Elementary Literacy Update

Good evening, WPS Elementary School Community, We are pleased to announce that the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES)  and Elementary Literacy Team (ELT)  members will provide the Winchester School Committee with a progress update at the Committee's meeting this Thursday, December 12 . The meeting is a regular business meeting for the Committee and will have other items on the agenda, but we expect the presentation to begin shortly  after 6:30 pm.  The meeting will be in person at Winchester High School in Room LG1 (B118) on the first floor and live-streamed by WinCam . WinCam generally posts meeting recordings within 24-48 hours.  Just a reminder that you can find ELT updates on our WPS Elementary Literacy webpage with the last meeting summary at this link:   ELT Nov 19, 2024 . Sincerely, Frank Hackett, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools 

Tuesday, Dec 10 2024

Student Use of Cell Phones in School

Dear WPS Families, Every fall I visit all of our parent associations to share information about the new school year and to hear what is on the minds of our families. This year, concerns over student cell phone use were expressed at all of the elementary school meetings, and, as many of you know, the topic continues to be part of parent and community conversations. I’m writing to clarify our past and current practices at all our schools.  WPS Current Rules K-12 Students at the elementary and middle school levels  are not allowed  to use cell phones during the school day. The McCall Middle student handbook has  included  cell phone rules for many years (please see below). While expectations have not been stated in our elementary student handbook, our practice has been to not allow their use. Students at Winchester High School (WHS) are allowed to use cell phones as long as they follow the rules that have been outlined in the WHS handbook. The rules for each level are outlined below.  Our elementary principals recently reviewed our practice by school to ensure that we consistently enforce our expectation that students do not use cell phones during the school day. As part of that work, they developed a standard set of rules that require students to keep cell phones turned off and put away during the school day. This information has been communicated to students and parents at each of our five schools (please see below).  The following cell phone rules are in place for the current school year.  Elementary School Handbook The following are expectations regarding cell phone/smartwatch usage: Students may bring phones to school, but they must be turned off and kept in backpacks throughout the school day. Smartwatches are permitted if they are in "school mode.” If a student uses their smartwatch for anything other than telling time, the teacher will hold onto it until the end of the day. Repeated misuse of smartwatches may result in students not being allowed to wear them to school for a period of time, as determined by the principal. McCall Middle School Handbook Prior to first-period class each morning, all students must turn off their cell phones and secure them in their lockers. Students are not permitted to carry and/or use cell phones during the school day. If a student needs to make a phone call, they will be able to access one in a classroom, the main office, or the guidance office.  Students found carrying their cell phone or using their cell phone during the school day may be required to turn the item over and disciplinary action may be assigned by an administrator. Repeat offenders may be required to turn their phones into the main office at the start of each school day. Winchester High School Handbook Students may use cell phones: As an internet resource at the discretion of the classroom teacher, the classroom teacher or staff member reserves the right to create the expectation of how or if students are permitted to use cell phones in their classroom. During a student’s lunch block. In the hallway between classes only. Before or after the school day. Violation of the cell phone policy: A staff member may request a student’s cell phone if the student is violating the WHS cell phone policy or the classroom teacher’s cell phone policy.  The phone will be sent to the Main Office.  Students may be able to retrieve the cell phone at the end of the school day, or a parent/guardian may have to retrieve the phone. Unauthorized videoing, picture taking, or recording of any kind (for example, but not limited to: another student, staff member, or persons unaware) are strictly prohibited and may result in significant disciplinary action. This is a violation of privacy and against the law. Failure to give a staff member the phone will be considered insubordination and may result in the student incurring an in-school or out-of-school suspension. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your school principal.  Sincerely,  Frank Hackett, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools 

