South Shore Tech Update

Hello South Shore Tech Families,

The entire South Shore community is pulling together in so many wonderful ways. Our top priority is the well-being, health and safety of your children. While we are apart, our faculty and administrators will be working hard to adapt to changing circumstances and provide the best remote learning environment we can. Please review the staff priority roles below. They are available to support you and your children throughout this school closure period and beyond. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions; the school phone number, 781-878-8822, will be redirected to my line during the school closure.

Hello South Shore Community.

I hope everyone is well and developing ways to stay mentally and physically active. I ask that you get outside and take a walk daily, employing social distancing, or visit Mr. Clark’s classroom for other exercises you can do at home. As for the mental portion of your day, please visit your school email and google classroom for assignments.

Hello South Shore Tech Community,

Students we really miss you! We hope that you are doing your best to stay physically and mentally well. You’ll see lots of resources from some of your favorite SST staff members in this newsletter. They all miss you too!

Here are a few curriculum updates.

MCAS - There will be NO Grade 10 ELA MCAS this year.

ALL Classes - Students should be checking email and Google Classroom daily. All students should do as much as they can of what has been offered by each teacher. The teachers and the aides in your classes are just an email away if you need help. Right now this is just for review and enrichment.

Make-up work - you are encouraged to work with your teacher to do make-up work or to re-do assignments.

Come back to school all caught up!

Please do feel free to reach out sbaldner@ssvotech.org.

Hello South Shore Tech Community!

The IT department at SST is available to help address any technology challenges you may face during this difficult time. We can be reached via email at techsupport@ssvotech.org. If you do not have access to email, you may call or text 781-222-0919 for assistance.

Hi SST Community,

Our staff is working hard to ensure that all students can practice academic and vocational skills at home. They will continue to encourage students to revisit material that was previously covered to help build student confidence and show them that they can do it! Students can accomplish any task with the right support and the right attitude!

We are in this together! Students are encouraged to check their email, Google Classroom, join Google Hangouts, and to reach out to SST staff or admin with any challenges they face or to simply say hello!

Hello South Shore Tech Community!

I hope you are all doing well in these uncertain times. A quick note regarding the school's co-op program. The cooperative education program will continue to follow the school closure schedule. This means that we will not be requiring hours or time cards from our students while school is not in session. Students may continue to work at their employer’s discretion with parental guidance, but their time will not be considered as part of our co-op program.

We ask that students communicate their plans with their employers, parents and to the vocational office. Employers are continuing to do their best to maintain a clean and safe working environment for our students should they decide to work. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

Hi SST!

As with many other things that have been cancelled due to Covid-19 so has the SkillsUSA State Conference. Currently, SkillsUSA is working on logistics to determine if there will be a National Conference. We will keep you posted!

Please remember that even though we are not in school your emails and documents are still being monitored for misuse. If you are flagged, there will be consequences when we return.

Lastly, please make sure we are all following the social distancing guidelines. I know this may seem a bit extreme, but COVID-19 is something that we have never seen as a society. Your attention to the warnings could save someone's life and you may not even know it.

Hi SST!

I am so proud to be part of this community with you. I am amazed at how we are all pulling together in healthy, helping ways. Jerry Shaw is making masks and shields to keep our medical professionals safe, all the vocational departments collected their personal protection equipment (PPE) to give to local hospitals and everyone is heeding the Mass DPH’s advice and staying home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While we are all physically distancing ourselves from one another that does not mean we have to socially distance ourselves. Reach out and call, Facetime or online chat with family and friends to stay connected.

For all of the latest updates on COVID-19 – including guidance, recommendations, prevention tips and frequently asked questions, refer to the Mass DPH website: mass.gov/covid19. Another great resource from the state is residents can call 2-1-1 to get the latest updates, prevention strategies, symptoms, and testing and treatment information. It is a 24/7 service.

As always, the most effective way to stay healthy is to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. I look forward to seeing you all very soon. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns during this time.

Hi Everyone!

While these are uncertain times, it is still a time to explore your post-secondary options for life after SST. With today’s workforce, college admission and standardized testing all being impacted by COVID-19, please know that we are all here to help you through the process on what your next steps may be upon graduation. The Guidance Department is available to help you secure your plan, or rethink your plan if need be. For those interested in college, this article provides some great insight on what to do now if you’re weighing admission options or looking to attend in the future.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-the-coronavirus-affects-college-admissions

Hello SST!

Looking for a job? - For those students that need working papers, they can email me and I'll get them done. I'll need employer, employer address, student address, birthday, city of birth, and job title.

For students that are looking for work, I believe that grocery stores are hiring. I do not know how this works with social distancing and other stay-away suggestions.

Exploring career and college? - For sophomores and juniors, www.collegeboard.com has a TON of great, free content. You should create an account and then all of your searches will be saved. I've encouraged sophomores to use the career search tool to explore other jobs that are related to their field, but maybe not the specific thing they are at SSVT for. For example, HVAC-R kids can look into plumbing.

Juniors can use the free college search function to start to explore college options. there are over 3000 colleges in their database and juniors can filter by any or all of the options on the left-hand side of the screen.

Tabs for both of these tools are near the bottom of the College Board home page. FYI, College Board is the organization that administers the SAT as well.

Hello!

These trying times can be particularly difficult for those who struggle with mental health challenges. You (and your child) are most likely experiencing some degree of anxiety, which is completely normal but can also make getting through each day feel more difficult than the last. To combat some of these uneasy feelings, I would encourage your child to do the following each day: Stick to a routine, continue to practice good hygiene, exercise, get fresh air, stay in contact with family and friends (remotely), eat balanced meals, take medication as prescribed, avoid oversaturation of fear-inducing media, and maintain contact with any mental health providers that they may have. If you are concerned about the mental health or wellbeing of your child and would like a counselor to reach out for extra support, please let us know. Your children can also access these free, confidential, 24-hour services: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/) and Crisis Text Line: Text 741741(https://www.crisistextline.org/). If you need emergency mental health assistance for your child, please call 9-1-1. We all sincerely look forward to supporting your child IN PERSON again, very soon!

Hello all,

I hope this newsletter finds you well! While you are social distancing with your family, I am doing the same!

Just a quick update on SST admissions. We are still making preparations for The Class of 2024. Remember, all incoming students must successfully complete their eighth-grade year in order to start as a freshman. If you know an applicant, encourage them to keep on working!

Please take care of yourselves and your families!