Merrymount Elementary School

March Events

• March 4-8 Read Across America Week
• Monday, March 4 Rotary Club Guest Readers ~ Grade 1
  
• Tuesday, March 5 No School - Massachusetts Presidential Primary Election
• Wednesday, March 6 QPS School Committee Meeting 6:30 PM
• Wednesday, March 6 Last Day of Quincy Rec Winter Gym Program
  
• Thursday, March 7 Grade 5 Lego Robotics Begins
• Thursday, March 7 International Night in the Gym, 6:30-8 PM
• Tuesday, March 12 Join the PTO for a MARC Webinar on Navigating Healthy Peer Relationships with Dr. Elizabeth Englander 6:30 PM
• Friday, March 15 Grade 4 to QHS/NQHS Drama Production of Beauty and the Beast 9:30 AM
• Monday, March 18 Citywide PTO Meeting 7:00 PM
• Tuesday, March 19 Bringing the Science of Reading Home QPS Parent Academy 5 PM
• Wednesday, March 20 Grade 3 Heroes and History
• Wednesday, March 20 QPS School Committee Meeting 6:30 PM
• Friday, March 22 Term 2 Report Cards Published in Aspen
• Monday, March 25 Spring Extended Day Programs Begin
• Tuesday, March 26 Grades 2 and 3 Joe's Crazy Critters
• Friday, March 29 No School - Good Friday

March Days of Recognition

March is Women's History Month

March is Irish American Heritage Month

March is Greek American Heritage Month

March is National Developmental Disability Awareness Month

• Tuesday, March 5 No School - Massachusetts Presidential Primary Election
• Sunday, March 10 Ramadan Begins
• Sunday, March 17 St. Patrick's Day
• Tuesday, March 19 Spring Equinox
• March 20-23 Nowruz
• Thursday, March 21 World Down Syndrome Awareness Day
• Monday, March 25 Holi
• Friday, March 29 No School - Good Friday
• Sunday, March 31 Easter

Spring 2024 MCAS Testing Dates

• Grade 3 ELA April 4 and April 5
• Grade 4 ELA April 1 and April 2
• Grade 5 ELA April 9 and April 11
• Grade 3 Math May 6 and May 7
• Grade 4 Math April 29 and May 3
• Grade 5 Math April 30 and May 2
• Grade 5 STE May 14 and May 16

Together with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (MA DESE) and the Quincy Public Schools, Merrymount is focusing our efforts on student attendance. Massachusetts defines chronically absent as missing at least 10 percent of days enrolled (for instance, 18 days absent if enrolled for a typical school year of 180 days), regardless of the reason for the absence. Being chronically absent can have a significant impact on a student's academic progress and their ability to access the variety of academic and non-academic supports that schools provide.

Our Main Office is monitoring student attendance closely and will communicate with families of students who are absent more than 10% of the school year at any given time. We will also be providing opportunities for some students to recover days absent. While we understand students will be absent for illness or special circumstances, we appreciate your support in routine attendance of your child daily!

The goal of the Massachusetts public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Massachusetts public school students are leading the nation in reading and math and are at the top internationally in reading, science, and math according to the national NAEP and international PISA assessments. Link for more information here.

Report Card Conferences will be held on April 3, 2024, 12-2pm and 4:30-6:30pm. Please use this link for more information and to schedule a report card conference.

• To help with the flow of traffic during drop off, please help by pulling over to drop your student off on on Agawam Road. For the safety of your student, please do not stop in the middle street and block the flow of traffic.
• During pick up, please be mindful when parking on side streets near the school, especially on the corners of Virginia and Agawam Road as well as Virginia Road and Shore Avenue. The buses need clearance to turn and exit the neighborhood safely. Please avoid parking opposite from other cars on our side streets. It restricts passage for emergency vehicles.
• Please use cross walks to keep yourself and your student safe as you cross the street.

• Please obey all traffic and parking regulations.
• Please be patient and courteous of all other pedestrians, cars and our crossing guard.

Please join us for a MARC Webinar on Navigating Healthy Peer Relationships with Dr. Elizabeth Englander, Executive Director and Founder of Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center & Professor of Psychology

Let's talk about bullying, cyber-bullying, peer conflicts, frenemies and more.
Before the pandemic, screen use, anxiety, and social problems (like bullying and fighting) were top concerns for parents. The last few years have made some of these issues even more challenging. This talk will examine how kids are doing emotionally and socially, in light of the ways kids use screens, gaming, and social media, and how these impact challenges in school, like bullying and friendship skills. Research will be summarized, and practical approaches to family life that can help children develop emotional resilience, healthy social skills and friendships, and sensible screen and social media habits will be discussed during this presentation. We will discuss how to move forward to a healthier "new normal" and how to help parents be most productive in guiding their children towards healthier social and emotional relationships.

