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 30, 2023
Dear Downey Parents/Guardians,
On Friday afternoon the Aspen portal was open to all parents to view their child’s report card. Downey students are working hard and making progress both academically and socially. If you have any questions regarding your child’s report card please reach out to the classroom teacher.
I hope you all were able to attend the PTO sponsored Movie Night this past Friday. It’s so great that the PTO is able to host in person community events! Below is some additional school information, please take a moment to read through it.
Sincerely,
Deb Gallagher
______________________________________________________________________________________
Valentines Day:
Valentine’s Day is just 2 weeks away and I am sure the students are getting excited about sharing cards with their classmates! I am writing to remind you of the Downey School Valentine’s Day guidelines. If you have questions regarding the guidelines, please do not hesitate to contact me or the classroom teacher.
Guidelines:
-
No food items can be attached to Valentine’s Day cards. If a student brings in cards with candy attached, they will be sent back home with the child.
-
If your child chooses to participate in the Valentine’s Day card exchange, we ask that they bring in a card for all the students in their class. Classroom teachers will provide an updated class list.
-
If the classroom teacher decides to have a special Valentine’s Day snack, parents will then provide a “party in a bag” for their child. The snacks in the bag will contain 1 sweet treat, 1 salty treat, and a non-carbonated beverage. Teachers will inform parents directly if they plan on doing this.
Grade 3 Physicals:
State law requires that all students attending public schools have a physical exam every 3 to 4 years. In Westwood, physicals are required for all students before entering kindergarten, Grade 3, Grade 6 and Grade 9.
I still have not received many of the Grade 3 physical forms. Please forward your child’s form to me as soon as possible and by February 1, 2023. If your child had a physical any time after January 01, 2022, that physical will fulfill this requirement.
Thank you,
Ellen Hanley Nadeau MSN, RN
Downey School Nurse
Student Council Update:
Congratulations to the students in grades 4-5 who were voted by their peers as the Student Council Representative. Many students in each classroom wrote an essay about why they thought they would make a good representative. Each essay was assigned a number and the classroom teachers read aloud all the essays, students then voted anonymously. To learn more about these Student Council Representatives please click HERE. Stay tuned for some exciting activities they have planned for the remainder of the school year! Thank you to Mrs. Crowley, Mrs. Shea, and Mr. Tirrell for being the Student Council Advisors.
PTO Updates & Information:
Download the App today for access to all Downey PTO information. You will have 1) Have access to the PTO Directory; 2) Enroll in mini courses; 3) Hear about upcoming PTO events.
Shop with Amazon and help support Downey! Please consider using our Amazon Smile link (Downey School PTO Inc, Westwood, MA) 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!
