It was an exciting and enriching week at Oak Ridge! First and foremost, we celebrated our amazing teachers this week for Teacher Appreciation Week with burritos, a flower bar, Press Ahead Coffee, treats, and coffee tumblers to recognize and thank our amazing staff for all they do each day.

Our 4th grade students had a wonderful opportunity to participate in a persuasive writing panel featuring changemakers from our community, who shared how they use persuasion in their professional roles to create impact and inspire others. Following the panel, the changemakers, along with marketing students from SMHS, visited classrooms to listen to students present their persuasive proposals. It was incredible to see our students confidently share their ideas with authentic audiences!

We enjoyed a fantastic author visit for our 3rd and 4th grade students with Susan Verde. A special thank you to the PTA and Mrs. Bronner for coordinating this memorable experience for our students!

We were thrilled to welcome the professional acappella group Ball in the House, who performed for our students and later led a special workshop for members of the Oak Ridge Chorus.

You are welcome to join our administrative team on Wednesday, May 13 @ 7:30 AM for coffee and donuts for an informal conversation. We ask that you RSVP to Dr. Dunphy (adunphy@sandwich.k12.ma.us) by May 11 so that we have an accurate headcount. Hope to see you there!

We will be assessing grade 3 students over the next few weeks. Following the screening assessment, a team at our school will review all students’ results. Parents/Guardians will receive a family report that provides an overview of their child’s results. If your child scores “significantly below benchmark,” we will contact you within 30 school days of testing, to discuss how we can support your child.

These actions are included in Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 28.03(1)(f), which requires all public schools in the state to assess students’ reading skills in grades K-3 at least twice a year.

Oak Ridge School uses DIBELS 8/mClass from Amplify as our universal early literacy assessment. This early screening assessment is given one-to-one to each student by a reading specialist or interventionist. It is one of several screening assessments approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 

As a reminder, early literacy universal screening is used to determine a student’s risk for reading difficulty and to guide us in providing reading support. It is not a diagnosis or determination of a disability.

A few quick notes for parents regarding the upcoming Social on May 15th:

The Social will run from 5:00–7:00 PM. Students will receive pizza and a water with their ticket. Concessions will also be available for purchase for $2 each.

Drop-off will begin at 5:00 PM. Parents do not need to walk students to the door. Please park in the parking lots only and avoid parking in the bus loop.

Pickup will be at 7:00 PM. Again, please do not park in the bus loop. Parents should park in the lots and walk into the school to retrieve their student. There will be a sign-out sheet at the door.

Please encourage students to leave cell phones at home. Any phones brought to the event will need to be left in the office during the Social and will be returned at pickup.

We look forward to a fun evening!

As we begin planning for next school year, we want to share an important update about the structure of our sixth grade program. Our goal is to continue supporting students’ growth while thoughtfully preparing them for the transition to middle school.

Beginning next year, sixth grade will move from teams of two teachers to teams of four teachers. Students will travel with their homeroom group to four core subjects: math, science, social studies, and ELA. Each class will be approximately 50 minutes in length, allowing for focused, engaging instruction across content areas.

Students will continue to have recess and lunch with their team (four classes), maintaining important social connections throughout the day. In addition, all students will continue to participate in one hour of specials daily, as well as a 40-minute WINN (What I Need Now) block. During WINN time, students will receive a combination of intervention, enrichment, and/or special education support based on their individual needs.

This updated structure is aligned with our district’s strategic plan and reflects valuable feedback from families, input from Oak Ridge staff, as well as insight from our middle school colleagues. It is designed to provide a developmentally appropriate experience for sixth graders, who are the oldest students in our building, while also serving as an important bridge to the middle school schedule.

To further support students with organization and transition skills, each day will conclude with a 30-minute closing meeting with their homeroom. This time will help students reflect, organize materials, and build routines that will prepare them for the increased independence of seventh grade.

We are excited about this next step for our students and believe this structure will support both their academic growth and confidence as learners. As always, we appreciate your partnership and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

5/11 & 5/12 - Grades 3 & 5 Math MCAS

5/12 - PTA Meeting @ Forestdale (6 pm)

5/13 - Mat Heagerty Author Visit (Grades 3 & 4)

5/14 & 5/15 - Grades 4 & 6 Math MCAS

5/15 - Grades 5 & 6 Social (5-7 pm) *Please note the time change*

5/25 - Memorial Day/ No school

5/26 - Grades 5 & 6 Science Fair

5/29 - 5th & 6th Grade Science Fair

6/4 - Band and Choral Spring Concert @ 6:30 pm

6/9 - PTA Meeting @ Oak Ridge (6 pm)

6/15 - Grade 6 Oak Crest Cove Field Trip (Rain Date: 6/16)

6/19 - Juneteenth- No School

6/22 - Field Day (Rain Date: 6/23)

6/24 - Grade 6 Breakfast

6/25 - Last Day (Half-Day)