Pine Hill Post - September 2025
Dear Pine Hill Families,
On behalf of all Pine Hill School faculty and staff, we want to extend a giant thank you for such an amazing start to the 2025–2026 school year! Over the first two days, we had the joy of welcoming many new families and students to our community, as well as reconnecting with those returning. We hope the start of the year has been as wonderful for you as it has been for us.
The first days were filled with joy, curiosity, and connection as students settled into classrooms, built routines, and began their learning journeys. Thank you for partnering with us to make this such a positive beginning. Your support helps set the tone for the year ahead.
This year, we will send out a monthly newsletter to families with important dates, updates, reminders, and school information. Newsletters will be shared at 4:00 PM on the first of each month. At times, you will also receive stand-alone emails with announcements or details about specific events. If you ever stop receiving our messages, please let us know so we can be sure you are reconnected.
As we move into September, we are excited to build on this strong start. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring every student feels safe, supported, and inspired to learn. We are grateful for the trust you place in us and look forward to a year filled with growth, discovery, and success.
With appreciation,
Reid Jones
Principal
Important Dates
This week the calendar will show the next month of events at Pine Hill.
September 3 - Early Release
September 11 - School Committee
September 12 - Community Picnic - 5:30-7:30 PM
September 17 - Early Release
September 18 - Curriculum Night - 5:30- 7:30 PM
September 23 - No School - Rosh Hashanah
September 29 - General PTO Meeting - 7 PM
October 1 - Early Release
October 2 - No School - Yom Kippur
October 3 - Picture Day - All Grades
News and Announcements
Inclusion Opportunities
There is an incredibly exciting opportunity for reverse inclusion this year at Pine Hill. Please reach out to your child’s teacher to sign up or learn more about these opportunities.
Community Picnic
The annual PTO Welcome Back Picnic will be held on Friday, September 12 from 5:30-7:30 at Pine Hill. All families are invited to pack a picnic dinner and celebrate the beginning of the school year.
Curriculum Night
Curriculum Night this year will be held on Thursday, September 18 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. We will utilize a rotating schedule once again to accommodate parking at Pine Hill. More information will be included in an email closer to the event.
General PTO Meeting
The first general PTO meeting of the school year will be on Monday, September 29 at 7:00 in the Pine Hill Cafeteria.
New Faces at Pine Hill
There are many new faces at Pine Hill this year! We will be spotlighting some of those folks each month until we have gotten the chance to meet them all.
Traci Byrnes - Lower WABA 2
Ms.Traci Byrnes is a graduate of James Madison University with her major in Special Education and concentration in adapted curriculum. She has worked in classrooms with students who have complex needs, and completed the Lesley University Severe Disabilities Teacher Residency Program. Last year she taught the Focus program at Pine Hill. We are so excited to have Ms. Traci back this year!
Lisa Cronin - Grade 1
Lisa Cronin (Grade 1) was born in Rhode Island. She attended Tufts University, and completed her Master's in Education at Lesley. Her first two years teaching were at Jacobs Elementary in Hull, and then taught at Lilja Elementary in Natick for the past 11 years, mostly in second grade. She enjoys cooking, baking, gardening, exercise, reading, and spending time with her husband, Nate, and two kids, Nicholas (8) and Natalie (5). She lives in Sharon and is a fan of coffee, dark chocolate, and the Patriots.
Kimbra Dennis - Metco Coordinator
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Kimbra Dennis. I am the incoming METCO Elementary Coordinator. I am a METCO Program Alumni of Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School. I had two children go through the Program in Wellesley Public Schools, and two more currently in the Sharon Program.This will be my 3rd year with the Westwood METCO program. I worked in the METCO Program in Sharon for 5 years. I am looking forward to partnering with my fellow educators and students' families to get the best outcomes for them. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.
Claire Dorman - Grade 5
Hi Pine Hill! My name is Claire Dorman and I am starting my 16th year in Westwood and my 19th year in education. A large part of my career in Westwood has been within special education, supporting a wide spectrum of students. In recent years, I have taught within general education. Outside of school I love to spend time with my children and family, reading books, and being outside. I am excited to now be a part of the Pine Hill Community and looking forward to the year ahead.
