May Update
Dear P.A.W.S. Family,
Happy May! I hope you enjoyed the beautiful weather Saturday and the cooler temps and breezes the rain brought this weekend! Please read on for information about the official last day of school for P.A.W.S., as well as upcoming events.
Spring Clean-up THANK YOU!
You may have noticed that the garden beds at the P.A.W.S. building have been given some love and attention and are looking beautiful! Last Wednesday, a group of 21 eighth graders from Wellesley Middle School came to P.A.W.S. to help P.A.W.S. parent and Spring Clean-up Coordinator, Rose Nolan, with the annual Spring Clean-up! The 8th graders were volunteering at P.A.W.S. for their 8th Grade Day of Service. The students worked for about two and a half hours Wednesday morning edging, raking, sweeping, cleaning out dried leaves, and spreading bark mulch in and around the garden beds. They did a marvelous job and we appreciate all of their service to our community!
Rose Nolan worked side by side with the students all morning and worked for the rest of the day in the 88 degree heat, to complete the work, She was joined by P.A.W.S. parents Nicole Meyers (and her son Benjamin) and parent Felicity Dupal who helped to finish the spring clean-up project. A huge thank you to them for dedicating a day of sweat equity to making P.A.W.S. look so pretty! Thank you also for providing water and snacks for the 8th graders, and for providing some new plants for our gardens! We appreciate your dedication to P.A.W.S. and thank you for making our school gardens look amazing!
Last Day of School for P.A.W.S.
We have received the official end date for the last day of school for P.A.W.S.! The last day of school for our preschool students will be Tuesday, June 19, 2018. If your child’s class does not meet on a Tuesday, the last day for that class will be Monday, June 18, 2018. Please speak with your child’s classroom teacher if you have any questions.
Notes From Nurse Ann:
With the weather warming up rather quickly, I would like to remind everyone that the children will be playing outside and may need sun protection. Please be sure to apply sunscreen to your child before they arrive at school. Hats are also helpful and please continue to send in a water bottle to help keep them hydrated. Please label hats, sunglasses, and water bottles with your child’s name. Thank you!
Other important dates this month include:
Sunday, May 6, 2018 – Nurses’ Appreciation Day and Nurses’ Week – We offer a great big thank you to our wonderful school nurse, Nurse Ann Farrell! Be sure to stop by and say thank you to Nurse Ann for taking such good care of everyone at P.A.W.S.!
National Nurses’ Day, typically referred to as Nurses’ Day, is celebrated in the United States on May 6th of every year and is dedicated to honoring nurses around the nation for all of their hard work, dedication, and love. It also serves as a day that brings awareness to the very critical role that nurses play in hospitals and society as a whole. Typical celebrations include banquets, city proclamations, seminars, and lots of cards, flowers, and gifts given to nurses.
National Nurses’ Day kicks off Nurses’ Week, which runs from May 6th through May 12th, which is the birthday of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). Ms. Nightingale was the creator of professional nursing and is highly respected for her pivotal role in the Crimean War, which lates from 1853 to 1856. The entire week was first observed in 1954 before the date of May 6th was later introduced as the specific day of Nurses’ Day starting in 1982. International, Nurses’ Day is celebrated on May 12th.
Monday, May 7 – Friday, May 11 – Teacher Appreciation Week
To celebrate Teacher’s Appreciation Week and the amazing, dedicated, and highly skilled teachers and staff at P.A.W.S, we invite our P.A.W.S. families to honor their teachers and support staff by participating in some fun optional appreciation activities this week.
Each day there will be a way for you and your child to show some love and say thank you to the P.A.W.S. teachers, specialist teachers, paraprofessionals, and teaching assistants.
Participate in one day or all five days – we know our teachers and staff will appreciate your thoughtfulness!
Monday:
BE SWEET or bring something sweet for your teacher. Write a sweet message in sidewalk chalk for your teacher on the path leading into school.
