April 5, 2024 

Dear PAWS Families,

The Solar Eclipse is a big topic of conversation these days, with the Solar Eclipse showing on April 8th!  It is anticipated to start in our area at 2:15pm with the maximum view at 3:29pm. I am sharing a few things families can do from to support our preschoolers and help to keep them safe while enjoying the solar eclipse experience.

Like many families, you may be excited to see a solar eclipse with your children. Here are some tips to help you experience this rare event safely.

Viewing the eclipse while protecting your eyes:

There are a few ways to view a solar eclipse without risking permanent vision problems from damage to the delicate tissues of the eye, including the and the cornea.

Remember that it is never safe to look directly at the sun, even during a solar eclipse. Only during “totality,” when day suddenly becomes night with , is it briefly safe to look at the sun completely blocked by the moon. Still, use caution even then.

Image of paper plate “eye shield” credit: NASA

Otherwise, a solar eclipse should only be viewed with or meeting the .

(Image from: of the correct eyewear to use during an eclipse)

Your eclipse glasses should have the , and the manufacturer’s name. Also, check your eclipse glasses for any damage.

Be sure that you and your children are wearing the solar filter before looking towards the sun. Then, continue to wear it until you look away from the sun.

Younger kids & those with developmental disabilities

For younger children, consider making the eclipse glasses more secure by crafting a wider shield from paper plates. For more fun, your kids can even decorate the shield ( suggested by NASA).

You can also help prepare children with or other developmental disabilities for the eclipse experience with a social story like . This social story was written for central standard time. You will need to adjust the times in the story to eastern standard time.

:

Another way to experience a solar eclipse indirectly is by using a . This can be as simple as a small pinhole in an index card to project the image of the sun onto any surface with your back to the sun. DO NOT look at the sun through the pinhole. with directions on to make a pinhole projector with an empty cereal box.

(Image from video of a pinhole projector made from a cereal box.)

Teach kids about what it means to be in the moon’s shadow: from

“At its very simplest, when the moon gets in between the Earth and the sun, and the moon appears to pass over the sun as seen from Earth, then we get a solar eclipse,” Nichols told Scientific American.

(Image from: of the Moon passing between the Earth and the Sun.)

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions, have a great weekend, stay safe and enjoy the solar eclipse at home on Monday afternoon with your children!

Best,

‘Becca Z.

Important Dates:

April 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 – No School – April Break

May 27 – No School – Memorial Day

June 12th – Last day of school for students (assuming no more snow days) 

June 19 – No School – Juneteenth

June 20 – Last Day of School – Half Day (assumes 5 contingency/snow days)

Dear PAWS Families and Caregivers, 

Dear PAWS Families and Caregivers,

Please remember tomorrow is a No-School day. We will see you all next week!

As we head into another exciting month at our preschool, we want to emphasize the importance of kindness, care, and inclusivity within our community.

1. Be Kind and Caring: Let’s be sure that our thoughts, actions, and words to each other create a nurturing environment where everyone feels valued and respected. Small acts of kindness go a long way. You are encouraged to offer a smile and lend a helping hand when you can. As caregivers, let’s model empathy and compassion for our children. Remember, kindness is contagious!

2. Celebrate Differences: Our preschool is a beautiful tapestry of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and abilities. Let’s celebrate these differences! Teach your children about various traditions, languages, and customs. Remind them that we are all learning and each of us learns in different ways. Encourage them to ask questions and learn from one another. Together, we can foster a sense of curiosity, understanding, and belonging.

3. Inclusion Matters: Every child deserves to feel included and accepted. If you notice a child playing alone, invite them to join the group. Be mindful of language—use words that uplift and empower. Our community thrives when everyone feels included and that they belong.

4. Volunteer Opportunities: Lend a hand if you can – even 30 minutes to help sort the books for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program would help!