Kelly O’Sullivan - Upper WABA
My name is Kelly O’Sullivan, and I’ve been teaching for over 20 years. My educational philosophy revolves around encouraging student independence through trusting relationships and consistent expectations. I’m originally from Canada, where I taught in both special and general education settings. In 2010, I moved to Braintree and worked as a lead teacher and the assistive technology coordinator at the Manville School in Boston. Wanting to move closer to Braintree, I became a severe special education teacher, working with students in grades K, 1, and 2. I am excited to be part of the Pine Hill team and look forward to collaborating with the community to foster growth and fun for both students and families.
Eileen Tomkiewicz - Learning Center
My name is Eileen Tomkiewicz. I am excited to become a part of the Pine Hill community. I have worked as a Special Educator for over 25 years. I’ve worked with various grades in various capacities. In my spare time I enjoy cooking and going on long walks with my dogs. I look forward to getting to know the fourth grade students.
Ari Tornatore - PE
My name is Mrs. Tornatore and this is my 14th year teaching physical education in Westwood. I have taught at Downey, Hanlon, TMS and feel extremely grateful to join the Pine Hill faculty. In addition to teaching, I also supervise the Wellness Department in the district and have a passion for providing a high quality and robust wellness program for students K-12. I truly feel like I have the best job in the world and am incredibly fortunate to be a part of the WPS community. I cherish the relationships I’ve built with families over the years and look forward to getting to know all of you! In my spare time you may find me biking, hiking, shopping or going on adventures with my husband and children.
Catherine Weiner - Focus
Catherine Weiner comes to us with over 20 years of experience as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and certified special education teacher (grades pre-K through 12). Catherine received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from UMASS Amherst, her Master of Education degree through Bridgewater State University, and completed her post-masters Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies at Pennsylvania State University. She specializes in supporting our students with behavioral and social/emotional challenges, with a focus on maintaining high expectations while meeting each student at his/her developmental level. When not at work, Catherine enjoys time with her husband and 4 sons (ages 14, 13 and 7, and 4 months).
Useful Resources
Classroom Teachers for the 2025-2026 School Year:
Kindergarten: Ms. Robin Greene, Mrs. Beth Kelly, Mrs. Erin Kelly, Mrs. Stephanie Traugott
Grade 1: Mrs. Lisa Cronin, Mrs.Valerie Sharpe, Mrs. Jen Spellman, Mrs. Jessica Tartufo
Grade 2: Mrs. Christy Kennedy, Mrs. Rena Rizzi, Mrs. Jen Stygles, Mrs. Sarah Waterman
Grade 3: Ms. Laura Cavanagh, Ms. Tien Chen, Ms. Olivia Wardle, Mr. Jeremy Wolfe
Grade 4: Ms. Stephanie Feuer-Beck, Ms. Sam Gross, Mrs. Judy Morgan, Mrs. Laura Urquijo
Grade 5: Mrs. Kerri Anderson, Mrs. Claire Dorman, Mrs. Katie Ennis, Ms. Amy Hayes
Specialist Teachers for the 2025-2026 School Year:
Art: Mrs. Carla Miller
Digital Literacy: Mr. Mark Goguen
Instrumental Music: Ms. Lori Labedz, Mr. Joel Yennior
Library: Mrs. Meg Kara
Music: Mrs. Katelyn Pickering
PE: Mrs. Ari Tornatore, Mrs. Shanna Jennings, and Mr. Peter Hochman
Special Education Teachers for 2025-2026 School Year:
Special Education Team Chair: Ms. Lindsay Strauss
Learning Center Teachers: Mrs. Hayley Dupre (Barner), Mrs. Katie Burke, Mrs. Elizabeth Buckley, Mrs. Maura Jaundoo, Mrs. Eileen Tomkiewicz, and Mrs. Shannon Novick
Focus Teacher: Mrs. Catherine Fortin
Lower WABA 1: Mrs. Haley Porazzo
Lower WABA 2: Ms. Traci Byrnes
Upper WABA: Mrs. Kelly O’Sullivan
School Adjustment Counselor: Ms. Kim Tula
School Psychologist: Ms. Janet Carfagna
Speech Language Pathologists: Ms. Emily Noland, Mrs. Sheera Lader, Ms. Cyndi Cram
Occupational Therapists: Mrs. Rachel McHugh, Mrs. Amanda Mellon
Physical Therapist: Ms. Elizabeth McLean
BCBAs: Mrs. Danielle Moore and Ms. Megan Gerdangolu
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures and Other Important information
Please click here for important Pine Hill Information from the Main Office
A special THANK YOU to custodians Rich Holleran, Scott Hampton, Enrique Cruz, Tom Whalen and Isaiah Milton. They have truly worked very hard cleaning and have spent many hours painting classrooms, painting stair treads, installing shelving, and cleaning out storage areas. Our building looks very clean, shiny, and beautiful! In addition, they have done a lot of work; putting back classrooms, locating additional furniture, and cleaning every inch of the building ready for students and staff to return.
