Otho L. Schofield Elementary School

Schofield Scoop 5.10.24

Jordan Hoffman — Fri, 10 May 2024 20:15:14 +0000

Schofield School

Go Hawks

Dear Schofield Families,

I cannot adequately put into words how grateful our staff is for the appreciation shown by our PTO this week. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough. The creative themes, treats and decor made our staff feel so special. And the lunch served by our 5th graders wearing Schofield aprons was delightful! Thank you for helping to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our teachers.

Day of Imagineering
Thank you to all of the volunteers who made the Day of Imagineering possible. Students’ creativity was impressive and they felt a great sense of pride!

Field Day
Field Day scheduled for May 24th. If you are available to help, please use this .

Staffing Update

Kim Casalena, Schofield’s literacy specialist, has decided to return to the classroom and has accepted a position teaching third grade at Bates Elementary School. Ms. Casalena has been an invaluable asset to our school and her dedication and expertise have greatly contributed to the academic growth of our students. We wish her the very best in her next endeavor.
Ali Harrington, one of our math specialists, will be moving to Hunnewell next year as part of a shift in math coaches across the district. Ms. Harrington has played a pivotal role in shaping the math experiences of our students in grades 3-5. We wish her the very best in her work at Hunnewell.
Please join me in welcoming Danielle Silverman to the Schofield team. Ms. Silverman has been a math specialist at Bates, following many years as a special educator. We are happy to welcome her to our team.
Due to decreased student enrollment district-wide, there has been a reduction to art teachers. Unfortunately, this means that Ms. Terentieva or “Mx. T” will be leaving Wellesley. They have been a wonderful addition to our team and while it’s sad to see them go, I know another school district will be fortunate to have such a caring, creative and hardworking educator.
As I shared previously, Julie Morris is retiring at the end of this school year after many years of teaching kindergarten at Schofield. Thank you to Ms. Morris for her expertise and dedication in working with our youngest learners.
I am pleased to share that Bethany Bergeron will shift from teaching first grade to kindergarten next year. Ms. Bergeron taught kindergarten before joining Schofield and she is excited for this new opportunity.
Due to the Upham closure and subsequent elementary school consolidation, the district and WEA collaborated on a process to reassign staff with Professional Teacher Status (more than three years of experience) as well as to post and fill other positions. As a result, we created an interview committee composed of Schofield educators from multiple grade levels to fill two fourth grade teacher positions. Meg Kilpatrick and Eleanor Devereaux were selected to teach fourth grade next year along with Amanda El-Lakkis. As many of you know, Ms. Kilpatrick is a current fourth grade teacher here and Ms. Devereaux will be joining us from Fiske, where she has also been teaching fourth grade.

Here are the teacher assignments and sections for next year:

Kindergarten: Ms. Hood and Ms. Bergeron
Grade 1: Ms. Lydon and Ms. Sanborn
Grade 2: Ms. Stewart, Ms. Hale, and Ms. Paterson
Grade 3: Ms. Fleming, Ms. Gilmartin, and Ms. Balta
Grade 4: Ms. El-Lakkis, Ms. Kilpatrick, and Ms. Devereaux
Grade 5: Mr. Moretti, Ms. Sullivan, and Ms. Doyle

Ducklings
Schofield was featured on NBC Boston news. .

As we approach Mother’s Day this weekend, I want to extend warm wishes to all of the mothers, grandmothers and mother figures within our community. And for those who have lost their mothers, I am thinking of you as well this weekend.

Best,
Jordan

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Schofield Scoop 5.3.24

Jordan Hoffman — Fri, 03 May 2024 21:30:31 +0000

Schofield School

Go Hawks

Dear Schofield Families,

Early this week, 15 ducklings hatched in the Schofield courtyard! To say they were a distraction (for students and for staff) is an understatement. We loved watching them follow their mother around from behind the glass. However, we know that animals need to be in their natural habitats, so this morning several staff members assisted in herding the ducklings to the wetlands on the far side of Temple Beth Elohim. I am happy to share that they made it safely and went directly into the water. They will be missed!

. .

Thank you, PTO!
“Bash the Trash” visited Schofield this week to teach students in grades K-5 about reducing and recycling. They provided a musical spin on recycling and engineering that was so engaging and really inspired students to create. We can’t wait for the Day of Imagineering next Wednesday, May 8th. Remember to save those cool recyclable items! Here are some videos of books being read aloud that may inspire your child even more:

By Kobi Yamada
by Kim Smith
by Jane Yolen
by Antoinette Portis

This week, second graders also had the opportunity to work with poet Andrew Greene, who visited all three classes. Mr. Greene inspired students with his own poetry and then worked with them to create poems of their own. Thanks again to the PTO for providing our students with these enriching experiences.

