Haggerty Holler: June 6, 2025

Posted on 06/06/2025

Author Visit

On Thursday, May 29, Colleen AF Venable met with our fourth and fifth-grade students. Both students and teachers greatly enjoyed the author visit. Students learned the inspiration behind Colleen's journey into writing, particularly in the realm of graphic novels. Additionally, Colleen gave a wonderful reading of a chapter from her book. The students were thrilled to learn that they would each receive a signed copy of Katie the Catsitter. A few of them even took their books outside to enjoy reading during recess. My sincere gratitude goes to Wondermore and Colleen AF Venable. The enthusiasm and inspiration they both shared with our school will surely leave a lasting impression on our young readers and aspiring writers.

Haggerty Spirit Week next Week

I know next week is shaping up to be quite a week! On top of the fun events (staff appreciation, Haggerty Day, and the Spring Concert), the fifth graders have created a theme for each day for Haggerty Spirit Week! They created a fun video (link below) to describe the week, which all classrooms will be watching as well.

Each Day has a theme:

Monday, June 9	Cozy Day (Jammies, sweats, stuffies...)
Tuesday, June 10	Scavenger Hunt Day (Takes place at recess)
Wednesday, June 11	Wacky Day (Wacky/silly - hair, socks, sillies!)
Thursday June 12 Haggerty Day	Backwards or Opposite Day (Wear your t-shirt backwards)
Friday, June 13 Spring Concert	Colorful Day (Wear the same color (a bright green jumpsuit, Pink from head to toe - it's a day to dress in your favorite color at the concert!)

Enjoy this wonderful video created to describe each day. Video is linked here!

Thanks to fifth graders Oli, Zain, Sadie and Amah!

Haggerty School Advisory Council (SAC) election

Welcome to our new SAC caregiver representatives! Melissa Corbin, Patric Hamilton, and Justine Sheffield! They will join Chris Cullen as our Haggerty Caregiver SAC representatives.

Rescheduled June Meeting will be Monday, June 23rd at 8 - 9:30 AM
This is an open and public meeting and all are welcome to attend. This meeting will be in the Library and on Google Meet.

Sue Mapel returns to Help 1st Graders with all things Birds!

On May 22nd, former Assistant Principal Sue Mapel returned to the Haggerty School to help the first graders with their unit on Birds. The first graders have been hard at work learning all about birds, and Sue, an avid bird watcher, was happy to talk about bird markings, migration, and bird calls. The students were engaged and had so much knowledge to share as well! Thank you Sue!

26th Annual Cambridge Public Library Poetry Awards - Haggerty Winners

1st Grade winners

Yusayrah R., Grade 1 winning poem:

The Sky is Blue

The Sky is blue like
Neptune and like
Sadness
Sad like the earth

Adelaide C., Grade 1 winning poem:

Lions

Lions roar
big jaws, yellow eyes,
sharp claws, iron thighs
Everyone races away
Except those who stay to
Play on his back and neck
And with his long strong tail.

3rd Grade Winners

Mari O., Grade 3 winning poem:

The Breeze

As the breeze
swept through the trees
I was on my knees
looking for bees

Now was my time
for making up rhymes
during class time
in the springtime
My notebook flipped
when the breeze did lift
my pages had rips
but I had to sit
What came by surprise
was wind in my eyes
I’m not gonna lie
it was time for goodbye

Anabiya Z., Grade 3 winning poem:

Say it, Feel it!

Happy feels like…
your life is interesting that you could jump off the roof.

Sad feels like….
nothing is good enough and there’s no one to help.

Anger feels like….
Your pot is going to explode.

Fear feels like….
you’re gonna freeze in the same position you are in.

Disgust feels like….
you’re so uncomfortable you’re gonna vomit.

Depressed feels like….you’re a killer whale that will do anything to escape reality.

Surprise feels like….OH MY GOSH I SEE A UNICORN.

Anxiety feels like….
you’re turning into a hedgehog
that thinks the spikes will help
but who knows?

5th Grade Winner

Georgii M., Grade 5 winning poem:

The Burden of Literacy
by Georgii M.

Literacy is a cage of words,
A prison built from endless verbs.
Literacy isa heavy chain,
Each letter pulls, each word gives pain.

Literacy is a storm that rages,
It fills my mind with endless pages.
Literacy is a silent scream,
A dream that fades, before can gleam.

Literacy is a lock without a key,
It locks me out and traps my plea.
Literacy is a weight I bear,
A load too much, too much to spare.

Welcome Baby Chicks!

