May 17, 2021

Dear PAWS Families,

Happy Monday! Here are some updates for you from PAWS, with a special reminder that this Wednesday, May 19th in the evening, the district is hosting a Listening Session. I encourage you to join via zoom and speak up, have your voices heard, and share your thoughts about how you felt the reopening of school went this year and to share any thoughts you have for the start of school in the fall. As always, I welcome your comments and feedback as well and would like to hear about anything you notice that we can do to improve.

RETURN TO SCHOOL LISTENING SESSION

The Wellesley Public Schools will host a listening session to gather the opinions, beliefs and attitudes about the reopening of schools this spring, and later in the fall, and the impacts of COVID19 on community members. We value the voices of all community members in the District’s ongoing decision-making. Please join us on 5/19/2021, 6:00- 7:30 p.m., via Zoom. You may register here.

Thank you!

Thank you to the PAWS PTO volunteers of the Donohue Family, Scarpati Family, Gill Family, Pocon-Pamos Family and Orfanos Family for your wonderful help with the PAWS Schoolyard Spring Clean-up on Sunday, May 16th! Your hard work, sweat equity and effort to fill 13 giant lawn bags of leaves and yard debris has helped to make our school grounds looking so pretty and well cared for!

A special, big thank you to PAWS PK2 Paraprofessional Maureen Quinn for volunteering her time on Sunday to help the PTO volunteers and to keep working with me into the afternoon!

Thank you to the Wellesley DPW team for bringing and spreading the bark mulch today and for removing the bags of yard waste for us!

Great job to an amazing team! It makes me think of the quote by Margaret Mead, “ “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” Your hard work and caring has certainly changed our small word here at PAWS and we are grateful!

Image of PAWS school and grounds with new bark mulch and the school fairy garden.

Staff Snacks

Thank you to the Orfanos Family, The Roller Family and the Mahoney Family for your wonderful assortment of seltzers, snacks and treats for the PAWS staff to enjoy last week! Your support is greatly appreciated by the faculty and staff!

Staff Appreciation Baskets

Thank you to Lorraine Pocon-Ramos for the special delivery today of individual “Movie Night” themed gift baskets for the teachers and staff! Everyone has been amazed by the creativity, kindness, generosity and the amount of time this must have taken you to create all of these for PAWS! Thank you for showing your appreciation for the PAWS team in such a special way!

Image of a Movie Night gift basket with a key chain, hand sanitizer, tissue pack, mask lanyard, popcorn and snacks.

Tea with ‘Becca – Black Lives Matter Flag – PAWS Discussion Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 9:30am-10:30am.

Please join the conversation about Race, Social Justice, the Black Lives Matter Flag and the LGBTQ+ flag that will be coming to PAWS. You are invited to bring your thoughts and questions to the conversation on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 9:30am-10:30am.

For those families looking for resources to engage young children in conversations about race and justice you may enjoy checking out THIS LINK Using Books to Engage Young Children in Talk about Race & Justice: Part 2

10 Tips for Teaching and Talking to Kids about Race

Thank you for all of your continued positive support of our P.A.W.S. programs!

Sincerely,

‘Becca Z.

Important Dates:

Tea With ‘Becca, Tuesday, May 18th, 9:30-10:30am
Return to School Listening Session register here. – Wednesday, May 19th, 6:00-7:30pm
Memorial Day, No School, May 31st
Last day of school for students (assumes no snow days) This is a half day of school for students. Thursday, June 17th – Dismissal will be at 11:45am