It has been a joy welcoming students back this week! Our students have been persevering with their reading strategies, becoming more confident in explaining their mathematical thinking, and working hard on the craft and conventions of writing. This next stretch of school, before April break, is always an exciting time when things start to come together and there is a burst of progress. Of course our students are enjoying all of their allied arts classes as well and the creative new twists teachers are bringing to those content areas. Our students have also been very excited to play in the snow at recess. I, on the other hand, am excited to see the snowbanks starting to fade!
As you may have read yesterday, we had a positive Covid-19 case for McGovern School. We immediately conducted contact tracing and engaged in our safety protocols. We will continue to adhere to our stringent cleaning and sanitization processes within our schools, which includes a focus on those areas frequented by the community member who tested positive. We will continue to be vigilant in adhering to all of the protocols that have been put in place in an effort to carry on in-person learning.
Finally, there are a lot of important reminders and several new pieces of information in this edition of the newsletter. Please read below for important information, including registration information.
Best,
Amy McDonald, Principal
Kindergarten Registration
Medway Public Schools is happy to announce our Online Student Registration will be LIVE on Monday, March 1, 2021! If you are looking to register a kindergarten student for the 2021-2022 school year, you can view the Online Registration directions here. If you already have children in the district, you can simply add the new student to your existing profile by logging into your existing Parent Portal account. Click MORE from the left menu, click Online Registration, and during the OLR process add the student as described in Step 2 of the Online Registration Directions.
In addition, if your child is in preschool and matriculating up to kindergarten, you do not need to complete the registration process, as your child is an existing student.
Families New to MPS can start the registration process using this website: Infinite Campus Online Registration Portal. The link to Registration directions can be found in the previous paragraph. To help with this process, we have included a Virtual Registration Checklist. If you have any questions about registration, please contact Karen Downing at kadowning@medwaypublicschools.org . In addition, if you have technical questions about the online registration process, please email parent@medwayschools.org to assist with the technical process.
Finally, please click here for a list of all of the events on the Road to Kindergarten.
Welcome to Medway Public Schools!
Kindergarten Camp
The Summer Kindergarten Program for incoming Kindergarten students will be held during the week of July 12-16, 2021. The program will introduce our incoming kindergarten learners to the kindergarten experience and help them to begin to feel comfortable with a typical kindergarten day. This experience also allows the students to become better acquainted with the McGovern School. You can find out more information about our program by clicking on the Kindergarten Camp Flyer.
Preschool Lottery and Registration
Our preschool supports and educates three and four year old students who have been identified with a disability, along with a limited number of “community peers.” You can find out more information about our Integrated Preschool program, proposed costs, and additional lottery information in our Preschool Lottery and Registration Information document.
The preschool lottery, for community peers, will take place on Monday, March 8, 2021
from 10:00 AM-11:00 AM. In order to be considered for the lottery you need to complete
either the online or paper Lottery Registration Form. Please click here for an online
Lottery Registration Form. If completing the paper version (Page 6 of the "Preschool Lottery and Registration Information" Document), the lottery application should be returned to the McGovern School no later than March 5, 2021. We will notify families of lottery results by March 10, 2021. Finally, registration for students that have won the lottery and are attending the Integrated Preschool must be completed by April 14, 2021.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school at 508-533-3243 or via email amcdonald@medwayschools.org. Finally, here is a quick overview of the registration process for community peers.
Access Testing
Mid-Year Data Reports
Recently, all students participated in their second of three i-Ready diagnostic assessments in reading and math. Unlike data from the state mandated MCAS test that are given at the upper grades, the information about your child’s current level of performance, both their strengths and opportunities for growth, are immediately available to their teachers. Teachers have already begun using this data to help plan their daily instruction.
Teachers will send home a cover letter from me and data reports about your child's current performance on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. If you have specific questions about your child’s performance, I encourage you to reach out to your child’s individual teachers.
Elementary Principals' Office Hours
Please click here to register for the event.
End of Second Trimester
In addition, there will be minor schedule changes made for the last trimester, which begins on March 15th. We planned our allied arts schedule in this way to give the most equitable experience as possible for students across a grade level. If you have any questions about the schedule change, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher.
Drop off & Pick Up
In addition, now that the nice weather is here, we are seeing a lot more four legged friends joining the ride for drop off/pick-up. For the safety of all, please ensure that your car window is up and your dog does not get out of the car during drop off/pick up. Thank you!
