Brian T. Jones, Principal Telephone: 508-655-0331 (@ Loker School) Email: Brian_Jones@Wayland.k12.ma.us Dear Loker School Families, Welcome to Loker School! It is hard to believe that the school year is less than two weeks away! I am very excited to build this new elementary school community with all of you. It has been an exciting summer with many facility improvements such as a new playground, new school sign, the installation of interactive whiteboard projectors in each classroom along with teachers successfully moving from other buildings to Loker. Our school motto is PRIDE, P (Personal Best), R (Respect), I (Integrity), D (Determination and E (Enthusiasm) as it is extremely important to me that we establish a culture where children take pride in their work and interactions with each other, parents have pride in their neighborhood school and teachers have pride and a personal investment in the success of the students.

Opening Day: On Tuesday, September 2nd, the first day of school for first grade

through fourth grade, we plan to have a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the Loker Elementary School along with a “clap-in” for the students. We are asking that parents with children in grades 1-4 drop off their child with their classroom teacher outside the main entrance to the school between 8:30am-8:45am. We are then requesting parents to enter the building and line the hallway walls next to their child’s classroom to “clap-

in” the children as they enter the school and begin their Loker journey. If your child rides the bus, please consider coming to the school on opening day and meeting us outside your child’s classroom at 8:45am. The ribbon cutting ceremony and “clap-in” will begin promptly at 8:45am. Between 8:15am and 9:15am, the PTO will also sponsor a coffee on the front circle for families. We hope that you can join us!

Kindergarten Screening: If you are a kindergarten family, you should have received a forty-five

minute kindergarten screening time on either Tuesday, September 2nd or Wednesday, September 3rd. The first day of kindergarten classes will be on Thursday, September 4th. Kindergarten children will be welcomed to the school in a nurturing and developmentally appropriate manner by the kindergarten teachers and administration on their first day of school to ensure a smooth transition.

Bus Information: The school bus routes will be posted this week on the main website for the

Wayland Public Schools, http://www.wayland.k12.ma.us/. On the website under Administration, please click Student Transportation. Bus passes will be sent to families this week from the business office. I also want to remind you that transportation is provided to bring children from home to school and from school back to their homes. Busing is not provided for play dates, group activities such as girl scouts, parties and non-school lessons and classes. We have to adhere to this district policy so that every child has an adequate seat on the bus. Musical instruments which can fit safely in a child’s lap may be transported by bus. Large instruments will need to be dropped off at school by an adult. The purpose of this is to keep bus aisles clear at all times. I appreciate your cooperation with these bus policies which will result in a safe environment for all children.

A LOOK AT LOKER! BACK TO SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

August 20, 2014

Bus Safety Information: Please be sure to review bus safety with your children. In

the student handbook which will be sent home on the first day of school, clear policies and procedures are outlined. I appreciate your attention to this detail.

Loker Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures: Please pull all the way up to the end

of the sidewalk in front of the school when you are unloading children. The line slows down when all of the spaces to the end of the sidewalk are not filled. No one is allowed to pass a bus with flashing red lights. (Yellow flashing lights are warnings and you may pass a bus with yellow flashing lights.) If you are in the live lane and a bus is unloading, you must wait behind the bus. The drop off lane in front of the school in the morning is a live lane of moving traffic. You may not park or leave your car in this lane. School personnel will help younger children exit your car safely. Make sure the children are seated on the right side or passenger's side of the car. They may not exit the driver's side of the car as this is the live lane and very dangerous. At drop off time, if you would like to park and say good bye to your child at the front door, you may use the side parking lot and use the sidewalk to safely proceed to the doors. We ask that you not park anywhere in the circle as this forces you to cross over the live lanes of traffic. We are a smaller school and will all fit in the parking lot. At dismissal, please remember that a parent or designated person must be at the bus stop to meet all kindergarten children. The bus driver will not allow any kindergarten child to leave the bus unescorted by a designated adult. Kindergarten children who are not met will be returned to the school and parents will have to make arrangements to pick them up there. Thank you for your cooperation in all of these matters... they really do matter!

New Staff: As Loker underwent significant staff changes in its transition to an elementary school,

please see the following page for a full staff directory for the Loker Elementary School.

Student Summer Challenge: (Grades 1-4) Your child is invited to write a paragraph, craft a poem, draw a picture or create a rap about his/her hopes and goals for the new Loker School and classroom this year. We would really like to know what is important to them so that we can best support them at Loker. Please use a 5X7 piece of paper to complete this task. Classroom teachers will collect all work in classrooms on the first day of school and all work will be on display in the hallways. So… let’s show our school spirit and try for a summer piece from everyone! Thank you to all of the children for giving their best effort in completing this project!

