Amesbury Public Schools Update

Email: bartlettc@amesburyma.gov
Website: schools.amesbury.gov
Location: 5 Highland Street, Amesbury, MA, USA
Phone: (978) 388-0507
Facebook: facebook.com/amesburyschools
Twitter: @amesburypublic1

We are definitely in the homestretch now! In less than a week, we will start our holiday break! I know that we all need this time to find some time for ourselves, hang out with families and friends, and to change up our routines a bit.

I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support of the schools. We continue to assess how we do things - ranging from communication, to policies and systems, and of course our curriculum and instruction. Progress is slow, but we are seeing improvements and hope that you are as well.

One of our biggest recent improvements is the addition of a District COVID Channel that contains a COVID Dashboard. I update the numbers either at the end of the day on Wednesday or first thing on Thursday, depending on when the official report goes to DESE. Due to the fact that DESE requires a report by 5 pm each Wednesday, we chose to update the Dashboard relative to that timing so that there is not a discrepancy in the numbers that confuses our community. We are doing our best to be transparent in our communication and actions.

On this channel we also have our Lead Nurse's newsletters that contain helpful information about COVID and many FAQs. We have a document that describes the process of Test and Stay to help alleviate some concerns, especially for the parents of our younger students. Additionally, we have the link to the testing consent form, a list of local testing sites, and a form to report a positive test that occurs outside of the school day. We sincerely hope that all of these resources will support families as we continue to navigate the challenges of COVID.

I sincerely hope that you and yours have a safe and enjoyable holiday break.

As always, reach out with any questions or concerns at elizabeth.mcandrews@amesburyma.org or speak with my administrative assistant, Daniel at (978)- 388-0507.

Take care,

Elizabeth McAndrews

Superintendent

On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, students and staff at CES and AES had the opportunity to "Sign the Beam". The majority of the beam will actually be visible when the building is completed. What a great opportunity! Thanks to our team, CTA Construction, DiNisco Designs, and NV5 for making this happen.

Unfortunately, Square 1 Art has informed the PTO that they are experiencing Shipping Delays. The Ordered Items did not arrive on December 16th as planned. Please see the PTO FaceBook Page for more info!

So thankful that we are able to return to some performances for the public. Mrs. Kimball arranged for two performances of her choruses. Please enjoy the pictures below courtesy of Mr. Haas.

Sara Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP has over 25 years of experience in diagnostic evaluations and treatment of executive dysfunction. She is an internationally recognized expert on executive function and presents seminars and workshops on the programs and strategies that she has developed with her Co-Director Kristen Jacobsen.

In this practical strategies seminar, parents and professionals will develop a solid understanding of what the executive function skills are and how they impact a student's academic and personal performance.

This event will be held virtually on Tuesday, January 18th at 7 pm. All are welcome! Please email Amesbury SEPAC@gmail.com for the meeting link.

It was also great to see the high school students performing as well. Nothing like live music! Helps to usher in the holiday spirit!

Just a reminder that school will close on Thursday, December 23, 2021 and reopen on Monday, January 3, 2022.

Dismissal Times for Schools on Thursday, December 23, 2021:

We have received a quote to replace the roof of the Amesbury Middle School gym. Since it is a shingled roof and different from the rest of the roof, it can be tackled and replaced by itself. Based on a full report of the roof done by Tremco, during our School committee meeting this week, we discussed getting both a quote for a full replacement of the Amesbury Middle School roof as well as a quote that replaces it in sections. Facilities Director, Matt Bennett, is working with several companies to do walkthroughs and get quotes from those companies for both scenarios. Once we get those back, we will bring the information to School Committee and will develop a plan in conjunction with the City.

I am still including the COVID Dashboard in my newsletters in the case that people do not have the time to get to our website to check out the data. Please remember that the information runs from Thursday through Wednesday afternoon. This aligns with what DESE requires in terms of reporting cases to the state. Also, the chart does not include the weekly numbers from September and October but the total numbers by school, student, staff, and overall numbers include all cases since September 15, 2021.

As you can see, the progress since my last newsletter is extensive. The steel certainly makes it more real. So awesome to see the building coming alive!