Full backpack

Update for the Week of August 22nd

Paul Barrette

August 21, 2021

Hello OCRS families,

I'm sending out this update a little early this week, just in case we lose power or internet access during "Henri" tomorrow. Now that we are getting close to the opening of school, I will resume sharing weekly updates for families.

I hope that all OCRS families are enjoying the last few weeks of August. Believe it or not, the first day of school is just over two weeks away on Thursday, September 9th! Here is some information to help families and students get ready for the opening of school.

Back to School Report #1

Like last year, Dr. Paolucci will be sharing a weekly report with Smithfield families to provide the latest information on COVID-19 information and protocols. If you have not already read the first "Back to School" report shared by Dr. Paolucci, please take a few moments to review it at https://www.smithfield-ps.org/article/516165. There is important information for all Smithfield families. Here are other places where Smithfield families can access important school information:

PTA "Back to School" Event this Wednesday Evening!

The OCRS PTA is hosting a "Back to School" event to provide an opportunity for students and families to reconnect before the new school year begins. Because construction is still ongoing at the OCRS campus, the PTA has arranged for the event to be held at Deerfield Park on Wednesday, August 25th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  The rain date will be Thursday, August 26th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Please join the OCRS PTA for a fun event to kick-off the school year. A sweet, cool treat will be provided for all OCRS students that attend!

Because this is an outdoor event, face masks are not required. We do want to keep everyone healthy before the opening of school, so we encourage students and families to keep a comfortable amount of distance as we socialize and reconnect. Helping to keep everyone healthy shows how much we care about each other as a school community.

Teacher Assignments

Teacher assignments will be emailed out on Tuesday to the families of all students in grades 1 through 5. Kindergarten families will receive a separate email in the coming weeks with information about the Kindergarten screening process.

Transportation Information

The district is working with our bus transportation company, Durham, to get bus routes and times completed. Once that information is finalized, we will email it out to families.

Welcome New Teachers and Staff

As with any school year, there will be some staff changes at OCRS and I wanted to share those changes with families prior to teacher assignments being emailed out on Tuesday.

Mrs. Sisco is returning to teach Kindergarten after her 1-year leave of absence and we are thrilled to welcome her back! Mrs. Chomka is moving from 3rd grade to 2nd grade this year and will partner with Mrs. Deslauriers. Ms. Aceto, Ms. Kibbe, and Ms. Rochefort have all been appointed as full-time classroom teachers in Smithfield at Pleasant View Elementary School this year. While we're going to miss them at OCRS, we are very happy for them to be teaching full-time in Smithfield. Ms. Tripodi was appointed as a full-time 2nd grade teacher in Scituate and we offer her our congratulations on her new position! As part of the consolidation of McCabe and Winsor, Ms. Moretti (not Mrs. Moretti) is shifting to teach art at Pleasant View Elementary School this year.

Mrs. DePetrillo, Mrs. Guillemette, and Mrs. Paolino have decided not to return after their 1-year leaves of absence last school year. Our school community will miss them terribly, but we completely support the decisions that they have made for their families and themselves. We wish them and their families a healthy and happy year. Below are the new teachers and staff members joining our OCRS community this school year.

  • Dorothy Corbeille, a teacher from McCabe School, will be joining us as a 3rd grade teacher. Mrs. Corbeille has worked in Smithfield as a special educator at McCabe for more than ten years and is excited to begin teaching 3rd grade this year at OCRS. Mrs. Corbeille will be partnering with Ms. Murphy in 3rd grade.
  • Christopher Davenport, a classroom teacher from William Winsor School, will be joining us as a 5th grade teacher. Mr. Davenport has taught 5th grade and 2nd grade in Smithfield for nearly twenty years and partnered in the past with Mr. Austin in 5th grade at LaPerche School.
  • Dennis Austin, a classroom teacher from William Winsor School, will be joining us as a 5th grade teacher. Mr. Austin has taught 5th grade in Smithfield for nearly twenty years and partnered in the past with Mr. Davenport in 5th grade at LaPerche School.
  • Gayle Mooney, a classroom teacher from William Winsor School, will be joining us as a 4th grade teacher. Mrs. Mooney has taught 2nd grade in Smithfield for nearly twenty years and is excited to begin teaching 4th grade this year at OCRS. Mrs. Mooney will be partnering with Ms. Votta in 4th grade.
  • Casey Miller, a Smithfield art teacher, will be joining us as our art teacher. Ms. Miller has taught art in Smithfield at LaPerche and McCabe for the past two years. As part of the consolidation of McCabe and Winsor, Ms. Miller is shifting to teach art at LaPerche and OCRS this year. We are so happy that Ms. Miller will be able to work with our students in our brand-new art classroom!
  • Debra Calderon has been hired as a full-time math support paraprofessional for OCRS and LaPerche. Mrs. Calderon has worked in Smithfield as a paraprofessional for more than fifteen years and is excited to begin her new role this year supporting students in the area of mathematics at both LaPerche and OCRS.

Families can always find the names, roles, and contact information of all OCRS staff on our school website at https://oldcounty.smithfield-ps.org/o/old-county-road-elementary/staff or by clicking on the "Directory" button in the website menu.

School Supplies Lists

The grade level specific Supply lists can be found on the Old County Road School website under “Parent Info” at https://oldcounty.smithfield-ps.org.

Upcoming Dates and Events

View and subscribe to the OCRS Public Events Calendar at https://oldcounty.smithfield-ps.org/o/old-county-road-elementary/page/monthly-calendar. Clicking on the "Add to Google Calendar" to subscribe to the calendar on your own calendar app.

OCRS PTA "Back to School" Event, Wednesday August 25th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Deerfield Park (Rain Date Thursday August 26th)

1st Day of School for Students in Grades 1 through 5, Thursday September 9th

Kindergarten Screening, September 9th, 10th and 13th (by appointment)

1st Day of School for Kindergarten Students, Tuesday September 14th

OCRS PTA General Membership Meeting (tentative), Wednesday September 15th at 7:00 p.m.

School Pictures, Monday September 20th

 

Please reach out to me with any questions as we get closer to the opening of school. I am temporarily working out of the district's Central Office until the construction at OCRS is completed to the point that I am able to re-enter the school building. Unfortunately, this means that I do not currently have access to my office phone, so the best way to get in touch with me is via email. I am also collecting and sharing answers to frequently asked questions in this "Start of School questions" document and I will continue to update it up until the opening day of school.

We're looking forward to welcoming your children back to school on September 9th!

Sincerely,
Mr. Barrette