Final Thoughts: We strongly encourage all parents to become involved with their child’s education

by attending school events, participating in parent-teacher conferences, volunteering in the classroom and becoming part of the PTO. We recognize that, in order for this to be a successful school, we need your involvement and support. I hope to see all of you at our school-wide picnic next Wednesday, August 27th, from 5:30pm-7:00pm on the Loker backfield. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions, concerns or thoughts about the new school year. Enjoy the beautiful weather and the remaining days of summer! Sincerely, Brian Jones Loker School Principal

FACULTY AND STAFF 2014-2015 Principal: Brian Jones Administrative Assistant: Christine Eisnor Secretary: Heather DeMasi

Room 1 - Kindergarten Ilana Wyner Cathleen Holmes (TA) Room 2- Kindergarten Rebecca Abrams Colleen Cappellucci (TA) Laura Trounson (TA) Room 3- 1st Grade Rosemarie Furey Caroline McCarthy (TA) Room 4- 1st Grade Kathleen Germaine Julie Danforth (TA) Room 5- 2nd Grade Janet Powers Room 6- 2nd Grade Brian O’Donnell Heidi Bankmann (TA) Room 9- 3rd Grade Pamela Pingeton Room 10- 3rd Grade Michael O’Connor Room 11- 4th Grade Rebecca Talaia Patricia Arnheim (TA) Room 12- 4th Grade Jennifer Sole-Robertson

CURRICULUM SPECIALIST Karyn Saxon: ELA & SS Tricia O’Reilly: MA & SCI Curriculum Secretary: Lynn Featherstone SPECIALISTS ART: Kathryn Boetler-Dimock LIBRARY: Susan Allen MUSIC: Elisabeth Jacobsen STRINGS: Whitney Tandon BAND: Tristie Keenan P.E.: Daniel O’Connor TECHNOLOGY: Stephanie Meyler GUIDANCE Laurel Pirelli ELL Amy Behr METCO Latisha Dukes-Pearson SPECIAL EDUCATION Anne Johnson Susan Lukianov Karen Devine Janet Kaplan, OT Paula McCue, PT Mindy Hochstadt, Speech READING SPECIALIST Sarah Sontag Debra Pellerin

Math Coaches Becky Lepow Aidan McCann FOOD SERVICES Pauline Chin Rosemarie Fennelly HEALTH ROOM Jennifer McLeod, RN BUILDING SUBSTITUTES Tricia Freeman Michael Kinsella CUSTODIANS Michael Silkonis Roberto Bonilla

Loker School “PRIDE”

Personal Best

Respect

Integrity

Determination

Enthusiasm

LOKER SCHOOL HOURS Traditional Kindergarten hours:

8:45 A.M. – 12:05 P.M. Full Day Kindergarten and Grades 1-4 hours:

M, T, TH, F: 8:45 A.M. – 3:00 P.M., W: 8:45 A.M.-1:50 P.M.

STAY IN THE LOOP! Sign up for the eNews listserv to receive

important emails and electronic monthly

newsletters from Loker School!

Click on the link available on the Loker

School homepage at

http://wls.wayland.k12.ma.us/ to sign up!

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC INSTRUCTION Registration for elementary instrumental music lessons is due now. Students in grades 3-5 are eligible to take lessons in the strings instruments while students in grades 4 and 5 are eligible to participate in band. For strings, please register at this site: https://docs.google.com/a/wayland.k12.ma.us/spreadsheet/viewform?usp=drive_web&formkey=dE5uZGY2UThIQXFfVVBwR3hnRjJrTEE6MA#gid=0 Band students should register at this site: http://waylandelementaryband.weebly.com/ The fee is $150 for the year. Students who receive free or reduced lunch are eligible for a waiver of this fee if they complete the sharing form that can be found at this link: http://www.wayland.k12.ma.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_1036352/File/Food%20Services/Docs/SHARING%20INFORMATION%20WITH%20OTHER%20PROGRAMS_FY14-15.pdf This sharing form should be sent directly to Susan Bottan, Business Administrator for Wayland Public Schools.

If you already registered but have not paid, please do so on-line through Unibank:https://unipaygold.unibank.com/Default.aspx?customerid=743 **Please direct questions about payments to Betsy_Meindl@wayland.k12.ma.us

PTO CALENDAR

2014-2015 Loker Events

EVENT DATE/TIME CONTACT Loker Family Picnic August 27 (W) Tracey O’Rourke

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon, August 28 (Th) Daria Greeley & Joanna

Hartunian

Re-Dedication Ceremony September 2 (T), 8:30 am

Clap-In (1st-4th grades) September 2 (T), 8:45 am

Welcome Coffee September 2 (T), 8:15am-

9:15 am

Tracey O’Rourke

School Meeting Every Wednesday, 9:10 am Brian Jones

Gift Your Child: Part 1 August – November Corrie Dretler

Just Like Me Ongoing Jamie Janoff (3rd grade)

Amy O’Donnell (4th grade)

September PTO Board Meeting September 10 (W) Liza Knapp

Teacher/Staff Dinner September 18 (Th), 5:30pm-

7:00pm

Daria Greeley & Joanna

Hartunian

Curriculum Night September 18, 7:15pm-8:15

pm

Brian Jones

Room Parent Kick Off Meeting September 9 (T), 9:00 am Amy O’Donnell

Picture Day September 23 (T) Sandy O’Driscoll

Wayland/Boston Family Picnic Sunday, September 28

PTO Board Meetings (starting in Oct.) First Wednesday of the

month, following school mtg

Liza Knapp

Coffee with Mr. Jones Monthly Christine Eisnor

Book Fair TBD Jodi Chase& Nancy Schacter

Halloween/Fall Movie Night TBD Tracey O’Rourke

Toy Drive November/December Jodi Chase & Nancy Schacter

Parmenter Drive? Monthly?

