McGovern News

We’ve officially completed our first full week of the school year, and what a fantastic start it has been! As we settle into our routines, it has been a joy getting to know your children better each day. Together, we are building strong classroom communities and establishing the routines that help set the stage for a successful year ahead. We're also focused on helping students build their stamina for learning as they adjust to the demands of a full school schedule. Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this exciting journey together!

As we continue to get to know each of our students, we are taking special care to foster positive relationships and ensure that every child feels seen, valued, and supported. Our teachers have been working hard to create engaging lessons that spark curiosity and excitement for learning, and we are confident that these strong connections and thoughtful planning will help set the tone for a productive and joyful school year.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions. Have a great weekend and please read below for important information and updates.

Best,

Amy McDonald, Principal

Each month, I will include significant dates and events in the newsletter to share the cultural experiences of our community and beyond. Unintentionally, I may miss something and if I do, please reach out and let me know. It is certainly not my intention. Your input is invaluable as we strive to foster inclusivity and appreciation for all cultures. Together, we can ensure that our celebrations truly reflect the rich diversity of our community. Holidays are only one way we get to know each other and build community. Keep these in mind but remember there are many parts of us that make us unique and that should be valued, not just our holiday celebrations.

Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities. It begins on September 15 to mark the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, with Mexico and Chile also celebrating their independence during this time. The month highlights the influence of Hispanic Americans in shaping U.S. history, arts, politics, and culture, featuring various events, festivals, and educational activities nationwide.

Labor Day is a U.S. federal holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor the contributions and achievements of American workers. It marks the end of summer and is recognized as a day of rest and appreciation for labor rights.

Patriot Day is observed in the United States on September 11 each year to honor the nearly 3,000 victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. It is a day of remembrance and reflection, marked by moments of silence, memorial services, and ceremonies across the country. Patriot Day also pays tribute to the courage of first responders and the resilience of the nation in the face of tragedy.

Mexican Independence Day, celebrated on September 16, commemorates the "Grito de Dolores" by Miguel Hidalgo in 1810, which initiated Mexico's fight for independence from Spain. The holiday is marked with parades, fireworks, and festivities across the country.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, the god of wisdom and prosperity. Lasting 10 days, it involves installing Ganesha idols, prayers, and processions, ending with the immersion of the idols in water.

Please remember that approximately twice a month there are no preschool classes as it is an "Arena day". This is when we complete assessments for students in an IEP evaluation cycle, hold IEP meetings, and/or conduct training. Upcoming arena days are:

• September 20
• October 18
• November 1
• November 15
• December 6
• January 10
• January 24
• February 7
• March 7
• March 21
• April 4
• May 2
• May 23
• June 6

You are cordially invited to our "Back to School Night" on Thursday, September 26th. Preschool and Kindergarten will take place from 5:30-6:30 PM and first grade will take place from 6:45-7:45 PM.

Families will go directly to your child's homeroom. Teachers will go over the curriculum, share classroom and homework expectations, and share a brief video from me. Families will be able to ask general questions. As a friendly reminder, this is not an opportunity for families to ask individual questions about your child's progress. If you have an individual question, please personally reach out to the classroom teacher to set up a check in. We will also have parent teacher conferences beginning in November.

Finally, this is an adult only event and we do not have any activities planned for children. Mrs. Rice will be here to process CORI forms if you intend to volunteer this year, this is a great time to complete your CORI form.

The Fall SCHOLASTIC Book Fair is coming to McGovern!

Monday, October 21st to Friday, October 25th

Students will visit the book fair during their library time.

• Students will get a chance to browse, read, and buy amazing books!

• Books can be purchased with cash, eWallet, or check.

• We do recommend the setting up of an eWallet to make the book fair easier for teachers and students.* Directions for setting up an eWallet can be found by scanning the QR code below.

• If you are sending your child in with physical money for the book fair please send it in a ziplock bag and label it with their first and last name as well as their teacher’s name.

• Please account for Sales Tax when sending your child in with money or setting up an E-Wallet.

• Parents and guardians can shop online and have items shipped directly to them too. There is free shipping on all book orders over $25.

• Please email Mat Holt at McGovern MHolt@medwayschools.org if you have any questions.

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/mcgovern

*Please note that any money you put onto an e-wallet is considered store credit. Any remaining funds will be turned into a Scholastic Gift Card and non-refundable.

