Family Resources / New Families

Welcome to the Sumner School!

Navigating a new school and new school district can get overwhelming, so we have tried to capture some of the most useful information to make it a bit easier to find. We also have notes from current Sumner School parents with children entering K1, K2, or older grades for the 2024-2025 school year. They can serve as a point of contact to help you navigate your new school community. Our school Family Liaisons, Erin O'Brien and Ms. Dee Fortin (ellas hablan español) are also a wonderful resource (Ms. O'Brien: eobrien3@bostonpublicschools.org, 781-572-7496; Ms. Dee: dfortin@bostonpublicschools.org, 857-244-0034). Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you might have!

Upcoming tours of the school for newly admitted families:

Tuesday April 23rd, 10:00am-11:00am @ Sumner Lower School (15 Basile St, Roslindale)

Friday April 26th, 2:00pm-3:00pm @ Sumner Lower School (15 Basile St, Roslindale)

Special Events for newly admitted and returning families:

Step-up Day: Tuesday June 11th, 2:30-3:30pm @ Sumner Lower School (15 Basile St, Roslindale). A popular annual event when students visit their teacher/classroom for the next school year. Newly admitted students are welcome to come visit the school, find out who their teacher will be, and meet some future classmates! Current families will be present to welcome new parents and answer questions while the students go in to meet their teachers (students will be escorted into the building by school staff; family members will remain outside).

Philbrick-Sumner Bash Saturday June 1st, 3:00pm-5:00pm: Our annual end-of-year extravaganza, this year together with the Philbrick School community with whom we will merge to form a new school in Fall of 2025! Newly admitted families are welcome to join us as we celebrate another successful school year and look to our future together. Hosted by the Philbrick and Sumner Family Councils in partnership with school staff, the carnival-like event includes lots of games, face painting, arts and crafts, music, and treats! We hope you can join us for this afternoon filled with fun!

Popsicles with the Principal: Thursday August 22nd, 4:30pm @ Sumner Lower Playground (15 Basile St, Roslindale) Share a summer treat and meet the school principal, play on the schoolyard, and connect with other families!

Playground Meetups:

Connect with new and current families, play in the schoolyard, and enjoy some snacks! Returning, newly admitted, and prospective families are welcome to these meetups.

Saturday May 18th 3:00pm-4:30pm @ Sumner Lower Playground (15 Basile St, Roslindale)

Saturday June 29th 2:00pm-4:00pm @ Sumner Lower Playground (15 Basile St, Roslindale)

Saturday July 20th 4:00pm-6:00pm @ Sumner Lower Playground (15 Basile St, Roslindale)

Saturday August 10th 9:00am-11:00am @ Sumner Lower Playground (15 Basile St, Roslindale)

**Plus** Uniform Resale during the playground meet-up Saturday August 10th 9:00am-11:00am @ Sumner Lower Playground. We will have gently used uniform pieces for sale. Proceeds support Family Council efforts.

K1 Family contacts: Stephanie Golas

K2 Family contacts: Rosy Hosking and Mimi Lai

Hello, I have rising K2 and rising 3rd grade daughters at the Sumner and have been part of the community for 2 years. I am on the Sumner Family Council as the Room Champion Coordinator and have been the Room Champion for my younger daughter's K1 classroom this year which has been incredibly rewarding. I am also an expat Brit, and can speak to the challenges of understanding the Boston academic environment as an outsider! Feel free to reach out to me at crhosking@gmail.com

Hi, my name is Mimi Lai and I'm a Room Champion for my daughter's class, a voluntary program designed to foster connections between families and staff. My daughters, Victoria (rising 2nd grader) and Diana (rising K2er), are excited to meet their classmates and teachers this fall. We have many events planned to welcome you to the Sumner--some of them include smaller meet-ups to get to know new classmates and staff (Step Up Day and Playground Playdates) or bigger events to give you a taste of our exciting and fun community (Sumner Bash), If you have any questions, please reach out to me at mimitlai@gmail.com

