The Weekly Wizard: September 18, 2026

Tuesday evening’s Welcome Back Picnic was a beautiful night and a wonderful reminder of what makes Neary special. It was great to see so many families gathered together, enjoying one another’s company and connecting as a school community. A personal highlight for me was watching so many of our students interact with my own children and help them feel right at home.

I hope everyone who joined us enjoyed the evening, especially our raffle winners! Our teachers are particularly excited about the special parking spots they won. Thank you to everyone who helped make the picnic possible. I look forward to many more opportunities to come together and continue building a joyful, connected Neary community.

Inside the building, our students continue to make impressive progress with hallway and schoolwide transitions. I have been struck by how quickly routines are taking hold across classrooms. We have also launched our ELA and math learning, and students are diving headfirst into the work with focus and intention. It has been exciting to see both the joy and academic purpose that are shaping our days.

My best,

Tom

To help students exit the building safely and efficiently at 3:00 p.m., we are asking families to gather on one of two sides of the sidewalk outside the main entrance. When facing the entrance, fifth-grade families should stand on the right, closest to the principal’s office and the Neary side of the building. Fourth-grade families should stand on the left, closest to the Central Office side/handicap parking spaces.

Students will exit through the corresponding doors: fifth graders through the door on the right and fourth graders through the door on the left. We believe this grade-level organization will improve the flow of students leaving the building. 

Thank you for helping us create a smoother dismissal routine.

The Neary Homework Club will begin on Tuesday, October 6, and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00–4:00 p.m. Our first session will run through Thursday, December 17. Families may register their child to attend on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or both days.

Please complete the Neary Homework Club registration form if you would like your child to participate.

Lunch bunches are one form of groups offered at Neary.  They are an opportunity for students to build social relationships and gain skill sets for social situations. Members of the group may be invited to help bolster their social skill set, if they are a new student, to help a child make friends, as a positive peer model, or earning recognition for engaging in exemplary Neary behaviors. This is an opportunity that includes all students at Neary School.

If you do not give permission for your child to participate in a lunch group during the 2026-2027 school year at Neary, please complete this form by September 18.

Each Thursday, Neary students spend approximately 50 minutes with a partner class, either hosting in their own classroom or visiting another teacher’s room. During this time, students enjoy 20 minutes of outdoor recess, work on ST Math, and participate in a shared read-aloud. 

Buddy Class provides another opportunity for students to build relationships, strengthen social skills, and connect with peers and teachers across our school. We wanted families to have this context in case your child comes home talking about spending time in a different classroom!

Neary’s Picture Day will be held on Monday, October 5. Families may preorder pictures through Lifetouch using Picture Day ID EVT8QG366. Students will also bring ordering information home after Picture Day.

As a follow-up to communications Grade 5 families have already received, our make-up field trip to Boundless Adventures in Berlin will take place on Friday, September 25. Students will leave Neary promptly at 9:00 a.m. and return by 2:00 p.m. for regular dismissal. Students should wear comfortable athletic clothing and closed-toe shoes and bring a lunch, water, and snack. Please apply sunscreen and bug spray at home. We are grateful to Neary SOS for generously sponsoring this experience, which will help students practice teamwork, collaboration, perseverance, and healthy risk-taking.

Families must complete the Boundless Adventures waiver and return the district’s paper field trip form by ASAP. If you completed the waiver for the June 2026 trip, select “I Already Have a Waiver.” Previously selected chaperones will hear directly from their child’s teacher and must have current CORI and SORI clearances. Anyone needing to complete the clearance paperwork should visit the Neary office with a driver’s license by September 16.

The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough are seeking substitute teachers, nurses, and food service staff. Substituting is a flexible and meaningful way to support our students, schools, and community. Please review the flyer below or visit the District’s employment website to learn more and apply.

A community drive-thru flu clinic will be held at Algonquin Regional High School on Saturday, October 3, from 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. There is no copay, and insurance will be billed at no cost to participants. Pre-registration is required. Please click here to register or scan the QR code on the flyer below.

Help us support the Southborough Food Pantry throughout September! Each classroom has been assigned a requested item, and students are invited to wear a crazy hat and bring a donation on Neary Spirit Day, Friday, September 18. Donations will be accepted through Friday, September 25.

We want to extend our appreciation to the Neary staff, students, and families for their patience and cooperation as we navigated the delivery of roofing materials on Thursday, September 17th. We also want to thank the Southborough Police Department for their support during morning arrival. Thankfully, the delivery was completed by lunchtime and had no impact on afternoon dismissal.

We met with our project team today to review progress, plan for the next phase of work, and discuss other project-related matters. It was a productive meeting, and we are pleased to report that approximately 52% of the Neary Roof Project is now complete!

The forecast for next week does show the potential for some rain, which may present challenges. However, every effort will be made to maintain the project's strong momentum and make as much progress as conditions allow.

Thank you again to the entire Neary community for your continued flexibility and support as this important project moves forward.

53 Parkerville Road

Southborough, MA 01772

(508) 481-2300