Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, and Community Members,

As we head into the home stretch of the school year, we wanted to take a moment to share how incredibly proud we are of our students. They’ve shown such impressive focus and grit throughout this spring testing season, and it’s inspiring to watch them work so hard to finish the year on a high note.

This month also serves as a beautiful reminder of just how amazing our teachers and educational staff are. May is a time to celebrate their dedication and the heart they pour into our classrooms every single day; we are truly lucky to have such a committed team guiding our children.

Finally, we've been moved by the growth we are seeing in our school community. Through our recent spring SEL and PBIS lessons, students have been learning more about one another and discovering how to truly show up for their peers. Seeing them build these bonds of support and understanding is just as important as any academic milestone.

As always, your input and support are very important to us. Please know our doors are always open to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we wrap up this year together.

Warmly,

Andrew Tuccio & Erin Rosenkranz

Raymond E. Shaw Leadership Team

Nature's Classroom for next year's 6th grade (our current 5th graders) will be September 23-25. We will once again offer overnight, extended day, and day options.

Cost:

In an effort to reduce costs, we are seeking parents willing to organize a grade-wide fundraiser prior to the end of this school year or over the summer. If you are intereted please reach out to Mrs. Persson at kpersson@millburyschools.org right away.

We began our Social Studies unit on the American Revolution, and it’s an especially exciting time to explore this topic!  This year marks the 250th anniversary of our nation's independence, which offers a deep and timely connection to our study of the American Revolution and the United States' separation from Great Britain. Try to find news and connections related to the upcoming celebrations to reinforce this historical learning.  It’s always exciting for students to see history come alive and make connections to what they’ve been learning at school!

We’ve been exploring the beautiful idea of being proud of exactly who we are. By filling out our "Identity Icebergs," the students have discovered that while some parts of us are visible on the surface, there is a whole world of unique treasures hiding underneath. It’s been amazing to watch them realize that our differences aren’t just okay—they are what make our classroom community so vibrant and wonderful.

We are also tackling some big life lessons regarding how we interact with one another:

Seeing students navigate through the lessons has been an amazing journey so far! 

5th graders have started their unit on composting! Students have created their own composters by choosing a glass mason jar, cardboard shoebox, or plastic milk jug, then adding soil, fruit, and vegetables. Each week, students will make observations on their own composter and compare it to Shaw’s composter! 

Next week, we will begin an exciting writing task in which students will draft and refine a speech to be delivered at the 6th-grade promotion ceremony. This project is a capstone experience at Shaw that challenges students to reflect on their personal growth and journey from grades 3–6. Beyond simply writing a speech, students will be tasked with analyzing how both internal and external challenges have shaped their identity and resilience.

We encourage you to begin discussing potential themes and "anchor memories" at home this weekend. The assignment requires students to identify specific moments where they moved from merely "pushing through" a challenge to truly growing stronger because of it. We will focus on high-level writing expectations, including the use of rhetorical devices such as metaphors, repetition, and "speaking in threes," as well as formal public speaking skills such as eye contact and vocal inflection.

The most effective speech from each team will be read at the 6th-grade promotion ceremony in June.

We look forward to seeing our students rise to this challenge and find their unique voices as they prepare to transition to Millbury Jr./Sr. High.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Lachance (mlachance@millburyschools.org) or Mr. McKeon (mmckeon@millburyschools.org) 

The goal of START All Sports Camp is to teach sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, responsibility, respect, and fun with a variety of sports!

Any Boy or Girl entering grades 1-7 who enjoys being active and wants to expand their experiences and skills in various sports is invited to be a camper! We would like to make this camp fun for everyone!