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School Dismissal Manager

Broadmeadow Families,

Safety Reminder:

During dismissal (2:40-3:05), students are NOT allowed to play or walk anywhere near the bus loop or butterfly garden. Families who choose to let their children play in the snow after school must supervise their children to ensure that the busses and vans are able to enter and exit the circle safely and in a timely manner.

Patriots Spirit Day on Friday!

This Friday will be a Patriots Spirit Day! We have brought the team good luck for two previous games so we need to keep it going!

Read-A-Thon Celebration!

Thank you to all the students and families who worked to support the Read-A-Thon. We are happy to share that all the grades met their goal! Each grade level is going to organize a special movie and pajama day for their grade to celebrate their team work. Please look for an email from your child’s classroom teacher for more information.

Go Patriots!

Do good. Be kind.

Please note: There is no sign-up for these programs. Events will be held in-person.

Unfortunately we will not be able to record the sessions. Slides from the presentations will be sent out afterwards.

Introduction to High Rock School

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 6:30 pm High Rock School Library

Hosted by Jessica Downey, Principal of High Rock School

This program will give a broad overview of the High Rock School program including:

• The cluster model

• A typical day in 6th grade

• Course selection process

• Transition process

 

Introduction to Special Education at High Rock School*

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 6:30 pm High Rock School Library

Hosted by Dina Spiropoulos, Grade 6 Special Education Coordinator

For parents/guardians that currently have students on IEPs in grade 5. This program will give a broad overview of the special education program including:

• Support services and personnel

• How services are delivered

• What is a skills center

• A typical day for a special education student

*All parents/guardians of current 5th grade special education students are strongly encouraged to attend both the March 18/March 24 and March 18 introductory sessions.

Our hope is to always let students get outside and play. However, there are certainly times when it is not safe to be outside for a longer amount of time. Below are some important winter gear reminders so that all students are prepared for this weather along with how we make the decision to have indoor recess. We use the Child Care Weather Watch pictured above as a guideline for these decisions.

Recess Winter Gear Rules - Be prepared! In order to go outside in the cold weather, students must be wearing the appropriate winter gear. This includes:

• Pants

• Winter Coat

• Hat and Gloves

• Boots (to play on snowy surfaces)

 

Please make sure winter items are labeled so if they go missing, they can be easily returned. We can certainly provide support to families who need access to winter clothing. Please reach out to us and we will help.

Winter Weather Chart - Recess Safety Oversimplified

 

• 20℉ and above - Bundle up and be ready for the kids to go outside.

• 19℉ and below - Bundle up for arrival/dismissal but likely indoor recess.

• Wind chill and “real feel” temperatures impact our decisions to go outside.

• Community members who visit Broadmeadow must enter and exit through the front door. Please ring the bell to your left when you arrive. All visitors must check-in at the office and sign our visitor log.
• After ringing the bell, families who arrive to drop off student materials are asked to label all items with their student’s full name and teacher name and place them in the bin on the office counter. The office will facilitate getting materials to the student’s classroom.
• Families who arrive to pick up students early will be asked to wait outside for their child to exit the building.

Andy Garlick, Principal

Chanit List, Assistant Principal

Sofie Jelden K-2 Guidance

Katie Lizotte, 3-5 Guidance

Jacqui Murphy, Connections Guidance

Any adult who volunteers at a school event will be required to complete the CORI review process at least 4 days in advance of their visit. Completed CORI and Confidentiality forms (linked below) can be dropped off at the office or emailed to Roberta Redpath.

 

• CORI FORM: Please complete both sides of the CORI form being sure to include the last 6 digits of your social security number. A copy of a license or passport is also required order for the CORI to be processed.
• CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT: In addition, please return a copy of a completed confidentiality form with your CORI documents.

In order to assure that you (and/or other adults in your family who do not have an online portal account) are set up to receive these important email communications, we urge you to log into your account on the PowerSchool parent/guardian portal and make sure that all adults who should receive email are set up as “contacts” who receive emails. While adding or reviewing these contacts, please also take the time to add or update cell phone numbers for parents/guardians and anyone else who is identified as an emergency contact. All of these tasks can be accomplished by viewing the instructions provided in this VIDEO or by referring to the following instructions:

1. Log into your account on the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

2. Click on “Forms” in the left-hand margin.

2. Under the “All Forms” tab, click on Student Information

3. Scroll down to the “Enter Contacts” section.

• Review contacts and update information. (click on the blue pencil to edit/update the contact)

• Be sure to add or update emails and cell phone numbers if necessary. IMPORTANT: If you would like the receive all school email communications, please select the option “Receives Mail” when adding an email address

4. New contacts may be added by clicking on the “ADD” button located under the “Enter Contacts” section. IMPORTANT: Please make certain that if the contact wants to receive all email communications, to select the option “Receives Mail.”

Please note that If you have not created a Parent Portal account, or if you have forgotten your login or password, please email Roberta Redpath for assistance.

December 2025

Temperature Measurement FYI

How? Temporal (forehead), oral and/or non-contact infrared scan.