Preschool had chicks hatch this week. That's 3 days earlier than projected--which means the early birds get first dibs on being in the Haggerty Holler! We're learning that being caregivers is a wonderful and rewarding job, but lot's of hard work. We're constantly checking in on them to make sure they have enough food, water, and positive encouragement to keep growing. Special shoutout to all of the teachers on the 1st floor that have helped to take our chicks out of the incubator and even gave one a splint to help their legs. It takes a village and the Haggerty School has one of the best!

We've been very thoughtful about naming them so allow us to introduce our flock: Haggerty Jr., Uno, Eva, Jerd, Nico, Benny, June and Coco.

Coach’s Corner

Happy Summer! If any families would like to look back at what your children have learned this year, you can always go to the Imagine Learning “Family Support Hub” for our K-5 math curriculum! There is general information on the top. Scroll down and click on your child’s grade to learn more about the content of that grade level. There are information pages and videos for each unit. The information pages are available in many languages besides English: Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, Khmer, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

We want all children to see math as fun and meaningful - something that is part of our lives. You can support your child by talking about math in the world around you. The “Mixing In Math” website has links to books for young children as well as ideas for projects, games and activities for children through 5th grade.

Library Corner

As the school year draws to a close, it's a great time to look for any school library books you may still have. Be sure to check your students' backpacks and even your home for any borrowed items. It's easy to forget about them amidst the flurry of year-end and after school activities. Within the next week, overdue notices will be sent home, so please keep an eye out for them. If your student believes they have returned a book listed on their overdue notice or if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]s. Let's work together to keep our library thriving for the next school year!

Music Corner

We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we moved our spring concert to Friday, June 13 at 8AM (caregiver coffee at 7:30AM in the cafeteria). We know this had an impact on many families, staff members, and students, and we remind you that we will film the event for viewing (but not sharing on social media). The change allows our students and staff members who celebrate Eid al-Adha to be with their families on the holiday.

Our Musician of the Month is left to a vote in June! In class, we’re reviewing each musician we’ve studied, and we will take a vote. We know many of you have been listening at home, so we want to give you a vote as well. Please take a minute to listen to the musicians and CAST YOUR VOTE here. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Chorus is still in session! We rehearse in the music room on Friday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 11. Our field trip to visit the Cambridge Homes is on Tuesday, June 10, and our final performance is Friday, June 13 in the spring concert. Thank you for all your efforts to get your children here for chorus.

Shelley (Mx. Irvin) and Ms. Susie (Petrov)

Art Corner

As we approach the end of the school year, we haven’t slowed down in art class. Fifth graders are currently creating free choice assignments. They created proposals and plans for their projects, got them approved, and began working. These projects are a chance to further skills they’ve developed throughout their art education and apply them to something of their own interest. Some students are making popsicle stick birdhouses, some model magic miniatures, some simply painting or drawing.

Grades 2-4 have begun a life drawing unit. We begin with gesture drawing, where we watch this instructional video by Mr Reynolds, then with the tables arranged in a circle, students take turns posing for increasingly less time, from 5 minutes all the way down to a one second gesture drawing. After this, we will create still life drawings/paintings with the same room arrangement and items set up in the middle to reference.

Kindergarten and first grade are doing various, mostly one day projects. We studied color theory to make all the colors of the rainbow using only model magic of the primary colors. We also are doing shaving cream marble prints, using liquid watercolor to create beautiful swirls of color. These prints will then be used to make the covers for mini summer sketchbooks students will take with them.

Friends of Haggerty

School is (almost) Out for Summer
Please consider contributing to Friends of Haggerty before the 2024/2025 school years comes to a close!
Scan the QR code or visit the Paypal link here to donate.

Upcoming Haggerty Events

Helping Your Child to Become an Independent Learner
Monday, June 9 | 6-7PM | Zoom
Join this workshop presented by Principal Intern Shelley Irvin and Tufts Professor Dr. Noelle Roop. 3 $25 gift cards raffled off. Register here >>

Staff Appreciation Day
Wednesday, June 11
It’s going to look different this year - but details will be out by Friday, June 6th! Stay Tuned!

Haggerty Day is Coming Thursday, June 12th

Save the Date for this fun school-wide block party! We close Cushing Street from Vineyard to Locust from around 8:45 - 1:40pm! Parents/Caregivers are invited to join the fun! We could use some help with an activity station or you can join your child’s classroom during their time block.

