Hello Johnny Appleseed Families!
This week ahead is a full week of school! The students are very excited as we get ready to open the new playground! Have you seen it? It is incredible! Below is the reminder about the CLOSED CHURCH PARKING LOT on 11/20 and 11/21. This means ALL cafeteria drop off/pick up students must use Day Street. Please be prepared for delays.
This week is the Scholastic Book Fair. Attached is the schedule so you know when your child can shop. You are welcome to come shop with them at that time. Please park at the church!
We had a very successful week 1 of our Food Drive. There are some essential items that Ginny’s is in need of, which include: canned gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, regular or large boxes of Cereal (not individual sizes), condensed or evaporated milk. This week we will have bonus point days for those particular items (Tuesday and Wednesday). We no longer need snacks or chips. Thank you for your continued support. The food drive will come to a close on November 17th.
Here is a list of important dates to remember in November:
November 20th - ½ day Early Release @ 11:30
November 21st - ½ day Early Release @ 11:30
November 22st - 24th - NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
From Nurse Jenny:
Grade 5 Parents/Guardians: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health requires that Postural Screening be done for students in grades 5 through 9. A scoliosis-screening program will be conducted to detect postural problems on Thursday November 30, 2023. The purpose for screening is to find early signs of possible spinal or postural problems in children in grades 5-9. This is not a diagnostic service, but a program to identify young people who should have further medical evaluation and treatment.
The procedure for screening is a simple one in which the student’s back is checked by the nurse or other trained individual. If your child has any possible curvature or unusual findings of the spine, you will be notified and asked to take your child to your primary care physician for further evaluation and follow up. All students will need to wear clothing that will easily allow the nurse to look at their backs, such as a t-shirt or tank top.
Students will be screened individually. You must furnish a copy of a doctor’s note or physical exam stating that he/she has been screened for scoliosis during this school year if you do not want your child screened at school. The MD documentation should be in the Nursing Offices before the scheduled screening. Students NOT returning forms will be screened, per state mandate.
Follow our new instagram page: @JASCHOOL845
NEW PLAYGROUND NEWS: The playground will be finished this week! It will remain closed to the public until next week as we wait for inspections and plan for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
VERY IMPORTANT PARKING ANNOUNCEMENT, PLEASE READ!!!
We are preparing for our NOVEMBER parent teacher conferences. Many of you have reached out to schedule an appointment with your child’s teacher. These 2 days are early release days (11:30 AM Dismissal). As many of you know, we have an arrangement with the New Life Church for overflow parking. Most of our staff take up the spots close to the school, which makes parking at the school not possible. Starting November 20th - 21st, the church parking lot will be closed for a paving project. We will ask that ALL cafeteria drop offs and pick ups happen at the Day Street entrance. This is a drive and drop off/pick up option (You will remain in your car). Since it will be an early release day, we will ask that you plan for delays, as we shuffle new students in/out of cars. Students can be dropped off as early as 7:45 AM - 8:15 AM. There will be additional staff on hand to assist with this. Below is a reminder of the procedures for picking up your child on Day Street. This will need to be the plan for 2 days - 11/20 and 11/21. We anticipate that the paving project will be completed by the time we return to school on 11/27.
In addition, due to the closure of the church parking lot, we are asking families to attend VIRTUAL conferences. Parking will be extremely limited. Your child’s teacher will send you information regarding how to log on for a virtual conference. We also know that this may not be possible for all families, so some parking may be available at the school if virtual is truly not an option.
The timing is extremely inconvenient, but the church and school have a nice relationship, and we hope that with enough pre-planning, this will be a minor inconvenience.
DAY STREET DROP OFF/PICK UP PROCEDURES:
Drop off: Students should arrive between 7:45 and 8:15 AM. Please line up along Day Street. DO NOT block driveways as many of our neighbors need to leave for their own jobs. Please drive up and around the Day Street circle. We ask that you wait for staff to prompt your child to get out of the car. We also ask that you wait in line until the car(s) in front of you have driven away (ALL for safety’s sake). When arriving, DO NOT take a left from the lights at Day Street into the lot. You must go down Day Street and find a place to safely turn around and get in the line. There can be delays. Please plan for this. We appreciate your patience as we shuffle parent drop-offs to one location.
Pick up: This is a similar process. Pick up will begin at 11:30 - 11:45 AM. Please line up along Day Street. DO NOT block driveways along Day Street. Please go to the end of the line and wait patiently. You may not take a left into the line. Staff will direct the children to their cars. If you are new to Day Street, please have a tag with the last name of the student(s) you will pick up on the passenger visor. This helps keep the line flowing. Be prepared to show Identification in the event that school staff are unfamiliar with the adult at pick up. We also ask that you wait in line until the car(s) in front of you have driven away (ALL for safety’s sake).
If you would like to practice this before 11/20 - please send a note to your child’s teacher(s) about this change in transportation.
PTO News:
November 13 - 17: Fall Book Fair - you are welcome to come shop with your child - volunteers needed
November 18 - JA at the Railers - Our chorus is performing the National Anthem! Purchase tickets through https://fevogm.com/event/Leominsterschools
November 3 - 17: Holiday Plant Sale - Flyers were distributed and orders are due no later than 11/17 (see attached)
Important Dates: MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Monday, November 6 - Friday, November 17: School-wide Food Drive (see attached flyer)
M-F: November 13 - 17: Fall Book Fair - you are welcome to come shop with your child - schedules have been sent home
Monday/Tuesday, November 20 and 21: Early Release @ 11:30 - Parent Teacher Conferences - VIRTUAL CONFERENCES ARE MUCH APPRECIATED DUE TO PARKING CONCERNS (noted above).
W- F: November 22 - 24: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving break
Have a wonderful week ahead!
Principal Tapply