29th. Tickets will sell fast, you won't want to miss it!
** Please note: All children are required to be with a parent or guardian. **
Each child's ticket includes a "swag bag". Face painting will be available for purchase at the event and Farmhouse Photography will be there to take sweetheart portraits available for purchase after the event. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase to enter to win one of our many raffle baskets.
This is a cash only event. All proceeds of the event go to WEF to be used for the benefit of the Westford Public School System.
Please visit https://www.westford.org/wef/ties-and-tiaras/ for more information.
Day School MCAS Dates
Grade 5 Testing Schedule
ELA 1-April 5, 2022
ELA 2-April 12, 2022
Mathematics 1-May 9, 2022
Mathematics 2-May 12, 2022
Science and Technology 1-May 18, 2022
Science and Technology 2-May 19, 2022
Grade 4 Testing Schedule
ELA 1-April 7, 2022
ELA 2-April 13, 2022
Mathematics 1-May 10, 2022
Mathematics 2-May 13, 2022
Grade 3 Testing Schedule
ELA 1-April 8, 2022
ELA 2-April 14, 2022
Mathematics 1-May 11, 2022
Mathematics 2-May 16, 2022
News from the School Nurse
Childhood Allergies
Allergy season is upon us. Seasonal allergies are best controlled when treatment starts before your child's allergy symptoms begin. See attached information. Reminder- windows in classrooms will be open during the school year.
https://www.aafa.org/pollen-allergy/
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests some tips on how to treat childhood allergies:
Discuss with your pediatrician
Administer antihistamines
Administer nasal corticosteroids
Know what your child is allergic to
Avoid allergen triggers as much as possible
For outdoor allergens, consider bathing at the end of the day
Consider allergy shots
Student Illness
Please keep your child home if they are sick. Refer to the Elementary School Student Handbook for a list of medical exclusion criteria, page 49.
School Dental Program
The dental hygienist completed a total of 41 screenings and cleanings this week. Six cavities were found, and reports were sent home to each child who participated.
School Lunches
For the remainder of the school year all students are able to obtain daily free breakfast and lunch. While this program has been beneficial to many families, especially with the rising cost of food, there are some drawbacks to bring to your attention. Please have a conversation with your child about lunch. Let them know that the expectation is if lunch is brought from home, then they should not choose a cafeteria lunch as well. An increasing number of cafeteria lunches are being thrown out with only one item consumed by the child. This amounts to an incredible amount of perfectly good food being thrown out.
If you would like assistance managing this, you may contact Trish Blaszak, our Cafe Manager. She can put a customized notation on your child's account. For example - my child may only have cafe lunch on pizza days or on Wednesdays, etc. This is true for breakfast as well.
Also, you should know that 1 serving of breakfast and lunch are free. A child's account will be charged if they request a second breakfast/lunch.
Proof of COVID Vaccines for Students
Please send in proof of COVID vaccination when your children have completed their second shot. Vaccinated children are exempt from close quarantine restrictions and may remain in school UNLESS they develop symptoms. Parents will still be notified if their child was a close contact in school, but will just need to look for symptoms. Send in a copy of the vaccine either by email to ccarpenter@westfordk12.us or hard copy.
Covid test kits were distributed to students and staff on 4/1.
Cheryl Carpenter, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
Norman E. Day Elementary School Nurse
(978) 692-5591 ext. 3655
Fax (978) 692-8476
she, her, hers
The 5th grade students in rooms 206, 208, and 210 created a beautiful paper sunflower wreath to raise funds for the people of Ukraine. Each student and teacher has made a sunflower that has helped create this gorgeous wreath. We chose sunflowers because it is the national flower of Ukraine.
For each person choosing to make a donation of $5 or more, a ticket will be entered in the donor's name for a chance to win the sunflower wreath in a drawing on April 15, 2022.
Donations can be made in the form of cash or check (made out to Norman E. Day School) and returned to your classroom teacher. If you would like to donate, please fill out the form with your name, donation, and the best way to contact you. Paper copies of the form will be sent home on Monday, April 4.
The wreath is hanging in the display case in the front lobby of the Day School. If you have any questions, please reach out to Julia Borger-Green at jborger@westfordk12.us
Thank you for your help in teaching the students the value of making a difference for those in need.
Grade 5 Guardians: Complete this form for your child's performing arts choice in middle school.
We are thrilled to be able to invite you and your child to view this short informational video relating to Performing Arts classes available to your student for the 2022-2023 school year. In order to enroll your child, please click the form for the middle school your child will attend in grade 6. Please be sure to complete the google form labeled with your child's school no later than Tuesday, April 12. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Andrea Mejia
K-12 Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Coordinator
Click this link if your child will be attending Blanchard Middle School.
