Hanlon School

June 13, 2018

Dear Hanlon Families,

We are in our final two weeks of school, and it’s hard to believe how fast time has gone.  The Hanlon Staff and I are making lots of memories with your children as we savor these final moments of the school year.  

Last Day of School

The last day will be Monday, June 25, with a noon dismissal.  No lunch will be served on Monday. One of our favorite traditions is to honor our 5th graders with a very special final walk down our Hanlon Halls.  At 11:45, students and staff will line the hallways and clap as the 5th graders leave the building. Families of the 5th graders are invited to continue the Clap-Off by waiting outside the K/1 doorway and bike racks.  Students in K-4 will be dismissed at 12:00PM.

Report Cards and Class Lists

Report cards will be mailed home on Tuesday, June 26th.   Class lists will be sent home in mid-August. Click here to read more about class placement. 

K-1 Multi-Age Classroom

Next year, in addition to having two traditional first grade classrooms, Hanlon will have a K-1 class that will be comprised of both Kindergarteners and First Graders.  This model has been used successfully in several other Westwood elementary schools, and it is a creative solution to mitigate high class sizes in Grade 1 and low class size in Kindergarten.  Ms. Kelly, an experienced teacher of both K, 1, and 2, will teach the Kindergarten curriculum standards to the Kindergarteners, and the First Grade standards to the 1st Graders in the K-1. A large portion of the standards overlap between K and 1. It is important for all families and students to know that the K-1 class is not an advanced placement for Kindergarteners, nor is it a remedial placement for 1st graders.  Rather, we have created two balanced groups for each grade and placed them in one classroom. There is much research to support the benefits to older and younger students in a multi-age classroom. For more information about the K-1 class, click here.

Welcoming New Staff

We are pleased to welcome several new staff members to Hanlon for the 2018-2019 school year.  

Many of you know that Nurse Davie is retiring at the end of the year.  Ms. Eileen Galvin has been a school nurse at Westwood High School since 2013, and she has subbed at all levels, preschool through high school since 2009.  Ms. Galvin has been transitioning with Ms. Davie for the past few weeks, and getting to know students and staff. We are happy to have her join the Hanlon team!

Ms. Katie Burke will join the Hanlon staff as a 5th grade teacher this fall.  Ms. Burke was a teacher at the Sheehan for 17 years in grades 1 and 2.  She is dual-certified in both elementary and special education. She is returning to Westwood after a leave of absence spent in Japan.  She will be a great addition to our 5th grade team!

Teacher Assignments for 2018-2019

Teacher assignments for next year are:

Kindergarten: Ms. Patterson

Kindergarten/First Grade Multi-Age Class: Ms. Kelly

Traditional Grade 1: Ms. Reynolds and Ms. Sharpe

Grade 2: Ms. O’Neil and Ms. Stygles

Grade 3: Ms. Cavanagh and Mr. Wolfe

Grade 4: Ms. Rizzi and Ms. Feuer-Beck

Grade 5: Ms. Burke and Ms. Velluti

Thank you Field Day Volunteers!

Thank you to all the volunteers who came to help run Field Day!  It was a great day for children and a lot of fun for our community.  Special thanks to Kirsten Boger, Sara Michelmore, and Ms. Jennings for organizing the event.  

Hanlon Arts Night

Congratulations to all the visual and performing artists featured at the Hanlon Arts Show. The display of artwork from students K-5 was just stunning.  Thank you to Serena Valentino for coordinating the performing artists. We are fortunate to have so many talented students at Hanlon!

Memorial Day Sing Along

We were fortunate to garner a lot of attention for this year’s Memorial Day Ceremony!  Ms. Pickering led the students in the singing of patriotic songs, and our band and recorder players played beautifully!  Mr. Michael Beaumont, grandfather of four Hanlon students, and retired Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, gave a heartfelt speech about the true meaning of Memorial Day, and shared memories of a fallen friend who lived in the neighborhood and attended Hanlon back when it was known as Pine Hill.  Mr. Joseph Cardona, officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve and long-snapper for the New England Patriots, addressed the students by sharing his thoughts on this important holiday. Special thanks to Carrie Brewster and Mike Reiss for inviting such powerful speakers.

Local Businesses Supporting Hanlon

Special thanks to the the Westwood Tailor Shop for donating their time and sewing the border of this year’s 5th Grade Banner.  Thank you to Roche Bros. for donating water and popsicles to the 5th Grade Community Service Project: Christian’s Walk.

Westwood Youth and Family Services

Do you know of a child who would benefit from a Big Brother/Big Sister style mentoring program?  Do you know of a child who would enjoy a Structured Play Group or Girls Group? Do you know of a child who could benefit from practicing social skills? WYFS has begun registration for their fall groups.  Click here for more information on groups offered by Westwood Youth and Family Services.

Westwood SEPAC Survey

Westwood SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) is an independent advocacy group with the mission to work for the understanding of, respect for, and support of all children with disabilities in our community. We would like to provide members with information and support to help families and caregivers feel empowered and optimistic about their child’s education.  Please take a few minutes to complete a survey for the SEPAC to better understand what would be helpful to offer the Westwood community in support of our children’s special education needs and support.

Lost ‘n’ Found- Last Chance

All items left in the Lost and Found will be donated to charity.  Please come to take one last look before the school year ends!

Spring Cleaning

Hanlon School welcomes used playground equipment like balls (soccer, basketball, kickball, tennis, etc.), jump ropes, hula hoops, skip-alongs, sidewalk chalk, sand toys, and heavy duty plastic trucks.  They can be dropped off in the main office at any time during the school year.

Bus Registration

Bus Registration for the 2018 - 2019 is now open.  Payment should me made by June 30th. All information is available on the district website.