Arrival and Breakfast
We have seen an increase in tardiness recently. It is important to drop your child off by 8:25 AM so that they can be ready to learn when the school day begins at 8:30 AM. Just a reminder that students having breakfast should enter through the front doors in the morning. Breakfast will be available to students until 8:35 AM.

Field Day
Schofield’s Field Day is scheduled for May 24th. We are seeking volunteers to help with the morning activities and will be sharing a Sign Up Genius soon. Stay tuned!

Remaining MCAS Dates

Grade 3
Monday May 13 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 14 Math Session 2

Grade 4
Monday May 6 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 7 Math Session 2

Grade 5
Thursday May 16 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 1
Friday May 17 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 2

I have a busy weekend ahead of watching softball and basketball games. However, tonight I will be attending Wellesley Theater Project’s produciton of Finding Nemo at Babson College to see many of our Schofield stars shine on stage. Break a leg, everyone!

Jordan

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Schofield Scoop 4.26.24

Jordan Hoffman — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 21:30:19 +0000

Schofield School

Go Hawks

Dear Schofield Families,

Happy Passover to those celebrating this week. We have had a great week and I have enjoyed hearing about students’ vacations and staycations. This final stretch of the school year is a busy one so I have included most of our end-of-year events on this

Thank you PTO!
Thank you to our PTO for bringing the Discovery Museum to our Grade 4 classes today I was able to join a class for a few of the hands-on activities and the unexpected sounds and vibrations we heard were so cool! Be sure to ask your fourth grader about this memorable experience.

. .

Day of Imagineering is coming soon!
The Day of Imagineering is just around the corner! Be on the lookout for an email to sign up to volunteer on this day. In the meantime, please save those recyclables! If you happen to have any of the following materials at home that you can donate (or any other cool recycled items not needed in your home), please send them in so students have some novel materials to help their creations come to life. Thank you for your help!

Googly eyes	Pipe cleaners or feathers	Straws pipe cleaners	Bottle caps or beads
Buttons or pom poms	Felt or aluminum foil	Parts of broken toys	String, yarn, or twine
Ribbon or bows	Clothespins or toothpicks	Coffee stirrers	Popsicle sticks

Remaining MCAS Dates
Next week, our fifth graders will take the Math MCAS test on Monday and Tuesday and then the following week our third and fourth graders will take the Math MCAS test. Then we will wrap up MCAS with the 5th graders taking the Science, Technology, Engineering MCAS in mid May.

Remaining MCAS Dates
Grade 3
Monday May 13 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 14 Math Session 2

Grade 4
Monday May 6 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 7 Math Session 2

Grade 5
Monday April 29 Math Session 1
Tuesday April 30 Math Session 2
Thursday May 16 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 1
Friday May 17 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 2

I am excited to see the weather warming up this weekend. I will be spending a good amount of time at the softball fields watching Maddie (13), Josephine (10) and Vivian (10) play over the weekend. I hope you enjoy the beautiful weather as well.

Best,
Jordan

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Schofield Scoop 4.11.24

Jordan Hoffman — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 21:30:16 +0000

Schofield School

Go Hawks

Dear Schofield Families,

I am sending this week’s Schofield Scoop a day early because I will be using a personal day tomorrow to attend an out-of-state family event. If you need anything on Friday, please reach out to Ms. Lueken in the main office. I have asked Principal McGreggor from Fiske Elementary School to swing by and be on call if needed as well.

Bingo for Books
Bingo for Books was a huge success on Wednesday evening! Thanks to our PTO for all of their planning and to all of the families who donated books. It was so heartwarming to see students race to the table to pick out books when they won. And it’s always great to see the Schofield Hawk at our school events!

. . .

Day of Imagineering is coming soon!
I am excited to share that Schofield’s Day of Imagineering is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8th! Be on the lookout for more information from Mx. Terentieva and our PTO as we will need many materials and many helpful hands. Start saving those recyclables!

School Committee’s Academic Calendar Task Force
I was recently selected to serve on the School Committee’s Academic Calendar Task Force which is charged with making recommendations regarding the observance of religious and cultural holidays within ��ϲʿ��ֱ��. I am looking forward to this incredibly important work and I am honored to be able to serve WPS in this capacity.

