Dear Caregivers,

Unfortunately we had to cancel the grades 3-8 MCAS that was scheduled for last week. It will now be held this upcoming week, May 9-10 with make-ups being May 11-12. We know that this can be anxiety producing for many students, however, we know they are capable and have the knowledge they need to be successful. Tests of this nature don’t tell us everything we need to know about a student or school. It provides a snapshot in time. Although it is a snapshot, it reflects the progress your child has made and our school as a whole. For this reason, it is important that students put forth their best effort and apply the many skills and strategies taught to them through the years. 

It is very important that students be present for testing and arrive at school on time. We encourage families to avoid making appointments or dismissing students early on testing days. 

Helpful tips to support your learner:

* Have them get plenty of rest the night before (aim for 8 hours!)

* Remind them to eat before school, or grab a breakfast when they enter in the morning.

* Reinforce that there will be questions that they will know right away (easy) and some they will need to work through (challenging) and that is 100% normal with any test. 

* Let them hear from you that they are smart, capable and prepared for success!

If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s Head of School

Brianne Padden – grade 3

Tina DeVito- grades 4-8

IMPORTANT!! Bus Survey/ Registration for the 2022-2023 School Year: We are excited to be moving for the 2022-2023 school year to 50 Richland St. Worcester, MA 01610. The following link is a survey for families to say if they do or do not need bus transportation for the next school year. Please click on the link https://forms.gle/WXSMYPurpg1bNL5v8 and answer yes or no. If you answer yes, the survey will then bring you to the bus registration screen. Please complete the bus registration form to ensure you have a bus stop in your neighborhood for the upcoming school year. Bus stops will be added or eliminated based on the information provided on the registration. Thank you so much for your cooperation. 

Applications are now available until June 3^rd for our Late Lottery. Completed applications will be placed on our already existing waitlist created in March. If you have a child that will be five by August 31, 2022 or you know someone that does, please go to learningfirstcharter.org/admissions and complete an online application.

Reminders from the School Nurse: The nurse is looking for gently used uniforms donations. If you have any pants and/ or shirts that your child does not fit any longer and are in good condition, please send them in.

This is a reminder to Learning First families participating in the at home COVID-19 testing, to test on Tuesday night and if positive to contact the school nurse on Wednesday morning.

This week we had 5 cases of Covid-19 in our school.  If your student was a close contact then you were notified by the school nurse. It is not required for your child to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, however if your child has had it and you are willing to let us know it would be appreciated and helpful in cases when we need to do contact tracing.

Stay healthy! ~Nurse Sarah and Sammy

School Calendar Update for 2021-2022 School Year: Due to the numbers of snow days we had this school year; our last day of school is now June 21, 2022. It will be a half of day. Dismissal will be at 12:30 PM. There will be no school the day before, June 20^th, in observance of Juneteenth.

Extracurricular Activities: The Stomp team will be performing at the Worcester Tercentennial Festival on June 11^th on the Worcester Common “celebrating 300 years” from 11:00 AM- 5:00 PM.

Community Connections: Davis Farmland is offering free admission for moms all weekend. Complimentary massages are available for mothers from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM, based on availability. Tickets MUST be purchased online. Please see their website for more info and to purchase tickets https://davisfarmland.com/

2022 Worcester County Food Truck Showdown is Saturday, May 7^th from 12:00-5:00 PM at the Spencer Fairgrounds, 91 Meadow Rd, Spencer, MA. Celebrity judges will choose the best food truck in Worcester County for 2022. Attendees will vote for their favorite for people’s choice as well. It is a full day event with dozens of talented artists, crafters and vendors, live entertainment, games, prizes and more! Tickets are only $5.00 for adults and children under 12 are free. Your admission includes your own vote card, and parking. Food and drink are additional. Tickets are available in person. To avoid lines, you can also pre-purchase tickets at https://wootrucks.square.site/

The Worcester Children’s Chorus is auditioning youth ages 8-18 for the 2022-20223 season. Audition dates are May 18^th & June 15^th from 5:00-7:00 PM. The audition fee is $25.00 and is to be paid at the time of booking the audition. If paying an audition fee is outside of your family’s budget, please contact the office at info@worcesterchildfrenschorus.org and ask about a fee waiver. One recommendation from a teacher or other adult outside of the family is due at audition. To register for an audition go to https://worcesterchildrenschorus.org/audition-form/

Reminder: School Hours for the 2022-2023 school year will change to 7:30 AM- 2:30 PM Monday through Friday.

May 9-10: Grades 3-8 Math MCAS Testing

May 11-12: MCAS Make-Ups

May 16-17: Grades 5 & 8 STE MCAS Testing

May 18-19: MCAS Make-Ups

May 27: National Junior Honor Society Ceremony

June 3: Science Fair

June 6: Stomp to Six Flags 10:00 AM- 7:00 PM

June 10: Grade 8 Last Day

June 11: Stomp Performance Worcester Common 11:00 AM

June 13-17: Kindergarten Screening

June 20: No School

June 21: Last Day of School (Dismissal 12:30 PM)