Haggerty Holler: November 7, 2025

Posted on 11/07/2025

Author Visit for Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st Grade Students!

Last week, author Maureen Harrington and her dog Ivy came to visit our Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grader students to talk about her two books Ivy the Very Determined Dog and Ivy and her Rose Bud. Ms. Harrington and her husband Chris, wrote both stories about their dog Ivy, who became sick at the age of 3 and became paralyzed in her back legs. Their first book was dedicated to Ivy overcoming her new challenge, building up the strength in her front legs and also learning to use a wheelchair. She was very determined! The second book was written about Rose Bud, a second dog they fostered and ultimately adopted because she was so kind and protective of Ivy. Rose Bud was a best friend to Ivy, and her unlimited love and kindness is the underlying theme of the second book. Students reflected on overcoming challenges and also showing kindness to others. The students were engaged and asked great questions. Thanks to Mr. Egitto for drawing a picture of Ivy on our library wall - so that Maureen could sign it! We love adding to our author signatures around the library. Thanks to Friends of Haggerty - each student even got a copy of one of the books!

Grocery Cards for CPS Family Snap Recipients

Dear Haggerty Families, If your family receives benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), please read the important information below. Next week, the City of Cambridge will provide a one-time, $50 gift card to a local grocery store to any Cambridge Public Schools student whose family receives SNAP benefits.

Who Will Get a Gift Card?

Any student currently enrolled in the Cambridge Public Schools or in the Cambridge Preschool Program, AND who currently receives SNAP benefits.
If your family has more than one eligible student, you will get one gift card for each student.

How Can I Get a Gift Card?

Come to one of the events listed below.
Provide your EBT card, and the name of your student(s). If you have students at more than one CPS school, please pick up all of your gift cards at one time.
Gift cards will be available at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (459 Broadway) on the following dates:
- Monday, November 10 | 5 - 8PM (Field House entrance)
- Friday, November 14 | 5 - 8PM (Field House entrance)
- Saturday, November 15 | 9AM - 1PM (Main entrance)

Winter Coat Exchange - Need one and or Leave one!

It’s that time of year again and the cold is coming! Our winter coat exchange is back in the main lobby. Maybe your child has grown out of a gently-worn winter coat and you would like to pass it along to another student. Or maybe your child has grown out of their winter coat, and you’ve been needing a bigger one. Leave one, take one, or both! If you happen to also have any gently-worn snow pants or boots - we are happy to also find a new home for them.

Also if you would like to get a new winter coat from the SPOT, please use this link here.

Coach’s Corner

Want to check in about what your child is learning in math? Go to the Family Support Hub! There is a page for each grade that includes videos and written information for every unit. Here are the videos about the units each grade is working on right now.

Kindergarten	Unit 2
First Grade	Unit 2
Second Grade	Unit 2 (starting Unit 3 next week)
Third Grade	Unit 2
Fourth Grade	Unit 3
Fifth Grade	Unit 3

Library Corner

In Library-Tech, grades 4 and 5 have finished working on their All About Me WeVideo project, and are now presenting their projects to their class. During the presentation phase of the project, we work on using jazz hands for silent cheers so students are able to cheer while also being respectful to students who need a quiet environment. Mr. McGonegal and I also teach students how to give compliments based on the students' work with specific details. The All About Me We Video project aligns with the Library Learning Expectations.

Here are a few of the Library Learning Expectations: Library Learning Expectations

Consume Media Safely and Responsibly

Create and share a presentation, product, or performance using various formats or online tools.

Use Reading Skills to Become A Lifelong Learner

Be an active learner/participant.

Organize & Synthesize Knowledge

Use various note-taking strategies to build your knowledge (e.g. highlight, summarize, paraphrase).

Present Learning

Organize information in an effective way to present learning.
Share what you have learned through conversation or the creation of a project.
Reflect on the inquiry-based process you have completed.

Music Corner

5th Grade Instrumental Music

Mr. Babecka (woodwinds) | Mr. Brady (brass) | Mr. Tally (strings)

Welcome back to an exciting new school year! Beginning in 5th Grade, students study instrumental music in either strings (violin, viola, cello), brass (trumpet, trombone), and woodwinds (flute, clarinet). In June the students will perform in combined instrumental groups at CRLS.

Here are some pointers to help us help your child:

Students are expected to display a respectful attitude toward the teacher, instrument, and fellow classmates.
Students are expected to bring their instrument to school, and back home on the two days per week they have instrumental music.
Students are expected to come to class prepared with their instrument, pencil, and books/materials provided by their teacher.
Students are expected to practice 70 minutes per week. These practice sessions should be split throughout the week into shorter practice sessions, roughly 10 minutes per day.

Concert: Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026 at CRLS

Family Folk Dance Night
Tuesday, November 18 | 5:30-7PM (Pizza from 5:30-6PM)

5:30PM | Pizza in the cafeteria
6-7PM | Dancing in the gym

This will be a fun family night of dancing together in the gym! Students must attend with an adult, and should not be unsupervised. Please RSVP, if you would like pizza, so we order enough: RSVP Here.

Music News from Ms. Susie
More Music from Ms Susie! Families are invited to join Mx Irvin. and myself and Ms Susie’s friend, Sammy Wetstein on November 18, 2025 in the Haggerty School gym for our Family Folk Dance Night! Pizza in the cafeteria 5:30-6, and dancing 6-7pm. All of the dances are easy for everyone to enjoy no matter your age and experience.

We might also have a special performance! If enough of Ms Burks’ and Ms Yeh’s students come to form a team, they will be able to show you the movements of the Longsword dance that they have learned so far. They are not allowed to tell you how the star is made! That is a mystery.

Music News from Mx. Irvin

Musician of the Month: Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton

Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton is a multi-instrumentalist best known for playing the Blues of the 20s and 30s. Born and raised in South Central LA, but with roots in Louisiana, he developed a strong appreciation for blues music. As an only child very close to his grandmother, he spent hours hearing her stories and songs. Born in 1989, Paxton began playing the fiddle when he was 12, picking up the banjo two years later. He continued to learn different instruments and is now known as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He describes his music as “Black folk music” - styles from farmland in Alabama and Mississippi called the “Black Belt” because of its dark, rich soil.

Check out videos about Blind Boy Paxton here. You can hear his music, as well as our other Musicians of the Month, on our Spotify playlist at bit.ly/3Wgy2mp.

Art Corner

In art pre-K through 3rd grade are doing various projects based on Claude Monet’s lillypad paintings. Each project is mixed media; watercolor, painted paper/tissue paper, and paper sculpture. See below for a teacher example of the finished work. Fourth and fifth graders are wrapping up their protest art unit and finding empowerment in sharing their voices and perspectives. We will present these at the next all school assembly.

Protest art posters:

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Corner

November is National Children's & Teen Grief Awareness Month!
The month of November is an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact that grief has on the life of a child or teen. It also provides a space for them to show support and encouragement to others. Here’s how Haggerty raised awareness and held space for students and staff!

Friends of Haggerty Corner

Field Trip for SCALE Classrooms (Room 108 & 303)

Thanks to Friends of Haggerty for supporting SCALE in grades 1-4 to Connor’s farm. Our students got to experience so many different things at the farm, from apple picking to riding the trains with their peers. They had a blast!

Accessing MCAS Reports in ParentSquare

Grade K - 2 families received mClass (English Language Arts) and Forefront (Math) screener reports, and Grade 3-8 families received iReady screener reports through ParentSquare mid-October. 24-25 MCAS reports were shared with current Grade 4-11 on October 24. An active ParentSquare account is needed to view reports sent through ParentSquare.

Need to register for ParentSquare? Check out our resources:
How to Get Started (አማርኛ | عربي | বাংলা | Kreyòl Ayisyen | Español)

How to Access Reports in ParentSquare (Mobile Application):

On the bottom section of the page, select Alerts.
Select the document you want to view and click View Document. Secure document notices are marked by a page with a lock icon.*

How to Access Reports in ParentSquare (Website):

From the Home page, select Alerts and Notices on the left, then select the Document tab.
Locate the document you want to view and click View Document to open the file.*

*Families must sign in again to verify their identity before viewing the document.

CitySprouts

Happy November everyone! In this chapter of CitySprouts, we are turning over many new leaves as we continue to change with our community and invite you to delve into our growth below.

