McGovern News

We’ve officially completed our first full week of the school year, and what a fantastic start it has been! As we settle into our routines, it has been a joy getting to know your children better each day. Together, we are building strong classroom communities and establishing the routines that help set the stage for a successful year ahead. We're also focused on helping students build their stamina for learning as they adjust to the demands of a full school schedule. Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this exciting journey together!

As we continue to get to know each of our students, we are taking special care to foster positive relationships and ensure that every child feels seen, valued, and supported. Our teachers have been working hard to create engaging lessons that spark curiosity and excitement for learning, and we are confident that these strong connections and thoughtful planning will help set the tone for a productive and joyful school year.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions. Have a long weekend as soak in these days of summer weather!

In partnership,

Shelby Holt

A reminder that there will be no school Friday, September 4 and Monday, September 7 in observance for Labor Day. School will resume Tuesday, September 8.

Families are reminded that they are required to complete the Annual Information Review for all of their children. Families will review student data information on file and acknowledge the school's policies, procedures, and student responsibilities as outlined in the Student Handbook annually. To make this process flow as quickly and easily as possible, we encourage all families to utilize the Parent Portal to complete the review. Please log in to the Parent Portal and choose More > Registrations > and choose Start in the Existing section for the 2026-27 Student Registration. Review all the information listed within the tabs, and submit when complete. Please complete this immediately!

Please complete a CORI/SORI Release Form and submit the completed form along with a copy of your drivers license to any of our school secretaries for completion.

Patrick McIntyre, Director of Finance and Operations, and I want to extend a sincere thank you for your support and flexibility as we continue to navigate bathroom renovations and use of the modular facilities this week. Thanks to our dedicated staff and the implementation of procedures surrounding our modular facilities, we successfully and safely managed bathroom access for all children throughout the week.

While this has presented some challenges, this has been a great week! Students are getting used to routines and McGovern staff have been providing excellent support through this transition.

We are excited that the renovation project is moving toward completion soon and will be providing an update once the completion date is finalized.

Thank you for your patience this week as I evaluated our dismissal procedures. All children were dismissed safely, which was my utmost priority.

Mrs. Fogaren will be following the transportation forms submitted to the McGovern front office detailing your weekly plan (shared here). If your child is designated as a weekly or per diem walker, staff will bring them directly out to meet you. Make sure that you have noted walking pick up on the form. Meet at the designated walking pick up cone. Hold your child’s placard.

Car Pick-Ups:
For car pick-ups, we are utilizing a rolling dismissal system. We kindly request that you stay inside your car and move forward to buckle your child so that we can keep the line moving efficiently. Please do not step out of your vehicle into moving traffic. Please use caution and patience during the car line.

Dismissal Changes:
If you need to deviate from your typical routine, you must submit an official Dismissal Change Request Form by 2pm, so our team can safely route your child.

Thank you for your continued patience and partnership as we keep our procedures running safely and efficiently!

You are cordially invited to our back-to-school Curriculum Night on Thursday, October 1 at the following times:

• Preschool and Kindergarten will take place from 5:30-6:30 PM
• 1st Grade will take place from 6:45-7:45 PM

We will also have parent teacher conferences beginning in November.

Mrs. Rice will be here to process CORI forms if you intend to volunteer this year, this is a great time to complete your CORI form. Please bring your license with you to the main office.

Picture Day for all McGovern students is scheduled for Monday, September 28 with Tim Rice Photography. We will share ordering information as we get closer to school picture day.

As you may recall, Medway Schools formed a School Start Time Committee last spring. This Committee, made up of teachers, family, and student representatives, is charged with making a recommendation to the School Committee on whether to maintain or alter school start times. To make an informed decision, the Committee is looking for family input and asks that you please review the research on school start times and complete this survey by October 9

Registration is open! It is time to celebrate autumn with friends and family - join a sports or fitness program or an enjoyable night of crafts or wellness. Many new programs are offered, plus our popular all-time favorites! Click on the links below to begin the registration process.

