Salemwood Shark Newsletter

Greetings Salemwood Families!

We hope that you are enjoying the summer days of family, friends and making happy memories! We are so excited to welcome everyone back to school in a few weeks! Please join us for our Slush Party on Thursday, August 24, 2023 from 3:30-4:30pm on the Salem Street Plaza…this is a time for you to meet some of the teachers and to get your homeroom for the school year! If you are not able to attend, no worries, please email me anytime after the event and I will be more than happy to share the information with you!

Please note the first day of school for students in grades 1-8 is August 30th. The first day of school for Kindergarten is September 7th.

This year we are very fortunate to have an additional assistant principal joining our Administration team…please help me welcome our Assistant Principals: Ms. Jane Wright (Kindergarten-Gr 2), Ms. Kristen Reidy (Gr 3-Gr 5), and Ms. Lauren McGonagle (Gr 6-Grade 8).

Please make sure to check the Family SHARK Document access to all communications and shared resources (linked below).

We would like to remind you to join the Salemwood School's Class Dojo to receive our school notifications. Please click on the link to join: https://www.classdojo.com/invite/?s=5397ca2ae25e7dc77f001069

Please reach out to us here at the school if you have any questions or concerns. We would be happy to help you. The school's number is 781-388-0643 or 781-388-0647 or email me at vhuynh@maldenps.org.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Ms. Van Huynh

maldenps.org/salemwood

Email: vhuynh@maldenps.org
Website: https://maldenps.org/salemwood/
Twitter: @salemwoodmalden

Salemwood Slush Party August 24th

Thursday, August 24, 2023- 3:30-4:30pm- come and meet the teachers, have some slush and get your homeroom assignment

First Days and Times

The first day of school:

• Grades 1-8 start school on August 30th.
• Kindergarten begins on September 7th

• Grades K-6 start at 8:15 and are dismissed at 2:15
• Grades 7 & 8 start at 7:45 and are dismissed at 2:20

Fall Important Dates

08/28 Teacher's First Day Back

08/30 First day of school for grades 1-8

08/31 Kindergarten Orientation 9am (K-4 Cafe)

09/01 No School

09/04 No School: Labor Day

09/05 Kindergarten Screening (by appointment)

09/06 Kindergarten Screening (by appointment)

09/07 First day of school for Kindergarten

09/20 Open House 6:00-7:30 pm Open House

10/03 Early Release 11:00

10/09 No school: Indigenous Peoples' Day

11/7- No school for students: Professional Development Day for Teachers

11/10 No school: Veterans' Day

11/22 Early Release 11:00

11/23-11/24- No School: Thanksgiving

11/29 Parent conferences 5:30-7:00 pm

Parking at the Salemwood has always been a challenge.

If your plan is to leave the car to accompany your child to their line please note, there is no parking or drop off in the school parking lot. The spaces are reserved for staff so the teachers are able to welcome our students on time.

Please be mindful of our neighbors. Do not park in such a way as to block driveways to make the street impassable.

The Salemwood School does not have any elementary staff on duty prior to 8:10. Please do not drop off your little one early. Children are not allowed into the building before school as there is no one available to watch them.

Please note, there is no supervision before or afterschool on the school ground or playground

The Student & Family Handbook has been updated for this coming school year. The Handbook can be found on the MPS website as well as HERE.

Please take some time to read the attendance policy & dress code updates.

Attendance Policy

Regular and punctual school attendance is essential for success in school. We recognize that parents/caregivers of students attending our schools have special rights as well as responsibilities, one of which is to ensure that their students attend school regularly, in accordance with state law.

Therefore, students may receive excused absences from school attendance only for the following reasons:

• Illness, injury or quarantine that prevents the student from attending school upon receipt of doctor’s note.

• Bereavement or serious illness in the parents/caregivers.

• Inclement weather is to endanger the health of the student.

• Observance of major religious holidays.

• A significant personal or parents/caregivers crisis that prevents the student from attending school as approved by school admin.

• Court appearances: Students must present evidence of the required appearance.

• Medical or psychological tests during the school day that cannot be scheduled after school or on the weekend. Students must show evidence (such as a note from the health center) that the tests could not be scheduled after school.

• Other extraordinary situations approved by the school administration.

• Disability-related absences.

