Dear Claypit Caregivers,
What a spectacular first day of school! There was such a wonderful energy throughout Claypit today, and we could not be more excited about the year ahead.
Our students seemed to pick right up where they left off in the spring. The building was incredibly calm, classrooms were filled with smiles and conversation, and students were already demonstrating our PAWS values—Practicing Empathy, Acting Responsibly, Working Hard, and Spreading Kindness.
One of the most important things that happened today was also one of the simplest: our classroom communities spent time getting to know one another. Across Claypit, students had opportunities to reconnect with friends, meet new classmates, share a little about themselves, and begin building the relationships that will shape their year together. We know that children learn best when they feel known, valued, and connected, and creating that sense of belonging was a priority from the very first moments of the school year.
We Are So Grateful for Our Claypit PTO
We are incredibly fortunate to have a PTO that cares so deeply about our school. Our Claypit PTO works tirelessly to support enrichment opportunities for our students, but they also work incredibly hard to make sure our educators know just how appreciated they are.
We truly appreciated the end-of-year luncheon they funded for our staff. A special thank you to Claypit parent Mary Hyatt and Bagelsaurus for donating delicious bagels to complement our Breakfast for Lunch theme. It was such a thoughtful way to celebrate our educators!
And then, on Friday, the PTO did it again! They hosted a pep-rally-themed luncheon that had our educators' spirits riding high. The thought and care they put into these celebrations means so much to our staff.
While we certainly appreciate all of the love, food, and fun, we are equally grateful for the thoughtful partnership the PTO has developed with us over the past couple of years. Together, we have been rethinking some critical spaces in our building and asking an important question: How can our physical environment better support our students and the important work of our staff?
As state regulations regarding the use of calm-down/cool-down spaces have changed, we had an opportunity to rethink our Claypit space. With the support of our PTO and the incredible generosity of Claypit caregiver, artist, and psychologist, Meghan Schreck, that room is being transformed into a truly calming and beautiful space.
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The goal is to create a place where children can choose to take a regulation break, practice the skills and strategies they are developing, and then return to their learning. Meghan has brought her expertise, creativity, and considerable artistic talent to this project, and the mural she painted is absolutely stunning. Meghan, thank you for sharing your time and talent with our school and our children. We are so grateful. We are deeply grateful to Amanda Gale, Alexis Schayowitz, Katie Noble Harris, Kate and Ryan Leonard, and Cathy Gustus for the countless hours they put in, patching, painting, decorating and beautifying this space. They extended the love right into our therapeutic learning center!
Our new space is almost complete, and we can't wait for you to see it! We'll be sure to share photos once it's finished.
Looking Ahead
Finally, a quick note about communication this year: we will be shifting our practice by sending along “Claypit Hill News and More” every other Tuesday. On the weeks when you don't receive a communication from us, you can expect the Wayland Schools and Community News from the district to hit your inbox. We hope this predictable rhythm will make it easier for families to know when and where to look for important information without feeling overwhelmed with information..
Thank you for sharing your children with us. After one day, we are already feeling incredibly grateful for the energy, enthusiasm, and sense of community that make Claypit such a special place.
It was a spectacular first day—and we are just getting started!
Sincerely,
Marie, Kate and Naomi
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PTO communications team: Do you have an interest or expertise in graphic design (Canva) or social media? We could use your help on the Claypit PTO Communications team!
Cultural enrichment: Our active Cultural Enrichment team is looking for a new person to help plan in-school events and collaborate with the other Wayland public schools to bring cultural enrichment programming to students.
These are important roles, all with a small time commitment (2-3 hours a month). Please email Amanda at ClaypitPTO@gmail.com if you are interested. Thanks in advance for sharing your expertise and joining a fantastic team of volunteers!
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The elementary literacy team needs our help prepping materials for our new ELA curriculum! If you have time during September to help with cutting, writing, and/or laminating, please reach out to Sarah Sontag at sarah_sontag@waylandps.org or 781-879-8882. The resulting “Spelling Trees” will be used to help 1st and 2nd grade students practice and build spelling patterns. Even a couple of hours of your time would be appreciated! The work can be done at home or at Claypit.