Staffing Update
A couple of weeks ago, I shared the district process for determining the placement of teachers with Non-Professional Status (teachers in their first three years in Wellesley) for the 2024-2025 school year. Due to the unusually high number of Elementary (student) Transfer Option requests this year, as a result of redistricting, elementary principals have been asked to pause this process until the enrollment section counts and any impact on staffing are determined. I hope to be able to share more with you by the middle of May. Thank you for your patience.

MCAS
Our third graders wrapped up the English Language Arts MCAS this week and we are so proud of their efforts. The remaining MCAS dates (Math for grades 3-5 and Science, Technology and Engineering for grade 5) are listed below. Please reach out if you have questions.

Remaining MCAS Dates
Grade 3
Monday May 13 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 14 Math Session 2

Grade 4
Monday May 6 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 7 Math Session 2

Grade 5
Monday April 29 Math Session 1
Tuesday April 30 Math Session 2
Thursday May 16 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 1
Friday May 17 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 2

I hope that you all have a wonderful school vacation week. I look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday, April 22nd.

Jordan

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WPS family STEAM night 5/20 at 6:00 PM

Themis Carr — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 18:11:31 +0000

WPS family STEAM night
Monday, May 20, 2024
6:00 – 7:30 PM
Wellesley High School Cafeteria

��ϲʿ��ֱ�� invites our PreK-12 families for an engaging evening of hands-on STEAM activities including coding, programming various robots, legos, creating circuits and more. A light dinner will be served.

Featuring Guest Speaker: Dr. Amon Millner, Associate Professor of Computing and Innovation at the Olin College of Engineering

Special thanks to the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club for making this event possible.

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Schofield Scoop 4.5.24

Jordan Hoffman — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 21:30:19 +0000

Schofield School

Go Hawks

Dear Schofield Families,

It has been really nice to connect with so many families coming to Schofield over the past couple of weeks for parent/teacher conferences. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with your child’s teacher in person or remotely. Our home/school partnership is so important and by working together as a team, we can better support our students and help them thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

MCAS:
Kudos to our fourth graders who completed the English Language Arts MCAS this week. Their hard work and determination made us all so proud. The message I give to students when they seem a little anxious about MCAS is that, “no matter what, you are still going to the next grade, your grown ups at home are still going to love you, and I am still going to think you’re amazing.” Next week, our third graders will take the ELA MCAS on Monday and Tuesday and then we will begin Math MCAS testing toward the end of the month.

Remaining MCAS Dates:
Grade 3
Monday April 8 English Language Arts Session 1
Tuesday April 9 English Language Arts Session 2
Monday May 13 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 14 Math Session 2

Grade 4
Monday May 6 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 7 Math Session 2

Grade 5
Monday April 29 Math Session 1
Tuesday April 30 Math Session 2
Thursday May 16 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 1
Friday May 17 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 2

Solar Eclipse: Monday, April 8th
We are looking forward to the Solar Eclipse on Monday and keeping our fingers crossed for clear skies. Thank you to the Schofield PTO for purchasing viewing glasses for all students and staff. Given the timing of the eclipse, we are not coordinating a whole-school event, however teachers have been provided with instructional resources and many are planning to take their students outside before the end of the school day.

Schofield Silent Auction
The Schofield Silent Auction is LIVE and going strong! As a reminder, the auction will close on Sunday, April 7th at 10PM. Visit to start bidding now on your favorite items or continue to battle it out for those items you want to win! There are several items that have not been bid on yet, now is your chance!

I am off to New York tomorrow morning with my son, Graham (12), for a fencing tournament. I am looking forward to seeing him compete and to having some one-on-one time. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Jordan

.
It was fun to have outdoor recess today after all that rain!

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Schofield Scoop 3.29.24

Jordan Hoffman — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:00:20 +0000

Schofield School

Go Hawks

Dear Schofield Families,

Theme Team Spirit Day was a highlight at Schofield this week. Thanks to 5S for this cool idea that gave each individual class an opportunity to choose their own theme and celebrate the other classes during a whole-school parade on Wednesday morning. There was so much joy!

Schofield Silent Auction
It’s almost here! The Schofield PTO Silent Auction is going LIVE this coming Monday, April 1st at 8AM. Visit to create an account and have a sneak peek of many of the incredible auction items that will be available to bid on or purchase!

