Principal’s Post
Dear Families,
Welcome October, Walnut Square SUPERSTARS families! As the crisp air and vibrant colors of autumn arrive, I’m excited to focus on our October SUPERSTARS theme: U is for Uniqueness! This is a wonderful time of year to celebrate the beautiful tapestry of differences that make up our school, our community, and the world. Please read below for more information and picture books you can read with your child to celebrate our monthly theme!
Walnut Square’s Fall 2025 Family Feedback Survey is open! Please take a moment to complete this brief, ten-question survey. Your valuable feedback is greatly appreciated and shared with staff, Site Council, and the PTO to improve Walnut Square School by celebrating success, identifying educational needs, and helping decision-making regarding the development of next year’s School Improvement Plan. Your input will play a significant role and is very much appreciated! Please click here to complete the survey.
In addition to sharing your feedback, I want to share a few important reminders to help ensure a smooth school day for all our students:
- Keeping Bus Passes Secure: To prevent bus passes from being lost or forgotten, please ensure your child does not remove the pass from their backpack. Keeping the pass securely attached or stored inside the backpack is the best way to make sure it’s available every afternoon for the bus ride home.
- Daily Water Bottle Reminder: Please help your student remember to bring a reusable water bottle to school each day. Since we only have water bottle filling stations (and do not have traditional drinking fountains or “bubblers”), and we are using too many disposable cups, a personal water bottle is essential for your child to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping our school day run smoothly! Please read below for other important updates at Walnut Square School. Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Jen Rubera
Principal
Superstar Reading Log
Building a strong reading habit is a crucial part of your child’s success. That’s why we’re encouraging all of our students to read at least 20 minutes every night. Reading regularly not only improves vocabulary and comprehension, but it also opens up a world of imagination and knowledge. Please remember to log your child’s nightly reading using this link: https://forms.gle/bshU4hcReq2WGJ8r5. For ideas and ways to support reading at home, please visit https://walnutsquare.archive.haverhill-ps.org/2025/08/24/superstar-reading-log/.
SUPERSTARS October Theme: Uniqueness
Uniqueness is about celebrating what makes each of us special and different. It means recognizing that every person—including our students—has a unique set of talents, qualities, interests, and perspectives. It’s about seeing the special sparkle in yourself and appreciating that same special sparkle in your friends, neighbors, and classmates. When we embrace our uniqueness, we learn to be confident in who we are and compassionate toward others. This month, we’ll encourage students to share what they love, what they are good at, and what makes them, them! By celebrating individual differences, we build a stronger, more inclusive, and more understanding school community.
We encourage you to support this theme at home by talking about your child’s special qualities and encouraging them to share their passions. A fantastic way to explore the theme of Uniqueness together is through reading! We have compiled a list of excellent picture books that beautifully celebrate this idea. These stories feature characters who learn to love their differences, appreciate diversity, and understand that being unique is a strength. Enjoy reading one or more of these titles with your child this month!
Picture Books to Celebrate Uniqueness
- Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
- Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
- What If We Were All the Same by C.M. Harris
- Spaghetti in A Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy
- The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
- The Sandwich Swap by Kelly DiPucchio
- All My Stripes: A Story for Kids With Autism by Shaina Rudolph
- Uniquely Wired by Julia Cook
- The Crafty Chameleon by Francesca Watt
- I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes
- I Am Me by Tristan Towns & Lacey Howard
- The Brave Little Crab by Beth Costanzo
- The Life of a S’more by Kris Taft Miller
- Uniquely You by Dr. Holly Singletary
- Blaine Loves Boxes by Maria K. Victoria
- Masterpiece by Alexandra Hoffman
- My Brain is Magic – A sensory-seeking celebration by Prasha Sooful
School Attendance: Your Presence is Powerful!
Congratulations to Mrs. Sanchez’s classroom for winning the attendance contest for the highest attendance rate for the month of September! We will celebrate with a family breakfast! Please click on the pictures below to see the attendance rate for this week and for the month of September!
To view weekly and monthly attendance data, please click here. You can also view other data that is shared with all stakeholders in regards to attendance, behavior, course performance, and family engagement.
Notes from Our Nurses
We want to let you know that our annual Vision and Hearing screenings will be taking place soon in October. These screenings are an important way to check on your child’s health and well-being.
A quick reminder for families of students who wear glasses: Please make sure your child brings their glasses to school and wears them on the day of the screening. It is essential that children have their corrective lenses for an accurate vision check.
We will notify parents directly if your child does not pass either the vision or hearing screening.
Thank you for your cooperation!
-Nurse Helene and Nurse Jillian
Mark Your Calendar!
Early Release Dates:
Dismissal time is 11:35 am on the following dates:
- Friday, 8/29
- Wed. 9/24
- Wed. 10/15
- Wed. 11/26
- Tues. 12/23
- Wed. 1/28
- Wed. 3/11
- Wed. 4/8
- Wed. 5/13
- Fri. 5/29
- Wed. 6/10 (Day 180-Last day of School)