A huge THANK YOU also goes to Mrs. Abdou! She has been invaluable in ensuring that all purchase orders have been completed, welcoming new families, and having supplies and materials organized and delivered to classrooms.
Thank you to all of our faculty and staff for the care and attention they provided throughout the class placement process and in preparation for the school year. They have been setting up their classrooms, taking courses, reviewing curricula, and preparing to get to know and work with their new students. We always welcome your input, feedback, and partnership and look forward to a productive year ahead!
You made it! Thank you for taking the time to read all the way to the end. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this information or the start of the school year.
Sincerely,
Reid J. Jones Samantha Bean
Reid Jones Samantha Bean
Principal Assistant Principal
rjones@westwood.k12.ma.us sbean@westwood.k12.ma.us
August 24, 2025
Dear Pine Hill Families,
On behalf of all Pine Hill School faculty and staff, it is our honor to welcome you to the start of the 2025-2026 school year! We want to welcome our families and students who are new to the community and welcome back to the returning members of our community. We hope you have enjoyed a wonderful summer and are excited to begin a new school year together on Wednesday, August 27th.
We feel so fortunate to serve a community with such a high commitment to education and our students. The ongoing partnership, support, and mutual respect demonstrated by our teachers, families, and students are integral to the strength and success of our school. We are so excited to begin our first full year in Pine Hill. As we grow together through the year, we will continue to work to create and define our Pine Hill community.
The following pages contain pertinent information for the start of the school year, such as arrival and dismissal procedures (changes linked below), links to the school calendar, and upcoming events. However, we have tried to consolidate the most salient information in this letter. We know there is a lot there. Please take the time to read all the way to the end.
Additionally, there will be an email sent out tomorrow to all families regarding bus expectations for the 2025-2026 school year. Please review that document carefully with your student(s).
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, or would like to check-in. We are always happy to speak with you and can’t wait to see you all soon.
Sincerely,
Reid J. Jones Samantha Bean
Reid Jones Samantha Bean
Principal Assistant Principal
rjones@westwood.k12.ma.us sbean@westwood.k12.ma.us
WPS Calendar and School Day Hours:
A one-page printout of the updated 2025-2026 school calendar, including school hours, is available on the district website.
School Day Hours: 9:00am - 3:20pm
Morning Arrival: 8:40am - 8:55am (Learning begins at 9:00am)
Dismissal: 3:20pm (12:00pm on early-release Wednesdays)
Schedule for the Opening of School:
Wednesday, August 27th:
First day of school for all students in grades 1-5
Open House for Kindergarten students and families from 9:30-10:30am (parent/family/caregiver must come and stay with your student)
Thursday, August 28th:
Second day of school for all students in grades 1-5
First day of school for all students in Kindergarten (This is an early-release day for our Kindergarten students only. They will be dismissed at 12:00pm.)