Holiday Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon, December 18

(Th)

Daria Greeley & Joanna

Hartunian

Fitness Challenge Winter, 2015 (townwide)

Gift Your Child: Part 2, Backpack

Auction

Early Winter (townwide) TBD

Spring movie night TBD Tracey O’Rourke

Bingo Night TBD (townwide) Tracey O’Rourke

World’s Fair TBD (townwide) Emily Villatoro

Talent Show June, 2015 (date TBD)

Kindergarten Orientation May, 2015 (date TBD) Liza Knapp

Annual PTO Meeting & Thank you

Breakfast

June 8 (M) at 9:30 am Liza Knapp

End of Year Picnic and Ice Cream

Social

June 9 (T) at 5:30 pm

Rain Date: June 11 (Th)

Tracey O’Rourke

Book Fair June, 2015 (date TBD) Jodi Chase & Nancy Schacter

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Event Luncheon, June 11 (Th) Daria Greeley & Joanna

Hartunian

Clap-out (for all students) Last day of school, 3 pm

Bus Driver Appreciation To be held at High School

Cultural Enrichment Ongoing Lia Barris

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES! 9/25: Rosh Hashanah

10/13: Columbus Day

11/11: Veterans’ Day

12/24: 1st day December break

1/19: MLK

2/16: 1st day February break

4/3: Good Friday

4/20: 1st day April break

5/25: Memorial Day

6/16: Tentative last day of

school

KINDERGARTEN

ORIENTATION Please join us for a kindergarten

orientation event at Loker on

Monday, August 25thfrom 5:30-7

pm. This will be an opportunity for

all incoming kindergarteners and

their families to tour the school,

play on the playground, and eat

popsicles with their classmates.

Mark your calendars – we hope to

see you there!

You’re Invited to the

LOKER SCHOOL PICNIC!

Wednesday, August 27th from 5:30pm – 7:00pm at the Loker School backfield

Come join us on

Wednesday, August 27th for this fun-filled community event! Activities include face painting and gym games on the field

coordinated by Loker School’s new physical education teacher, Mr. O’Connor. Popsicles will be

served and you and your child should have the opportunity to use the new Loker playground! Please bring yourself, your family and a picnic

dinner! We hope to see you there!

Loker Back-to-School Teachers Luncheon Thursday, August 28th

Please consider helping us welcome Loker teachers and staff back-to-school with a delicious luncheon (while they set-up their classrooms). The lunch is on Thursday, August 28 at 11:30 a.m. and many volunteer spots are open, from providing sandwiches, salad, fruit, desserts, etc. to helping with set-up or clean-up. All items need to be delivered by 10:30am. We will have a crate in the Loker Staff Room to collect items that can be brought in advance starting on Monday, August 25th. If you leave items in the refrigerator, please label them clearly for the Back-to-School Luncheon on 8/28. Please also label any serving pieces you want returned. We'll put them back in the crate following the lunch for you to retrieve. We're using VolunteerSpot to organize the luncheon. Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Go to: http://vols.pt/Sm9t5V 2. Enter your email address.

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. However, if you prefer not to signup online, please contact Daria Greeley at 781.392.5112 or daria1212@hotmail.com and she'll be happy to manually sign you up as a volunteer.

Thank you for your consideration! Daria Greeley & Joanna Hartunian Loker Staff Appreciation Committee

WSCP Announces Fall Enrichment Classes

At Loker School this fall, WSCP is offering a range of enrichment opportunities for children. For a complete listing, go to the link below and register through the specific program offering. Have questions about any of the programs? Go to the program's website, send an email, or call. Classes to be offered vary by grade. There will be: Drama Kids International, Super Soccer Stars, Global Languages (French and Spanish), Chinese Language and Culture, Little Local Vocals Children's Chorus, and Beehive Art. There are also private music lessons for children already participating in the district's music programs. Enjoy the rest of the summer break! Click this link for a listing of the Loker School fall enrichment programs: Loker Classes, Fall 2014

LOKER SCHOOL SAFE ARRIVAL PROGRAM

What is the Safe Arrival Program?

A program that ensures that every child in the school is accounted for at the start of each day. Are all Loker children enrolled in this program?

YES all children are part of this program. How does this program operate?

Families phone the school (508-655-0331) before 8:45 AM and leave a message stating that their child(ren) will be absent or late. Message should include: child’s name, teacher’s name, date(s) of absence. Anticipated future absences or late arrivals can also be called in ahead of time.

The office staff keeps a log of all calls.

Classroom attendance is sent to the office and cross checked with the messages at 8:45 AM. If a child is still unaccounted for, the office staff then:

Rechecks the child’s classroom

Contacts the parents at home(s) or work

Checks with his or her siblings (if any)

Phones emergency contacts

Principal or designee drives to child’s home

Police are contacted