Dear Bates Families, It was great to welcome students back to school this week and to recognize that March is around the corner! In the upcoming months Bates will be busier than ever. In this email I highlight many of the exciting events for students and families. New and Improved Car Line Procedures Many of you have noticed and commented on the new and improved morning car line procedures at drop-off this week. I’d like to thank Officer Evan Rosenberg for his help. Changes implemented with Officer Rosenberg’s assistance have resulted in a longer drop off area and a more efficient traffic flow. Please continue to help with our new procedures by remembering to take a right out of the car line onto Elmwood Road. Officer Rosenberg has advised this to be the safest and most expedient route, and it results in a more efficient process. Also, please remember to not use the parking lot to drop-off or pick-up students. Thank you. Officer Rosenberg has also been very helpful with ideas for improving the afternoon car line procedures. He has advised cars to not park on any portion of Westgate Road during dismissal. This will allow for other cars, school busses and emergency vehicles to travel safely. Officer Rosenberg has also asked us to remind drivers in the car line to be mindful of our Bates neighbors’ driveways and avoid blocking access to the dead end portion of Westgate Road. In addition to our ongoing efforts to improve pick-up and drop-off, the Bates School has been selected as one of several Wellesley Schools to participate in a transportation study conducted by Olin College and Wellesley College students. In the coming weeks you may see college students from these schools observing our drop-off and pick-up procedures. The purpose of the study is to see if they can generate ideas to improve the system. Some of the students may ask to speak with you to better understand the process. Please be assured that any information you share will be anonymous. Enrolling in Kindergarten The Wellesley Public Schools has begun a process of registering students for kindergarten and has scheduled two “Kindergarten Round-up” events. The first occurred on February 11. If you have a child who will be five before September 1, 2015 and would like to enroll him or her in kindergarten but have not yet done so, please make sure you attend the next district-wide Round-up event on March 7 at The Sprague School. If you have friends or neighbors who are new to the public schools, they can find information about the Kindergarten Round-up on the WPS website. In addition, on March 18 at 6:00 p.m. we will hold an Open House for parents and guardians of soon-to-be Bates kindergarteners. Even if you are an existing Bates family, you are encouraged to attend this special event if you will be enrolling a new kindergarten student. Upcoming Events This spring you will notice many exciting events on the Bates calendar. On May 6 Bates will hold a Science Fair. In preparation for this, the Creative Arts committee has scheduled a presentation on March 10 for students on how to do a science project. Students are sure to be buzzing with excitement about the possibilities. We encourage all students to participate, but it is an optional event. More information and a sign up form will be sent home in the coming weeks. On Wednesday, March 4 I will send out an invitation for you to sign up online for a spring conference with your child’s teacher. Conferences will be held in late March and early April. In a few weeks our third, fourth and fifth graders will participate in MCAS testing. I have listed our testing schedule below. Also, please mark your calendars for the very exciting Bates Mini-Marathon on April 10 and Bates in Bloom, an Open House event for student and families, on May 21. More details about these events will follow. I hope to see you soon at one of the upcoming math events for parents, the Bates Book Fair or the PTO sponsored Robert Brooks speaking engagement on March 4. Sincerely, Toni Jolley Upcoming dates: Tuesday, March 3 – Friday, March 6 – Bates Book Fair Tuesday, March 3 – Voting Day (Lunch is held in classrooms. Please pack a nut-free lunch.) Wednesday, March 4 – Book Fair Family Night 6-8 p.m. in the library Thursday, March 5 – PTO speaker Robert Brooks at 7 p.m. in the library Saturday, March 7 – Kindergarten Round-up 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Sprague School Tuesday, March 10 – Presentation for all grades: How to do a Science Fair Project Wednesday, March 11 – Math Workshop for parents at Bates, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12 – Walk to School Day April and May events: Bates Mini-Marathon – April 10 Science Fair – May 6 Bates in Bloom – May 21 at 8:45 a.m. Bates MCAS testing schedule: March 24 – Grade 4 English Language Arts (ELA) test March 25 – Grade 3 ELA test March 26 – Grades 3 & 5 ELA test March 27 – Grade 4 ELA test March 30 – Grade 5 ELA test April 2 – Grade 4 Long Composition test April 9 – Grade 4 Long Composition make-up test May 5 – Grades 3 & 5 Math test May 7 – Gradse 3 & 5 Math test May 8 – Grade 4 Math test May 11 – Grade 5 Science test May 13 – Grade 4 Math test May 14 – Grade 5 Science test
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