Worthington School District
147 Huntington Road
Worthington, MA 01098
413-238-5856
gmorsedobosz@hr-k12.org
Dear Community:
Happy Friday! Please see the upcoming events below! We have a lot going on in the next couple of weeks!
SOLAR ECLIPSE: Throughout human history, there have been solar eclipse events, but the total solar eclipse scheduled for the afternoon of April 8, 2024, is creating interest as it will be a rare alignment between the Earth, sun, and moon. It is expected to pass over our region between 2:30 and 4:30 pm according to NASA, but Massachusetts is not in the direct path (see map below).
Here are the specific details for Worthington. As you can see, the solar eclipse will be happening during dismissal time. In that case, students will wear their glasses while walking outside during dismissal time.
| Global Event: | Total Solar Eclipse |
| Local Type: | Partial Solar Eclipse in Town of Worthington, Massachusetts |
| Begins: | Mon, Apr 8, 2024 at 2:13 pm |
| Maximum: | Mon, Apr 8, 2024 at 3:27 pm 0.950 Magnitude |
| Ends: | Mon, Apr 8, 2024 at 4:37 pm |
| Duration: | 2 hours, 24 minutes |
It is never a good idea to look directly at the sun. The intensity of the wavelengths of light emitted by the sun causes damage to the retina of the eye called solar retinopathy. While this damage may not be felt immediately it can cause long-term damage and multiple exposures can cause more damage over time. For the total solar eclipse, there is a natural curiosity that may make the individual want to look at the sun while the eclipse is happening. You can look at the eclipse when the moon is fully covering the sun, but it is not recommended when the sun is partially visible.
Please REVIEW the safety guidelines with your child (ren). The teachers will also reiterate this information, and we have safety glasses for all students to wear during dismissal time. I’ve included a link below.
New Last Day of School:
- Preschool: June 10, 2024
- K – 6th: June 17 with a NOON Dismissal
Walk to School Day: We had such a positive experience on our walk to school day in February that we have decided to do it monthly moving forward! Please join us on Friday, April 12, 2024 for our next walk to school day!!!! 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. On the day of, please drive up Buffington Rd and down Ridge Rd to the golf course to park there. Families are welcome and encouraged to join us as well!
PTO Fundraiser: Order forms went home this week for the new FUN PASTA fundraiser. There was an error on the information sheet, all orders should be turned in on Monday, April 19.
Hilltown Family Center News: Check out this month’s local activities for young children!
2024 Week of the Young Child
ArborDay: To celebrate Arbor day this year, the Worthington Shade Tree Committee and Tree Warden will be handing out seedlings of American Horn beam (carpinus caroliniana). Other common names for this tree include ironwood, musclewood, blue beech and water beech. This tree occurs naturally in New England forests. Arbor Day means “tree day” and became an official day of celebration in the United States on April 10, 1872. All state celebrate it, but may hold it on different calendar dates. In Massachusetts, it is always observed on the last Friday in April.
These seedlings were purchased with money from the Rolland Tree Fund. Peg Rolland left this money to the town to plant roadside trees. This fund is overseen by the Selectboard. It is the Tree Warden who has the authority to allow them to be planted.
Our thanks go out to him and the Selectboard for this celebration today.
Superintendent Evaluation: Every two years, the Superintendent of Schools is evaluated by the members of the School Committee. The School Committee and Superintendent collaborate each year to develop professional practice goals and evaluate performance using the Massachusetts Model System for Educator Evaluation designed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
During the School Committee meeting last night, the committee reviewed my superintendent evaluation. Please follow the link to view my ratings and their comments. As always, I am grateful to work with such an awesome community. Please remember that I’m still learning and always trying to improve my leadership skills. I welcome and appreciate your feedback!
6th Grade Graduation: Graduation is scheduled for June 11, 2024 beginning at 1:30 in the cafeteria.
Babysitting Course over April Break: If your student will be joining us on April 17 for the all day babysitting course, please make sure to have all paperwork and a $35 check made out to UMASS 4-H in by next Friday, April 12, 2024. We do have TWO SPOTS still available! Please contact Nurse Steph if interested. (sfaas@hr-k12.org).
News from the school nurses:
This turns out to be Food Waste Prevention Week! Who knew? There are some pretty good tips on the Food Waste Hero Scorecard, in this link: https://www.foodwastepreventionweek.com/
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has reviewed the recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding isolation strategies for respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The Department of Public Health has updated its recommendations for the general public to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses in alignment with this guidance, and DPH’s recommendations are available online. There is a specific section on schools and childcare settings. Please note the guidance for staff in health care settings, including school health care professionals, has not changed. Specific guidance and protocols for health care settings are also available online.
Please continue to keep Nurse Meg and Nurse Steph updated if your child is sick so they can assist you in navigating when your child may return to school for each unique situation, as well as keep a pulse on the health of our school community.
News from the cafeteria:
Happy Spring! On Tuesday this week the students taking MCAS received a special breakfast prepared by Mrs. D! Mrs. D made homemade waffles, which the children really enjoyed! On Wednesday the MCAS students got bagels from Tandem Bagel served by Mrs. D as well! Thank you so much for doing these special breakfasts for our students to help test taking easier!
HOTM: www.massfarmtoschool.org
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:
April 11, 2024: Dog Sled Presentation: BB from Hilltown Sled Dogs, brought to us by PTO, will present a reading of her Serum Run Children’s Story Book with accompanying slides from Alaska. Families are welcome to join us.
April 12, 2024: Walk to School Day
April 15 – 19, 2024: School Vacation Week Have a wonderful weekend!
Warmly,
Gretchen Morse-Dobosz
Superintendent/Principal