McGovern News!

I hope you stay safe today despite the tricky weather predicted. I am sending out a brief newsletter today with a few key updates. Please remember that today is the last day to register for the preschool lottery. Registration must be received by noon today.

Have a great weekend!

Best,

Amy McDonald, Principal

Our preschool lottery is happening soon. To be considered for the Integrated Preschool Lottery you must complete and submit either an electronic or paper-based lottery form by 12:00 PM on February 4, 2021. Please use the below links:

Preschool Lottery and Registration Information Packet

Link to online Preschool Lottery Form

Completing the form does not guarantee entrance into the program. The lottery will be held on February 8th from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. An email notification will be sent with the results of the lottery for your child. If you do not obtain a seat during the lottery process, you will be added to the waitlist.

If your child is selected through the lottery process, registration for students attending the Integrated Preschool must be completed by April 14, 2021. Please call the McGovern School with questions at 508-533-3243 or email amcdonald@medwayschools.org.

You can view the Preschool Registration Process here.

Kindergarten registration will be starting soon for the 2022-2023 school year. 2022-2023 school year kindergarten students must be 5 years old by August 31, 2022. Registration information will be available in the superintendent’s office, the McGovern School, and online.

You can find important information and events leading up to kindergarten in this document, the Road to Kindergarten. Finally, please mark your calendars that we will offer kindergarten camp from July 11-15, 2022. We will send more information out in the coming weeks, but wanted you to have the date for your summer planning purposes.

As you know daily attendance is critically important, even at the earliest grades. Maintaining a high attendance rate not only has tremendous social emotional effects but greatly contributes to academic performance as well. When students are consistently in school, they:

• develop healthy life habits
• feel more connected to peers and adults
• have a higher self image
• are more able to take risks
• thrive academically
• are more likely to be on benchmark in all content areas
• have a lower likelihood of dropping out of high school

Attendance in the Early Grades: Why it Matters for Reading is a valuable read for all parents. Although it was published in 2014, the research on the impact of attendance on literacy still stands today. Please see the below graphic for important research findings on reading proficiency by 3rd grade.

Being in a pandemic has certainly impacted students' attendance. However, we are hopefully on the other end of this and moving to more "normal" times. As you may know, the state does require schools to track attendance closely. We will reach out to students that have missed 5 or more days of school via an "Attendance letter." The intention of this letter is to work with families through open dialogue to create a plan and ensure students are coming to school so we can educate them.

It is easy to think, "Oh it's just preschool/kindergarten/first grade..." but as you can see from the picture below, attendance has a tremendous impact on developing literate children by the 3rd grade. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. We plan to send attendance letters home on February 15, 2022.

McGovern's lost and found continues to grow daily. In an effort to help get belongings back to their homes, we will place all lost and found items in the main entrance foyer. Parents may come in to see if any of their child's belongs are there beginning Monday, February 7th and ending on Friday, February 18th. Anything left over by the end of the day on Friday, February 18th will be donated. Please try to refrain from coming between the hours of 8:30-9:00am and 2:50-3:15pm as we are extremely busy during arrival and dismissal time. The main office opens at 8:00am and closes at 4:00pm. Please call the main office with any questions.

We will be celebrating the “100th Day of School” on Monday, February 14, 2022. The 100th day has traditionally been to celebrate the 100th day of kindergarten, but over the last several years, we have invited all students to participate!

Since first graders start a day earlier than preschool and kindergarten, it is actually the 101st day for our first graders (perfect that it ends in 1 for our 1st graders!)

Faculty, staff and students are invited to dress as a 100 year-old, decorate a t-shirt or wear something special on this day. Teachers will engage students in a variety of “100” activities and we will have a “100 Day Parade” to celebrate our growth since the beginning of school.

We are so proud of our students and all of their accomplishments so far this year!

Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions!

We are pleased to offer weekend groceries for interested MPS families. If you would like to order groceries on a weekly basis, please complete this Weekly Order Form. Grocery orders can be delivered (within Medway) or picked up from 3:15-4:15 PM on Thursday afternoons. Pick-up takes place at Medway Middle School (door 24 via Kelly St. entrance). If you have any questions, please reach out to groceries@medwayschools.org.

We are pleased to invite families to join us for a webinar focused on Safety and Security. This event will highlight the district’s efforts to date and also provide a look forward as we continue to engage in efforts to maintain the highest level of attention on these vital practices. This informational event had previously been part of our regular communication plan and the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our information sharing. We hope that you will join us on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. Please pre-register for this webinar here.

