Dear Bates Families,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. It was great to see so many families at the Thanksgiving assembly. The students performed an amazing collection of songs and our fifth graders did a wonderful job introducing each group of performers. I would like to thank Beth Perry, our music teacher, for her vision and hard work. The entire performance was fantastic.
The Wellesley Public Schools faculty returned on Monday to enjoy a professional day together. We started the day by watching the film
Most Likely to Succeed. Teachers then attended workshops presented by their fellow WPS colleagues. The Bates faculty both presented and attended sessions on topics that are particularly relevant to Wellesley educators right now, including:
- supporting social emotional learning;
- differentiated instruction; and
- teaching to support the 4Cs (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication).
It was a valuable and exciting day of learning and collaboration for all.
I have enjoyed meeting with Bates families on several occasions over the last month to discuss the topic of school safety. For those who were not able to attend one of these discussions, I shared how each of the Wellesley Schools works closely with the Wellesley Police Department to be prepared to respond to a number of potential events. We plan to practice only two of our safety protocols with students: an all-school evacuation, which looks very much like a fire drill, and a procedure to keep staff and students clear of the hallways temporarily while going about their day as usual in the classrooms. We will explain to students how these procedures will allow us to respond to potential events such as a flood in the school, which might result due to a pipe bursting, or a child getting sick in the hallway. If you have any questions or concerns about the topic of schools safety, please feel free to contact me at any time. The Magnificent Day of Play is now just a few days away. Students are preparing plans and sketches and gathering materials for their creations. Many classrooms are still in need of volunteers to make this day a success. If you are able to join us next Wednesday, December 9, please sign up to be a classroom volunteer during the morning or help with clean up from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Sign up here.
You can also help by sending to school the necessary cardboard and other recyclable supplies your child will use. We will be collecting supplies on Tuesday, December 8 or Wednesday, December 9. Supplies should be carried in a brown paper bag or in hand and will be stored in classrooms prior to the start of school on Wednesday. Please also make plans for how your child will transport his or her creation home on Wednesday. Thank you.
Warm regards,
Toni Jolley
Upcoming dates:
Wednesday, December 9 Magnificent Day of Play
Friday, December 18 Bates Spirit Day: Wear red or your Bates spirit wear
Wednesday, December 23 Dismissal for end of year vacation