Blanchard Performing Arts Choice
Click this link if your child will be attending Stony Brook Middle School
Listen to a Life Writing Contest
Students will have the opportunity to interview a grandparent, friend, neighbor, teacher, or anyone close to them that is at least 50 years or older. The person you interview cannot be a parent. Students will write a true, real-life story about an event important to the older, living adult. The entry must be based on an actual interview the young person completes in person, over the phone, or via the Internet with a living older adult. An entry cannot be based on a story the young person has been told by another person or has overheard. It must also be a true, real-life story, not creative fiction.
Interview: Do your interview by listening to a grandparent/grandfriend's life story. Learn about their hopes and goals through their life, how they achieved goals and overcame obstacles, or how dreams may have changed along the way. As you're listening, focus on a significant life experience – it may be big or small, but it has to mean something to the person being interviewed. What life advice can the older person share? The judges are looking for an evocative, creative story that captures the essence of a person's life, or a critical moment or experience.
Write: Now you're ready to write your story – 300 words maximum. Remember, the judging committee isn't looking for the person's whole life story (which is impossible to do in 300 words), but an essay that captures a theme, moment, or experience that's important in the older person's life.
Photograph: Submit a photo of you with your special adult. We’ll display the photo with your essay.
Submit: All essays and photos are due on Monday, April 4, 2022.
School Level Contest: Any student who submits an essay will have their real life story and photograph displayed in the school. One student from each grade level will be selected to win a $50 Amazon gift card and have their story and photo published in our weekly newsletter.
Legacy Project Contest: Submissions will also be entered into the Legacy Project writing contest. An entry must be a completely original work and not previously published or submitted in any other competition. If an entry is plagiarized in any way from another source, it will be disqualified.
For more information about this writing project, please click on this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f9pWUCAklHYw6CnwbPRaV-T7LkuVnJxY21-eli0Pk0g/edit?usp=sharing
ELPAC: English Learner Parent Advisory Council
Westford's first ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) is looking for voluntary family groups.
What is ELPAC? - Massachusetts School Districts that have an English Learner Education (ELE) program that serves 100 or more English Learners are required to establish an English Learner Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC). Click here for more information.
For more information or to get involved contact: Amy Bailey (EL Teacher) abailey@westfordk12.us
Seeking Bus Drivers
Dee Bus is looking for School Bus and Van drivers! Dee Bus will pay you for training. All Westford School Bus drivers start at over $25 per hour. Work as little as 25 hours per week or more if you like. Many benefits including: paid good attendance, paid sick days, year end bonus and paid holidays.
If you’ve ever considered driving a bus or van but are still on the fence, come to Dee Bus Job Fair on Saturday, April 30 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. We are located at 30 Town Farm Rd - 978-392-8639. We’ll have snacks, raffle items and people to answer your questions.
Westford Summer Music Program
July 11 through July 15
Come join the fun for a week-long program where band and orchestra ensembles will rehearse daily from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Stony Brook School! During the week students will learn new music while building community and friendships. We will conclude the program with a free performance on Friday, July 15th at 11 a.m. This program is open for band and orchestra students entering grades 5 through 9 in September 2022.
Summer Band directed by Mr. Adam Shekleton
Summer Orchestra directed by Mr. Todd Hamelin
For more information and registration please visit: www.westfordk12.us/summermusic
For questions, please contact Julie Ottesen - jottesen@westfordk12.us
The Deadline to Order Square One Art is Monday, April 4.
Upload your art and support the PTO by clicking the link below.
https://shop.square1art.com/Shop/upload
To begin shopping, choose Norman E Day School
Got Sneakers?
Recycle Sneakers and Raise Money for our School
Did you know that in the U.S., roughly 200 million pairs of shoes and sneakers end up in landfills each year?
Did you know that more than 600 million people worldwide don’t even own a pair of shoes?
The GotSneakers recycling organization will help us to recycle our sneakers! We will ONLY accept athletic sneakers and sports related footwear. Ideally, unused and gently used sneakers will raise the most money for our school. But, if you have sneakers with holes, mold/mildew or detached soles, GotSneakers will take them as well. By participating, you’ll help keep sneakers out of landfills while also putting shoes on the feet of people living in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, West Africa, and Europe. Some of the unusable sneakers will even be made into new athletic surfaces! Your old sneakers will make a huge difference; reducing what we throw away and raising money for our school is a win-win!
Please drop off all donations to the box outside near the Day School’s main entrance doors. We encourage you to bring all non-athletic shoes/boots to the drop-off bin in the St. Catherine’s Church parking lot, to Savers in Nashua, or to other local thrift shops for resale. Thanks so much for your support!