Mrs. Fogaren and I presented, "The Voices of Scientists" last night at School Committee meeting. The presentation focused on how we moved science instruction out of the classroom experience and into an Allied Arts offering. In doing this, our students have 2 dedicated science classes a week with consistent instruction. You can see from the presentation, not only the social emotional skills that are built in Mrs. Fogaren's class, but the science and engineering skills as well. We are so fortunate that this idea came from teachers and was part of the budget requests 2 years ago. Our young scientists are collaborating with peers, developing inquiry and design skills, and learning about "The power of YET!" Ask your young scientist what they have been up to in Mrs. Fogaren's class!

Dr. Pires recently shared that in accordance with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH), our district is updating our COVID-19 Testing Program, with test kit distribution beginning the week of January 31. We will be participating in the new DESE option for the distribution of rapid antigen tests for students who have opted into this program. Students may opt in regardless of vaccination status. If a student tested positive within the last 90 days they should not participate in additional COVID-19 testing of any type, including the option for this new rapid antigen testing program per DESE protocols.

For more information about this update to the statewide testing program, please click here.

Families who wish to opt-in to the at-home testing program are asked to complete a Google form, indicating their child’s name, grade and school. The distribution of at-home test kits will begin on Thursday, February 3. Students are asked to administer one test each Sunday. Every other Thursday, test kits will be sent home with students who have opted into this program or parents can pick up their child’s test kits between 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Medway Middle School, 45 Holliston Street Door #7. When you complete the opt-in Form, please be sure to indicate if you would like kits sent home with your child or if you would prefer to pick them up. Please note, the deadline to opt-in and receive an at-home test kit on February 3 is this coming Tuesday February 1, 2022.

Please find more information about the new At-Home Rapid Antigen Testing option below, including the required online form to sign up to begin receiving test kits.

Overview: At-Home Rapid Testing Program

• About the Test: iHealth is a 15-minute at-home FDA-approved rapid antigen test
• Opt-In: To participate, you must opt-in by completing the Opt-in Form. By opting in, you will agree to review the training materials for test administration, report positive test results to Medway Public Schools, and administer the tests according to Medway’s guidelines.
• The deadline to opt-in and receive an at-home test kit on February 3, 2022 is Tuesday February 1, 2022.
• Bi-Weekly: Every two weeks your student will receive an iHealth at-home rapid test kit. Each kit contains two individual tests. You will administer one test each week on Sunday.
• Test kits are received every two weeks, meaning that students who opt-in on a non shipment week will receive their at-home test kit the week following completion of the opt-in form.
• Reporting Positive Test Results: If you test positive on an at-home antigen test, you will inform Medway Public schools of your positive result using this form or by emailing covid@medwayschools.org
• The school will keep the results confidential and will not make individual results public. In addition, it is strongly recommended that you inform your healthcare professional of the positive result.
• Easy, Free, and Flexible: This test is administered at home (not at school), reducing the burden on school staff and time to administer tests and increasing flexibility to do testing in the home for free.

After almost 2 years, Charles River Bank's School Banking Program will return to the McGovern School. You should have received a packet of information from Charles River Bank about our school banking program. In that packet are directions on how to open a Charles River Bank savings account for your student. The bank will donate their first $5 to their account! Students can make weekly deposits here at school and visit our local branch here in town as well.

On Wednesday mornings, students can stop by the lobby and "deposit" their money with a bank employee. This will be a quick and efficient process. This program is a great opportunity to take the first steps in real-life financial literacy by teaching our students about a savings account at a young age. You can view this School Banking Video or this flyer about the program.

If you have any questions about the program or how to open an account please reach out to Ann Sherry from Charles River Bank at asherry@charlesriverbank.com

MEPTO
Please click on the link for the December MEPTO Newsletter.

MEDWAY PERFORMING ARTS GEAR IS HERE!

The MPFA is excited to announce the arrival of Medway Performing Arts gear! Use the link below to access the online ordering site for a variety of items including t-shirts, sweatshirts, blankets and more. Time to show off some pride for the talented Medway students in Band, Chorus, and Drama.

