Downey School Core Values
Welcome to the Downey Elementary School! Our school is an inclusive K-5 building that provides an excellent education to all students. At Downey School we believe that learning is a partnership between the child, parent/guardian, and Downey School professionals. As a staff, we believe that open and honest communication with parents/guardians is important, and we value the input from parents/guardians. To ensure that Downey School is a safe environment for all students and staff to take academic/professional risks, we live by the 6 Downey School Core Values:
Courage, Pride, Excellence, Respect, Responsibility, Inclusion
January 13, 2019
Dear Downey Community,
Happy 2019! I hope the holiday break was filled with a healthy balance of fun family time and quiet time. The breaks always seem to come at the right time, when we are all feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by the demands and responsibilities of our family and jobs. I enjoyed the break, but now that the fury of the holiday season is behind me, I feel well rested, and excited to dive back into the rigor of my job.
Last week, Mrs. Finnerty, special education teacher, and I met to talk about our vision for a peer mentoring program at Downey. We are looking for grade 5 students to be a mentor to some of the Downey children who struggle with navigating social situations. We are working through some of the details of this pilot mentoring program, but we did meet with the grade 5 students earlier in the week to share this leadership opportunity with them. The excitement from the students about this opportunity permeated throughout our discussion! We are in the early stages of this exciting pilot program, but I will keep you posted!
This upcoming week, students in grades 4 and 5 will participate in the first round of the National Geographic GeoBee in their classrooms. The 2 winners in each classroom will compete against one another in a school wide geo bee. The winner of the school wide bee will participate in the online state geobee test with the hope of qualifying for the state bee. Stay tuned for the winning results of the bee!
Lastly, I would like to congratulate bus driver Judy Brown who has been driving in Westwood for 47 years! She is currently driving bus #2 at Downey. Please click the link to access the lovely article about Judy in the Hometown Weekly! Thank you Judy for keeping our Downey students safe!
Have a wonderful weekend! GO PATS!
Sincerely,
Deb
PTO Updates & Information: January 2019
Minutes from the September 11, 2018 PTO Meeting
Minutes from the October 2, 2018 PTO meeting
Minutes from the November 6, 2018 PTO meeting
Downey Movie Night
Friday, January 25th
6PM
Join the Downey Community for a movie night! The students voted and have chosen the movie Smallfoot.
Doors will open at 5:45pm. Popcorn, water, and 1 box of candy to be provided (free of charge). This is a free event.
Note: This is NOT a drop off event. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
2nd Annual Bowling for Boys
Saturday, February 9th
- Saturday February 9, 2019 from 5-7 pm @ at the Norwood Sport Center (65 Cottage St. Norwood).
- Come bowl, eat pizza and enjoy a wonderful evening with your Knights.
- RSVP in advance and reserve your spot. No payments at the door. Last day to register is January 26, 2019.
- All boys must attend the Downey school.
- $20 for each Family - includes The Queen and her “Downey Knights”. You can pay by Cash, Check (payable to Downey PTO) or Paypal. (Please indicate the payment is for bowling.)
To Register For Bowling:
Please Use The PayPal Link to pay:
We are going Green. We are asking all bowlers to bring their own reusable water bottle to the event.
For any questions please contact your Bowling Hostesses “Livin On A Spare”:
Meredith Techiera, Evan Mansour, Sandra Castaldini, Beth Murphy, Jen Killilea and Cynthia Knox
Box Tops for Education
Deadline for next contest: February 15th
As you're shopping for school lunches and snacks, please don't forget to send in the Box Tops for Education to Downey. There will be boxes in each classroom for students to drop off the box tops, and another in the main office. Make sure to label bags/envelopes with your child's grade level. Names and teachers are not necessary. Happy Clipping!
Third Annual Downey Gala: Rock of ages — The Best of Downey
Saturday, March 23rd, 2019
Downey will host its 3rd Annual Gala on Saturday, March 23rd at the Dedham Hilton. The Downey Gala is our largest fundraiser, bringing funds to our school that support additional programs and needs for our children. This year, the Downey PTO purchased high-end playground equipment that was recently installed. Also, due to the generosity of our Downey families, teachers and staff, the Outdoor Classroom project is in progress.
More information to come! Early sponsorship is available now. Contact Co-Chairs Anne McMurray: annemariemcmurray@gmail.com or Nayla Daly: nayladaly@gmail.com. The Gala Committee is seeking silent auction items including vacation experiences, unique dining experiences, sports memorabilia, etc. Thanks in advance for your support!
The Downey Play is Back!
Performances March 29th & March 30th
- Performance dates are Friday, March 29th at 7:00pm, and Saturday, March 30th at 2:00pm
Save the Date: King and Princess Dance
Saturday, April 27th
Dads, Uncles, Grandfather's-get your dancing shoes ready and enjoy an evening with your girl(s)!
Music, dancing, refreshments and a photo booth will make the night complete.
Contact Anne McMurray at:
annemariemcmurray@gmail.com with any questions, or if you are interested in volunteering for this event.
Shop with Amazon Smile
Shop with Amazon and help support Downey! Please consider using our Amazon Smile link to make your Amazon purchases. The Amazon Smile Foundation will contribute 0.5% of eligible purchases back to the Downey School. It's an easy way to support our school and our students!
