Dear Claypit Hill Caregivers,

We find ourselves with LOTS to share this week.

A sincere thank you to all of the caregivers who attended the first session of a 3-part caregiver series focused on some fo the most important issues that we face as we parent children today. The first session focused on embracing race and helping our children navigate issues of race in a way that is developmentally appropriate and ensures that everyone at Claypit is well-cared for and enjoys a deep sense of belonging. We truly appreciated the candor of attendees. The night left us full of hope AND acknowledging that we ALL have lots of work to do! Pleae consider joining us for part 2 in the series which will focus on navigating technology with elementary students. This session will be held Thursday, February 26th at Claypit from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.

We are thrilled to be able to pause and report out on student progress on Thursday. You will receive an email indicating that the documents are ready for your review at some point during the day. This email will also include a letter from Marie, Kate and Naomi. Please take some time to carefully read the letter. It will set some context and help you to better interpret the reporting tool. Please be positive with your child focusing on what they CAN do. In almost every case, educators reach out to caregivers well in advance of the report card/checklist coming home when they have concerns. MANY skills are not taught to mastery by mid year. The fact that your child has not achieved mastery in a given skill likely has more to do with our curriculum's scope and sequence and less to do with your child's abilities. Our classroom teachers and special educators can certainly address any concerns you may have. You should feel free to email them with any questions you may have after you've had time to review the report card/developmental checklist.

We look forward to celebrating student curiousity and the completion of projects at this year's STEM FAIR. Enthusiasm for learning, curiosity, abiity to collaborate, organizational skills, the ability to use evidence to draw conclusions and the ability to see a project through to its completion are great indicators that your child's learning is on target. We are truly thankful to our PTO partners for sponsoring this exciting evening year after year! We can't wait to celebrate our students alongside you!

Yay! It looks like we will be heading outdoors for recess everyday this week. While the forecast is for cold weather, these temperatures, hovering around freezing, seem balmy after last week. The warmer temperatures will definitely provide for some winter fun in the snow. Please encourage your child to pack appropriately. Boots, snowpants, a warm winter jacket, hats and mittens/gloves are essential for snow play!

Please prioritize excellent attendance for your child. Research shows that students with excellent attendance have the best academic outcomes and enjoy a greater sense of belonging at school. Vacations must be planned outside of the school calendar. Please encourage your student to take steps making it easier to get out the house in the morning. This may mean packing their bag the night before or leaving essentials like instruments or snow gear ready by the door. Students can and should do this preparation with just a little prompting. Students who arrive after 8:00 AM disrupt learning that is already underway in our cassrooms. Please make every effort to ensure that your children are on time for school.

Thank you for being such tremendous partners as we work together to educate the next generation of leaders. Take some time to celebrate the successes of your child before helping them to set goals for next term. We are truly proud of our Claypit Hill students and their accomplishments, academic or otherwise, both in and outside of the classroom! Our students are working hard to become the best humans they can be and we couldn't be happier with the progress they are making.

Sincerely,

Marie, Kate, and Naomi

Claypit's educators are readying to share student progress with caregivers this coming Thursday. We are hoping that you will have EASY access to your child's report card (1-5) or developmental check list (kinder) through PowerSchool.

We encourage families to access the report cards/developmental checklists electronically through PowerSchool. Given that the report card is multiple pages long, we are hopeful that this green alternative to printing out these documents works for most families. Please know that we are HAPPY to print out the report card for ANY family who wishes to access a hard copy. Please email administrative assistant, Carol Reynolds, to request a hard copy.

carol_reynolds@waylandps.org

Report cards/developmental checklists will be available on Thursday, February 5th. You will receive an email from school indicating that they are available to view along with additional information that will help you to interpret your child's report card or developmental checklist.

Over the past several months, Wayland's Director of Diversity, Equity and Belonging, Caroline Han, has been working with Karen Blumenfeld and Heather Pineault (HRDEIC) and Jamele Adams to develop a four-part conversation series for parents and caregivers of WPS students focused on building skills for constructive dialogue across difference. Caroline is happy to share that our grant was recently funded!

We’re hoping to attract a diverse group of parents and caregivers, particularly those who are active in online community spaces. We'd love to have a significant representation from Claypit and we know that we have a parent community full of powerhouse caregivers who fill the above description.

Please read the information below and consider participating!

When: 7:00–8:30 pm on February 10, March 10, April 14, and May 12, 2026

Where: First Parish, 225 Boston Post Road, Wayland (in person only)

Who: Parents and other adults who live, work, worship, or send children to school in Wayland—whether you speak up often, tend to hold back, or fall somewhere in between

Facilitator: jamele adams

Registration: Required. Attendance at all four sessions is encouraged but not required.

This four-session workshop focuses on building practical skills for real-life and online conversations—especially when perspectives differ or conversations feel uncomfortable. Participants will practice empathetic listening, curiosity, and self-awareness while learning from one another in a supportive setting. Together, the group will select the discussion topics for each session.

By the end of the series, participants will leave with concrete tools to engage across differences without losing connection, helping to strengthen relationships and our broader Wayland community.

This program is sponsored by Wayland Public Schools and the Wayland Human Rights, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (HRDEIC), and is made possible through the generous support of the Lydia Maria Child Fund of First Parish in Wayland.

Questions: chairHRDEIC@wayland.ma.us

On February 9, 5th-grade students will participate in a lesson designed to educate students about sexual abuse awareness and prevention. Fifth-grade school psychologist, Kelsey Gilman, and health education specialist, Jenny Flynn,  will continue the important conversations that fifth-graders have had in their health curriculum this year.  The goal of this lesson  is to help children: 

Wayland residents with children who will be 5 years of age as of August 31, 2026 are eligible to enroll in Wayland Public School Kindergarten for Fall of 2026. 

Pre-registration helps the district plan for staffing, class sizes, school assignments and transportation for our incoming Kindergarten students. It also provides families with an opportunity to share information that may help with their child's transition to Kindergarten.  

The Kindergarten Pre-Registration link will be posted on the Kindergarten Registration website on February 2, 2026. 

The Spanish Immersion Kindergarten program parent/caregiver meeting took place on January 20, 2026. Attendance at this meeting by one parent/caregiver was required for families interested in their child's participation in the Spanish Immersion program. If you were unable to attend this meeting, please email Wayland_Registration@waylandps.org so that a follow up meeting may be scheduled. 

Upcoming Dates: