HES Shark Scoop

As we continue to navigate the winter months, we want to remind everyone about the importance of preventing the spread of respiratory illnesses. The health and well-being of our students, staff, and families are our top priority, and we all play a role in ensuring a safe and healthy school environment. If your child is diagnosed with a contagious illness, such as the flu or other respiratory infections, please let us know so we can take necessary precautions to protect the health of other students and staff. To date, Harwich Elementary School has had zero confirmed cases of pertussis, and we will keep you updated as the situation evolves.

We appreciate your commitment to keeping our school community healthy. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the health office.

Sharing Kindness offers school-based peer grief support groups free of charge, facilitated by trained clinicians and trained volunteer co-facilitators. These groups allow grieving children to come together within a familiar environment, increasing the potential for sustained social support beyond the group sessions. A lack of perceived support from peers or classmates by a bereaved child has been shown to increase the risk of poor academic functioning in the context of bereavement.

The curriculum focuses on common themes among bereaved school-aged youth and includes six grief-related interventions that each target a specific theme. Each group runs 50–60 minutes. The content of each group consists of a welcoming circle, a grounding/relaxation technique or icebreaker, delivery of the intervention, verbal processing, and group closing. The six-session topics target psychoeducation about grief, decreasing isolation, developing coping skills, sharing their grief story, identifying support systems, and future planning.

The primary purpose of peer grief support is to help your child cope with a friend's or family member's death, which may impact your child's school performance. Sharing Kindness will provide a 6-week, in-school peer grief support group for students facilitated by trained clinicians and volunteers.

Parental or legal guardian permission is needed for your child to receive this service. If you are interested in having your child join a group, please reach out to Kelly Emmett (kemmett@monomoy.edu) at HES by 12/16/2024; pending openings, paperwork will be sent home for you to authorize your child to participate.

January 6 - February 14 -- Second Session of After-School Clubs

Wednesday, January 15 -- Early Release 1:20 pm Dismissal

Thursday, January 16 -- All Shark Meeting 8:00 am

Monday, January 20 -- Holiday NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, January 29 -- Early Release 1:20 pm Dismissal

Thank you in advance for avoiding unnecessary absences, tardies, or early dismissals on these testing dates.

Per the handbook, if your child is unable to attend school, please enter the absence in PickUp Patrol and/or call our designated attendance line, 617-848-0115, as early as possible. Soon after arrival, our office staff begins to call the caregivers of absent students if we haven't already heard from them. This is important, as we want to ensure that all students are safe. Your phone message with the reason for the absence is all we need. While an email to the teacher is helpful, it sometimes doesn't make its way to the office staff. Thank you for your help!

The Bureau of Special Education Appeals, which derives its authority from both federal and Massachusetts statutes and regulations (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; "IDEA"; MGL ch.71B; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) conducts due process hearings and renders Rulings and Decisions concerning eligibility, evaluation, placement, individualized education programs (IEP), provision of special education and procedural protections for students with disabilities.
To join an Informational Session: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/mediation-and-facilitation-informational-sessions
To learn about BSEA Mediation: https://www.mass.gov/mediation-at-the-bsea
To learn about Hearings at the BSEA: https://www.mass.gov/due-process-hearings

Did you know? Past issues of the HES Shark Scoop can be found on our website at https://hes.monomoy.edu/news/hes-shark-scoop.

Ms. Allyson Joy, Assistant Principal

Email: ccutone@monomoy.edu
Website: https://www.monomoy.edu/Domain/9
Location: 263 South Street, Harwich, MA, USA
Phone: 508-430-7216
Twitter: @monomoyschools