Weekly Tiger Roar

Monday, March 9- Report Card Grades available in PowerSchool

Wednesday, March 11- PTO Family Reading Night with Guest Illustrator @6:00pm

Monday, March 16- STAR Testing Window Opens

Friday, April 3- Good Friday....No School!!

Thursday, April 16- DES Book Fair

Monday, April 20- April 24- Spring Break

Saturday, April 25- Town-Wide Clean-Up Day

Thursday, May 21- Related Arts Night @6:00

Wednesday, May 27- Walk-a-Thon (rain date 5/28)

Wednesday, June 3- Grade 5 Woo Sox Game Field Trip

Thursday, June 4- Field Day (rain date 6/5).....Start getting those CORI Forms in!!!

Thursday, June 11- Grade 5 D.A.R.E. Graduation

Thursday, June 18- Last Day of School (with no additional Snow Days)

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!

ENRICHMENT END DATES SESSION 2

Hello everyone! What a long winter it has been! And the fact that all the snow happened on Mondays, made it even worse! So, unfortunately we have to set up a whole week of make-up classes. Please read carefully to see what pertains to each class and day of the week. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me @ lmccarthy@douglasps.net.

MONDAY- Cheer, Sweet Treats and Spy School (most complicated :( ) We will end class the week of March 16- AND we will have class on Monday, March 16, Wednesday, March 18 and LAST class on Thursday, March 19. This has to be done in order to avoid running into the next session, sorry for any inconvenience.

TUESDAY- STEM, Gym Games and Cooking Club - We will end on Tuesday, March 17.

WEDNESDAY- Lego Club, Cardboard Architects and Game Club- We will end on Wednesday, March 11.

THURSDAY- Gym Games and Crafts- We will end on Thursday, March 12.

Sorry again for any confusion and any inconvenience this snow may have caused!! Bring on Spring!

Leah McCarthy - Afterschool Enrichment Coordinator

Hello DES Parents & Caregivers,

We recently reached an important milestone in the school year, our 90th day of school. And as we move into the second half of the year, I feel it is important to take a moment to revisit our school attendance expectations and remind families of Douglas Elementary School’s attendance policy, as outlined in the DES Handbook, which states:

"Douglas Elementary School abides by Chapter 76, Sections 1 and 2 of MA State Laws, which allows no more than seven unexcused absences in any period of six months. Students with a high number of absences can be reported to the Clerk of Courts for habitual truancy."

Per the handbook, Excused Absences are defined as:
"-Excused absences are permitted for doctor/dentist appointment-provided the doctor concerned writes a note indicating when the student’s appointment actually occurred. The doctor’s note should indicate the day(s) in question and will be given to the Office upon the student’s return to school.
-Excused absences are permitted due to death in the family (parents, sister, brother, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousin).
-Excused absences are permitted for the observance of religious holidays."

The handbook also states, "When a child returns to school after an excused absence, he/she must bring a doctor’s note on the first day back. The note must specify the dates of absence and the specific reason for the absence."

If your child is sick, then please keep them home. Otherwise, they should be in school where the learning happens. This is especially crucial during these elementary years where being at school every day plays a huge role in your child’s learning, confidence, and happiness.

📚 Learning Grows Day by Day
-Lessons build on each other: Reading, writing, and math skills are taught step by step. When a child misses a day, it can be harder to understand what comes next.
-Teachers explain, model, and practice together: Many lessons include hands-on activities, small groups, and guided practice that are difficult to recreate at home.
-Missing school can mean missing extra help: Support time, intervention groups, and enrichment often happen during the school day.
-A few days really add up: Missing just 1–2 days a month can equal several weeks of missed learning over the year.

💛 School Helps Children Grow Socially and Emotionally
-School helps children feel connected: Being present helps children feel like they belong and are an important part of their classroom community.
-Friendships grow through everyday moments: Playing, working together, and talking with classmates helps children learn cooperation, empathy, and problem-solving.
-Daily routines build confidence: Regular attendance helps children feel secure, confident, and comfortable with expectations.
-Missing school can make returning harder: When children miss often, they may feel anxious or “behind,” which can make school feel stressful instead of exciting.

🌟 Strong Attendance Builds Lifelong Habits
Children who attend school regularly are more likely to:
-Feel confident in their learning
-Enjoy school
-Develop positive routines and responsibility
-Stay engaged as they move into higher grades

Please know we are here to help. If your child is struggling to come to school because of emotional, social, or academic struggles, then please reach out. We believe in working together with families to support every child.

