To translate this newsletter, click on it then use the link to the right.

If you are on a computer, open this in a new page. Then to translate this newsletter, click on the link to the right. If you are on a phone, touch the person in the black circle to get the translate button.

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Se você estiver em um computador, abra uma nova página. Em seguida, para traduzir esta newsletter, clique no link à direita. Se você estiver em um telefone, toque na pessoa no círculo preto para obter o botão de tradução.

(Portuguese)

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Si está en una computadora, abra esto en una nueva página. Luego, para traducir este boletín, haga clic en el enlace a la derecha. Si está en un teléfono, toque a la persona en el círculo negro para obtener el botón de traducción.

(Spanish)

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إذا كنت تستخدم جهاز كمبيوتر ، فافتح هذا في صفحة جديدة. بعد ذلك ، لترجمة هذه النشرة الإخبارية ، انقر فوق الارتباط الموجود على اليمين.

إذا كنت تستخدم الهاتف ، فالمس الشخص الموجود في الدائرة السوداء للحصول على زر الترجمة. (Arabic)

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Եթե ​​համակարգիչ եք, բացեք սա նոր էջում: Ապա, այս տեղեկագիրը թարգմանելու համար կտտացրեք աջ հղմանը: Եթե ​​հեռախոսով եք, դիպչեք սև շրջանի անձին ՝ թարգմանության կոճակը ստանալու համար: (Armenian)

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Если вы работаете на компьютере, откройте это на новой странице. Затем, чтобы перевести этот информационный бюллетень, щелкните ссылку справа. Если вы разговариваете по телефону, коснитесь человека в черном кружке, чтобы получить кнопку перевода. (Russian)

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Bilgisayar kullanıyorsanız, bunu yeni bir sayfada açın. Ardından, bu bülteni çevirmek için sağdaki bağlantıya tıklayın. Telefonda iseniz, çevir düğmesini almak için siyah daire içindeki kişiye dokunun. (Turkish)

Message from Mrs. Phelan

Elimination of a Crossing Guard

Test and Stay Program

We're Hiring- Jobs at Lowell- Join the team!

Watertown Free and Public Library offers Race Reels Film & Discussion

Scenes from Lowell

Quarantining Flow Char and Response to COVID-19

Up-coming Events

This week Lowell was visited by a number of guests from the district team. Dr. Galdston spent Thursday afternoon, and on Friday, Dr. McGuinness spent the entire day visiting classrooms. Elizabeth Kaplan was also present this week, checking in on our Math and Science classes. Dr. Susan Bisson also dropped by on Friday.

Don't forget this Friday, October 22nd Lowell's FTO is hosting a Fall Festival. This is an outdoor event. Mask are required for adults and children.

The fifth-grade parents want to announce the annual pie sale is on in time for Thanksgiving. All money raised goes to support the fifth-grade end-of-the-year activities. Please support our grade 5 class of 2022. The flyer is below.

We are happy to announce some changes to our school meal program to ensure we provide our students a comfortable dining experience and the healthiest, nutritious, and delicious meals possible.

Starting Monday, October 18th, all breakfasts and lunches will be served in the meal line and eaten in the cafeteria. Please note: students do not need to know their keypad #.

Breakfast:

• A variety of breakfast options will be served in the cafeteria daily, starting at 7:45 AM until the start of the school day.

• Please note: food for snack breaks will no longer be distributed as the USDA waiver allowing this flexibility no longer applies.

Lunch:

• Students will come into the cafeteria and be served a lunch fresh from the line and eat their lunches at a table in the cafeteria.

Please see the updated menus below.

Pooled Testing

Due to the day off on Monday, we will be pool testing on Monday.

Test & Stay

Last week marked the beginning of the"Test and Stay" program. Information about this policy is included below and was sent to families by the Superintendent. You can revisit the full newsletter here.

Enjoy the week ahead.

Stacy

November Parent / Teacher Conferences will happen on the following dates/times:

Parent-Teacher Conferences

• Tuesday, November 2nd - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
• Thursday, November 4th - 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
• Monday, November 8th - 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
• Tuesday, November 9th - 1:00 pm - 2:30pm

The conference sign-up links will go live on October 25th.

