Dear Squantum Parents & Guardians,
I am writing to officially welcome you back to the start of a new school year and truly hope you had a healthy and fun summer with family and friends. It is my hope that you find this communication helpful in terms of answering any of your questions or simply updating you on information as we approach the start of the new school year.
We are looking forward to welcoming back just over 350 students and families on the first day of school on Wednesday, September 6th. This will be a half day of school with dismissal at 11:55. The first day of school for Kindergarten students is the following Monday, September 11th. The first day of school for students in our CARES and SNLC classes is September 6th. Additional details on the start of the year is provided below.
The building is in great shape thanks to our custodians and our classrooms and learning spaces are ready to go thanks to our dedicated staff. You should also know that plans for a new Squantum School are well underway as city officials and many Squantum teachers participated in a visioning process over several workshops this summer with architects and educational planners. The workshops were designed to promote thinking about our current and future educational goals and priorities and how we can connect these practices and possibilities into innovative design plans for a new building.
Mayor Koch will be hosting a community meeting about the new school project on Thursday, September 14th at 6:30. Please save the date and we will follow up with meeting details as soon as possible.
The staff is energized and excited this year to continue offering outstanding academic programs and a variety of before and after school programs. We are also very excited to welcome a number of new staff members this year to our school community. I am also excited to share that Ms. Healy has been appointed by the main QPS office and will be serving as the assistant principal of the school in addition to her teaching responsibilities.
Combine this with our popular PBIS program and continued plans to support the social emotional well-being of our students, we are certainly set up for a safe, successful and positive new school year. We are hoping you and your family a great end to the summer and a great school year and as we say on the morning announcements, Be safe, Be respectful, Be responsible and Don’t forget to be Awesome!
The school office will officially open for business the week of August 28th. Please feel free to call the main line at 617-984-8706 or email me at [email protected] with any specific questions or concerns.
Looking forward to a great school year! See you soon!
Sincerely,
Stephen Sylvia
Principal
Important Dates
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August 28th: Squantum main office opens for the new school year
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August 30th: Student Homerooms released in ASPEN Parent Portal starting at 2:00 pm
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September 6th: First Day of School for Grades 1 to 5, CARES I & II, SNLC I & II Classes
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September 8th: Kindergarten Orientation
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September 8th: SQU PTO sponsors "Popsicles in Park" after K orientation
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September 11th: First Day of School for Kindergarten Students
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September 19th: SQU PTO meeting @ 6:30 in the media center
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September 26th: SQU Open House Night
QPS Back To School Guide
The district has created a back to school guide that contains important information about the upcoming school year and district related details. Please click here to access the QPS website for all things related to the 2023-2024 school year.
First Day of School and School Hours
The first day of school is Wednesday, September 6th for students in grades 1 to 5 and for our CARES and SNLC classes. Please note this is an early release day for all students and lunch will be served.
The first day of school for QPS Kindergarten students is Monday, September 11th. There is a Kindergarten orientation scheduled for Friday, September 8th and details relative to time and location will be sent directly to to Kindergarten families as soon as possible.
Squantum School Hours are 8:15-2:30 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday will continue to be a half day for all QPS elementary school students. Dismissal on Wednesdays is 11:55.
Grade Level Supply Lists
Please find the suggested supply lists for students in grades 1-5 at https://squantum.quincypublicschools.com/our_school/news/2023-2024_school_supply_lists
Entry and Dismissal Doors
Students taking QPS buses will enter the building from the back main entrance or outdoor classroom door. Staff will be present to meet these students when the buses arrive.
Squantum families that are planning to walk or drop off students at school and then pick up at dismissal should enter using the designated doors below. Please adhere to our traffic patterns of only parking on the residential side of Huckins and only crossing the street at the crosswalks.
Please be mindful of blocking residential driveways on the side streets as safety is a major priority during entry and dismissal times. Your cooperation during these times is truly appreciated.
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Kindergarten students will enter and then be dismissed using classroom doors in the front of the building
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Grade 1 and 2 students will enter and then be dismissed using the Squantum door just up from the gym entrance in the front of the school
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Grade 3 students will enter and be dismissed from the main SQU school entrance in the front of the building
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Grade 4 and 5 students will enter and then be dismissed using the door closest to the fire station in front of the school
There will be signs at each entrance to start the year as we establish routines and staff will be present to open the doors at 8:15 and then for dismissal at 2:30.