Friday, August 29th and Monday, September 1st:
All Westwood Public Schools will be closed for the Labor Day weekend
Tuesday, September 2nd:
Full day of school for all students in grades K-5
Additional Upcoming Events:
Friday, September 12th (Rain date: September 19th) - Pine Hill Community Picnic 5:30-7:30pm
Thursday, September 18th - Curriculum Night
Friday, October 3rd - Picture Day for All Grades
Classroom Teachers for the 2025-2026 School Year:
Kindergarten: Ms. Robin Greene, Mrs. Beth Kelly, Mrs. Erin Kelly, Mrs. Stephanie Traugott
Grade 1: Mrs. Lisa Cronin, Mrs.Valerie Sharpe, Mrs. Jen Spellman, Mrs. Jessica Tartufo
Grade 2: Mrs. Christy Kennedy, Mrs. Rena Rizzi, Mrs. Jen Stygles, Mrs. Sarah Waterman
Grade 3: Ms. Laura Cavanagh, Ms. Tien Chen, Ms. Olivia Wardle, Mr. Jeremy Wolfe
Grade 4: Ms. Stephanie Feuer-Beck, Ms. Sam Gross, Mrs. Judy Morgan, Mrs. Laura Urquijo
Grade 5: Mrs. Kerri Anderson, Mrs. Claire Dorman, Mrs. Katie Ennis, Ms. Amy Hayes
Specialist Teachers for the 2025-2026 School Year:
Art: Mrs. Carla Miller
Digital Literacy: Mr. Mark Goguen
Instrumental Music: Ms. Lori Labedz, Mr. Joel Yennior
Library: Mrs. Meg Kara
Music: Mrs. Katelyn Pickering
PE: Mrs. Ari Tornatore, Mrs. Shanna Jennings, and Mr. Peter Hochman
Special Education Teachers for 2025-2026 School Year:
Special Education Team Chair: Ms. Lindsay Strauss
Learning Center Teachers: Mrs. Hayley Dupre (Barner), Mrs. Katie Burke, Mrs. Elizabeth Buckley, Mrs. Maura Jaundoo, Mrs. Eileen Tomkiewicz, and Mrs. Shannon Novick
Focus Teacher: Mrs. Catherine Fortin
Lower WABA 1: Mrs. Haley Porazzo
Lower WABA 2: Ms. Traci Byrnes
Upper WABA: Mrs. Kelly O’Sullivan
School Adjustment Counselor: Ms. Kim Tula
School Psychologist: Ms. Janet Carfagna
Speech Language Pathologists: Ms. Emily Noland, Mrs. Sheera Lader, Ms. Cyndi Cram
Occupational Therapists: Mrs. Rachel McHugh, Mrs. Amanda Mellon
Physical Therapist: Ms. Elizabeth McLean
BCBAs: Mrs. Danielle Moore and Ms. Megan Gerdangolu
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures and Other Important information
Please click here for important Pine Hill Information from the Main Office
A special THANK YOU to custodians Rich Holleran, Scott Hampton, Enrique Cruz, Tom Whalen and Isaiah Milton. They have truly worked very hard cleaning and have spent many hours painting classrooms, painting stair treads, installing shelving, and cleaning out storage areas. Our building looks very clean, shiny, and beautiful! In addition, they have done a lot of work; putting back classrooms, locating additional furniture, and cleaning every inch of the building ready for students and staff to return.
A huge THANK YOU also goes to Mrs. Abdou! She has been invaluable in ensuring that all purchase orders have been completed, welcoming new families, and having supplies and materials organized and delivered to classrooms.
Thank you to all of our faculty and staff for the care and attention they provided throughout the class placement process and in preparation for the school year. They have been setting up their classrooms, taking courses, reviewing curricula, and preparing to get to know and work with their new students. We always welcome your input, feedback, and partnership and look forward to a productive year ahead!
You made it! Thank you for taking the time to read all the way to the end. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this information or the start of the school year.
Thank you so much,
Reid & Samantha