Picture day for McGovern School is on October 11th. Flyers will be sent home in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can scan the QR code below to learn more about Geskus' packages and pricing. Once the flyers are sent home, if you have any questions please reach out to Mrs. Rice in the main office.

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 - 8:35 a.m.

**rain date - Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 8:35 a.m.**

______________________________________________________________________

All McGovern students (Preschool through 1st grade) are welcome to celebrate "International Walk to School Day" on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 (rain date is Thursday, October 10, 2024). We have been participating in this event for over 10 years which was created in 1997 by SafeRoutes to School. The goal of the event is to help promote healthier habits, a cleaner environment, pedestrian safety, and a number of other community benefits such as less traffic and improved accessibility for all students. Please read below for grade-specific information on how the event will run.

Kindergarten and 1st grade: McGovern students can either be dropped off at the VFW by their family or by their bus at 8:35. Alongside many staff members and any family members that want to join, students will walk the half mile to school! To help ensure the students’ safety, Medway Police Department will be on hand to assist with crossing Holliston Street in two different places.

Preschool students and families….you will be participating in your own “Mini'' Walk to School Day! You or your child’s bus will drop them off at the top of the McGovern driveway and then the preschool students will walk to school as a class with their teachers. The Medway Police Department will also be posted at the McGovern crosswalk to ensure the safety of the Preschool students being unloaded and walking down the driveway to the school.

Please fill out the Google Permission Form below for each McGovern student in your household by Wednesday, October 2, 2024, even if you are choosing to not have your them participate in the walk. This way we will be able to keep track of all students.

Drop Off:

If you are the first parent in the drop-off line, please do not pull through the parking lot. Please stop just before the right turn into the staff parking lot. This will allow for most faculty and staff to enter the parking lot before school starts. At 8:30 am, you may pull through the loop and line up at the cones for drop off. Thank you so much for your cooperation.

Pick-Up:

If you are picking up your child for parent pick-up please be sure you have a school-issued car placard. Please place the placard on the passenger side window for easy readability. If it is on the dash it is often harder to read and/or blocked by your registration sticker. Having a car placard allows staff to ensure we are putting the right student in the right car and also allows for efficient pick up.

Thank you for your cooperation with our drop off and pick up procedures.

Please be sure you send your child to school with a reusable water bottle (not a Poland Springs or other store brand disposable water bottle). If you need a reusable water bottle, please reach out to Amanda Rice or Marisa Colombo, our secretaries.

A School Site Council (SSC) is a key part of school decision-making in Massachusetts. Made up of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members, the SSC collaborates to shape policies and initiatives that directly impact the school. The council's main responsibilities include developing and monitoring the school improvement plan, advising on the school budget, and ensuring that the school meets the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students. By participating in the SSC, parents have the opportunity to share their input and help shape the direction of the school, fostering a strong school-family partnership.

If you are interested in the serving on our SSC, please fill out the form below. We meet on Wednesdays from 3:20-4:20 pm and the dates of the meeting are below.

Please only fill out this form if you are interested in serving on our SSC. Please complete by September 30, 2024. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

October 30

November 13

January 15

March 12

April 9

May 14

Children need healthy meals to learn. Medway Public Schools offers healthy meals every school day. As you may know, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through the recent passage of the state budget, will again allow local districts to provide breakfast and lunch for all students at no cost.

However, families who submit an application for free or reduced lunch which is approved based on income guidelines may qualify for discounts on specified school fees, including but not limited to athletic fees, transportation fees, and preschool tuition. A district cover letter, the application and instructions can be found here.

Medway Schools is inviting our parents/guardians to participate in a community book read of The Anxious Generation, a book that explains how a generational decrease in youth free play and an increase in mobile device use has sparked a child mental health crisis. It also offers parents/guardians practical strategies about how to flip the script to improve youth mental well-being. Thanks to the support of the Medway Foundation For Education, free books are being provided to community members. To request one or more books, please complete this form.

The book read will take place now until November 30 and will culminate with a panel discussion on December 4 at 6:30 PM at Medway Middle School that will feature Dr. Peter Gray, who is spotlighted in the book. To register for this event, please click here.