Tuesday:
Love letters/Pictures – Write or draw a note for your teachers! All families are invited to send a note of thanks to their child’s teachers -either via email, handwritten or any way you’d like to share your appreciation. A heartfelt note is one of the greatest and most meaningful gifts a teacher can get.
Wednesday:
Keep it Clean! Help to clean the classroom or send in a favorite cleaning supply or classroom supply!
Thursday:
Treats and high-fives! Bring in a treat for the teachers to share in the teacher’s room or bring a high-five to give to your teachers!
Friday:
Floral Friday! Our teachers help our students grow each day! Bing a flower to school today! It can be a drawing of a flower or real flowers or a plant, to say, “Thank you for helping me grow!”
Thursday, May 10, 2018 – Wellesley Multicultural Festival
The first ever, FREE ADMISSION Wellesley Multicultural Festival 2018 is a collaboration between all WPS elementary schools and the World of Wellesley. The event will run from 5:30-8 pm at Wellesley Middle School. The program will include Workshops, International Foods, Posters and Presentations. This is not a drop-off event. Please BRING YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLES TO REFILL at the Wellesley Middle School. Please remember to check in at the welcome desk on the main floor near the cafeteria.
Signups are ONLY required for workshops that will run from 5:30-6:50 pm. If you are unable to register for workshops, you should still attend. Posters and Food Sampling will also run from 5:30-6:50 PM. All attendees please report to GYM B by 6:50 PM for Performances. Signs will be posted on the main floor of the middle school with directions.
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Here is the schedule for the event: 5 PM – pizza for presenters 5:30- 6:50 PM – Workshops, Posters and Food. Pre-registration only required for Workshops. 10 minute breaks in-between each workshop session. Signup has been posted on World of Wellesley website. 7:00- 8:00 PM everyone gathers in Gym B for 4, hands on performances.
Here is the link to signup for workshops
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080f45ada72ea5f94-wellesley
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Monday, May 28, 2018 – No School, Memorial Day
P.A.W.S. CARES TEAM
Thank you to PK3 teacher Danielle Lange and to the P.A.W.S. CARES TEAM, and to the Fiske and Schofield CARES TEAMS, and to all of the P.A.W.S. families who joined us on the Barton Road Playground on Friday evening! It was a beautiful night for pizza and friends, playing in the park! It was wonderful to see so many P.A.W.S. families enjoying the evening! We hope you’ll join us again for the next CARES TEAM event!
If you are interested in becoming involved with the P.A.W.S. CARES TEAM, please reach out to P.A.W.S. Director, Rebecca, or to Nurse Ann, or to PK3 Teacher Danielle Lange. We welcome everyone to be a part of the P.A.W.S. CARES TEAM!
Scholarships
Each year we have several families in the community who would like to be able to send their child to P.A.W.S. but cannot afford the tuition. We have been unsuccessful in finding a funding source to help these families, and we are looking for a sustainable solution.
At the P.A.W.S. auction this year, a parent asked if she could still, somehow, continue to be a part of P.A.W.S. even though her child was moving on to Kindergarten. She reflected on the fact that her child had been able to attend P.A.W.S., tuition free, because her child has identified special needs, and she recognized the great gift of the amazing P.A.W.S. education and experience her child had received, tuition free.
This parent asked if she could sponsor a child to attend P.A.W.S., as a way of saying thank you, for all P.A.W.S. had done to support her child, and as a way to give back. I think this is a wonderful idea! If there are other families who may be interested in sponsoring a child, to be able to attend P.A.W.S., please reach out to me to let me know what you can do. Together, it is my hope, that we will be able to include more students at P.A.W.S., who would like to benefit from our program, before heading off to kindergarten.
I am reminded daily, of the generous, gifted, and talented parents we have in our community. Your partnership, along with the dedication of our amazing faculty and staff at P.A.W.S., makes a winning combination for our students and our community! Thank you for your continuous support.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week!
Best,
‘Becca Z.