Haggerty Holler: May 9, 2025

Posted on 05/09/2025

School For Everyone, Access to Education Classroom Event

On April 17th, Ms. O.G’s second graders presented their research, hopes and dreams for free access to education for children near and far. This inspiring event showcased students and family members as guest speakers talking about the importance of education, especially for elementary school students. The students created buttons, wrote essays, created art work and performed a song accompanied by Mx. Irvin on the piano. A big thanks to Ms. Olmos-Govea, Ms. Dorcean, community guests and the inspiring students in Room 210.

Haggerty Day is Coming Thursday, June 12th (Rain Date: June 13th)

Save the Date for this fun school-wide block party! Parents/Caregivers are invited to join the fun! You can help with a station or 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

Room 213 Celebrated the 250th Anniversary of the Start of the Revolutionary War!

The third graders in Room 213 had a visit from Revolutionary War reenactor Mike Michalski, who is also a grandfather of two Haggerty students. Mike, a former teacher, has been a reenactor for many years. The students had done a lot of research on the Revolutionary War, and they shared what they knew, and also asked Mike lots of questions. Thanks so much to Mike for visiting us and sharing your knowledge!

Fourth Graders Visit Harvard Science Center

Last week the fourth grade visited the Harvard Science Center, again, as a farewell to the Harvard students who have been their ExperiMentors. The Harvard mentors have been working with our fourth graders once a week (for 6 weeks), for about 45 minutes. During the field trip they watched a variety of Chemistry and Physics experiments. For example, in one experiment they took the air out of marshmallows - shrinking them! Students also got to do their own experiments, like mixing chemicals to make glow in the dark liquids and balloon cars. We’d like to thank our Harvard student mentors for spending so much time with us and teaching us so much!

STEAM Night is Next Thursday Night, May 15th

Please fill out this google form to RSVP to STEAM night (especially if you want pizza), and also to help us at the event.

RSVP here >>

We Need Your Feedback!

Haggerty Families - Please help us by filling out the School Culture Survey Today. We would like everyone’s feedback. Open until May 30th.

The District and School Culture Survey (formerly known as the District and School Climate Survey) is now open.

We are eager to continue to from you as we strive to continue to provide high quality learning experiences that meet the needs of all of our scholars. As we have shared, we have partnered with Panorama Education for the survey. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your responses confidential.

You may complete the survey online through Friday, May 30. Take the survey here.

School Advisory Council Elections are coming! Looking for Nominations for Caregiver Representatives!

Haggerty School Advisory Council Election for 3 Parent/Caregiver Representatives (2025) Nomination Form for Next School Year

School Advisory Council: A school-based body responsible for assisting and advising the Principal in setting educational goals, identifying educational needs, reviewing the school budget, and implementing a School Improvement Plan. The Council is made up of 4 parent representatives, 4 staff representatives (including the Principal) and community members, although all meetings are open to the Public. Need more information? Ask our current Caregiver Representatives, Aminata Cham, Leah Kean, Andrea Flammia, or Chris Cullen by email - [email protected], or our Family Liaison Lissa Galluccio.

Membership: Council members serve a two-year term. Representatives should reflect the school community and programs. We need 3 new caregiver representatives for 2025-2026.

Meetings: School Council meetings are scheduled once a month. Meetings this year will be approximately once a month. Time and location of meetings to be determined, and will continue to be offered both in-person and virtually.

Nomination Process: Nomination for a School Council parent/guardian representative will be open from now until May 12. A Ballot of willing nominees will be created and distributed on May 14 and voting will take place until May 23. Please complete this nomination form, if you have someone to nominate. Nominated caregivers must have a student at Haggerty in the school year 2025-2026. Please return any completed nomination forms via this Google form, or if printed, to the office in an envelope (or folded) marked, “NOMINATION.” If you are nominating someone else, please include both your name and the person you are nominating. If nominating yourself, great! We will contact all nominees to see if they are available/interested.

Nomination Form: Fill out form here >>

From the Literacy Coach

Students in Grades 1-5 will complete one Research Unit before the end of the school year. It’s been an exciting school year with new curriculum and we have one more research unit for each grade level. Students at every grade level will learn how to develop a research question that they can research to learn more about their topics. Please continue to ask your children what they’re learning in CKLA each day. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out: [email protected].

Grade 1	Tales from the Edge of the World	After reading a series of adventure stories, each student will research an “adventure locale” such as the ocean or space. They will write an informational paragraph about that location.
Grade 2	Aviation	Students will learn the stories of early aviators, such as the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright brothers, Aída de Acosta, and Amelia Earhart. Then they will choose three aviators from the unit and write three informational paragraphs (one about each aviator).
Grade 3	All That Jazz	Students will learn about famous writers and musicians like Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Melba Liston, Tito Puente, and Miles Davis. Students will create a multimedia presentation about the connections between a famous jazz musician and a current musician of their choosing.
Grade 4	Energy	Students are empowered to think about solutions for energy issues in the United States. They will read and research and then produce opinion essays / multimedia presentations that investigate the essential question: “What are the fuels of the future?”
Grade 5	Juneteenth	Students study specific contributions of African Americans from 1865 to present day. Students will research and write a 4-chapter book about Juneteenth: (1) The Great Migration, (2) Innovators & Inventors, (3) Education and Humanities, and (5) Activists and Allies.

