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Welcome

Dear Cabot Families,

As we approach a new school year, I find it exciting to think about the opportunities ahead. While summer can feel too brief, the start of school is something I always look forward to. I love seeing your children’s enthusiasm as they reconnect with friends, engage with their teachers, and bring vibrant energy into the classroom. This year brings some new changes to our school, alongside the return of familiar routines that benefit all students.

What’s New This Year:

  • New Staff: We’re pleased to welcome several new team members (see introductions below).

  • Communication: We’ve adopted a new communication platform, ParentSquare.

  • Food Services: We have a new food service provider.

  • Curriculum: Our EL curriculum will now be fully implemented in grades K-5.

  • Structural Updates: Although not all are visible, we’ve made exciting updates to our school’s structure, including new schedules, additional interventionist positions, and the introduction of a new social studies curriculum in grade 5. These changes are designed to support our staff and ensure continuous improvement in our teaching practices.

Core Values and Focus:

We will continue to emphasize our core values: taking care of ourselves, taking care of others, and taking care of our school. Students will be able to recognize their peers with Paw Awards when they observe these values in action. Additionally, our professional learning will continue to focus on culturally responsive instructional practices and addressing the social/emotional needs of our students.

We are here to support you and your children throughout the year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Please access the following resources to help with your transition to the 2024-2025 school year:

Parent Handbook

Arrival Dismissal information

FAQ document

 

The name of your child’s teacher will be available on Friday, August 23rd in ASPEN. Please complete the dismissal routine form by Wednesday, August 28th to help us ensure your child is dismissed properly each day. Remember to use this link to notify the office of any changes in dismissal plans.

Remember we have an online form to notify the office if your child is absent, late, or will be picked up early. 

Upcoming Important Dates:

  • Friday, August 23rd: Classroom teacher assignments available in ASPEN - Email notification will be sent

  • Monday, August 26th, 7:00 PM: Meeting/School Tour for new 1st - 5th grade parents only in the cafeteria. (An email reminder will be sent to those invited)

  • Thursday, August 29th, 2:00 - 2:30 PM: Open House - Cabot parents and students may visit school/classrooms

  • Tuesday, September 3rd: First Day for Students - Coffee provided by the PTO on the playground after drop-off

  • Friday, September 13th, 5:00 - 7:00 PM: PTO Supper

  • Monday, September 16th: PTO Supper rain date

  • Wednesday, September 25th: Back To School Night - Parent-only event (flyer to follow)

  • Thursday, September 26th: Early Release Day for students - 12:10 PM dismissal

  • Friday, September 27th: CASP Movie Night for all families

  • Monday, September 30th: Picture Day

  • Thursday, October 3rd: No School - Rosh Hashanah holiday

  • Monday, October 14th: No School - Indigenous People’s Day

*Note about Teacher Assignments

Classroom teacher assignments will be published in Aspen on Friday, August 25th. As you know, the placement process is complex, involving various staff members who consider a wide range of factors and needs. If you provided feedback about your child’s placement, please know that your comments and concerns were thoroughly reviewed and considered by the teams and me. However, please note that no changes will be made to teacher assignments.

I acknowledge that sometimes children (or parents) may feel disappointed, for example, if they are assigned to a different classroom than a close friend or didn’t get the teacher they were hoping for. In these cases, I encourage you to acknowledge the disappointment but also express confidence in your child’s ability to have a great year. Your positive attitude and enthusiasm for the year ahead will help set the tone for your child.

As a reminder, we cannot provide class list information until all parents/guardians have reviewed their privacy settings in Aspen to indicate whether or not we have permission to publish their child’s name on class lists. For more information about Aspen, you can visit this link.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Warm regards,
Eric Sprung
Principal, Cabot School

 

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Welcome to our new Cabot Staff

Elisabeth Baldasaro - Grade 2 maternity leave teacher

Hi! I’m Elisabeth Baldasaro and I grew up on the Seacoast of New Hampshire. I received my Bachelor’s at James Madison University and moved to Boston last year to complete my masters at Lesley University. This past year I worked at Carroll School and received my Orton-Gillingham Associate Certification. During the summer I love to spend time at my lake house on Lake Winnipesaukee. I am beyond excited to be in second grade and work alongside the Cabot community! 