5. Kind and Caring Hearts and Strong Brains:  Our dedicated teachers have a passion for fostering kindness and caring and for encouraging students to persevere on a task, work on problem solving and try new activities. We encourage our preschoolers to be kind and caring to themselves and each other and in doing so they earn hearts. When students work to problem solve or make a mistake and learn from it, they earn a “strong brain” to celebrate their accomplishment.  Ask your child about some ways to be kind, caring or earn a strong brain—they might have stories to share!

We encourage all of our families to work on being kind and caring to one another and to model this expected behavior in their homes.

6. Reminders:

• Label your child’s belongings to avoid mix-ups.
• Check your emergency contacts in POWERSCHOOL and update them please.

Thank you for being part of our wonderful preschool family. Let’s continue spreading love, kindness, and inclusion. Together, we make our community shine!

Best to you all for a lovely long weekend,

‘Becca Z.

Important Dates:

March 29 – No School – Good Friday

April 2 – Early Release for Parent/Caregiver & Teacher Conferences 

April 3 – Parent/Caregiver & Teacher Conferences

April 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 – No School – April Break

May 27 – No School – Memorial Day

June 12th – Last day of school for students (assuming no more snow days) 

June 19 – No School – Juneteenth

June 20 – Last Day of School – Half Day (assumes 5 contingency/snow days)

Dear PAWS Families,

As we navigate the exciting journey of early education together, we want to emphasize the vital importance of attending parent-teacher conferences. These meetings provide a unique opportunity for us to work together to support your child’s growth and development. Here are four reasons why your active participation matters:

1. Understanding Your Child’s Strengths and Areas of Growth:

• During these conferences, our dedicated teachers will provide valuable insights into your child’s academic abilities, areas of improvement, and overall progress in the classroom.
• Armed with this knowledge, you can better support your child’s learning at home, reinforcing their strengths and addressing any challenges.

2. Building Positive Relationships:

• When parents/caregivers and teachers collaborate, magic happens!

3. Encouraging Parent Involvement:

• Research consistently shows that parental involvement positively impacts student success.

4. Improved Academic Outcomes and Attendance:

• When parents engage in their child’s education, academic outcomes improve and attendance rates rise.

Practical Tips for Conference Success:

• Prepare Questions: Share your questions or concerns ahead of time to allow your child’s teacher to prepare.
• Listen Actively: Engage in open dialogue with your child’s teacher.
• Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge achievements and set goals together.

Your participation in parent-teacher conferences contributes to a thriving preschool community. Let’s continue nurturing our students with love, care, and collaboration!

Best,

‘Becca Z.

March 26, 2024 

Dear PAWS Families,

You may be aware that there have been some exciting updates in town with a new school building at Hunnewell School and a new building being built for the Hardy School. Along with the new buildings there have been a few redistricting adjustments.

With the changes at the elementary level, there will be some changes for PAWS as well.  We have been quite fortunate to have our three satellite PAWS classrooms located right across the parking lot at the Fiske Elementary School for the past couple of years. In previous years the satellite PAWS classrooms have been located at different elementary schools including at Upham, Bates and Hunnewell schools.  

Looking ahead to next year, we will not be at the Fiske School, but our three satellite PAWS classrooms will be located at another elementary school in Wellesley. We do not know which elementary school will be able to welcome us yet, but as soon as we know the exact location where we will be, we will share it with all of you!  

We are actively working with WPS leadership and anticipate news of our new location will be coming soon.  We know how difficult it can feel to wait to learn of the new location for our one-year-before kindergarten classrooms and we appreciate your patience and understanding!  As soon as the information is available, I will be sharing it with our community directly.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions and I will do my best to provide answers for you.

Best,

‘Becca Z.