From the Math Coach by Nili Pearlmutter

Happy May! One skill students work on in math is measuring in many ways - length, weight, time, area, volume… Our first graders are just finishing up their unit on measuring length where they learn to measure and compare length using items like paper clips, cubes and string.

Estimating and measuring are wonderful skills for students to try out at home and outside. How many jumps will it take to get to the corner? How long will it take to walk to school? How long until dinner? As you go about your day, have fun asking and answering measurement questions!

Also, thank you to the caregivers who attended the ST Math presentation last week. They shared many resources for families - you can find them here.

Art Corner

Upcoming Haggerty All-School Art Show!

This year we are having a whole school art show! Every student is picking out a work of art to hang, and students and their adults are encouraged to attend one of the two times the gallery is officially open to tour the hallways and take in some beautiful art. This will be a supervised event, and we ask that students stay with their grownups.

The event has two times to make it convenient for families; Tuesday, May 20, 2:15-3:15PM and 5:30 - 7PM in the first, second, and third floor hallways.

If you would like to help with set-up the day before, Monday, May 19th right after school, it would be greatly appreciated! Please contact Mr. Reynolds ([email protected]).

Credit to Paul B. for the flyer cover art! Can you find his name hidden in the creature?
Anthony Reynolds - Art Teacher

PE Corner

4th and 5th Grade Bike Unit

The fourth and fifth graders have been doing a unit on biking for the last few weeks. We have rode inside as well as outside. They have learned to wear a helmet at all times as well as how to wear it correctly. The classes have also learned the ABC's of biking and riding with other people around. They have done a wonderful job. I hope it helps them with riding this spring and summer.

Mr. Burgess (PE Teacher)

Music Corner by Mx. Irvin

Our Musician of the Month for May is Duke Ellington.

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington, D.C. Both his parents played piano and he began piano lessons at age 7. He also loved art and was a very talented artist. He even got a scholarship to attend the famous Pratt Institute, but did not attend. He chose to pursue music instead.

When he was a “soda jerk” at the Poodle Dog Café, he wrote his first piece, “Soda Fountain Rag.” Over the years, he wrote thousands of pieces and became a famous big band leader. Ellington led the band at the Cotton Club in NYC for years.

Ellington was an American pianist, composer, and bandleader. Listen to our Musician of the Month Spotify playlist here.

Friends of Haggerty

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who made it to Fiorella’s on Monday night for our fundraiser! The proceeds will go to help the 5th graders end of year festivities!

National Teacher Appreciation Week

Happy National Teacher Appreciation Week! We are deeply appreciative of dedication, compassion, and expertise our educators demonstrate yea round to foster a joyful learning environment for each learner.

Upcoming Community Events

Cambridge Affordable Housing Information Sessions
Learn more about the eligibility requirements and application process for the following Cambridge Rental and Homeownership Programs:

Inclusionary Housing Rental Program for studios, 1BR, 2BR, and 3BR units throughout Cambridge
Homeownership Resale Pool
First-Time Homebuyer Workshop
Downpayment Assistance
HomeBridge

Join a virtual information session to learn more about the City's rental and homeownership programs. The schedule of upcoming sessions and links to register via Zoom can be found here.

Cambridge Welcomes!
Friday May 31 | 5 - 8PM | Cambridge Main Library Front Lawn 449 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02138
Join the Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship (CIRC) for a celebration to welcome and appreciate Cambridge’s Immigrant communities. All are welcome! This event will feature music, performances, facepainting, refreshments, community resources, and activities for families. Free entry. No registration required. Rain location: Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Cafeteria (459 Broadway Ct, Cambridge, MA 02138)

For more details, please view the online event page here.

VPA Spring 2025 Performances
Please join us to celebrate the incredible work of our community- enjoy amazing artistic work and performances, support the arts in our community, and have a blast! View all of our upcoming visual and performing arts events here >>

Sign up today for Afterschool Art classes for Kids
Tuesdays starting in May or June (Enrollment dependent) | 3:30-5PM | 86 Joy Street, Studio 37, 2nd floor, Somerville, MA 02143
This drawing class is designed for kids ages 8-12 to explore their creativity through drawing. We will start with simple forms and observation, still lifes and objects, while learning key concepts like composition, perspective, shading, and how to use different drawing mediums. For more information, please visit the program page here.

[Port] Arts Fest
Saturday, May 17 (Rain Date: May 18) | 10AM - 6PM | 119 Windsor Street
Port Arts Festival is an annual community-wide event celebrating the vibrancy of the Port community and of the families and neighbors who live here. Join us for live music, dancing, mural painting, an art market, food trucks, games and activities for kids! Festivities will take place on Windsor St. between Harvard St. and School St. This event is free and open to the public! For more information, please visit our website here or view the flyer here.

Cambridge-Somerville Asian Festival
Saturday, May 24 | 11AM - 3PM | Cambridge Street Upper School (850 Cambridge Street)
Enjoy an improv workshop, Asian American Experiences class civic projects, food, art activities and more! The Cambridge-Somerville Asian Festival is free fun for the whole family!

Snack of the Week