Times for Specific Grades at Haggerty Day
Preschool & Kindergarten: 9:15 - 10:30AM
1st & 2nd Grade: 10:35 - 11:50AM
3rd & 4th & 5th Grade: 11:55AM - 1:40PM

New Haggerty Spring Concert Date
(NEW DATE) Friday, June 13 | 8 - 9:15AM
Featuring CPP - 4th Grade and the Haggerty Chorus. Please join us for Caregiver Coffee from 7:30-8AM in the cafeteria.

Upcoming Community Events

2025 Cambridge Citizenship Workshop
Free legal help for Green Card holders applying for U.S. citizenship. You must be at least 18 years old, be a legal permanent resident for 5 years or 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen. Appointments preferred. Limited walk-ins available.
Schedule your appointment here >>
Learn more here >>

28th Annual Do It Your Damn Self!! National Youth Film Festival
Friday, June 6 | 6-9PM | Harvard Art Museums
Join us for the Cambridge Community Art Center’s 28th Annual Do It Your Damn Self!! National Youth Film Festival, the longest-running youth film festival in the country. A panel discussion with the teen filmmakers and a short reception in the Calderwood Courtyard will follow the screening. Visit the online event page to learn more.

Friends of the Cambridge Public Library book sale
June 7-8 | 11AM-5PM | 20 Holyoke St
Join the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library for their second used book sale. All children and teens who attend the sale can choose one FREE book. We have a large selection of picture books, early reader/leveled reader books, chapter books, and YA books, in addition to adult fiction and fiction books, donated by members of the community. Some books are brand new! All books are $1 (after the first book free). On Sunday from 2-5pm shoppers can fill a grocery-sized bag of books for $10. Proceeds benefit the Cambridge Public Library and support programs like museum passes and STEAM kits. Learn more online through the event page here.

Sign up today for Recruitpalooza
June 9 - 12 | Online
Sign up today for Recruitapalooza, the only online recruiting festival just for musicians! Join top music schools for 50+ free online events from June 9-12—totally free to attend. Sign up for your 100% free account to register for events, and post your performance video to boost your chances of getting noticed by colleges. Non-majors can earn scholarships too. Learn more here >>

4th Annual Cambridge Juneteenth Event 2025
Thursday, June 19 | 10AM-4PM | Corner of River Street and Memorial Drive in Cambridge, MA 02139
The parade will begin promptly in Central Square at 10AM and will end at Riverside Press Park where the celebration will continue with food, music, entertainment, gifts, informational booths and lots of fun! Registration is optional, but encouraged. For more information, please visit the event page here.

Interested in volunteering, being a vendor, or having an information booth? Register here >>

Free Summer Solstice 2025: Night at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture
Friday, June 20 | 5-9PM | 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138 (closed to traffic during event)
Join the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture on the longest day of the year—free of charge—to explore the galleries and new exhibitions. Step outdoors to enjoy live music and performers, play lawn games, and make a flower crown. Ice cream, beverages, and food will be available for purchase from food trucks. Don’t miss out on this popular event for all ages! Learn more about this event on the HMSC website.

2025 Cambridge Summer Food Program Information and Kickoff Event
Friday, June 27 | 11AM - 2PM | Donnelly Field (61 Willow St.)
Join the City of Cambridge on Friday, June 27 at Donnelly Field (61 Willow St.) for the Cambridge Summer Food Program Kickoff event! The free event will feature an inflatable obstacle course, games, face painting, music, free food, and more!

The event will also share information about the 2025 Summer Food Program, which provides free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to all Cambridge residents ages 18 and younger (no identification required to receive a meal). Meals will be served Monday through Friday at local parks in Cambridge from Monday, June 30 – Friday, August 29. In addition to their meal, young people can enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities at the meal sites, including games, sports, and free books from Cambridge Book Bike. For full schedule and more information, visit www.cambridgema.gov/SummerFood.

No RSVP needed for the event. Rain location will be Cambridge Street Upper School, 850 Cambridge St.

Superintendent Search Forums - Share Your Thoughts!

The Cambridge School Committee invites the CPS and the greater Cambridge community to a series of community forums to share their hopes, priorities, and perspectives about the future of our schools and the qualities we should seek in our next leader. Food and childcare will be provided.

Wednesday, June 11 | 5:30-7:30PM
- Vassal Lane Upper School, cafeteria (temporary location: 158 Spring Street)

Superintendent Search Survey
To ensure that this process reflects the voices of the Cambridge community, the School Committee invites all community members to take a brief online survey to inform leadership qualities and priorities for our next Superintendent.