 

Alison Comissiong - Grade 5 teacher

Hello! My name is Alison Comissiong, and I am very excited to join the Cabot community. I completed my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in education at Saint Joseph's College, and I recently received my Educational Specialist degree from Regent University. This will be my 10th year in education serving in a variety of roles in upper elementary. Although my family has lived in Virginia for the past 11 years, we are very excited to be back home in New England, where I grew up. We are huge sports fans and are looking forward to taking in a lot of sporting events in Boston! I am very excited to get to know my new students and their families!

 

Jessie Horgan - STRIDE teacher

Hi! My name is Jessie Horgan. I am from Needham, Massachusetts and I was working in Needham Public Schools before coming to Cabot! I have my Master's in Special Education, and have been working in a special education classroom for the past four years!  I love spending time with my family and friends, going to the gym, and reading! I am so excited to start my journey in Newton! I cannot wait to meet all of my new students, and I am so excited to start the new school year!

 

Danielle Kilcawley - Grade 2

Hi! My name is Danielle Kilcawley and I’m so excited to be at Cabot this year! I am originally from Carmel, New York but I currently live in Brookline. I completed my undergraduate and graduate education at Boston College in Elementary Education and Moderate Support Needs. This past year I worked at Angier Elementary in a 3rd grade classroom. It’s been a pleasure getting to know the Newton community so far and I can’t wait to continue during this upcoming year. I love traveling, dancing and reading. I look forward to kicking off the school year and getting to know all my new second grade students!

 

Jennie Knuth - Grade 2 Teacher

My name is Jennie Knuth and I am so excited to be joining the second grade team this year. I've been at Cabot in various roles over the past three years, and love being a part of this amazing community. I am originally from Florida and taught there for 8 years before moving up to Massachusetts. I've loved experiencing everything New England has to offer with my husband, our three kids, and our cat Luna. I love the beach, being outdoors, and arts and crafts of all sorts. Here's to an amazing 2024/25 school year! 

 

Lauren Markham - Intervention teacher

Hello Cabot families! My name is Lauren Markham and I am originally from Shrewsbury, MA - currently residing in the Boston area. After receiving my education degree at Westfield State, I began my teaching career in Worcester Public Schools as a 2nd grade teacher. A fun fact about me is that I moved to California for 2 years where I continued my teaching career. I am excited to enter my 6th year of teaching with Cabot as the intervention teacher and look forward to building connections with the community of students and families here!

 

Danielle Prestejohn - ELL Teacher 

Hi! My name is Danielle Prestejohn. I grew up in Newton, MA, attending the Newton Public Schools, and currently live in Waltham. I have my Master's Degree in Education in Teaching English as a Second Language from Framingham State University. I previously worked as a Building Aide at Angier Elementary School, and have worked as an ELL Teacher with Emily for the past two summers at Summer Success. When I'm not teaching, I'm passionate about staying active, walking with my dog, Sophie, and spending time with my two nieces, who also live in Waltham. I'm eager to get started and meet everyone within the Cabot community! 

 

Karoline Weber - School Nurse

Hi! My name is Karoline Weber and I am thrilled to be the school nurse at Cabot this year! I grew up in southeastern Massachusetts, and received my nursing degree from Northeastern University. I worked as a bedside nurse at Boston Children's Hospital for years before coming to Newton schools as a district nurse. In that role, I had the pleasure of working with staff and students in every school across Newton. Now with a home base, I look forward to making my office a safe, healthy, and welcoming space for Cabot students and staff!

 

Shelby Wohlschlaeger - Grade 3 Teacher

Hi! My name is Shelby Wohlschlaeger, and I am so excited to be joining the Cabot community as a 3rd grade teacher. I grew up in St. Louis, and I lived in Nashville for several years while earning my bachelor’s and master’s from Vanderbilt, as well as teaching in Metro Nashville Public Schools. My fiancé and I moved to Boston this summer, and we have been enjoying getting to know our new home. I can’t wait to start the year and meet all my students and families!