March 12, 2024 at 6:30 PM

Zoom Link

This event is sponsored by the Beechwood Knoll & Merrymount PTO

Merrymount Women's History Project 2023

Ramadan begins this month. Merrymount is acknowledging the Muslim festival of Ramadan which starts on March 9th with the sighting of the new moon to Eid Ad-fitr on April 10th, the celebration after the end of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims fast for 30 days dawn to dusk, perform Zakat (charity to the needy) and read Quran. The bulletin board was created with the help of former Merrymount parent Uzma Fatima and Shivpreet Singh. Thank you!

Ramadan resources linked here.

Hello Merrymount Community!

As the nice weather approaches and we get ready for Spring, I wanted to reach out with some reminders on the best ways to keep your child and our school healthy 😊

Spring Allergies:

· If your child has spring allergies, please be aware the health office does NOT administer medicine for this. Any allergy medication should be taken before school to avoid your child being uncomfortable in class.

· Make sure to follow the pollen count for the week. Using apps or websites such as pollen.com can assist with this.

· Make sure to encourage frequent hand washing and to avoid touching the face and eyes.

· Change your bedding frequently and encourage your child to change their clothes if they have been playing outside.

Weather Changes:

· Make sure you and your child are monitoring the weather for the week and dressing appropriately.

· Encourage your child to wash their hands frequently and practice good cough hygiene. If your child is sick, please keep them home. Students need to be fever free for a whole 24 hours without the help of medications to return to school.

Field Trips

· With the nice weather the field trips are not far behind! If your child has an inhaler or epi-pen, please make sure the medication is not expired. If so, please send a new one into the health office along with an action plan signed by you and their doctor.

· If your child has an inhaler or an epi-pen prescribed by their doctor, please send one in to me.

· If your child has a life-threatening allergy that requires an epi-pen, it is important to reiterate with your child what allergens to avoid, and begin discussions on how to administer their own epi-pen. This will help them as they move on to higher grades where independence will be encouraged. Staff members are trained on how to administer epi-pens in case of an emergency.

The Flu

As of late, we are seeing an increase in cases of the stomach bug, COVID 19, the FLU and Strep Throats.

Seasonal flu is caused by a virus that infects your lungs, nose, and throat. Flu season starts in the fall and continues through early spring. The flu comes on very quickly and makes you feel very sick, but most people feel better within a week. Symptoms include: fever, tiredness/weakness, muscle and joint aches, cough, headache, sore throat, and runny/stuffy nose. The flu virus changes every year. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three or four influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during this season. Getting a flu vaccine may help keep more people healthy this winter, which is particularly important as there are increases in respiratory illness in infants and children. Most of these illnesses are caused by respiratory viral infections, including common seasonal viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus, enterovirus, and influenza. Infants and children may be particularly susceptible to seasonal respiratory viral infections because they have had limited previous exposure to these respiratory viruses. Here are some general symptoms to monitor your child for:

A COLD:

• Seldom has a fever
• Feel stuffiness in your head
• Feel a little sick
• Occurs any time of the year
• No shot to protect you

THE FLU:

• Fever (100 degrees F or higher)
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Feel very sick
• Starts in the fall and continues through early spring
• Can get a shot to protect you

COVID-19:

• Fever (100 degrees F or higher)
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Cough (not due to other known causes such as chronic cough)
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

Here are a few reminders as to what you can do to help prevent the spread of these illnesses and keep everyone safe and healthy at school:

• Washing your hands with soap and water. Remind your child to not touch their face after washing their hands.
• Teaching your child to cough or sneeze into their elbow or into a tissue.
• Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in the home regularly.
• Wearing a mask when appropriate.
• Reminding your child to hydrate.
• When the weather is cold, making sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.
• Opening windows on days where it is a little warmer to allow air flow into the house.
• Keep your child home when they are feeling sick. If your child has a temperature of 99.6F, they should stay home and get plenty of rest with fluids and Tylenol for fevers. DO NOT send your child into school if they have to take Tylenol the morning of school. To return to school, your child must be fever free for a whole day without the help of medicine to return to school. If your child has a fever that lasts 3 days, call your doctor.
• Keep your child home if they are vomiting or have loose stools. To return to school, your child has to not be vomiting or have loose stools for a whole day to return to school.
• Keep your child home if they have a cough that keeps them awake, is painful or excessive and uncontrolled.
• Keep your child home if they have a sore throat for 24 hours, especially with swollen glands or a fever.
• If your child has been diagnosed with strep throat, they have to remain home for at least 24 hours after they start antibiotic treatment.