Class Placement:
Each spring our staff works collaboratively to determine students’ placements for the ensuing school year. This is a major undertaking that we address carefully and thoughtfully. Our primary goal is to create balanced class communities that set all students up for success both academically and socially. We do not look to match students with specific teachers since that would not help us achieve our goal, and would make the process susceptible to staffing variables which are always vulnerable to change.

We give careful consideration to each student’s strengths and areas for growth. By this time of year, your child’s teacher knows a great deal about them. The teachers collaborate with their grade-level colleagues, specialists and related service staff to share information and build classes that reflect the heterogeneous mix and balance of abilities, talents, social-emotional needs and learning styles. Teacher names are assigned once balanced groups are created. As I am sure you can appreciate, it is an artful challenge, not a perfect science. Sometimes we can’t anticipate certain dynamics or the ways in which some students change from year to year as they mature. We will work very hard to position each child for the best possible school year.

We realize that on occasion, parents may have compelling information to share that may influence student placement. You are certainly welcome to share that information with me at hoffmanj@wellesleyps.org by April 26, 2024. Please know that specific requests for teachers will not be honored or included in our placement process.

Remaining MCAS Dates: Next week’s dates are highlighted
Grade 3
Monday April 8 English Language Arts Session 1
Tuesday April 9 English Language Arts Session 2
Monday May 13 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 14 Math Session 2

Grade 4
Thursday April 4 English Language Arts Session 1
Friday April 5 English Language Arts Session 2
Monday May 6 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 7 Math Session 2

Grade 5
Monday April 29 Math Session 1
Tuesday April 30 Math Session 2
Thursday May 16 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 1
Friday May 17 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 2

Marathon Support
The Boston Marathon is coming up on Monday, April 15th and Ms. MacBlane, one of Schofield’s Teaching Assistants, is running this year! Please check out her and consider supporting her efforts. I know she would appreciate extra loud cheers as she makes her way through Wellesley too! Let the wind be at your back, Ms. MacBlane!

Upcoming Hawk Talk
Our next Hawk Talk is scheduled for Wednesday, April 3rd at 8:45AM in the Schofield Library. Topics for this next parent coffee include: student placement process, staffing process for the 2024-2025 school year, MCAS and any other topics you would like to discuss. All are welcome!

For those celebrating this weekend, Happy Easter!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Jordan

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Schofield Scoop 3.22.24

Jordan Hoffman — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 21:50:30 +0000

Schofield School

Go Hawks

Dear Schofield Families,

I hope this message finds you well as we move through the month of March. It’s a busy time of year with performances, MCAS testing, field trips and special events. I will do my best to keep our community informed along the way.

Staff Placement Process for the 2024-2025 School Year
This year, due to the closure of Upham Elementary School and a reduction in classroom sections, the elementary principals are following a district process that will ensure that teachers with Professional Teacher Status or PTS (more than 3 consecutive years teaching in Wellesley) have positions within their certification. This is something they are entitled to per the Wellesley Education Association’s (WEA) Collective Bargaining Agreement.

This district process requires principals to consider positions that are currently being held by staff with Non-Professional Teacher Status or NPTS (fewer than 3 consecutive years of teaching in Wellesley) vacant positions. Here at Schofield, we have two fourth grade “vacant positions.” Once PTS teachers have secured new positions, then the NPTS teachers will have an opportunity to apply and interview for any remaining positions within the district. Our hope is to move quickly so that we don’t risk losing some of our very talented educators to surrounding districts.

As a school principal, I take the responsibility of making decisions about staffing very seriously so that we can make sure the most qualified educators are working with our students. I will be working closely with a team here at Schofield comprised of classroom teachers, a special educator, instructional coaches and a district central office staff member to make sure we are making decisions with our students’ best interest in mind. As I have more information to share, I will do so as I know this community cares deeply about the educators who care deeply about their children.

While there are still some unknowns at Schofield, I can share at this time that Mrs. Morris is retiring after a long career and many years of dedication to the Schofield community. She has had an incredible impact on so many students over the years and will be truly missed here at Schofield. With the reduction of sections in first grade, Mrs. Bergeron will be moving to kindergarten, a grade she loves and has taught for several years, to work alongside Mrs. Hood.