• A student may also be excused for other exceptional reasons with approval of the Principal or designee.

How Parents/Caregivers Can Help: A student's understanding of the importance of day-to-day schoolwork is an important factor in the shaping of a character. parents/caregivers can help their studentren by not allowing them to miss school needlessly.

Here are some steps to take in the event of an absence:

• Parents/caregivers are asked to provide a written explanation for the absence or tardiness of a student. This will be required in advance for types of absences where advance notice is possible.

• To ensure continuity and maximum advantage of the school program, students must attend school each day and arrive on time. parents/caregivers are expected to telephone the school office prior to 8:00AM to report that their student will be absent on any given day.

• In addition, a written excuse from the parent/caregiver must be presented the day any pupil returns to school from an absence. Any situation resulting in an absence that may have serious extenuating circumstances must be brought to the attention of the Principal, by the parent/caregiver, as soon as those circumstances are apparent. Absent notes are given to the student’s homeroom teacher, who then sends the note to the office. (Please include: the date(s) of the absence, the student’s full name, the reason for the absence, and the student’s homeroom number.

• Notes are necessary even when a parent/caregiver has spoken to the Principal, assistant Principal, or the main office about the absence.

Any student who is absent over three (3) consecutive days must report to the main office with their note and may be asked to see the school nurse. In instances of chronic or irregular absence reportedly due to illness, the school administration may request a physician's statement certifying such absences to be justified.

Family Vacations

Attending school every day is vital to students’ academic success. parents/caregivers and students should make every possible effort to plan vacations during the regular scheduled school vacations listed in the annual academic calendar. State policy requires Malden Public Schools to mark skipped days as unexcused absences. Vacations other than regularly scheduled school vacations are unexcused absences.

“Skipping School” is considered truancy as well as an unexcused absence. Missing school days directly before and after school breaks due to extended vacations is not permitted.

School based staff cannot excuse any vacation time from students’ records and teachers are not permitted to give out make-up work for such instances.

Dress Code

Malden Public Schools is a serious place of learning. There is an expectation that students dress in keeping with reasonable standards of safety, health, and cleanliness, so as not to detract from the educational process. Student attire should not disrupt the educational environment. If a student is wearing clothing that disrupts the educational process, such as clothes that promote drugs, alcohol, or violence, he or she will be asked to go home and change or to wear a t-shirt provided by the school staff. The discretion of administration will prevail in whether the clothing creates a disruption.

In accordance with Massachusetts State Law, students have the right to freedom of expression, provided that such right shall not cause any disruption or disorder within the school. There is an expectation that students dress in a manner that is appropriate for a place of study; and are obeying to reasonable standards of safety, health, and cleanliness, so as not to detract from the education process. If style demonstrates that it is disruptive to the educational process, constitutes a threat to the safety and health of self and others, or is in violation of any statute, it will not be permitted in school. The intent of this document is to create a standard that will align with overall expectations of appropriate attire that contribute to a positive school environment. By no means is the desired outcome of this document for students to be judged or shamed.

Clothing that creates a risk of substantial and material disruption or disorder within the school is not acceptable.

This may include:

• Clothing, including face masks with any picture and/or wording that relates, advertises, or infers to sex, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or displays lewd, vulgar, indecent or “plainly offensive” language (masking is optional)

• Hats, hoods, bandanas, or any other head coverings (except for religious or cultural reasons)

• Clothing worn in such a manner as to reveal undergarments.

• Strapless tops and halter tops.

• Skirts and shorts where buttocks are visible.

• Sunglasses worn inside the school building.

• Clothing or article that suggests gang activities.

• Chains (wallet, belt, large neck chains, etc.).

• Spiked collars, spiked belts, spiked bracelets.

• Pants, when the waist falls below the hip.

The school Principal, having discretion to render judgments regarding what is and what is not appropriate, may, if necessary, waive these policy restrictions in religious and/or medical situations. The Principal will determine what consequences should follow when a student does not comply with this policy. A student may change to wear a school T-Shirt offered by the school, bring their own change of clothes, or a parent/caregivers may be required to bring in a change of clothing.

Email: vhuynh@maldenps.org
Website: https://maldenps.org/salemwood/
Phone: 781-388-0643
Twitter: @salemwoodmalden