Tuesday, Nov 26 2024

Winchester Elementary Literacy Team

Good evening,  The Elementary Literacy Team (ELT) held its first meeting last Thursday, September 26th. Below are summary notes from the meeting. As a reminder, we will continue to update the elementary literacy webpage as new information becomes available.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your school's principal. It's great to get the work going! Sincerely, Frank Hackett, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools  Winchester Elementary Literacy Team  Meeting Update September 26, 2024 The district elementary literacy team (ELT) met for the first time on September 26, 2024, in person from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The meeting, facilitated by the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES), was attended by members of the ELT, which is composed of general classroom teachers, special education teachers, literacy specialists/coaches, and administrators (a complete list of the team members can be found below). This first meeting provided the opportunity to acknowledge the work in the district that has already commenced since August, such as the recent PD day, where educators had the opportunity to look at data and how it can be used to inform instruction.  At this meeting, CES provided an overview of the work, established community guidelines, and reviewed logistics. The ELT also had the opportunity to build connections, create an environment of trust, intention, and safety, and establish a clear and transparent decision making process that will be used throughout the course of the work.  The team revisited key takeaways from the CES Winchester elementary literacy study and discussed how they could inform some possible directions for the work. The ELT also spent time at this meeting brainstorming and discussing other changes that could possibly be made within a short time frame. At the next meeting, the ELT will determine an action/work plan based on ideas that were generated. In the coming weeks, the ELT will share a roadmap and establish channels to gather ideas and feedback from all elementary educators in various modalities. The ELT will meet regularly through June 2025. The CES team will continue to work with the ELT and inform the district with updates about the team’s work. Elementary Literacy Team Members: Steering Committee: Kathy Caron, Principal (Vinson-Owen) Laurie Kirby, Assistant Superintendent  Andrea Phelan, Principal (Ambrose) Elementary Literacy Team: Christina Desjardins, Classroom teacher (Lynch) Ella Adams-MacLeod, Principal (Lincoln) Hannah Dingman, Director of Multilingual Learner Education Jenn Anderson, Classroom teacher (Vinson-Owen) Jennifer Dumas, Literacy Coach (Lincoln) Karen Rizzuti, Classroom teacher (Vinson-Owen) Kim Penta, Classroom teacher (Lincoln) Lisa Mahoney, Literacy Specialist (Lynch) Lorri Kane, Classroom teacher (Ambrose) Lynn Mazzocchi, Special education teacher (Vinson-Owen) Melissa Testa, Classroom teacher (Muraco) Morgan Doney, Literacy Specialist (Lincoln) Natalie Katz, Special education teacher (Muraco) Rebecca Decaneas, Special education teacher (Ambrose)

Tuesday, Oct 01 2024

Elementary Literacy Update

Dear Elementary Parents and Caregivers, I hope this email finds you settling into the school year and that your children are enjoying their return to the classroom. I'm writing to provide some important information about elementary literacy and what you can expect as we start the 2024-2025 school year. We all feel a sense of urgency to ensure our students get the literacy support and instruction they need to become fluent readers. Our teachers, literacy specialists, special education educators, and building leaders are central to this important work. They will drive our decision-making and change process. Since returning to school, our teachers and administrators have already engaged in thoughtful and collaborative conversations about reading instruction. I provided several updates to the School Committee over the summer (see  Elementary Literacy ), and we remained engaged with the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) to prioritize our next steps and develop efficient and collaborative organizing structures that will leverage the skills and knowledge of our educators. We are establishing an Elementary Literacy Team (ELT) to guide our ongoing efforts to improve literacy instruction. This CES-facilitated team of educators will meet regularly throughout the school year and include representatives from each of our elementary schools.  Finally, we made several decisions based on the CES report and our leadership discussions to start the school year. These include: The University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) will serve as the core program for grades K-2, focusing on essential literacy skills. We will continue to use various resources to support literacy development, including Comprehension Components of Units of Study, Heggerty, Fishtank, Jen Seravalo Reading Strategies 2.0, Words Their Way, and Teaching Phonics and Word Study in the Intermediate Grades. We have already begun K-3 DIBELS assessments and are expediting the process by teaming together our district literacy specialists and having them assess students at each school. This year, we will provide all parents with DIBELS data, a change from previous years when it was distributed only to students below the benchmark. We will soon share more information about how and when this data will be communicated. We will continue to partner with our school-based parent leaders and regularly update all parents on our work and progress.  You find updated information as it becomes available on our  Elementary Literacy  webpage.  We appreciate your support as we work together to ensure that all of our students become strong readers and writers. Sincerely, Frank Hackett, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

Monday, Sep 16 2024

Lynch School Construction Update: The Future is Bright!

​ ​ Lynch School Construction Update: The Future is Bright! September 4, 2024 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Dear Lynch Families, As we begin our final year at Parkhurst, I'm thrilled to share the latest construction updates for the new Lynch School. If you've driven by recently, you've no doubt seen the incredible progress we've made! I'm happy to announce that our project managers and construction crews are right on schedule for a June 2025 completion. This timeline will allow us to move in over the summer, ensuring a smooth start to the 2025-2026 school year! As we approach that exciting time, I wanted to share some facts and figures about the new building. The building will feature: Multiple assembly spaces, including a beautiful library/media center and a light-filled cafeteria with a full-service kitchen; A gymnasium with a regulation-sized basketball court as well as a stage for student performances;  Onsite solar canopies designed to power the entire building, making Lynch Elementary School the first all-electric, net-zero-designed energy building in town;  Harkening back to the old Lynch, it has several spaces for outdoor learning, including an outdoor classroom on the 3rd floor;  Classrooms and learning spaces equipped with the latest technology and all new furniture being selected by the Lynch staff next week;  A bus drop-off loop that is separated from parent and visitor traffic flow;  Three levels of spacious classrooms with hallways that include small group learning spaces; Three playgrounds, including Preschool, K-5, and a playground adjacent to the soccer fields at the back of the building.  We appreciate your ongoing patience and flexibility as we undertake this incredible project to invest in Lynch’s bright future! I encourage you to read more about the project at www.lynch2025.com, and I look forward to celebrating the opening of the new Lynch with you and the entire town of Winchester in less than a year!! Best wishes for a great 2024-2025 school year!  Frank Hackett, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Wednesday, Sep 04 2024