Important Dates:

March 27 – Parent/Caregiver & Teacher Conferences

March 29 – No School – Good Friday

April 2 – Early Release for Parent/Caregiver & Teacher Conferences 

April 3 – Parent/Caregiver & Teacher Conferences

April 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 – No School – April Break

May 27 – No School – Memorial Day

June 12th – Last day of school for students (assuming no more snow days) 

June 19 – No School – Juneteenth

June 20 – Last Day of School – Half Day (assumes 5 contingency/snow days)

March 20, 2024 

Dear PAWS Families,

Tonight is the Kindergarten Special Education Transition Information Night – Wednesday, March 20, 2024 – 6:00-7:00pm in the Fiske School Library

The caregivers of students with identified special needs and IEPs who will be transitioning to kindergarten in the fall of 2024, are invited to attend an information session about the transition to kindergarten.  

Special Education Department Heads from the elementary schools will join PAWS Team Chair and Director to share information about the special education opportunities that will be available to students in kindergarten.  All families are welcome, but/and the focus of the evening will be on the unique aspects of the special education transition between preschool and kindergarten.

PTO Updates

The PAWS PTO is starting to work on fun and exciting activities for the next school year and would love to have more parents/caregivers from PAWS join them in their efforts!  Please reach out to the PTO (wellesley.pawspto@gmail.com) to learn more about the open positions on the PTO Board and other ways you can contribute to the success of PAWS!

Notes from Nurse Sue: Kindergarten Registration:

Hello Families of Rising Kindergarteners,

Registration for Wellesley Public School students planning to enroll in Kindergarten for Fall of 2024 is currently open. 

If you plan to enroll your child in Kindergarten in the fall, please follow this link:

As part of registration, �������ϲʿ���ֱ�� requires proof of a physical exam dated within the past 12 months. This document should include your child’s immunization record, proof of lead screening, as well as hearing and vision screenings.  This form is oftentimes called the “School and Camp form”.  Please upload this document directly into the SNAP Health portal.  

Instructions for how to access the SNAP Health portal and upload documents can be found here:

If you have questions about the Health Portal or need assistance uploading your child’s PE, please contact our school nurse, Sue Mangiacotti, at mangiacottis@wellesleyps.org

Happy Spring!

It was snowing at my house this morning, but/and I have been enjoying seeing my honey bees from my bee hives gathering pollen and bringing it back into their hives on the nice warm days!  Spring weather is coming!

Given the range in temperature from day to day, please be sure your child wears layers to help them adjust to the change in temperature during different parts of the school day.

Gentle Reminder:

Wellesley requests that all drivers kindly turn off their car engines when you are in the car line. Please share this reminder with your caregivers who drive your children as well. If you or anyone in line forgets, use grace and kindness to offer a supporting and kind reminder. We are all learning and sometimes drivers may forget to turn their car engine off. Thank you for your help. Thank you for caring about our environment and everyone in it.

Best,

‘Becca Z.

Important Dates:

March 20 – Special Education Transition to Kindergarten Information Session @ the   

        Fiske Library – 6:00-7:00pm

March 27 – Parent/Caregiver & Teacher Conferences

March 29 – No School – Good Friday

April 2 – Early Release for Parent/Caregiver & Teacher Conferences

April 3 – Parent/Caregiver & Teacher Conferences

April 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 – No School – April Break

May 27 – No School – Memorial Day

June 19 – No School – Juneteenth

June 20 – Last Day of School – Half Day (assumes 5 contingency/snow days)

Dear Members of the WPS Community:

On behalf of the �������ϲʿ���ֱ��, I extend heartfelt condolences to all who have been impacted by the terrible terrorist attacks in Israel over the weekend.  These events are being deeply felt by members of our Wellesley community and I hope you will join me in sharing care and concern for those who have lost loved ones or are worried for the safety of family members and friends.

It’s likely that students and staff will be returning to school tomorrow with these ongoing events weighing heavily upon them.  We never want members of our community to worry alone and I ask that everyone be especially attentive to our students’ desire to engage, make meaning of the situation, or to share an individual concern.  In whatever form this may take, let’s be a resource to one another within our school community in the days ahead as we lean on each other and pray for peace.  

Most sincerely,

Dr. David Lussier

Superintendent of Schools