The Taft Times
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
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Tuffy's ROARS:
Respect, Ownership, Active Ally, Responsibility, Safety
 
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Taft Office Phone: 508-278-8643
Taft Office Fax: 508-278-8646
TaftMainOffice@uxbridge.k12.ma.us
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Summer 2026 |
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Wed: Aug 19
Countdown to Kindergarten - Taft Playground - 6 to 7:15pm |
Thur: Aug 27
Kindergarten Open House
(5:00-6:45pm) |
Mon: Aug 31
First Day of School for
1st Grade - 3rd Grade Students |
Mon: Aug 31
Preschool Open House
(4:45-5:45pm or 6:00-7:00pm)
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Tues: Sep 1
First Day of School for Kindergarten Students |
Wed: Sep 2
First Day of School for Preschool Students |
Sep 4th-7th
No School
Labor Day |
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Thur: Sep 10
Meet the Teacher Night
1st through 3rd Grade Students
(5:00-6:45pm) |
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| Tiger News |
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A Quick Summer Update from Taft
Welcome back, Taft families! We are thrilled to be just days away from welcoming students back for the 2026-27 school year, and the excitement around our building is palpable!
Our teachers are busy in their classrooms, setting up engaging learning spaces and preparing for our youngest learners to walk through the doors. Our cleaning crews are in the final stretch, working hard on the last two wings of the building to make sure everything is fresh and ready. Our main office construction project is still in full swing as we work to enhance this important space for our school community.
We know we're down to the wire, but that's what makes this time so exciting! There's energy, anticipation, and a collective sense of purpose as we prepare to launch another incredible year of learning, growth, and community at Taft.
We cannot wait to see our students, reconnect with families, and begin this new chapter together. The countdown is on, and we're ready to welcome you back to Taft!
Mr. L, Mrs. Cataldo, & Mrs. Newhall___________________
Mark Your Calendars: Fall Open House Events!
We have four exciting events coming up to help your family get ready for the new school year:
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Countdown to Kindergarten – Wednesday, August 19th, 6:00-7:15pm at the Taft Basketball Courts and Playground
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Kindergarten Open House – Thursday, August 27th, 5:00-6:45pm
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Preschool Open House – Monday, August 31st, 4:45-5:45pm or 6:00-7:00pm
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Meet the Teacher Night (Grades 1-3) – Thursday, September 10th, 5:00-6:45pm
These events are a great opportunity to meet teachers, explore the school, and help your child feel confident and excited for the year ahead. We can't wait to see you there!
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School Lunch Menus Available
The school lunch menus for August, September, and October are now available! You can find the menus in the Upcoming Events section at the top right of each Taft Times, or visit the Uxbridge Public Schools district website at https://www.uxbridgeschools.com/
 Menus will continue to be posted regularly throughout the school year in the same locations, making it easy for families to plan and stay informed about lunch offerings.
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Reminder: New Drop-Off Procedures Starting This Fall
As a reminder, Granite Street drop-off will return to preschool-only use starting this fall. This shift, approved by the Uxbridge Public Safety Committee, addresses years of growing congestion and safety concerns on Granite Street.
Quick Recap:
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Preschool families will continue using the Granite Street loop on days preschool is in session, with a placard issued at the fall Open House.
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Kindergarten through Grade 3 families will use the McCloskey lot for morning drop-off (62 Capron Street), walking the same path many families already use for afternoon pickup.
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The school bus remains the fastest, most convenient option, no walking or parking required. Contact Transportation Coordinator Melanie Chabot at mchabot@uxbridge.k12.ma.us to explore your route.
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Siblings and mobility needs: Families dropping off a preschool sibling may still use the loop for K-3 children, and accommodations are available for families for whom the McCloskey walk presents a hardship. Contact the main office to arrange.
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Kids Club Before and After Care is unaffected by this change.
To help families visualize these changes, we've created three maps: one for Student Arrival in the morning, one for Dismissal, and one for the Half-Day Preschool Program. A special thank you to the Martino Family for their help in creating these maps, they will be an incredibly helpful resource for our school community!
   These maps are also attached and able to be downloaded for a full visual of routes, parking, and pathways. More details will follow before the first day of school.
