Dear Sprague Community,
Excitement is in the air this week. We had a solar eclipse. We have a fresh coat of paint in the office. The custodians are putting the final touches on summer cleaning projects at Sprague and soon the floors will be shiny and ready for our students to come back on Wednesday, August 30th! Teachers are busy getting ready in their classrooms too. Our new system for notifying families of class assignments worked pretty well and we appreciate the effort on the part of all parents who logged into the Powerschool Parent Portal, updated their student information, and provided the necessary permissions in order to see their child’s class assignment. As you know, we are unable to share class lists anymore. Once families provide permission for inclusion in the directory, the PTO will share the directory. This year, some teachers have sent welcome letters in the mail and others have sent welcome letters via email. As we refine our systems to make them easier for families, we plan to send next year’s welcome letters via email along with any supply list requests that may come from some grade levels. Currently, teachers in grades K, 1, and 2 do not have supply lists and ask for donations of things like tissues, wipes, Ziploc bags, and ‘twistables’. Upper grade teachers may vary in their requests, but again, we plan to streamline this process for families next year, so we thank you for your understanding.
I know you join me in welcoming Lisa Licata to the role of Sprague School secretary. For those who don’t know Lisa, she has been our building TA for 15 years (since Sprague opened). I am certain you will appreciate Lisa’s kind and calm style. She already knows many students and will be a welcoming presence in the office. There are a number of other new staff members and I will write in more detail about that in the next note.
I’d like to remind you of some important dates as we move forward:
- August 29th: Popsicle Playdate for New Families (3:00, but come a few minutes early to see the school) and Kindergarten Families (2:00-3:15 PM includes visit to classroom starting at 2:00)
- August 30th: First Day of School (half day for all)
- August 31st: BYO Picnic dinner for new families, kindergarten families, and host families
- September 7th: Ice Cream Social at 6 PM
- September 11th: First Full day of school for kindergarten
- September 12th: School Picture Day
- September 14th: Back to School Night (parents and guardians only—students do not attend)
Many important documents with information about our school can be found on the website at this address:
https://wellesleyps.org/sprague/back-to-school-packet/
Please take a minute to read the Elementary Handbook and Sprague School Guide. You will see information about school policies, drop off procedures and much more! If you haven’t already done so, you will also see directions to log onto the Powerschool Parent Portal so you can update your information. This is extremely important as we use emails and phone numbers from Powerschool to communicate with you.
I am very excited to begin another school year at Sprague and continue to believe that our most important job is teaching students to be kind to one another. When all children feel comfortable and feel a sense of belonging at our school, we can go about the business of teaching and learning all of the wonderful and exciting things in our curriculum. Without strong relationships, we would be unable to do the important work we do with your children. As always, it is a privilege to work with the fabulous teachers and staff at Sprague and I feel so fortunate that you all choose to send your children to Sprague to brighten our days. I can’t wait to see all the smiles on the 30th!
Warmest regards,
Susan