Salem Public Schools Update

January 14, 2022

SPS families,

We need your voice! We need your dreams! We need your big ideas! Over the next month (beginning next week), we are hosting a variety of opportunities to hear from you about what our schools could and should look like over the next decade. Please join us at one or more of the upcoming interactive sessions. We tried to schedule a variety of days and times to accommodate the different schedules of our community members. See information about dates and times here and register for the upcoming sessions.

Thank you in advance for offering your perspective in shaping the future of our school buildings. We know that you are as committed as we are to providing our students with the best spaces to learn and teach. We are excited to dream big with you!

Salem Public Schools are closed on Monday, January 17th for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

At Salem Public Schools, we are recognizing one staff member a week who exemplifies our core values of celebrating differences, facilitating collaboration, fostering innovation, creating equity and access, growing all students, and upholding high standards for all. We are surprising a deserving SPS team member with a construction cone that displays the words: “Awesome,” “Well Done,” or “Great Job.”

This week's Cone of Excellence goes to the team of Ellen Bouchard (paraprofessional) and John Robinson (crossing guard) at Horace Mann Lab School. They are at the back entrance of the school every morning sharing kind words of encouragement to all who enter, be it staff or students. Their actions model for students how to spread kindness and positivity in this world. Believe it or not, these two sometimes serenade people with uplifting songs as they enter the building. Thank you for making our schools a happier place!

The Salem Public Schools is offering free COVID-19 rapid tests (1 each) on Monday, Jan. 17th from 11-1:30 pm. These tests are being made available only to staff or students of SPS. We are distributing these tests based on the following criteria:

• You are symptomatic;

• You need to take a test to return to school;

• or are a home-based close contact

If one of these applies to you, please come see us in the Salem High School lobby to pick up your test kit this coming Monday.

SPS is working with our partners at the state to offer additional vaccination clinics. The first of these clinics will be the afternoon of Friday, January 21st, 2022 at Collins MIddle School. This clinic will have children (ages 5-11), adult (ages 12+), and booster doses available. We will share more information about the timing and how to sign up as soon as it is finalized.

Other options:

Salem State University has partnered with Transformative Healthcare to host a series of COVID-19 vaccine and booster clinics on our campus for the North Shore Community.

These clinics will offer pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine and booster, and the Moderna booster.

When :

Saturday, January 22, Saturday, January 29, and Saturday, February 5 from 10 am – 6 pm

Where :

South Campus Gymnasium, Harrington Building, 11 Harrison Road

Registration recommended; walk-ins welcome.

Register here: https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/transformativehealth.

Additional Details:

Free. Please bring photo identification, your CDC card with first and/or second dose information (if applicable), and your health insurance card (if available, insurance not required).

Due to the Monday holiday, the testing schedule for schools will be delayed one day next week.

• Monday Schools (Bates, Carlton, New Liberty, Salem Prep, Saltonstall, and Witchcraft) will pool test students and staff Tuesday. SHS staff will test Tuesday.

• Tuesday Schools (Bentley, Collins, Horace Mann, and the Early Childhood Center) will pool test students and staff Wednesday. SHS students will continue to test Wednesday.

• Required staff testing will still take place Thursday.

Reminder: If you have questions about a specific scenario for your student or family member, please review our updated guidance and FAQ (English | Spanish).

In accordance with the City of Salem mandate, Salem Public Schools will be requiring that visitors who come to our schools to attend a sports or extracurricular event, must be masked and provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Effective January 15, 2022

12+ must have proof of vaccine

Effective March 1, 2022

5+ must have proof of vaccine

Acceptable proof of vaccination:

CDC Vaccine Card

Official Immunization Record

Digital image of Vaccine Record

Thank you for helping to keep our Salem Public Schools community safe.

The SPS Early Childhood Expo (formerly known as the Kindergarten Expo) has been scheduled for Thursday, January 20th 6:30PM-8:00PM via Zoom. Learn about your school choices. Meet our amazing principals and staff.

This week the City of Salem took delivery of a shipment of iHealth Labs COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits. Each kit contains two tests and the City has begun deploying allocations of the rapid tests to where they are needed the most, including Salem Public Schools.

The City will also be distributing the remaining test kits to any Salem resident who needs one, subject to availability. The following is the schedule of distribution to pick up a test kit:

• Tuesday, January 18, 9AM to Noon, 401 Bridge Street
• Tuesday, January 18, 1PM to 3PM, 98 Washington Street
• Wednesday, January 19, 9AM to Noon, 401 Bridge Street
• Wednesday, January 19, 1PM to 3PM, 98 Washington Street
• Thursday, January 20, 9AM to Noon, 401 Bridge Street
• Thursday, January 20, 3PM to 6:30PM, 135 Lafayette Street
• Tuesday, January 25, 9AM to Noon, 401 Bridge Street
• Tuesday, January 25, 1PM to 3PM, 98 Washington Street
• Wednesday, January 26, 9AM to Noon, 401 Bridge Street
• Wednesday, January 26, 1PM to 3PM, 98 Washington Street
• Thursday, January 27, 9AM to Noon, 401 Bridge Street
• Thursday, January 27, 3PM to 6:30PM, 135 Lafayette Street

Rapid tests are a key component of mitigation when it comes to keeping our community safe. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, we are asking that you test to determine if you are positive for the virus to avoid passing it to someone else in the community. If you do receive a positive result, please consult with your health care provider.

Please note:

-Up to two test kits (for a total of four rapid tests) will be distributed to each household for this round of distribution (January 18-27, 2022).

-Proof of Salem residency is required to receive the free test kits. No proof of citizenship or insurance is necessary.

Well, here is our winner. This is Maya Delman from Carlton's P2 class, getting a new perspective on Dr. Seuss.

CONGRATS! Maya! Thank you to everyone who participated. It was difficult to choose because we received so many amazing photos from both staff and families. To see all the photos submitted, visit: https://salemk12.org/snow-day-challenge-photos/

Want to play some basketball? The Girls Basketball Team at Collins Middle School is looking for more players. This is a great way for students to stay active, motivated, and it is also great for social development (safely, of course). Girls must have at least 1 of their vaccines. Looking for players from 6-8th grade.

If interested, contact Coach Carlos at chernandez@salemk12.org.

As winter approaches, we want to remind staff and families to be sure we have current contact information to reach you in the event that we have a cancellation or delay. Notifications will go out through ParentSquare via automated phone call, text, and email. We do not have the option of remote instruction in the event of a closure.

Welcome to the Virtual Backpack. This is a space where we will place items that in the past may have been a flyer in your student's backpack from friends and partners to SPS.

2022 Salem Little League Registration

Dr. Zrike would love the opportunity to meet with any SPS staff or SPS family who would like to do so. It could be in a park, a coffee shop, your home, or anywhere else.

If you would like to schedule some time with Dr. Zrike, please email Mindy Marino to set up a time and place.

A reminder that ParentSquare is the district platform for communication. You will receive communication from the district, your school, and your student's classroom all in one space. You can communicate 1-to-1 with teachers, sign up for parent-teacher conferences, and more.

This is how the schools will communicate with families districtwide going forward. Please be sure you are receiving messages from ParentSquare. If you are having trouble, contact your school's front office. You can visit www.parentsquare.com for more information.

Email: publicrelations@salemk12.org
Website: https://www.salemk12.org
Location: 29 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalemPublicSchools
Twitter: @SalemSchoolsk12