MRE Update

Friday, Dec. 22nd

Holiday Sing-Along (schedule TBD)

Dec. 23rd - Jan. 1st, 2024
School closed for Winter Vacation

Friday, Jan. 12th

Early Release Day
Students in grades K-5 will be dismissed at 12:15.
PK dismissed at 11:15. Lunch will be served.

Monday, Jan. 15th
School closed for holiday

As we come to the end of the year, some students and families wish to make a gift to their teacher. The generosity and support of the parents of Lancaster has been amazing and truly heartwarming. Below are the State Ethical guidelines for gifts to teachers and public employees. In short, no teacher can accept a gift or gifts valued at a total of more than $50 over the course of the entire school year. A group gift must include everyone in the class and also has limits, outlined below.

In my 20 years of education, the most meaningful gifts I have received are student-made cards, drawings, or crafts. Knowing a student took their own time and is speaking from the heart, makes those types of gifts so meaningful.

Please see the link below for the State Ethics Guidelines for giving gifts to school employees. A short summary of the law is below.

Gifts to Public Employees

In general, a public employee may not accept any gift worth $50 or more that is given because of the position he or she holds. Public employees may accept gifts that are worth less than $50, but they have to disclose in writing that they have done so if, based on the specific circumstances, a reasonable person would think that the public employee might unduly show favor to the giver or the giver's child, or be influenced by the giver.

Class Gifts: The Commission created an exemption in its regulations at 930 CMR 5.08(14) to permit class gifts to teachers in certain circumstances. Under the exemption, the parents and students of a class, acting together, may give a gift worth up to $150 to a teacher, provided that the gift is identified only as being from the class, and the names of the givers and the amounts given are not identified to the teacher. A single class gift worth up to $150, or several class gifts during the school year with a total value up to $150, may be given. A teacher may not accept any other gift from someone who has contributed to a class gift. Therefore, if an individual gift is offered, before accepting it, the teacher must confirm that the giver did not contribute to the class gift.

Any gift over $150 cannot be accepted by teachers. If there is a gift to be provided to them over that amount, it would have to be returned for them to be in compliance with the law. Any gift beyond $150 can be donated for classroom supplies.

December is finally upon us, though the cold weather has been with us for a while now. We want to ensure that all of the children at MRE remain safe and healthy this holiday season. One way to remain healthy is to wear appropriate clothing to and from school.

Please ensure that your child has the following clothing when coming to school:

· Hat

· Gloves

· Several layers of clothing

· Winter coat

· Boots and snow pants as needed

We use the Child Care Weather Watch to determine when children can safely go outside for recess. More often than not, your child will be outside at recess daily so it is imperative that proper cold weather clothing is worn. If the mornings are rushed, please make sure to plan ahead of time the night before so that all the winter gear is ready to go in the morning.

Another thing that cold weather brings is dry chapped lips! To help prevent dry, chapped lips in your child:

• Drink plenty of water

• Monitor for repetitive licking of lips

• Apply lip balm or unscented ointments to lips as needed throughout the day

• Send your child to school with their own lip balm to use as needed

Please visit the following website for helpful information:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Cold-Weather-Safety.aspx

Effective immediately, the green hallway doors leading to the main hallway outside of the music room will be closed and securely locked at 3:30 every day, remaining so throughout the weekend. This measure is implemented for the safety and security of students and external groups using the school facilities, restricting access to this particular area. We kindly remind everyone attending weekend or evening activities in the school not to wedge open any external doors. This precaution is essential to ensure the safety, security, and privacy of all MRE students, staff, and families. Any forgotten items can be retrieved on the next school day. We appreciate your cooperation and partnership in maintaining a secure environment.

Please be reminded that we request that you notify the school if your child is going to be late or absent. You can do so easily by emailing MREattendance@nrsd.net. Please feel free to call Nurse Lyndsey at 978-365-5870 if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Upcoming Events:

Last PTO Meeting of 2023 - Thursday 12/14 6:30pm @ MRE LIbrary

PTO Meeting Dates:

September Minutes September PTO Meeting Minutes

October 12, 2023

November 9, 2023 November PTO Meeting Minutes

December 14, 2023 Agenda

January 11, 2024

February 8, 2024

March 21, 2024

April 11, 2024

May 9, 2024

June 13, 2024

Meetings are always held in the MRE Library at 6:30. (Usually the 2nd Thursday of each month) ~ Children welcome for those that need ~ Hope to see you there!

The Nashoba Regional School District's Integrated Preschool Enrollment Lottery is in January 2024 for the School Year 2024-2025.

Please visit the Nashoba Regional School District website for helpful information and forms:

https://www.nrsd.net/o/nrsd/page/integrated-preschool

For any questions or to make purchases of student pictures, kindly reach out directly to CoffeePond Photography via one of the following contact options and they will gladly assist you.

www.coffeepond.com

email: lifegaurds@coffeepond.com

or call: 800-632-2323 ext. 0

Dear Parents and Guardians, we're reaching out to our amazing community with a special request—our school is in need of substitute teachers! If you have a bit of time on your hands and are interested in making a positive impact on our students' lives, this is a fantastic opportunity for you. No teaching experience is required; we'll provide all the training you need. Plus, it's a great way to be involved in the educational environment. If you're interested or know someone who might be, please reach out to our school office for more details. Thank you for considering this important way to contribute to our school community!

**Events posted on the bulletin board are community events, and as such they