COVID-19 INFORMATION:

• If your child has tested positive for Covid-19 they must stay home and isolate for 5 days. On day 6, they may return to school with a mask through day 10. If they are unable to wear a mask please use a home test and if negative on day 6 they may return to school.

Other Reminders

· Health Screenings: To those who received a referral from the health office, please have your doctor sign and return the referral form. I am still waiting on a few referrals to come back.

· Physicals: If your child has a physical exam it is always good to keep the health office updated. Feel free to email, fax, or send them in with your child to drop off.

Feel free to contact me with any questions!

Sarah Hill, RN BSN

Resource Nurse

sarahhill@quincypublicschools.com

Phone: 617-984-8925

School Psychologist, Mrs. Steele, and Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Bastian, have begun their parental leaves. We welcome Ms. Sarah Gibbons, Ms. Kelly Fleming and Ms. Alyssa Lydon to Merrymount to support our students.

Sarah Gibbons can be reached at sarahgibbons@quincypublicschools.com. She will be supported by Kelly Fleming (kellyfleming@quincypublicschools.com) and Alyssa Lydon (alyssalydon@quincypublicschools.com).

QPS has provided all schools with access to Open Parachute, a school wellness program. There are some excellent parent resources available (link) to families to help navigate the many stages of a child's life. Classroom teachers meet with students regularly and use Open Parachute lessons each month to support social emotional learning and mental health.

• Mrs. Ciardi's REACH classes will be covered by Ms. Tanya Sanford after March 1st. Please reach out to Bridget Vaughan, District Coordinator of ELA and Literacy, 617-745-7102, bridgetvaughan@quincypublicschools.com with any questions.
• Ms. Tara McLeod, Occupational Therapist, is currently out on leave for the next two weeks (beginning March 1). There will be a brief break in occupational therapy services. Missed services will be made up upon her return to school. Please reach out to Jennifer Leary, Special Education Coordinator, 617-984-8896, jenniferleary@quincypublicschools.com with any questions.

Parents are encouraged to attend our School Council and PTO meetings which are held every other month. Parent support and parent volunteers have helped with school beautification, Scholastic Book Fairs, and several fundraisers which create opportunities for our students. We need YOUR help to make great things happen for your children.

• PTO Website link
• PTO Facebook Page: Merrymount School PTO
• PTO Email: merrymountpto@gmail.com
• School Council Email: merrymountschoolcouncil@gmail.com
  
• Citywide PTO link

• WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3RD @6:30
• WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5TH (FINAL YEARLY WRAP-UP MEETING) @6:30

Please see the Google Forms below to share contact details for Room Parents of Grades 2-5!

Grade 5 Google Form Link

Grade 4 Google Form Link

Grade 3 Google Form Link

Grade 2 Google Form Link

Hello MM Community! We need a little help keeping the MM Outdoor Classroom nice & tidy during these next few weeks of fall.

Thank you for your help! The link to sign up: Outdoor Classroom Tidy

The SchoolMessenger system is essential for notification and communication. QPS school officials will use SchoolMessenger to deliver a single, clear message to parents or guardians by telephone, cell phone, email, or text message in any combination. SchoolMessenger can also be used to notify you of a school closing due to inclement weather and to communicate daily information, such as sports schedules, newsletters, attendance notifications, and other announcements.

The system is set up to automatically pull your contact information from what we have in our Student Information System (Aspen) and carry it over into SchoolMessenger. Please contact your school building office to update your contact information or confirm you are receiving SchoolMessenger communications.

If you have not been receiving district text messages, you may opt-in by texting "Y" or "Yes" to our school's short code number: 67587. This is a FREE service and you may opt-out at any time by replying to one of our messages with "Stop."

Principal: Susan Shea Connor susansheaconnor@quincypublicschools.com
Assistant Principal: John Rogan johnrogan@quincypublicschools.com
Secretary: Stacy Scott stacyscott@quincypublicschools.com
Guidance Counselor: Mairead Bastian maireadbastian@quincypublicschools.com
Nurse: Mollie Ehrlich 617-984-8925 mollieehrlich@quincypublicschools.com

School Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 7:45 AM - 2:00 PM

Wednesday - Early Release 7:45 AM - 11:25 AM

Address

4 Agawam Road

Quincy, MA 02169

Telephone: 617-984-8762

Fax: 617-984-8909

Website

https://merrymount.quincypublicschools.com/

The Family Newsletter will be published monthly. A link will be sent out to families each month and the link will be posted on our website. The newsletter updated throughout the month.

Families who want to opt out of photo/video of their student being shared with the press or appearing on social media. Please see the form linked here.