As a result of several vacant crossing guard posts currently available and the lack of responses to fill the vacancies, until further notice the following crossing guard posts will be eliminated effective Tuesday morning October 12, 2021:

· Orchard Street at Waverley Avenue

Thank you,

Sgt. D. Sampson

We are excited to begin our 'Test & Stay' protocols on Monday, October 4 for students in preschool through grade 12. This will allow unvaccinated students who are identified as close contacts to a COVID positive individual at school to remain in attendance instead of quarantining.

If you are planning to have your child participate in the Test & Stay program, please complete the consent form prior to the start of the program. This will make the process much easier if your child is a close contact and needs to be part of the Test & Stay program.

The process is:

• Unvaccinated close contacts will need to test negative for COVID using the BinaxNOW rapid antigen test every morning before school for one week following the in-school exposure. The BinaxNOW will be provided at school prior to the start of the school day. Please note that Test & Stay only applies to COVID exposures in school.
• Unvaccinated individuals who are close contacts of a positive case outside of the school setting need to quarantine.
• *In order to have your child participate in the 'Test & Stay' Program, please sign this consent form at your earliest convenience. Consenting in advance will help to expedite the process if your child needs to participate in Test and Stay.

Reach out to your school nurse or to the Director of Students Services, Kathleen Desmarais, kathleen.desmarais@watertown.k12.ma.us if you have questions regarding this program. Please see this document for more information.

JOBS AVAILABLE IN WPS

Are you or do you know someone who may be looking for an opportunity to work in a school system? We have positions open for a school nurse, substitute teachers, instructional assistants, family liaisons, tutors, school nutrition workers, and more! All open positions can be found on our Human Resources webpage.

The Watertown Police Department is also actively seeking crossing guards for our schools. Please see the posting for these positions here.

Watertown Race Reels provides a common experience, through short (~70-80 minutes) documentary films about race and ethnicity (different racial/ethnic identities will be explored each month). In providing a common experience through short films Watertown Race Reels provides a jumping off point for conversations around race that are difficult to start and develop an audience/community that embraces discussion around racial and ethnic identity, the impact of racism on our community members and our community as a whole, and goal oriented actions to make our community more aware and welcoming of differences. After viewing each film, community members, young and old, gather in a circle to meet with speakers, directors, or relevant citizens to ponder the issues raised by the film.

Date(s):

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 - 5:30pm to 8:00pm

Location:

Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room

A newly created Quarantine Flowchart helps illustrate the COVID-19 protocols. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words or, in this case, a flowchart.

A special shout out to parents and community members Lily Rayman Read (WPS SC), Nicholas Zinser, and Tyler Kemp-Benedict for their help creating this flowchart!

Monday, October 18th

School Committee Meeting

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ALSO AVAILABLE VIA ZOOM:

https://bit.ly/3FpUFLa

VIEWING AVAILABLE ON CABLE TV (CHANNEL 99 – COMCAST,

CHANNEL 13 –RCN) AND ONLINE AT https://wcatv.org/

Wednesday, October 20th

Watertown Race Reels Film Series-Presents UNSPOKEN America's Native American Boarding Schools and Quest Speaker Thalia Carroll-Chacimuel.

Friday, October 22nd Lowell School Fall Festival

Monday, October 25th Antibias Coalition Meeting 5:30-7:00

Meetings will be held in a hybrid model.

The physical location will be on the 3rd floor of the Phillips Building in room 301.

The recurring zoom link is listed below.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/82142739210?pwd=MjZZL3JURU5RdUtYc3ZNVHlockVCQT09

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Council

Thursday, October 28th, ⋅6:30 – 7:30 pm

Location: Zoom

https://watertown-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/86985632231

Main Office ext. 33001

Email: stacy.phelan@watertown.k12.ma.us
Website: https://lowell.watertown.k12.ma.us/
Location: 175 Orchard Street, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: (617) 926-7770
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JRLowellElementary