25th Garden in our 25th Year
As we celebrate CitySprouts’ 25th year, we welcome our 25th garden site at the Cambridge Community Center! Through our wonderful afterschool partnership, CitySprouts Green Team members have the opportunity to nurture joy in discovering science in the gardens. CitySprouts recently hosted a colorful pickling booth at the Cambridge Community Center Fall Festival and are eager to engage with the community at future events.

Tobin Montessori Garden Renovation
In addition to expanding our infrastructure, we are thrilled and grateful to share that the Tobin Montessori School in Cambridge has been newly renovated! This large, lush garden is now open to students and families. We hope it can be a space for fostering community and invite you to explore and relish in the vibrant space throughout the year.

Connect with Plants!
This season, we continue to nourish new plants, reflecting and celebrating the cultural diversity of our school communities. When you visit CitySprouts gardens, be on the lookout for red shiso, anise hyssop, cucamelons, giant marigolds, Asian eggplants, and much more! These intentionally chosen herbs and vegetables provide opportunities for students to jump into the unfamiliar, rekindle memories, and cultivate their own stories with these plants. In doing so, the garden becomes a space for discovery and connection.

TerraCorps Spotlight: Emaline Our collaboration with schoolyard gardens is strengthened through our stellar TerraCorps members, such as our first spotlight: Emaline Relyea-Strawn. As CitySprouts’ Youth Education Coordinator, Emaline works with the Programs team to support the Garden Educators and our curriculum development. Curious to see how she became inspired to engage with youth through garden education? Check out our latest spotlight at citysprouts.org/staff-spotlights to learn more!

American Flatbread Benefit BakeHungry for more ways to engage with CitySprouts? Join us on Tuesday, November 18 from 4-11PM at the American Flatbread in Brighton for a Benefit Bake Night featuring CitySprouts! For every flatbread purchased, CitySprouts will receive a portion of the proceeds, which directly supports our mission to cultivate curiosity and wonder in students through hands-on science learning in their own schoolyard gardens. This is a public event and we hope to see you there!

Keep up to date with CitySprouts news, updates, events, volunteer opportunities, etc. on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn! Thank you for reading our newsletter— we look forward to seeing you in CitySprouts’s gardens!

Community Resources

Preschool Application for 2026-2027 Closes Friday, November 14
Applications for the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP) for the 2026-2027 school year are open now through Friday, November 14 .

CPP provides access to free preschool through Cambridge Public Schools, the Cambridge Department of Human Services and Programs, and select community-based preschool and family child-care providers. Families can choose from programs that operate full-day, full-year (including summer) for an additional cost. Families apply through a single, centralized online application during the fall application timeframe.

A child is eligible if they live in Cambridge and are:
- 4 years old by August 31, 2026 for 4-year-old programs; or
- 3 years old by August 31, 2026 for 3-year-old programs (please note there will be limited seats for 3-year-olds, and there may be additional eligibility requirements )

The program is managed by the City’s Office of Early Childhood. Learn more about the Cambridge Preschool Program here.

Free Food Markets

All families are welcome to stop by our free, school-based food markets. They offer fresh fruits, vegetables, and pantry items. Free Food Markets are on select days. Please bring your own bags.

View upcoming dates and locations >>

Resources
Food, Nutrition, & Gardening

As I’m sure we’re all aware, it has been a very concerning time for those who utilize SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families. As of now, if federal funding is not resolved by November 1st, SNAP recipients will not receive their November benefits. Be up to date with new changes here.
- NOTE: We have been advised to share that while benefits may not be coming in for November, recipients are encouraged to keep any balance on their card in order to access HIP benefits. This can be as little as $0.01!
November 5th-December 10th - Cambridge Dads is holding its second Cambridge Dads Health and Wellness Series! Join with other dads in learning about men’s health. Please note, registration is required. Childcare and dinner will be provided!

Mind, Movement, & More

Ever heard of Japanese Walking? Though it has been trending recently in the US, it has been practiced in Japan for many years. Instead of steady pace walking, Japanese Walking can challenge your walk with intervals of easy and brisk pace every 3 minutes for 30 minutes. If you’re finding yourself getting bored of your usual walk, try it out!
Please reach out if there are any food, nutrition, or physical activity projects/ ideas you think the Cambridge in Motion team could help with and don't forget to follow our team on Instagram @CambMotion.