Upper Grade Family contacts: Elizabeth Ferrenz (ella habla español) & Meg Rotzel

Hi, my name is Elizabeth Ferrenz and my daughter Batya will be in 4th grade in September 2024. I have been a Sumner parent since Batya started in K1 and I'm currently the Sumner Family Council Co-Chair. We love the Sumner community and appreciate the excellent teaching and warmth of the school. Batya also has fun at the Before/After School program and would be happy to show you the kung fu and tennis skills she's learned. I look forward to meeting you and answering any questions. Please reach out to me at eferrenz@gmail.com

Hello! My name is Meg Rotzel. My child, Joy Christensen, will be in 6th grade in September 2025. We became part of the Sumner community in 2023 when Joy was transferred after a school closure. We have been welcomed generously by the Sumner, are grateful for the teachers, staff, and families for being so kind during what could have been a difficult transition. Joy has participated in Dance Club and Girls on the Run, and has made strong friendships in the past months. I would be happy to discuss transitions, and look forward to meeting you. Feel free to reach out to me at megrotzel@gmail.com

Helpful information to get you started:

Communications and Engagement: Communications from the Sumner School and district can come via different platforms. Below are three of the most used platforms used by our school community. You can always reach out to your homeroom teacher for more information.

Talking Points: a text and mobile device app that the school uses to communicate with families including pictures of classroom activities and other school-wide updates. This app automatically translates messages so families can directly communicate with their child's teacher(s) in their and receive notifications in their preferred language.

School Messenger: The Sumner School and Boston Public Schools District uses the SchoolMessenger app to broadcast messages through phone, email, and text messaging. Families can use the "Infocenter" to manage your communication preferences and read previous messages. For more information and to get started with the School Messenger app, please visit this page.

Sumner Families Facebook group: Sumner School families and some staff have formed a private Facebook group to share resources and ask any questions as they come up. To join the group, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SumnerSchoolParents/

Before and After School Programming: The Sumner Before & After School Program is an in-house program for K1 thru 6th grades (including our 4-year old students!). The Before School Program operates from 7:00 am until the start of the school day and the After School Program operates from the end of the school day until 5:45 pm. Families can sign-up for as many days per week as are needed. The current rates for the 2023-24 school year (full and reduced price options based on need) are as follows:

Both (Before and After School)

Before School Only

Afterschool Only

5 Days-Weekly $120 ● Reduced $60

4 Days-Weekly $110 ● Reduced $55

3 Days-Weekly $100 ● Reduced $50

2 Days-Weekly $70 ● Reduced $35

5 Days-Weekly $50 ● Reduced $30

4 Days-Weekly $45 ● Reduced $28

3 Days-Weekly $40 ● Reduced $25

2 Days-Weekly $30 ● Reduced $20

5 Days-Weekly $70 ● Reduced $50

4 Days-Weekly $60 ● Reduced $40

3 Days-Weekly $50 ● Reduced $35

2 Days-Weekly $40 ● Reduced $30

The Sumner Before and After School Program is committed to accepting families regardless of what they can pay. If the current rates present a hardship for your family, please reach out to the Program director, Mr. Eric Shelton, to discuss options.

To register for the before and/or after school program, please complete the google form linked here.

Please contact our Program Director, Mr. Shelton, with any questions.

Sumner School Cliffs Notes: A quick reference guide loaded with information about the Sumner School and BPS!

Sumner School Frequently Asked Questions: We've tried to answer some of the most common questions incoming families have. There is a wealth of information on the school website and don't hesitate to reach out to our parent reps listed above if you can't find an answer to your question!

BPS School Year Calendar (currently shows the 2023-2024 school year calendar first, scroll down to see the SY24-25 calendar)

Summer learning: Educational and cultural activities for Sumner families to enjoy over the summer. (currently shows Summer 2023 resources, to be updated with Summer 2024 details soon)

School supplies lists: Some suggested (but not required) items by grade level for you to send in with your Sumner School student in the Fall. Check in with your class room champion and/or homeroom teacher to see what items are most needed for the classroom. Donations are always welcome. The most important supplies to obtain are a backpack (that can fit a folder), a water bottle, and if you choose to send a lunch packed from home, a lunch bag. For K1 students, a sheet or lightweight blanket to use during nap time and an extra change of clothes to keep in their classroom cubby are also recommended.