A portion of all orders will directly benefit the MFPA to help us support the Performing Arts at all Medway Schools.

https://www.customapparelcai.com/medwayperformingarts

VaxAbilities is hosting disability-friendly events across Massachusetts. These events will have extra staff on hand to provide skilled support to persons with disabilities or sensory support needs. For more information and to register for a clinic near you please visit www.vaxabilities.com

As your elementary and middle school children become fully vaccinated we ask you to please share proof of their vaccination with our school nurses by completing this form: K-8 Vaccination Status Response. If your student attends Medway High School and we have previously reached out to you for proof of immunization and you have yet to respond you may share their information through the use of this form: 9-12 Vaccination Status Response.

Pediatric Vaccine now available for children 5 to 11

If Medway's vaccine clinic does not work for your family next Thursday, please read below about how to schedule a vaccine appointment for your child.

How to find a Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine appointment:

1. Parents who prefer to have their child vaccinated by their primary care provider should call their provider’s office directly.
2. Visit the VaxFinder tool at vaxfinder.mass.gov for a full list of hundreds of available locations. Residents will be able to narrow the results to search for locations that are offering the Pfizer Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, with some appointments available now for booking. Additional appointments will be available online in the coming days. Many locations will be booking appointments out weeks in advance.
3. For individuals who are unable to use VaxFinder, or have difficulty accessing the internet, the COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Line (Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 6 PM, Saturday and Sunday 9 AM – 2 PM) is available by calling 2-1-1. The COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Line is available in English and Spanish and has translators available in approximately 100 additional languages.

All state supported vaccination clinics will offer low-sensory vaccinations for children with disabilities.

Visit www.mass.gov/covidvaccinekids for more information. To view more information from the CDC, please click here.

Vaccines are widely available across the Commonwealth. Getting vaccinated remains the most important thing individuals can do to protect themselves, their families, and their community. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and free. Individuals do not need an ID or health insurance to access a vaccine and do not need to show a vaccine card when getting a vaccine.

Massachusetts leads the nation in vaccine administration, including adolescent vaccination, with over 80% of youth ages 12-17 having received at least one dose. Over 4.7 million individuals are fully vaccinated, with more than 92% of all adults having at least one dose.

Everything related to the Medway Public School's COVID can be found on our HUB by clicking here.

Our Wellness Department developed Flow Charts to better explain how our Test and Stay program will work. Please see the the information below to understand how the program will work.

Test and Stay Flow Chart

On August 31st, School Committee voted to reinstate last year's Face Covering Policy. Click here for the complete policy. This outlines the types of masks to be worn in school and when wearing a mask is required. Please see the face covering requirements for anyone inside the school building:

A face covering that covers the nose and mouth must be worn by all individuals in school buildings and on school transportation. Bandanas, neck gaiters, single layer face coverings, and face coverings with vents, ports or perforations of any kind are not permitted as an approved face covering.

Additionally, face masks or face coverings will not be required:

• during mask breaks;

• while eating or drinking;

• while outside.

The Parent Portal within Infinite Campus, our student management system, is a vital resource to help families stay up to date on students’ assignments, grades, and contact information. If you are a family that does not have an account, please email parent@medwayschools.org and we will forward a personal activation code to create one. ALL families are asked to please complete the Online Registration [OLR] option, better known as the “beginning of year packet,” within the parent portal system. This process allows parents to see the information we have on file and make updates if needed. We also require review and sign-off of our Responsible Use Policy and Handbook as part of this process. If you haven't already, please complete this process by selecting MORE (on the left menu) then Online Registration from the menu options.

Every child needs a healthy, nutritious meal to learn. Medway Public Schools offers nutritious meals to children each school day and breakfast and lunch will continue to remain free of charge through this school year. Please be sure to check out the menu here to ensure your child likes what is being served that day. You can find the menus by clicking on this link.

Due to the 2 snow days, the last day of school for the 2021-2022 school year will now be Wednesday, June 22, 2022. There is no school on Monday, June 20, 2022 in observance of Juneteenth. Should we need to cancel school again this year, this date will move again.

If you are not receiving email communications from the district or the schools, we are here to help. Please email parent@medwayschools.org and a team will work to ensure that you are connected.

Feb 7: OOCH experience, 1st grade

Feb 9: Kindergarten Night of the Arts, 5:30-6:30 POSTPONED until MAY

Feb 14: 100th Day of School, tentative

Feb 15: School Safety Webinar, 6:30 PM

Feb 16: MEPTO Meeting, Virtual 7:00 PM

Feb 21-25: No School, Winter Vacation

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