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
Thank you for your support as we help your children transition back to school. We have had a wonderful start to the new school year! The PTO sponsored book fair and picnic were a huge success, and Curriculum Night was well attended. Each fall I am reminded of how supportive this parent community is, and how all of you are eager to be involved in your child’s education. Downey is truly a special place to be a part of!
This past week I have spent a couple of days in the cafeteria during lunch asking students what they think “expected behavior” should look like during lunch. The responses were right on target and I recorded their ideas on a Google doc. I then informed them that Mrs. Thurmond, our lunchroom monitor, and the other adults in the cafeteria, will be recognizing excellent student behavior, by giving students a marble to put in the marble jar. Once the jar is full of marbles, all of the students in that lunch will earn a group reward. Students brainstormed ideas for ways in which we could celebrate their excellent behavior in the cafeteria. They came up with creative ideas such as, music during lunch for a day, crazy hat day, pajama day, extra 10 minutes of recess, to name a few! I am working on condensing their behavior expectations into a document that will be posted on the cafeteria tables and in their classrooms, as a reminder about what is “expected” at Downey School. I will also be sending home the behavior expectations document for you to review with your child. Stay tuned for this document!
Thank you for your continued support and I am looking forward to another great year with you and the students and staff at Downey School.
Warmly,
Deb Gallagher
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A Note from the Health Office:
Health screenings have begun.
School nurses are mandated by the Department of Public Health to perform the following health screenings:
Vision and hearing screening has been ongoing. Heights and weights will be done in grades 1 and 4 starting next week October 3rd. If you wish to have your child excused from this screening, please respond to the school nurse in writing at enadeau@westwood.k12.ma.us as soon as possible
Parents of 3rd grade students: A report of a physical exam done between January 1st 2016 and February 1st 2017 is required by February 1st 2017. Please send in as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Ellen Hanley Nadeau, School Nurse
PTO Updates & Information: September 2016
DON’T FORGET TO PAY YOUR DUES!
Dues for 2016-2017 are $45/family. Checks made payable to the Downey PTO can be:
- sent to school with your child
- mailed to Downey Elementary School, 250 Downey Street, Westwood, MA 02090
Dues can also be made via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/DowneyPTO
Back to School Picnic
Friday, 9/16/16, 5:30-7:00
Join the Downey community for our second annual picnic! Enjoy food, face painting, bouncy houses, an ice cream truck, raffles, and a DJ, all while catching up with old friends and making some new! Please contact Christine McKee (cgmckee33@gmail.com) with any questions.
Scholastic Book Fair
Monday - Friday, 9/12/16—9/16/16
The Scholastic Book Fair will be in the School Solarium the week of 9/12 and you will have several opportunities to shop:
- If you are free, come shop with your child during his/her classroom visit listed below or send in cash or check (payable to Downey PTO) in an envelope with your child’s name and “book fair” on the front:
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Monday 9/12/16
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Tuesday 9/13/16
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9:00 - 9:30
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Starsiak/Gould
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Emmanoulidou
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9:30-10:00
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Brodeur
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Carbone
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10:30-11:00
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Giannitti
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Miller
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11:00-11:30
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Sees
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12:00-12:30
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Leahy
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1:30-2:00
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Lavelle
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Carr
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2:00-2:30
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Cofran
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2:30- 3:00
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Billini
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Shea
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- Friday morning 9/16 from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. and during the school picnic Friday evening from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
- On-line from 9/12-9/24 through the following link Scholastic Book Fair Downey with free shipping to Downey.
If you are unable to shop with your child during his/her visit to the Book Fair we will have volunteers and teachers on hand to help them shop on the day of their above visit. There will be over 700 titles available from which to choose, including best sellers, Mass Book Awards, holiday, gift items, bargain books and teacher classroom books. Questions, please email Rachel Macy at rmacy123@hotmail.com or Maureen Sullivan at maureenasullivan16@gmail.com.
