Dear Kindergarten Families,

 

Now that the school year is over, I wanted to share some important information to help you prepare for your child's entry into kindergarten this fall. Class placement assignments will be communicated via email during the first few weeks in August. Teachers will follow up with an email of their own shortly after. Please remember that only students who are fully registered will be placed in a classroom in the fall so I encourage you to make it a priority to complete the process if you haven't already.

 

Please continue reading for information about:

 

• Events scheduled at the end of August and early next fall. One of the PTC events is based on teacher assignments. Please be sure to add these important dates to your calendar.

 

• Information about supplies for next year, and an opportunity to purchase them online.

 

• A reminder about registering for yellow bus transportation.

 

I will be working through the summer so please don't hesitate to call or email with any additional questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Roberta Redpath

Senior Administrative Assistant

781-455-0448 x51306

Sunday, August 30, 2026: PTC Sponsored Kindergarten Playdates

On Sunday, August 30, the PTC kindergarten welcome committee will host four 30 minute afternoon playdate sessions on the fields behind the Broadmeadow School. Sessions will be organized by classroom assignments. Please see the attached flyer for complete information and reach out to the PTC with questions regarding this event. (Raindate: Monday, August 31).

 

Tuesday, September 1, 2026: Broadmeadow Open House - 2:00-2:30pm

On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, all families are invited to visit the building and their child's classroom between the hours of 2 and 2:30pm. There won't be any sort of structured presentation during this time, it is just an opportunity to look around and allow students to develop a sense of familiarity with the space ahead of their first day.

 

Wednesday, September 2, 2026: First Full Day of School for Grades 1 thru 5

Wednesday, September 2 is the first full day of school for students in grades 1 thru 5. Students may enter the building at 8:05am and classes begin at 8:20am. All students are dismissed at 2:45pm.

 

Wednesday, September 2, 2026: Kindergarten Mini Day (9:30-10:30am) for Kindergarten Students and their Parents/Guardians

During Kindergarten Mini-Day, kindergarten students and their parents/guardians spend one hour at Broadmeadow (9:30-10:30am). During this time, students will get acquainted with their new classrooms, classmates and teachers. Parents and guardians will spend time in the Performance Center, where the PTC will host a coffee reception. Please see the attached flyer for details on the coffee reception.

Thursday, September 3, 2026: First Full Day for Kindergarten Students

Students may enter the building at 8:05am and classes begin at 8:20am. All students are dismissed at 2:45pm.

 

Thursday, October 1, 2026: K thru 5 Parent/Guardian Curriculum Night

Parents and Guardians are invited to attend a presentation in their child's classroom. A detailed schedule will be provided closer to the date.

At the beginning of each school year, kindergarten teachers request that their students come to school with a specific set of supplies. Each year the PTC sponsors a program that allows families to purchase supplies online.

 

You are not required to participate and are welcome to purchase supplies on your own. A copy of the kindergarten supply list is included below. If you and your family require financial assistance in purchasing a supply kit, please reach out directly to Principal Andy Garlick ([email protected]) and/or Assistant Principal Chanit List ([email protected]).

The PTC works with School Tool Box to make buying next year's back-to-school supplies fast and easy! Parents can order pre-packaged school supplies for their rising K-5th graders online at the School Tool Box site. As was the case last year, all school supply kits will be shipped directly to your home and then your children will bring them into class at the beginning of the school year.

 

To order a supply kit for next year, please visit School Tool Box and select Broadmeadow Elementary in Needham, MA. Remember to purchase kits for your child's grade for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year (NOT the 2025-2026 school year)! Be sure to put in your order at least 7-10 business days before the first day of school to ensure your children receive their supplies on time. Please note that there is a $9.99 shipping fee for orders under $85, so you might wish to combine your order with a friend or neighbor to avoid paying shipping costs.

 

Please also note that the purchasing of these supply kits through School Tool Box is an optional service arranged by the PTC for our community and is not considered a fundraiser for the PTC. You may also source the supplies on your own. Click here for a copy of the school supply lists for the upcoming school year.

 

Additionally, you will notice an option on the website to make a $1, $5, or $10 donation. These donations are used by the school to help fund supply kits for students who request financial assistance.

 

If you and your family require financial assistance in purchasing a supply kit, please reach out directly to Principal Andy Garlick ([email protected]) and/or Assistant Principal Chanit List ([email protected]).

 

Questions? Please contact Mari Shor at [email protected].

Registration for yellow bus service for students living in Needham is ongoing, but space in limited. See below for more information on the process.

 

• · This link will take you directly to the MySchoolBucksPortal as a guest. This will allow you to register your child if you do not have the student’s online payment ID.
• · You should register all of your children on the same transaction to ensure proper processing and correct pricing.
• · If you have a student that is in grades k-6 during the 2026-2027 school year and your home is located more than 2 miles from the school you are eligible for free transportation. Check your school link for eligible addresses over 2 miles Eliot , Sunita Williams , Newman, HighRock & St. Joes . NOTE: Eligible students for free transportation still MUST register for the bus if you intend to use it. The town does not recognize Google maps as an acceptable measuring tool in regards to transportation eligibility. The addresses that are noted at the links above as eligible have been measured using the town's GIS system. Note there will be a hold put on our account until we process the registration and verify eligibility. We will then remove the charge.
• · If you require financial aid there are two ways to receive it: 1) If your student participates in the free and reduced lunch program AND you have authorized the Nutrition Department to share the information with the Transportation department you are entitled to free transportation. You can contact the Nutrition department here . 2) You can also apply for a reduction in the transportation cost based on your income and you are not participating in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Check here for instructions. NOTE: Regardless of whether you are participating in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program you still MUST register if you would like to use the bus. Note there will be a hold put on our account until we process the registration and verify eligibility. We will then remove the charge.
• · If you are a Boston family, please reach out to our METCO office for details regarding registering for the bus.
• · Bus registrations for Needham families received between 4/1/26 and 5/16/26 will be charged a fee of $415 per student with an $840 family cap. Registrations received after 5/16/26 will be charged a fee of $465 per student with a family cap of $940.
• · General information regarding Yellow Bus Registration can be found here.
• · A link to our bus conduct rules can be found here. Please review these conduct rules.
• · Frequently asked questions can be found at this link. Here you may find quick answers to many of your questions.

 

I look forward to a great safe school year.

Thank you

 

Shane Marchand

Transportation Director

Please subscribe to our Transportation listserv https://lists.needham.k12.ma.us/mailman/listinfo/transportation

or

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/NeedhamPSTrans

 

or

Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NeedhamPSTrans/