Dismissal will be at 11:55 on Wednesdays from the same doors.
CARES & SNLC Entrance
Students in our CARES & SNLC classes will enter from the back, near the bus entrance. Please park on Mayflower Road to drop off your child.
If you would like to drop your student off at a grade level entrance, we can make special arrangements with staff. Please communicate with your child's teacher to organize this. Thank you in advance!
Kindergarten Orientation and Other K Information
Kindergarten orientation will take place on Friday, September 8th.
During this time families will have the opportunity to meet the Kindergarten teachers, see the classrooms and learn important information for the upcoming school year. Orientation will begin at 10:00 a.m. The orientation is for both student and parents.
Immediately after orientation, all Kindergarten families are welcome to head over to the "Popsicles in the Playground" event sponsored by our PTO! This is a great time to meet new families and classmates!
The first full day of school for Kindergarten students is Monday, September 11th.
QPS Calendar
Please click here to view the Quincy Public Schools 2023-2024 school calendar for all important holidays, school closures, and early release day information.
ASPEN and Contact Information
All Quincy Public Schools utilize the ASPEN website. This is where contact information is stored, along with access to student grades at report card trimesters.
Contact sheets will be sent home for updates early in the school year as a way for you to make any changes relative to general contact information, as well as emergency contacts in the event you are unable to be reached or unable to pick up your child from school.
Your child’s homeroom teacher will be visible in the ASPEN portal on August 30th at 2:00 pm. This is consistent with all QPS schools across the district.
Please email [email protected] if you need a password reset or more information related to your ASPEN account.
Click here for the QPS Introduction to Aspen that provides tutorials and guidance on accessing the Aspen website.
Squantum School - Back to School Night 9/26
The Squantum School staff would like to invite you to our annual EVENING OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023.
This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, view their classroom and to learn some details about your child’s schoolwork and homework expectations throughout the course of the school year. Teachers will be available in their classrooms from 5:30 to 7:00 during this night.
We are also pleased to let you know the Scholastic Book Fair will be open during this night as a way to support the school. Squantum PTO members will also be available in the main hallway to share information about the school and various ways to support our students and the school community throughout the school year.
Summer Reading and Read to Ride Program
Please have your student(s) return Read to Ride reading logs for a chance to win a bike thanks to Representative Bruce Ayers. Participating students should pass reading logs into their homeroom teacher during the first few days of school.
This is always a popular program and we are always impressed with the amount of reading over the summer. Great job!
Absences
If your child is going to be absent please email your child’s teacher, [email protected], or call the main office at 617-984-8706 by 8:30. Safety is our top priority, so we will call home if we do not hear from you.
In order for an absence to be considered excused, a written note must accompany the student the first day back in class. The note should include the date returning, child’s name, date absent, and the reason for the absence. Any absence for which the school does not receive appropriate notification will be unexcused.
Breakfast and Lunch
Students are given the opportunity to receive a school breakfast and/or lunch as part of their daily routine.
Lunch and breakfast will be free for ALL students again this year. QPS strongly encourages parents/guardians to continue to complete the free and reduced lunch application this year in order to receive other benefits from the state, including P-EBT benefits. Menus and applications can be found on the QPS Food Service website.
Breakfast is available for all students beginning at 8:00 am. Any interested student may buzz in through the main door and walk down to the cafeteria. Breakfast is also available in the classrooms once students have entered the building. Please remind your child to let their homeroom teacher know if they need breakfast.
Lunch will be served in the cafeteria during your child’s assigned class time. Lunch will continue to be offered to students on early release days. This time will be built into classroom schedules.
Buses
Quincy Public Schools is currently accepting applications for bus transportation this year for a number of schools, including Squantum. Students that live more than 1.5 miles away from their school are eligible to apply. Click here to complete a registration for the 2023-2024 school year. Please note that a new application needs to be completed every year to renew your child’s bus transportation.
Big bus routes will be posted on the main QPS website on or around September 1st, 2023.Click here for the main QPS transportation page that will provide more information.
Scholastic Book Fair (Volunteers needed the week of September 25th!)
The PTO is looking for volunteers for the Book Fair. Please use the signup genius below (you must be CORI checked and fingerprinted to volunteer).
How to join the Squantum PTO
Please download this form for detailed information about the PTO and how to support the school this school year. For more information on the PTO.
Here is a link to the PTO website: https://www.squantumpto.com/