Important Calendar Updates
During the February 25th School Committee meeting, the early release day scheduled for March 10th was changed to March 24th. There will be NO early release day on Wednesday, March 10.
The early release times for all schools for Wednesday, March 24 will be as follows:
McGovern Elementary School (including McGovern Virtual School students): 12:00 p.m.
Burke-Memorial Elementary School (including Burke-Memorial Virtual School students): 11:30 a.m.
Medway Middle School (including Medway Middle Virtual School students): 11:02 a.m.
Medway High School (including Medway High Virtual School students): 11:34 a.m.
Student Testing
Dear Medway staff and families,
We wanted to share some COVID-19 related updates including details of our student testing program and an updated COVID-19 Data Table.
We are excited to begin implementing a regular COVID-19 testing program for our students. We are pleased to share that we are planning to begin testing next week for students in grades 5-12. Students in cohorts A and C, as well as all 5th grade students, will be tested every Tuesday starting February 9. Students in cohort B will be tested every Thursday starting February 11. As mentioned in a previous communication, this program is voluntary.
If you would like your student to participate, you must complete a consent form on their behalf. Please note that students who are 18 must sign their own consent form. As noted above, student testing in grades 5-12 will commence on February 9. Additionally, we plan to start offering testing for students in grades 2-4 the week of March 1 and potentially in grades K-1 during the week of March 8. Families of children in any grade who would like their child to participate in pool testing, may indicate their interest now by completing the consent form which is linked below.
Please download, complete, scan, and return the form below, via email to: testingconsent@medwayschools.org.
Student COVID-19 Testing Consent Form
If you would like a paper copy of the consent form, you can pick one up at your child’s school. Also, we received helpful information about how to easily scan and email a document from your smartphone. A brief explanatory video can be found here.
The consent form must be completed by Monday, February 8 in order for your student to participate in the first week of testing. Questions or concerns about the consent form or the testing program can be directed to Kylie O’Neill at koneill@medwayschools.org.
For more information regarding Medway’s response to COVID-19, click here.
For more information about pool testing, click here.
We also wanted to share some opportunities to learn more about our testing partner. Concentric by Ginkgo is offering parents the opportunity to participate in a webinar and ask questions. Please find the registration link here. There is also some additional helpful information from Concentric by Ginkgo that can be found here.
Message from MFPA
Please see the latest message from Andrea Kerr and Angela Carney from the MFP
"WHAT MUSIC MEANS TO ME" The MFPA wants to hear from our students!
The first National Music in Our Schools month took place in New York back in March 1973, and it's been growing in popularity ever since. The MFPA is excited to be a part of the National Music In Our Schools Month this March by highlighting the music departments in all of our schools with a video commercial "What Music Means to Me", recognizing the importance of music education and encouraging community members to get involved with the MFPA.
We invite all students that have a special connection with music to submit a short video describing "What music means to me" or submit a photo holding a sign with their own words. For those who prefer to be off camera, we welcome you to submit 1-3 sentences.
All submissions can be emailed to medwayfriendsofperformingarts@gmail.com or by uploading
through the link below. The deadline for all videos/photos will be March 1st. The commercial
will be released during the MFPA fundraiser later in the month.
Chromebook Home Page
Hello families, the Chromebooks are here! Hip hip hooray!
I would like to make a request that you please do not change your child's landing/home page from Clever. This is incredibly important when we are working on technology in the classroom, as it ensures a smooth classroom flow and helps build a child's independence when navigating their Chromebook.
Thank you so much!
Mrs. Fogaren
Travel Reminder
From Dr. Pires' recent communication:
As a friendly reminder, as you prepare for February break, please keep in mind the State’s travel policy and general guidelines. The Governor’s order requires you to quarantine for 10 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts. If not obtained before entry to Massachusetts, a test may be obtained after arrival. However, all such arriving travelers must immediately begin the 10-day quarantine until a negative test result has been received.
For additional information, please refer to the gathering guidance and the Massachusetts Travel Form, click on the links below:
CDC Guidelines on Safe Celebrations
In addition there have been changes to the travel restrictions regarding children. Testing for children, 10 years and younger, who are traveling with an adult from their household is not required. Children 10 years and younger should mimic the quarantine requirement and testing options completed by the household adult they accompanied for travel. If the accompanying adult chooses to quarantine, the child must also quarantine. If the accompanying adult chooses to obtain a test, the child and adult must quarantine until the adult’s negative test result is received. The complete Travel Order can be found here.