Fall Brochure | Arbiter Youth/Teen | Arbiter Adult | UniPay

We will include monthly editions of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Newsletter. Please click the newsletter below:

If you absolutely need to change your child’s typical dismissal, picking your child up early, dropping off late or transportation routine, please fill out the Dismissal Change Request Google Form. The form will be open from 7:00 am-2:30 PM. We do not accept phone calls or emails for changes of dismissal plans unless it is an emergency. Note that children are not permitted to ride home on another child’s bus for the purpose of play dates. Please bookmark and save the dismissal change request form to ensure easy access to it to make dismissal changes for your child throughout the school year.

English

To open the SMORE newsletter, click on the link above. Then, to translate the SMORE newsletter, click on the “Translate” button at the top of the page. Use the drop-down menu to select your language. The newsletter will then be translated.

Portuguese

Para abrir a newsletter SMORE, clique no link acima. Em seguida, para traduzir a newsletter SMORE, clique no botão “Traduzir” no topo da página. Use o menu suspenso para selecionar seu idioma. O boletim informativo será então traduzido.

Spanish

Para abrir el boletín SMORE, haga clic en el enlace de arriba. Luego, para traducir el boletín SMORE, haga clic en el botón "Traducir" en la parte superior de la página. Utilice el menú desplegable para seleccionar su idioma. Luego se traducirá el boletín.

Arabic

لفتح النشرة الإخبارية SMORE، انقر على الرابط أعلاه. وبعد ذلك، لترجمة نشرة SMORE الإخبارية، انقر فوق الزر "ترجمة" الموجود أعلى الصفحة. استخدم القائمة المنسدلة لاختيار لغتك. سيتم بعد ذلك ترجمة النشرة الإخبارية.

Haitian Creole

Pou ouvri bilten SMORE a, klike sou lyen anlè a. Lè sa a, pou tradui bilten SMORE a, klike sou bouton "Tradwi" ki anlè paj la. Sèvi ak meni ki dewoule a pou chwazi lang ou. Lè sa a, y ap tradui bilten an.

• Community Update from the Superintendent, monthly
• McGovern News from me, bi-weekly
• Teacher newsletters, bi-weekly

All community updates and the McGovern News will be emailed and can also be found on the district and school websites or through our Medway Public Schools app which can be accessed through the QR Code below. Teachers will email their newsletters directly to their class.

Friday, September 4: No School

Monday, September 7: Labor Day - No School

Friday September 18: Arena Day (No Preschool)
Monday, September 21: Yom Kippur - No School

Friday September 25: Arena Day (No Preschool)

Monday, September 28: School Picture Day

Thursday, October 1: Curriculum Night (Back-to-School Night)

5:30-6:30 pm for Kindergarten & Preschool

6:45-7:45 pm for Grade 1

Friday, October 9: Arena Day (No Preschool)
Monday, October 12: Indigenous People's Day - No School

Wednesday, October 21: Early Release

11:05 am Preschool Dismissal

12 pm Kindergarten & 1st Grade Dismissal

Friday, October 23: Arena Day (No Preschool)

October 26-30: Fall Scholastic Book Fair, during Library block

Sunday, November 1: Daylight Savings, turn the clocks 1 hour back

Wednesday, November 11: Veteran's Day - No School

Thursday, November 12: School Picture Retake Day
Friday, November 13: Arena Day (No Preschool)

Tuesday, November 17: Parent/Teacher Conference Night, 5:30-7:30 pm
Wednesday, November 18: Early Release (Elementary Only)

11:05 am Preschool Dismissal

12 pm Kindergarten & 1st Grade Dismissal

Wednesday, November 25: Early Release

11:05 am Preschool Dismissal

12 pm Kindergarten & 1st Grade Dismissal

Thursday, November 26: Thanksgiving Day - No School
Friday, November 27: Native American Heritage Day - No School