This district process has been shared with all staff and I have engaged in more frequent conversations with staff members who are directly impacted. I recognize that uncertainty and change for some of our staff can be unsettling. I look forward to wrapping up this process and sharing more with our community toward the end of April. As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

MCAS Testing
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is scheduled to take place in March, April and May for students in third, fourth and fifth grade. Our fifth graders will kick off the testing on Tuesday and Thursday of next week. This is part of our ongoing efforts to assess student progress and ensure every student is reaching their full potential. While it is an important measure, it is just one of many tools we use to gauge student progress and achievement. Assessments of this nature can sometimes bring about stress or anxiety but we have confidence in our students’ readiness. Please join us in helping them stay relaxed and reminding them to give their very best effort.

Upcoming Hawk Talk
I have rescheduled the March 15th Hawk Talk (parent coffee) for Wednesday, April 3rd at 8:45AM in the Schofield Library. I would be happy to talk more about the staff placement process, MCAS or any other topics that may be on your mind.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at Family Dodgeball Night tonight at Schofield. Go easy on me!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Jordan

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Schofield Scoop 3.15.24

Jordan Hoffman — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 21:30:17 +0000

Dear Schofield Families,

I hope this message finds you well. I unfortunately had to be out of school for the past two days and missed the staff basketball game, one of my favorite Schofield events. I heard that it was a close game but that the fifth graders prevailed. I also heard that the halftime show and the playing of the national anthem were fantastic. Thanks to all who attended and a special thanks to the fifth grade parents and caregivers who coordinated the event.

5th Grade Field Trip
In addition to the basketball game, our fifth graders also made a trip to Gillette Stadium this week where they toured the stadium and participated in some collaborative challenges. Thank you to the fifth grade teachers, parent chaperones and the PTO for making this trip possible.

MCAS Testing:
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is scheduled to take place in March, April and May for students in third, fourth and fifth grade. This is part of our ongoing efforts to assess student progress and ensure every student is reaching their full potential. While it is an important measure, it is just one of many tools we use to gauge student progress and achievement. Assessments of this nature can sometimes bring about stress or anxiety. However, we have confidence in their readiness and will encourage them to approach the test with a serious, yet relaxed mindset. Here are the dates:

Grade 3
Tuesday April 8 English Language Arts Session 1
Thursday April 9 English Language Arts Session 2
Thursday May 13 Math Session 1
Friday May 14 Math Session 2

Grade 4
Monday April 4 English Language Arts Session 1
Tuesday April 5 English Language Arts Session 2
Monday May 6 Math Session 1
Tuesday May 7 Math Session 2

Grade 5
Thursday March 26 English Language Arts Session 1
Friday March 28 English Language Arts Session 2
Monday April 29 Math Session 1
Tuesday April 30 Math Session 2
Monday May 16 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 1
Tuesday May 17 Science, Technology & Engineering Session 2

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Jordan

hoffmanj@wellesleyps.org

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Schofield Scoop 3.8.24

Jordan Hoffman — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 22:30:27 +0000

Schofield School

Go Hawks

Dear Schofield Families,

Ramadan Mubarak to those who celebrate in our community. If you have a child who will be fasting, please let us know if you would prefer they not go to the cafeteria during lunchtime. We would be happy to make alternative plans during Ramadan if desired.

Origamido:
We had an awesome week here at Schofield highlighted by a 3-day visit from origami specialist, Michael Lafosse. Thanks to our PTO, Mr. Lafossse spent about 50 minutes in each of our classrooms engaging students in a hands-on learning experience that combined geometry and storytelling. Be sure to ask your child(ren) about their origami creations and feel free to check out his website for more information: .

5th Grade v. Staff Basketball Game:
Mark your calendars! The fifth grade v. staff basketball game is next week! We hope you can make it on Wednesday, March 14th as this event is sure to bring about a lot of laughs and some fun competition. This event is open to all so we hope to see you there and cheering loudly!

Don’t forget to move your clocks forward this weekend! My kids are defnitely looking forward to having more daylight and more time to play outside.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jordan

hoffmanj@wellesleyps.org

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Otho L. Schofield Elementary School

Schofield Scoop 5.10.24

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Schofield Scoop 5.3.24

Schofield School Go Hawks

Schofield Scoop 4.26.24

Schofield School Go Hawks

Schofield Scoop 4.11.24

Schofield School Go Hawks

WPS family STEAM night 5/20 at 6:00 PM

Schofield Scoop 4.5.24

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Schofield Scoop 3.29.24

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Schofield School Go Hawks

Schofield Scoop 3.15.24

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