Dear O’Maley Families,

While the week was shortened due to the snowstorm, we had jumped right back into learning after the December break. Backyard growers joined us in art class (see below) and they will be here again this week, baking bread with 7th graders from the. wheat they grew and harvested.

As you know, COVID numbers are up everywhere. We continue to follow our guidelines to keep our community healthy. Please do your part by reviewing the protocols below and on the GPS website at https://backtogether.gloucesterschools.com/. Most importantly, do not send your child to school if s/he/they have COVID symptoms, and contact our nurses for guidance if they have been a close contact of an individual testing positive. We will get through this together!

Have a wonderful week!

Best,

Principal Lynne Beattie

Topics in this issue of Family Focus:

• Upcoming Events
• COVID-19 Updates & Weekly Testing Sign-Up
  
• Planning Ahead? ...MCAS Schedule
  
• Schoolbrains Community Portal

• January 17, 2022 - No School - MLK Jr. Holiday
• February 3 - 5th Grade Virtual Family Orientation Night 6:30-8:00 p.m.
  
• February 8 - Early Release at 11:00 a.m. for staff professional development
• February 10 - O'Maley PTO Virtual Meeting 6:00-7:00 p.m.

COVID-19 at O'Maley: We had 30 new case of COVID-19 reported at O'Maley since January 6th and have 17 active cases as of today. All close contacts have been contacted. Since we started school August 31st there have been a total of 127 cases reported among the O'Maley community. See the new GPS COVID Dashboard for updated data each week: https://backtogether.gloucesterschools.com/updates/dashboard-covid-cases

To Sign Up for Testing: Link here: https://www.cic-health.com/consent/ma?district=Gloucester.

Weekly Testing: Testing will continue each Monday at O'Maley. It is not too late to sign up. This week once again all tests were negative.If you have tested positive in the past 90 days, do not participate in weekly testing, as you may yield a false positive for your pool.

Masks & Distancing: Per the Massachusetts DESE and the Gloucester School Committee, all students and staff will be masked in GPS buildings until at least February 28th except at lunch or mask break when they are socially distanced at 3 feet or more. Masks are not required outdoors. For details on our health and safety protocols district wide, please visit the GPS COVID Guidance and Updates website at https://backtogether.gloucesterschools.com/.

Students must bring their own masks to school each day. While we all wish we did not have to wear them, masks continue to be required indoors at school. Thank you!

While April seems very far away, to assist families who often write asking for spring MCAS dates, the schedule below provides all of the details. Testing will occur at O'Maley from April 5 - May 12, with additional dates for makeups. More information will be communicated as we get closer to the dates.

January 14, 2022 | January 7, 2022 | December 23, 2021 | December 17, 2021 | December 14, 2021 | December 6, 2021 | November 22, 2021 | November 12 | November 1, 2021 | October 22, 2021 | October 17, 2021 | October 8, 2021 | October 3, 2021 | September 27, 2021 | September 20, 2021 | September 13, 2021 | August 30, 2021 | August 9, 2021 | May 13, 2021 | April 23, 2021 | March 15, 2021 | March 8, 2021 | March 1, 2021 | February 11, 2021 | January 25, 2021 | January 17, 2021 | November 23, 2020 | October 26, 2020 | October 2, 2020 | September 22, 2020 | September 12, 2020 | September 4, 2020 | June 18, 2020 | June 12, 2020 | June 5, 2020 | May 29, 2020 | May 22, 2020 | May 15, 2020 | May 8, 2020 | May 3, 2020 | April 26, 2020 | April 19, 2020 | April 12, 2020 | March 30, 2020

Email: lbeattie@gloucesterschools.com
Website: http://omaley.gloucesterschools.com/
Location: 32 Cherry Street, Gloucester, MA, USA
Phone: 978-281-9850
Twitter: @omaleyprincipal