Our Forestdale students are beginning to harvest the wonderful produce grown in our Together We Grow Garden! This is an exciting opportunity for students to experience firsthand how food moves from garden to table while connecting their classroom learning to a real-world experience. Working alongside our Food Service Director, Matt Carney, students will bring freshly harvested produce to our cafeteria, where it will be cleaned and prepared to be offered to students during lunch. Even better, students will also have the opportunity to take some of the garden’s bounty home to share with their families! Mrs. Howell’s Science Lab students, along with several classroom teachers and their students, have already begun harvesting produce that is ready to be enjoyed. Their work is helping ensure that the fruits and vegetables our students have carefully planted, nurtured, and watched grow from the Spring are put to good use. What a wonderful way to bring our “Together We Grow” philosophy to life: growing food, growing knowledge, and growing community! |
On Wednesday, September 9th, Forestdale students showed their Patriots pride by wearing their favorite New England Patriots gear as we rallied behind our home team for their season-opening matchup against the Seattle Seahawks! 🏈 The excitement was even greater as the Patriots and Seahawks faced off in a rematch of Super Bowl LX. Forestdale was ready to bring the energy, spirit, and support as we cheered on the Patriots and kicked off the new football season in style! Unfortunately, all that Forestdale energy wasn't quite enough to push the Patriots across the finish line. The Patriots battled until the very end, but came up just short in a hard-fought, close game. Win or lose, Forestdale knows how to show its team spirit!
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On Tuesday, September 8th, our kindergarten students officially began their first day of school at Forestdale, and it was an incredibly successful start to the school year! Students gathered at the flagpole before being warmly welcomed and escorted to their classrooms by members of our staff. This supportive transition continued throughout the remainder of the week, helping our youngest students become comfortable with the routines, navigate the building, and build confidence in their new school environment. Beginning this week, we are taking the next step by giving students a little more independence as they make their way from the bus loop to their classrooms on their own. Our staff will remain close by to provide support and supervision, but this gradual release of responsibility is an important part of helping our kindergarteners develop confidence, independence, and a strong sense of belonging at Forestdale. It has been wonderful to watch our kindergarten students grow a little more confident and independent each day. We are incredibly proud of the way they have embraced their first days of school! Enjoy the pictures: K First day |
On Thursday, September 17th, Forestdale School is excited to welcome families to our Open House! This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, learn more about the exciting year ahead, and get a glimpse into the routines, curriculum, and experiences that will make your child’s classroom a special place to learn and grow. Open House Times: - Kindergarten: 4:30 PM
- Grade 1: 5:30 PM
- Grade 2: 6:30 PM
For the first 15 minutes of each session, families should meet with Mr. Dintino in the MPR before heading to classrooms. Whenever possible, we ask that students not attend Open House. We certainly understand, however, that childcare is not always available, and students are welcome to attend when necessary. Open House is designed as a time for teachers to share classroom routines, expectations, curriculum, and what families can look forward to this year. If you have specific questions or concerns about your child, please reach out to your child’s teacher to schedule a separate time to talk so that you can have the individual attention and conversation your child deserves. We look forward to seeing you and welcoming you into your child’s classroom! |
ParentSquare is the primary communication platform used by Forestdale School and Sandwich Public Schools to keep families informed, connected, and engaged. ParentSquare gives families one convenient, centralized place to receive important school and classroom announcements, reminders, forms, event information, emergency notifications, and direct communications from teachers and school staff. This eliminates the need to search through multiple emails, websites, or platforms for important information. We strongly encourage use of the app! Families can choose to receive notifications through the ParentSquare app, email, or text message, and built-in translation features help ensure that school communications are accessible to all families. We strongly encourage every Forestdale family to download and regularly check the ParentSquare app so you don't miss important information throughout the school year. Quick Resource: Families can visit the ParentSquare Help Center for step-by-step guides, account assistance, and helpful video tutorials. |
This week students in 1st and 2nd grade will begin assessments in Imagine Learning Early Literacy Screener. Imagine Learning assessments provide teachers with a snapshot of a student’s current literacy skills in Grades 1 and 2, including phonics, word recognition, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and other foundational reading skills. Imagine Learning assessments are interactive and adaptive, rather than simply a traditional paper-and-pencil test. Students respond to a variety of activities and questions, and the assessment can adjust the difficulty based on their responses. Schools are required by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to assess students in grades K-3 at least 2x's per year. The results help us identify strengths, determine areas where additional support may be needed, and monitor student growth over time. These results are one piece of information considered along with classroom performance, teacher observations, student work, and other assessments. This assessment is done 3x's per year for grades 1 & 2. Kindergarten will perform 2 assessments starting in February 2027. At the district level, this data also helps demonstrate student needs, academic growth, and program effectiveness, which can support the Sandwich Public Schools in applying for and securing state and federal grant funding that provides additional resources and opportunities for our students. |
Tuesday, September 15th is National Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration. It was inspired by the children's book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. The main character, Vashti, discovers that a single dot can ignite boundless creativity. This text highlights the importance of overcoming selfdoubt and finding one's inner creative spirit by taking the first step, however small. Here is a read aloud on YouTube of The Dot if you would like to see what the buzz is all about. Help us celebrate The Dot and National Dot Day by wearing dots on Tuesday. |
Forestdale BOKS is a free before-school program inspired by Reebok's science-based BOKS programming. BOKS is an acronym for BUILD OUR KIDS' SUCCESS and we build that success through movement, music and play! The program incorporates functional movements and team building activities that help kick-start our day. The fall session of Forestdale BOKS is open to students in grades 1 & 2. Forestdale BOKS takes place in the Forestdale Gymnasium. The fall session starts 10/6/26 and runs until 11/26/26. There will be a Monday/Wednesday session and Tuesday/Thursday session. We ask that families only register for one session, due to large numbers of registration. Drop off is located at the same exterior doors used for parent pickup located by the gymnasium. The gym doors will open for drop off between 7:55 AM and 8:05 AM. Students will be dismissed to their classrooms or to the cafeteria for breakfast at 8:45 AM. |
- Monday, September 14th/1st day of Integrated Preschool
- Tuesday, September 15th/Dot Day
- Tuesday, September 15th/PTA meeting at Forestdale 6pm
- Thursday, September 17th/Open House K-4:30pm, Gr. 1-5:30pm, Gr. 2 6:30pm
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Please see below the calendar of events for the Sandwich Elementary PTA. The first meeting of the year is Tuesday, September 15th @ 6:00 pm in the Forestdale library. |
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