Like you, the entire DES staff wants what’s best for your child and we ask that you provide us the opportunity to support them each and every school day.

In partnership,
Ken H.

Ken Haynes, Principal
Douglas Elementary School

In March, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released updated guidelines for the management of common viral respiratory illnesses such as RSV, the flu and Covid-19. The new guidance brings a unified approach to the management of these illnesses and no longer recommends a specific period of isolation.

Please DO NOT send your child to school if they exhibit any of the following symptoms:

• Fever: 100.4 F (38 C) or higher

• Cough: Persistent or severe; wheezing; shortness of breath

• Sore throat (not related to seasonal allergies): especially if accompanied by a fever

• Body aches not related to a known injury or activity

• Nausea and/or vomiting

• Diarrhea that is not attributable to a known cause, i.e. a dietary sensitivity.

• Fatigue, if significant and not attributable to a known cause such as getting to bed late or a busy weekend.

Your child CAN return to school once:

• They have been fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication

AND

• They have overall improvement in their symptoms

* Please note that the 5 day isolation period for students who test positive for Covid-19 is NO LONGER in effect. Return to school and work are now based on improvement of symptoms and absence of fever (as noted above).

**For illnesses involving diarrhea and/or vomiting, PLEASE keep your child home until they have gone at least 24 hours without experiencing these symptoms.

Steps YOU Can Take to Help Prevent Illness:

• Stay up to date with vaccination: (Flu; Covid 19) to protect against serious illness and hospitalization.

• Practice good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing/sanitizing hands often and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

• Avoid close contact with others who are sick

• Take steps for cleaner air such as bringing in more fresh outside air ,purifying indoor air and holding gatherings outside, as able.

Our school community appreciates your cooperation in following these guidelines to help our students remain healthy and productive learners. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Warm Regards,

Melanie Brundage, RN, BSN, NCSN

(508)476-4200; ext. 5

Mbrundage@douglasps.net

MCAS DATES

ELA

Grade 3: 3/30 & 4/1

Grade 4: 4/7 & 4/9

Grade 5: 4/8 & 4/10

Make-up: 4/15, 4/16, 4/17

SCIENCE

Gr. 5 (Only): 4/28 & 4/30

Make-up: 5/5 & 5/7

MATH

Grade 3: 5/5 & 5/6

Grade 4: 5/11 & 5/13

Grade 5: 5/12 & 5/14

Make-up: 5/20, 5/21, 5/22

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce its new, free MPY Parenting Solutions Library. MPY is offering the MPY Parenting Solutions Library in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit located in Mansfield, Connecticut.

Peace At Home Parenting Solutions is a dynamic hub of trusted knowledge and compassionate support that inspires parents to create positive change for their children, their families and themselves. Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being.

With more than 30 specialists focused on child and adolescent development, including specific issues such as difficulties in school, mental health challenges, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ identity formation, handling racism, navigating grief, and other matters parents and our partners identify.

The 24 library presentations focus on the topics below. Each presentation includes a 10-minute videos and handouts.

· Inspire School Success for Elementary, Middle and High School Students

· Parenting Principles for Progress Not Perfection

· Mental Health Knowledge and Skills

· Support Your Anxious Child Library

· ADHD and Autism: How to Help Your Child Thrive

The Home Parenting Library may easily be accessed using the link on MPY’s home page (www.mpyinc.org). No log in or passcode is needed.

We are committed to the well-being of our students, staff, and families to create a safe and healthy learning environment. In support of our ongoing commitment, we partnered with Care Solace to provide an additional layer of care for our community.

Care Solace helps individuals find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their Care Companion™ team is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year to quickly connect you to carefully verified providers in your community.

Students, staff, and families may access Care Solace services in two ways:

• Call (888) 515-0595 at any time. Support is available in 200+ languages. A dedicated Care Companion™ will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.

• For an anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at www.caresolace.com/douglas.

Care Solace is now available for use at no cost to you. This service is available to staff, their families, students, and their families. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance. All information entered on the Care Solace tool is completely confidential and securely stored.

Please note, this service is an optional resource available by choice and is not mandatory to use. Care Solace is not an emergency response service or mental health services provider. In the event of a life threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or the National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-8255.

If you are interested in counseling-related services for your child, yourself, or another family member, please contact Care Solace for valuable assistance. This is a complimentary resource provided by Douglas Public Schools.

Email: khaynes@douglasps.net

Website: https://es.douglasps.net/
Location: 19 Davis Street, Douglas, MA 01516, USA
Phone: 508-476-4200