Questions? Reach out to the Taft Main Office at 508-278-8643 or TaftMainOffice@uxbridge.k12.ma.us.___________________
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Every Day Counts: Taft's Push to Improve Attendance
This year, Taft is making a renewed push to improve daily attendance for all of our students. Research shows that attendance matters as early as preschool, even in high-quality programs, and children who miss 10% or more of the school year arrive at kindergarten with lower levels of school readiness. Even more importantly, chronic absence that continues from preschool into the early grades is a strong early warning sign that a child may be off track for reading proficiently by the end of third grade, a critical milestone for long-term school success. Attendance Works
This school year, our Taft Leadership Team will be focused on strategies to help lower our chronic absenteeism rate, and we'll be sharing updates and ideas throughout the year. We'll also be looking to our Taft families as partners in this effort; every school day your child attends makes a difference!
A few reasons why attendance matters:
- Regular attendance builds the routines and habits that support long-term academic success
- Missed days, even excused ones, add up quickly and can impact reading and learning milestones
- Strong attendance early on helps set the foundation for success throughout school
Helpful Resources for Families:Thank you for partnering with us to help every Taft Tiger show up, stay engaged, and thrive!
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Tuffy's ROARS Store - An Exciting PBIS Reward!
Tuffy's ROARS Store is an exciting part of our PBIS programming at Taft! Throughout the year, students earn Tuffy Bucks by demonstrating our school values - Respect, Ownership, Active Ally, Responsibility, and Safety. When the ROARS Store opens, students can spend their hard-earned Tuffy Bucks on a variety of fun enrichment experiences, extra recess time, or tangible items.
It's a wonderful way to celebrate positive behavior and give our students something to work toward!
Help Us Stock the Store!
We're looking for community support to help stock our ROARS Store with exciting items and experiences. If you'd like to contribute, please consider purchasing one or more items from our Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/D2S685ECX58Y?ref_=wl_share
Thank you for helping us make the ROARS Store a success and for supporting our students' positive behavior!
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Taft is Hiring!
Know someone who would be a great fit at Taft or in the Uxbridge Public Schools community? Please help us spread the word! We are currently seeking candidates for the following positions:All positions are posted on SchoolSpring. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply and to share these openings with anyone who may be a great fit!____________________
21st Century Community Learning Center - Enrollment Now Open!
The 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) is a safe, enriching after-school program where your child can continue learning with certified Uxbridge teachers. The program features hands-on activities and projects designed to help students work cooperatively, problem-solve, and explore the world around them using developmentally appropriate activities.
Program Details:
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When: Monday through Thursday, 3:00-5:00 PM (no Friday sessions)
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Where: Taft Early Learning Center
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Grades: 1-3
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Cost: FREE thanks to a DESE grant!
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Start Date: September 28th, 2026
Important Note: Attendance is important to maintain this grant-funded program. You will need to provide transportation for your child's pickup at 5:00 PM.
To Enroll:
If you're interested in having your child participate in this wonderful opportunity, please fill out the enrollment form: https://forms.gle/UoKNb6V8W49Pp6Ag7
We look forward to working with your family this school year!
Questions? Contact Judi Mastroianni at jmastroianni@uxbridge.k12.ma.us
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Nurse's Office Relocated for Better Student Care
In our continued effort to serve our students the best, we've relocated the school nurse's office to a new, larger space that better accommodates student needs. The new location is also more accessible to the Uxbridge Fire Department should there ever be a need to transport an ill student.
This improvement was one of several important upgrades we completed over the summer to enhance our facilities and ensure our building continues to support the health and wellbeing of our students. We're grateful for the collaborative work that made this move possible!
Important Message from Nurse McKayla
I hope everyone has had a great summer vacation! If you anticipate that your child will be taking medication for the upcoming school year, please print out these required documents and present them to the nurse with medication. This includes an active/current doctor's order for the medication/ a signed physician's authorization form and a signed parent authorization form. As a reminder, medications- including epi-pens and inhalers, are not allowed to travel with students to school in their backpacks and will need to be dropped off by parents/ guardians. Nurse McKayla will be available Thursday 8/27 from 11:30AM - 2:40 PM and Friday 8/28 8:00AM- 2:40 PM for medication drop off. Medications will only be accepted by the nurse as long as the required documents are presented at time of drop off. Please reach out to Nurse McKayla with any questions or concerns. Please see attached documents.
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| Important Links (under construction) |
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Volunteer Opportunities: The Taft Parent Teacher Organization is always looking for help for families of all Taft grade levels including Preschool. If you have interest in joining the PTO or just volunteering for an upcoming event, please email us at taftpto@uxbridge.k12.ma.us.
All volunteers need an active CORI and fingerprints on file with the school.
PTO Information: Stay up-to-date on PTO information and additional resources by visiting The Taft PTO Website
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