Close Contact Guidelines Definition
Please see the below message from Dr. Pires regarding an update on the close contact definition.
DESE recently updated their guidelines to reflect an updated definition of a close contact. The new definition is An individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
An important caveat to this definition is that multiple brief or transitory interactions (less than a minute) throughout the day are unlikely to result in 15 minutes of cumulative contact and do not meet the definition of close contact.
This change will certainly make the definition of close contacts more challenging and will likely lead to more close contacts being identified. It is important that all staff are aware of this definition and take active steps to ensure that we are not unnecessarily creating close contacts, particularly with other staff.
Yearly Student Information Update - Online Registration- ACTION REQUIRED!
We request that all families complete the beginning of year packet [Online Registration] in the parent portal to ensure we have the most up to date information for you and your child. To access OLR in the portal, login and choose MORE > Online Registration. Please follow the prompts to complete this information. If you are new to Medway or in need an access code to create an account, please email support@medwayschools.org.
We are only at an 18% completion rate and it is critical that all families update their information so that we have the most up-to-date contact information.
Medway Public Schools COVID-19 Information Hub
To provide families with the latest information and resources related to COVID-19, we have created a COVID-19 information hub, which can be accessed here, and by visiting our district’s homepage. Please visit this site for information about school/community COVID-19 health data, positive test reporting, student protocols, and local testing sites.
Covid Response Hotline
In order to ensure confidentiality and begin Contact Tracing as soon as possible, the District has established lines of communication if ever you need to report a positive COVID Test.
Report a student positive COVID test results by either emailing or calling the hotline below:
- covid@medwayschools.org
- 508-321-4779
Nutritional Support / Remote School Lunches
In order to ensure that children’s nutritional needs are satisfied during this period of remote learning, we are offering any Medway resident under the age of 21 the opportunity to access free school meals every day of the week and/or food to prepare meals at home. For more details about these offerings and to sign-up for remote meals please click here.
Dressing for Recess and Outdoor Time
Please be sure to dress your child in layers. Students go out for recess daily for 25 minutes. In addition, students may have music or wellness classes, which are also taught outside for 40 minutes.
Here is a helpful graphic to ensure that students are arriving to school with the best layers and apparel as we transition from warmer temperatures to the crisp cooler air. What is also hard is weather like this week and have a 23 degree morning on Thursday as compared to a 46 degree morning on Friday. Please remember that we keep windows open on the bus and in the classroom to increase air flow. When it is really cold outside, teachers will have one window that is cracked. Even this can increase the air flow throughout the classroom.
Finally, on snowy days, students will need boots, snow pants, a hat, mittens, and winter coat. Flexibility... the key word to this year! Students can always take a layer off if they are hot, but the same can't be said if they are cold.
Communication
Shamrock Shuffle!
Calling all Artists! Participate in the 2021 Shamrock Shuffle Logo Design Contest! The Medway Elementary PTO is looking for logo design submissions for the 10th Annual Shamrock Shuffle. The winning logo will be featured on the official 2021 Shamrock Shuffle t-shirts and the winner will receive a $25 giftcard to the Muffin House! Entries should be relevant to both St. Patrick’s Day and the race; please include your name and age upon submission. All entries must be sent to MEPTOshuffle@gmail.com through January 31, 2021. Good luck!
The 10th Annual MEPTO Shamrock Shuffle is going virtual!
The pandemic can’t stop us – please join us for the 10th Annual MEPTO *VIRTUAL* Shamrock Shuffle in March! Details can be found here.
March 1-19: ACCESS testing window
March 2: 100th Day
March 5: Preschool Lottery Applications Due by noon
March 5: NO PRESCHOOL CLASSES
March 5: Elementary Principals' Office Hours, 12:00-1:00 PM
March 8: Preschool Lottery, 10 AM
March 10: Preschool Lottery Notification
March 12: 2nd Term Ends
March 14: Daylight Savings Time, turn clocks 1 hour ahead
March 15: 3rd Term begins, new schedule starts
March 17: Virtual School, Materials Pick Up Day
March 24: Early Release Day (PK-12), dismissal 12:00 PM
March 31: School Site Council, 3:30 PM
April 2: No School, Good Friday
April 14: Virtual School, Materials Pick Up Day
April 19-23: No School, Vacation
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