Upcoming Community Events

You’re Invited: Community Conversation with Superintendent David Murphy
Wednesday, November 12 | 6 - 7:30PM (Doors will open at 5:30PM) | Fitzgerald Theater at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (459 Broadway)
You’re invited to attend a Community Conversation with Superintendent David Murphy on Wednesday, November 12. Hosted in partnership with My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), they will lead a discussion with Superintendent Murphy to reflect upon his time as Interim Superintendent, and learn more about what’s next for Cambridge Public Schools under his leadership.

Need Help with Heating Bills? Apply for Home Energy Assistance
Colder weather means higher heating bills. The Cambridge Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 season. The program helps residents pay their winter heating bills between November 1 and April 30. Please note: the federal government shutdown will cause delays in application processing and payments this year, but we encourage you to apply to the program as soon as possible. If you experience a no-heat emergency, please call 617.665.6234. The program can help eligible applicants within 24 hours. Learn more and apply >>

Register today for Cambridge Wrestling (Preschool - Grade 8)
6 Sundays, November 6 - December 21 | 2:30 - 4PM | CRLS War Memorial Recreation Center (Door 15)
Join us for a 6-week youth wrestling program. Each practice is 90 minutes and available to students from preschool to grade 8.
Register online here >>

CITI Team: 1st Annual Cambridge Community Center Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway
Monday, November 17 | 6- 8PM | Ronald "RJ" Jones Gymnasium (CCC Gym)
Citi Team is proud to continue our tradition of giving back this holiday season with our Annual Turkey Giveaway starting in Cambridge, MA. A huge thank you to our supporters, community leaders, and sponsors who make this incredible effort possible each year. Together, we’re feeding families, spreading love, and building stronger communities. Register online here >>

Building a Conscious Future: A Forum on Youth, Inclusion, Healing and Parenting
Saturday, November 22 | Starts at 1PM | Peabody School
Join the Yoftahe Show and Road 2 Healing Boston for panel discussions surrounding trauma & healing, conscious parenting, youth voice power, and special need acceptance. In Collaboration with Connecting Each Dot Inc and Massachusetts Ethiopian Support Association. For more information: contact 617.952.1175. Flyer available in English and Amharic.

MWRA 2025-2026 Poster, Writing and Video Contests
For the 2025-2026 Poster, Writing and Video Contests, students are asked to use their creative skills to create a poster, video and/or write an essay, story or poem explaining what should or should not be flushed down toilets or put down drains. Visit the online contest page for all of the related documents needed to enter the contest. Individual components are available for download as well. All entries must be postmarked by Wednesday, March 11, 2026 and mailed to: MWRA School Program, 2 Griffin Way, Chelsea, MA 02150.

Empower Your Digital Journey: Free Help From Digital Navigators
Digital Navigators provide one-on-one support to help you access the Internet, set up devices, and use online services effectively. Our mission is to bridge the digital divide in our community. Ready to get started? Call us today and start your digital journey! When calling in, please be sure to state your name and city you live in. Call 888.551.2167 ([email protected]). Visit website here >>

CFCC Multilingual Learner Families of Color: Listen & Learn Meeting
Thursday, November 20 | 6:30PM | Zoom
Come and share your experiences navigating CPSD and ideas around supporting our multilingual learners with Beth Kershner, Director of CPSD Multilingual Learner Education. Please register here to receive the Zoom link or scan the QR code on the flyer here.

Center Court: Where All Kids Play
Saturdays, December 13 - February 28 | 10AM - 2PM | Cambridge Community Center Gym
Welcome to Center Court! A community basketball league for Cambridge youth in grades 5–8. The league runs from December 13 to February 28 with games held on Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Cambridge Community Center Gym (5 Callender Street). Register online here >>

Volunteers Needed – Help Cambridge Kids Sort Their Recycling and Food Waste!

The City of Cambridge is looking for volunteers to help our students learn to sort recycling and food waste after breakfast and lunch. This is a great opportunity to be in the schools! No experience necessary. This can be a long- or short-term commitment, but the most help is needed in September.

Questions? Contact [email protected] or call 617.349.4836.

In Our District and Community