Worthington School District
147 Huntington Road
Worthington, MA 01098
413-238-5856
gmorsedobosz@hr-k12.org
Dear Community:
Happy Friday! Hope you are able to enjoy your afternoon outside and soak in the beautiful weather. I’ve heard from many students that they plan to trick-or-treat tomorrow evening in Worthington. Have a fun evening!
R.H. Conwell’s Girls on the Run group will be holding their 5K practice on Monday, October 30 beginning at 3:30 and should be done by 4:30. They will be running/walking down Ridge Road, crossing over Buffington Hill and going about three quarters of the way down the dirt part of Ridge Road and then will turn around and head back to the school. We hope you will be home to cheer them on and offer words of encouragement!
PTO: The Harvest Festival will be on October 31 with the parade starting at 1:15. There will be games, donuts, and cider after the parade. If you plan to attend the afternoon festivities, you need to stay with your child. And, if you plan on taking your child afterwards, PLEASE make sure to let Ms. Lisa know and/or email her ahead of time at louellet@hr-k12.org.
Look out for a couple fun new fundraisers within the next few months. Anyone with any questions or requests can reach out to us at worthingtonpto.ma@gmail.com Thanks families!
We are looking for volunteers to help with our second annual Harvest Festival on 10/31. We need parents to help support pumpkin painting for the younger kids, someone to watch over the fire, a few people to man the game stations and a couple parents to help pour the cider and hand out the donuts.
On 11/22 we will be hosting an ice cream social. If any parents would like to help serve or clean up we would greatly appreciate it!
We are also looking for parents to help with the holiday bazaar on 12/13. We would need volunteers to help organize the donations, wrap the presents and help the children shop. We could also use some parents to assist with setting up and taking down the bazaar as well.
PTO meetings will typically be on the third Thursday of each month with the next one scheduled on November 16. This will be a hybrid meeting. Coffee and homemade cookies will be served if you attend the meeting in person! Hope to see you there!
SNOW..SNOW..SNOW: Delay of Snow
Parent/Teacher Conferences: Parent/teacher conferences will be held November 1-3. Please make sure to sign up for a day/time to meet with the classroom teacher(s). Those three days will be a noon dismissal for students. There will be NO after school during conferences.
School Parking Lot: You may have noticed by now that the dumpster has finally been taken away. Please be mindful when parking in that lot. We ask that you do not park past the lines near the shed. We also ask that you do not enter or exit by the buses but use Starkweather Hill Road. Thank you for your cooperation and helping us to keep the students safe.
Tiered Focus Monitoring Review: During the week November 27, 2023 the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of the Worthington School District. The Office of Public School Monitoring visits each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations.
Areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team process, and IEP development and implementation. Areas of review related to civil rights include bullying, student discipline, physical restraint, and equal access to school programs for all students.
In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The review chairperson from the Office of Public School Monitoring will send all parents of a student with disabilities an online survey that focuses on key areas of their child’s special education program. Survey results will contribute to the development of a report. During the onsite review, the Office of Public School Monitoring will interview one or more parents of students with disabilities. Other onsite activities may include interview of district staff and administrators, review of student records, and onsite observations.
Parents and other individuals may contact Laurie Farkas, by email at lfarkas@hr-k12.org or by phone at (413) 238-5856 or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Public School Monitoring Chairperson, Sandra Hanig, by email at sandra.hanig@mass.gov or by phone at (413) 314-6707 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, the Department will make the necessary arrangements.
Within approximately 60 business days after the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the Worthington School District with a report with information about areas in which the Worthington School District meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the Worthington School District requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The public will be able to access the report at http://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports/.
Update from the Nurse’s Office:
Clothing for the Changing Season: Parents, please dress your children in layers and encourage them to wear boots or waterproof shoes on wet or frosty mornings. Or pack dry socks and shoes. The grass can be wet in the mornings at this time of year and the weather can change dramatically during the day. We have some spare clothing to share with cold and/or wet children, and we are very grateful when you return items.
Smart Snack Policy Reminder: As we approach Halloween and the winter holiday season, we wanted to send out a gentle reminder that there should not be any food sharing or trading at school. This includes snack time, lunch, and other times in class. Students will only consume the food they brought from home, purchased from the cafeteria, or prepared at school as part of a classroom activity supervised by a teacher. Please remind your student(s) and feel free to reference our full Smart Snack & Food Share Policy for further information.
Drug Take Back Day is this Saturday, October 28: Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, or abuse. Help present these instances by dropping off anything in your home to one of the local sites below.
The Town of Worthington will be hosting two upcoming vaccine clinics:
FLU CLINIC: OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (ALL AGES)
October 30th from 12 noon- 2pm @ Worthington Town Hall
TO PRE-REGISTER PLEASE CALL #413-667-3009
When you reach a recorded voice, hit “0” and then enter ext. 0628.
This will direct you to the call center. If you are directed to leave a message, you should receive a call back quickly.
FLU & COVID CLINIC: OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (ALL AGES)
November 13th from 1pm-3pm @ Worthington Town Hall:
TO PRE-REGISTER PLEASE VISIT THE LINK BELOW
https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/northampton
OR CALL# 413-587-1314 for assistance registering over the phone.
*This is NOT a booster dose of COVID. This is an updated vaccine to better protect against current variants. There is no requirement to have completed the primary series or any of the previous booster doses to be eligible for vaccination.
News from the Cafeteria: We invite families to join us for breakfast and lunch each month. For November, family breakfast will be 11/8/23 and family lunch will be 11/21/23. Sign up sheets will be sent home.. Any questions or concerns please email me atompkins@hr-k12.org. Thanks! Ms. Ashley
- We are also able to provide treats for special celebrations in the classrooms. Please check out the link here for more information and the order form.
The cafeteria now has a peanut free table at lunch time due to the presence of a student in the school with a severe peanut allergy.
In the spirit of Halloween, if you have read this far, please send an email to louellet@hr-k12.org, and the first ten readers can stop by the office on Tuesday for a sweet treat!
Upcoming Events:
October 30: Girls on the Run practice 5K will be at 3:30 down Ridge Road and back. October 31: Halloween Parade beginning at 1:15 p.m. and then the Harvest Festival sponsored by the PTO will take place afterwards. Stay tuned for the schedule.
November 1-3: Noon Dismissal: Parent Teacher Conferences
November 9: School Committee meeting at 6:30 p.m.
November 10: No School: Veterans Day Observed November 21: Thanksgiving lunch
November 22: Noon Dismissal for Thanksgiving recess Have a wonderful weekend!
Warmly,
Gretchen Morse-Dobosz Superintendent/Principal