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Join Principal, Marie Brigham, and her administrative team, as well as the Claypit Hill PTO, at the fall caregiver coffees. We look forward to sharing a little bit about the school year ahead and how families can best support their students and engage with our school community.
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Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade caregivers: Tuesday, September 15th, 8:15-8:45am
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3rd, 4th, and 5th grade caregivers: Tuesday, September 22nd, 8:15-8:45am
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Mark your calendars for playground playdates this October! Families are invited to meet up at any of the following events for popsicles/ice cream, play time, and an opportunity to catch-up with friends and make new connections!
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All Grades in Boston! - Sunday, October 18, 11am-1pm, playground at Neponset Trail in Dorchester (sign up in advance, link coming soon!)
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Kindergarten - Sunday, October 25, 2-4pm, Claypit kindergarten playground
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1st Grade - Sunday, October 25, 12-2pm, Claypit main playground
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2nd Grade - Saturday, October 17, 2-4pm, location TBD
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3rd Grade - Sunday, October 25, 2-4pm, Claypit main playground
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The Claypit Hill PTO is recognizing our fabulous Wayland first responders for all that they do to support our school and the Wayland community. We are planning a series of recognition events and activities the week of September 8th-11th. As part of this effort, we will be delivering student thank you notes to our Wayland fire, police, and EMS workers. If your child is interested in writing a thank you note for Wayland first responders, please drop it in the box in the Claypit front office by Friday, September 4th.
Interested in helping out with the activities the PTO has planned during the week of September 8th? Contact Amanda at ClaypitPTO@gmail.com.
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The annual Claypit Hill PTO fall fundraiser, Gift Your Child (GYC), is officially underway!
Your contributions make everything the PTO does possible—from student enrichment and classroom support to special events, staff appreciation, and building our Claypit community.
Want to see your dollars in action? Check out our 2025–26 Annual Report to see how PTO funds directly benefited Claypit Hill students and teachers last year.
Our goal is 100% participation from Claypit Hill families. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference.
Thank you for helping us make this another great year at Claypit Hill!
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Our 2026-27 PTO is already hard at work planning activities and events for the new school year! A big thank you to:
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Classroom painters - Artist and Claypit mom, Meghan Schreck, for donating her time and painting skills for a gorgeous mural in a special classroom. And Amanda Gale, Cathy Gustus, Katie Harris, Kate Leonard, Ryan Leonard, and Alexis Schayowitz for applying a fresh coat of paint to our Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC) classrooms. Also a big thank you to our Claypit Hill Head Custodian, Giraldy Gomez, for all his help with this effort!
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Staff appreciation lunch - Gina Anderson and Gina Cherco for organizing a fun and tasty “pep rally” themed welcome luncheon for our teachers and staff.
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New student orientation - Katie Harris, Kate Leonard, Alexis Schayowitz, and a group of 5th graders for organizing a playdate and school tours for Claypit’s newest 1st through 5th graders.
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Kindergarten welcome committee - Catherine Burns, Kasey Gomez, Greta Kaplan, Kate Leonard, and Laura Mellen for making our new kindergarteners feel welcome during their visit days and playground playdates.
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Claypit Hill collects donations throughout the year to support local families through My Brother’s Table food pantry. Watch for suggested donations each month, and consider picking up a few items to contribute when you’re at the grocery store. There is a donation bin at the Claypit Hill entrance, which is an easy spot for kids or families to drop-off donations as they enter the school. |
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- Friday, September 4 - NO SCHOOL
- Monday, September 7 - NO SCHOOL
- Tuesday, September 15th K-2 Caregiver Coffee 8:15 - 8:45
- Monday, September 21 - NO SCHOOL
- Thursday, September 24 - Back to School Night 6:00 - 8:00 - Grades 3-5 from 6:00 - 6:45 - Meet with Claypit Leadership 6:45 - 7:15 - Grades K-2 from 7:15 - 8:00
- Friday, September 25 Claypit Picture Day
- Wednesday, October 7 - Super Early Release, Dismissal at 11:30
- Monday, October 12 - NO SCHOOL
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