May 16, 2019

Dear Hanlon Families,

Children were excited about the grand opening of our new playground climber last week.  Each classroom had two Playground Ambassadors who worked together to create safety guidelines and teach them to their class.  Here are the guidelines they came up with:

• Sit on the blue ropes, not the red bars
• If you want to hang, hand right-side-up, not upside-down
• Climb down, don’t jump off
• No horseplay: pushing, bouncing/shaking
• Climber will be closed during morning recess

Thank you to our Ambassadors!

K&1: Nuala P, Charlie S, Mia G, Eva M, Tyler P, Sienna S, Tiernan K, Nora M

2&3: Gavin K, Sophia G, Mackenzie C, David P, Abby S., Will P, Chloe D, Lucas W

4&5: Logan L, Veronica R, Emma K, Evan B, Kyler K, Carly J, Maggie H, Sam W

Save the Date: International Fair

We hope to see many families at our very first International Fair on Thursday, May 23rd from 6:30-8:30 in the gym.  We have many families looking forward to sharing the richness of their cultural background with our community. Click here for more information about the International Fair.

Save the Date: Hanlon Art Show

Wednesday, May 29th 5:30-7:30

Ms. Miller has been busy getting ready for Hanlon’s Art Show.  Every student will be represented! The format is drop-in, so come for as long or as little as you like.  We hope to see you there!

PMC Kids Ride – Sunday, June 23 – Register Now!

Please join the Westwood community in supporting the 12th annual PMC Kids’ Ride on Sunday, June 23rd at 8:30am at the Martha Jones School.  Register soon at www.kids.pmc.org/westwood.aspx, pick your route and start your fundraising! This feel good event is such a great way to start the day and make a big difference in the fight against cancer. Volunteer registration is also open and we welcome parents and teens 14+.  For more detailed information about the PMC Kids Ride click here.

BOKS

We had two energetic sessions of BOKS this winter.  Many thanks to Amanda Drainville, Meg Carleton, Kathy Beggan, Emily Mohr, Brendan Reeves, Ethan Phillips, Eric Stepanian, and the weekly volunteers who pitched in to help keep BOKS running each week.  Like all PTO Sponsored events, BOKS is entirely run by parent volunteers. We couldn’t do it without you!

Math League

Hanlon’s Math League students came to school early to do math each Friday for much of the year.  The students persevered through challenging math problems, and had fun while doing it! Hongmei Xu will be stepping down as Hanlon’s Math League Coordinator, and we thank her for all she has done to run this important enrichment opportunity.  Many thanks to Joanna Blaney, Keni Oh, Jennifer Crawford, and Jason Hatcher who served as grade level coordinators for grades 3 and 4, and the many volunteers who came in early on Fridays to work with the children.  We appreciate your support!

Ticks

Ticks are out and looking for a good meal!  Please check your child every day. Pay close attention to ankles (they crawl into socks), body crevices, the scalp, and in/around the ears.  Teach older children what to look for when they shower, but make sure you check the areas that are hard to self-check. Ticks make no noise and inject the host when they bite so there is no itch or irritation to the let the host know they are there.  You have to search and discover them.

Bamidele Dancers and Drummers

Many thanks to the Hanlon PTO and Westwood Public Schools for bringing the Bamidele Dancers and Drummers to perform at Hanlon.  This Afro-Brazilian/Caribbean group performed songs and dances from Africa and told us about the migration of African culture to the Caribbean and Brazil.  Through song, dance, and drumming, we learned Afro-Brazilian phrases, songs, and stories.  The interactive performance even had the teachers dancing and singing by the end!

Lost n Found

The Lost n Found will be donated to charity at the end of the week.  Please stop by to take a look!

5th Grade families are asked to SAVE THE DATE

The 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony

Monday, June 17 9:30-10:30AM

Hanlon School Gym

There will be a short reception in the cafeteria following the ceremony. Students will return to class after the reception.

Field Day- Save the Date

June 5th

We will need lots of volunteers for Field Day.  Be on the lookout for a sign-up genius!

Last Day of School

The last day of school will be Tuesday June 18th at 12:00 noon.  No lunch will be served.

Faculty Updates

At the end of the year, Hanlon School will wish three staff members a happy retirement:

Ms. Silversteinm, Hanlon Librarian

Ms. Patterson, Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Taft, Literacy Paraprofessional

We wish all three of these talented educators the very best as they close this chapter and begin the next!

Hanlon School Site Council

One of the many ways to be involved next year is to join our Site Council.  We have an opening for one new member from the parent community next year. The Hanlon School Site Council meets several times throughout the year as mandated by the Education Reform Act of 1993.  Our Site Council is designed as an advisory group consisting of parents, school staff, and community members. The Site Council assists in developing goals for school improvement and other school initiatives.  Hanlon’s Site Council will meet from 3:15-4:15 PM 4-6 times throughout the year. The meeting dates will be determined by the group. If you are interested or curious about joining Site Council, please email Mrs. Cronin at scronin@westwood.k12.ma.us.  

Reminder: Bus Registration for the 2019-2020 School Year

Bus registration for next school year is now open!

To guarantee a seat on the bus, registration and payment must be received by June 30, 2019. In order to register you will need your student's ID number, which can be found on the elementary school lunch invoices or report cards. Please make sure that you enter the grade that your child will be entering next September. Please let Mrs. Goldstein know if you have any questions.

To register your child for the school bus, please click the following link: 2019-2020 Bus Registration