Why? Student sent to health office by teacher stating they don’t feel well, “are not themselves”, student tells teacher they had a fever/vomited/took medicine before school

Please remember: we want your child in school but it is to their detriment and ours for students to be here while not feeling well. By the time you receive a call/text stating your child is not well or needs to go home I have taken their temperature many times (with different thermometers), provided water, bathroom, rest, sometimes food, asking about emotional issues, tried distraction and other “tricks of the trade”. Please respect my decision to dismiss your child.

ILLNESS GUIDELINES- please review

Influenza A, strep throat and flu like illnesses are prevalent in our community.

Please consider keeping your child home from school an extra day while recovering from an illness. Our policy is fever free and/or vomiting and diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of medication but let common sense prevail (while also adhering to the illness guidelines) The first few days of a cold are miserable for all of us. If you are able, consider keeping your child home even if they test negative for covid, flu, RSV etc. If you aren’t sure if your child is up for a whole school day, then err on the side of caution and keep him or her home to rest and hydrate. Be sure your child is eating his or her usual diet and has had a full night sleep before returning to school.

Please send your children in with appropriate cold weather gear- hats, mittens, boots, snowpants and the like. You might consider an extra pair of mittens and socks if your child likes to play in the snow (hopefully)

Remember to pack an extra set of pants to keep in the bottom of your child’s backpack- accidents happen and I have limited pants and sizes to loan. An uncomfortable child in wet or soiled clothing will find it difficult to participate in the school day.

I frequently see children for nosebleeds. Please consider a humidifier at the bedside and increasing water intake. Salt water nosedrops (Ocean drops) are also quite useful for children with thick nasal discharge as it thins the mucus preventing ear and sinus infections.

As always, I am available to discuss your child’s health concerns at any time. My goal is to keep every student in school.

 

Mary Beth Arigo RN, MSN, CPNP

Broadmeadow School Nurse

[email protected]

781-455-0448 Ext. 51309

 

FAX 833-298-1217

Registration for Needham Baseball teen leagues is officially open! Ensure your player is ready for the diamond this spring by registering as soon as possible. Sign up today: https://needhambaseball.com/baseball-registrations/ If you have any questions, please contact Dan Powers at [email protected].

Looking to keep your child active during the month of March and the Spring? Join our Y Madness Basketball league starting March 7th – March 28th & our Spring Soccer League starting April 25th – June 20th. Our Y madness league is open to ages 5-10 years old, and our Spring Soccer is open to ages 3-7 years old. See the flyer for more details or email Jaehmar Paul, at [email protected] with any questions. Sign up now! Register: HERE or feel free to reach out to our welcome center (781-444-6400).

Come celebrate the creativity of local youth at the Picture This! Winter 2026 Showcase on Tuesday, February 10th, from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Needham Center at the Heights. The evening will feature student book presentations followed by a gallery walk, offering a wonderful opportunity for the community to see these young authors' ideas come to life. Your attendance means the world to these students! For more information, view the flyer or email [email protected].

Get ready for a season of fun and competition with Needham Softball! Our Spring season, running from April through June, welcomes all girls from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Whether your athlete is a beginner looking for skill development in our in-town leagues or ready for the challenge of travel teams, we have a place for them in our Rookie, Minor, Major, and Senior Leagues. Pre-season training sessions begin in late February, so don't wait to sign up. For more details and to REGISTER TODAY, visit our website at needhambaseball.com or view our event flyer. For questions, please contact Derek Roy, Vice President of Softball, at [email protected].

The Needham Poet Laureate Program is launching the inaugural "Needham Poems!" showcase and invites anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Needham to submit short poems of ten lines or fewer. Selected entries from kids, teens, and adults will be displayed at the Library, Town Hall, or the Center at the Heights this April to celebrate National Poetry Month. To participate, submit up to three poems via email to [email protected] or in person at the library by the February 14, 2026, deadline. See more information in the flyer.

Needham Youth Field Hockey is thrilled to host the world-class team from Leap Hockey for a Leap Academy Clinic on May 2, 2026, from 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM at DeFazio Park. Open to 5th–8th graders, this clinic offers a comprehensive training system known for its elite coaching and skill development. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn from leaders in the sport! Click here to register or check out the event flyer. For more info, email [email protected].

The Substance Prevention Alliance of Needham (SPAN) invites parents and caregivers of middle schoolers (grades 5–8) to a new workshop series: "Conversations with Your Middle Schooler: Why You Shouldn't Wait to Talk About Substance Use". Over three sessions—January 26, February 23, and March 23—participants will gain tools and resources to address underage drinking and other substance use. These sessions at the Center at the Heights (300 Hillside Ave) provide a supportive space to learn skill-building techniques and connect with other local parents. Sign Up via Bitly

Open Gym Returns! Free open gym time at Pollard School for families and friends of all ages. Come practice your basketball, volleyball, futsal, start a pickup game, whatever you can do and share the space. Bring a ball or share one of ours. Open Gym Dates are Jan 9, 23, Feb 6, March 13, 27 from 6:00 PM to 7:50 PM. www.needhamOpenGym.org

Stay informed about the Pollard Middle School Project! Sign up for our mailing list to be notified about upcoming meetings and important updates. You can sign up on the project website, where you will also find future meeting dates, FAQs, project documents and much more:

tinyurl.com/NPSPollardProject