Worthington School District
147 Huntington Road
Worthington, MA 01098
413-238-5856
gmorsedobosz@hr-k12.org
Dear Community:
Yoga at Conwell: We are excited to announce that while Ms. Lexi is on maternity leave, we have found a Worthington resident to take over Yoga classes on Monday’s. We are thrilled to welcome Erin Burns to work with our students. Erin is a curious and kind yogi and nature lover. She and her dog, Mamba, are new to the area and are so excited to teach yoga classes while Ms.Lexi is on maternity leave. Erin’s favorite color is orange and her favorite number is 7. Can you guess which two fun facts are true and which one is not true? Erin has traveled to 16 countries. Erin’s dog Mamba is a street dog from the Caribbean. Erin is the youngest of 10 siblings.
WALK to School Day: Please join us as we walk to school on Wednesday, February 7, 2024!!!! Buses will be dropping students off at the Worthington Golf Club that morning. Staff will be there to greet students, and walk down Ridge Rd. to school together! Caregivers that drive their student(s) to school should plan to drop off their student(s) at the Golf Club at 8:30am. Please make sure students are dressed appropriately for the weather. A flyer with all the details will be going home next week along with a permission slip.
Report from the Office of Public School Monitoring: The Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) recently conducted a monitoring review in our district. During this review, the Department monitored selected special education and civil rights criteria to determine our district’s compliance with laws and regulations.
We are pleased to share that the department found no corrective action was required at this time. That’s wonderful news and we appreciate the department’s time and effort in looking at our district’s practices. And, a huge thank you to Laurie Farkas, our Special Education Director, and Emily Lak, our Special Education teacher for their commitment to our school and students. Please feel free to contact the office if you would like to view a copy of the report.
Hillside Pizza: Help the school raise super funds! Get your delicious superbowl pizza and cookies from Hillside Pizza, and help the school reach its goal of 125 pizzas/cookie tubs sold! Orders are due by Friday, February 2, for pick up Friday February 9, just in time for the big game. All proceeds go to help fund kids’ field trips, extra activities and supplies! You can pick up an order form at the front office.. Thank you for your support!
Babysitting Course OFFERING: We are partnering with UMASS Amherst’s 4-H Youth Development program to offer a full day babysitting course to students over April break for students 12 years and older. Mature 11 year olds will be considered as well if availability allows. The training course teaches youth what they need to know to be caring, trustworthy, responsible, and competent babysitters. The course will help develop confidence in handling various situations while babysitting, and will cover topics such as general safety, first aid, child development, nutrition, entertaining children, and the business of babysitting. All youth that complete the course will receive a babysitter’s ID, certificate of completion, 4-H babysitting manual, and first aid supplies. We have confirmed the class will be held Wednesday, April 17th from 8:30am-3pm at R.H. Conwell. If interested, please contact Nurse Steph at sfaas@hr-k12.org.
Preschool Open House: Are you interested in signing your little one up for preschool? Come join us on March 9, 2024 from 9-11 a.m. to meet the preschool team and tour the preschool classroom. All interested families are welcome to join us at 8:00 a.m. for a homemade pancake breakfast and then join us in preschool at 9:00. All proceeds will be for future Nature’s Classroom trips.
Update from the Nurse’s Office:
Please send your children to school with warm outerwear! It is critical students have warm coats, snow pants, boots, hats, and gloves/mittens to safely play outside.
We have many Covid-19 antigen tests on hand. They expire at the end of March. Please let us know if you would like any! We can send them home with your student, or feel free to stop by and grab some from the nursing office.
Thank you!
News from the cafeteria:
Hi Families! The Harvest of the Month this month was Apples! The 3rd&4th grade class came to the kitchen and helped peel, cut, and make the topping for a delicious warm apple crisp! It was a lunch favorite for the fruit component! Thank you 3&4 for your help! For breakfast an apple Cinnamon bun was enjoyed!
Another apple item that was prepared was a Fruit Treasure Salad which consisted of chopped apples, grapes, and yogurt. It was a bit tricky to get the kids to try this but with a little encouragement it was enjoyed!
Have a Great Weekend! Mrs. Ashley & Mrs. Jaime 🙂
We are 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.
Upcoming Events:
February 6: Family Breakfast
February 7: Walk to School Day
February 8: School Committee meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m.
February 9: Valentine’s Day Dance sponsored by the PTO. Dance will be in the school cafeteria beginning at 6:00 p.m.
February 16: Family Lunch
February 19 -23: School Vacation Week Have a wonderful weekend!
Warmly,
Gretchen Morse-Dobosz
Superintendent/Principal