On Sunday September 22nd, the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is sponsoring a sensory friendly hayride for students at Tangerini Farm. The cost of the event is $5 per person. Please RSVP with the numbers of guests for the event by 9/15/24

Fall Brochure

We are delighted to share our latest program offerings with the Medway community, as well as with our neighbors in nearby communities! It is time to celebrate autumn with friends and families - join a sports program or gather with friends for a fun night of crafts, wellness and laughs. Many new programs are offered, plus our popular all-time favorites!

The fall brochure may be viewed here with registration access to Arbiter using the following links - Youth & Teen Programs and Adult Programs. Registrants may use the UniPay link for program payment. Questions with registering? Please contact Community Education at communityed@medwayschools.org or call 508-533-3222 option 4.

After School Programs - W.I.N. Support & Enrichment

We look forward to sharing exciting plans with families for fall programming within our schools. Additional details to follow include Academic Support programs beginning the week of October 8; Enrichment programs beginning the week of October 21; Early Release Day programs on October 23, November 20 and December 11; 4th Grade Musical Instrument Lessons, start date to be determined.

MEPTO is our Medway Education Parent Teacher Organization. Please click on the link below for their newsletter.

Please read the 2024-2025 Elementary School Handbook as it has important information for both McGovern and Memorial Schools.

As you may know, numerous cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, better known as EEE, a virus spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, have been detected in Massachusetts. Currently, Medway is considered “low risk” for EEE transmission, as indicated on this map, but there are still precautions you can take, which are described here. We will be in regular contact with Medway’s Board of Health, and if advised, we may take additional precautions, which may include changes to athletic schedules if Medway’s transmission risk increases.

As a reminder to all families, when picking up your child, you will need to bring your license or identification with you to the main office. Not only is this for safety reasons, but we also have new staff in the front office. Please understand that you will be asked to retrieve your ID from your car if you forget to bring it in. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

MPS requests that all families complete the Online Registration process, better known as the “beginning of year packet,” within the Parent Portal. Please complete the application by September 7, 2023. Completing the online registration ensures we have the most accurate and up-to-date information for your child(ren) and helps us stay in touch with families. To access the Online Registration Process, please log in to the Parent Portal via a computer.

Click the bottom below or use this is the URL address: https://medwayma.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/medway.jsp then

1. Click on Campus Parent
2. Login,
3. Choose MORE > Online Registration from the left menu.
4. Follow the prompts to review and confirm the information we have on file.

Please note that it is difficult to complete the forms via a smartphone. Guardians without a portal account can email parent@medwayschools.org for an activation code.

Per School Committee action, and in accordance with School Committee Policy EEAA, new for the 2024-25 School Year, free transportation will be offered according to the following guidelines:

• Students in Kindergarten through Grade 6 who live 2 miles or further from their school

• All students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch

Students who don’t qualify for free transportation can participate in the district’s Pay to Ride program. As previously communicated, new for the 2024-25 school year, the district will be implementing its new transportation registration and Pay to Ride program. Registration opened on April 1st. While the deadline for registration has passed, parents/guardians may continue to register students via the Parent Portal. (Instructions for the registration process can be found here.) Please note that students who do not qualify for free transportation and who were not previously registered but are registered now will be considered waitlisted.

Routes and stops for students successfully registered for transportation for the 2024-25 school year will be distributed via email to the parents and guardians of those students on Thursday, August 15th. Bus passes will be distributed the first week of school, and a bus pass will be required to ride the bus either in the morning or afternoon effective the second week of school (with the exception of transportation to and from MEDI).

Additional information regarding the district’s Pay to Ride program, including the fee structure, can be found here in the Districts Handbook. The district's transportation handbook is new for the 2024-25 school year.

Please note that all students planning to use the transportation system must register regardless of free or paid transportation status. Bus passes will be distributed to all students registered for transportation during the first week of school. A bus pass is required to board the bus.

Bus routes and stops for students registered for transportation were distributed. While riders will receive individual emails, bus routes, and stops will also be posted (without student names) on the District’s website.

Under the National School Lunch Program, the USDA and the State of Massachusetts reimburse the school district for the cost of the meals served. Students must take three of the components with at least one component being a fruit, in order for the meal to be reimbursable.

Any item separate from these three component meals, such as a single milk, must be paid for by the student. Students will be charged to their school accounts by using their personalized pin numbers. Please find a resource below for setting up your account if you have not already done so.

To create a MySchoolBucks account to conveniently and securely add money to your student’s meal account online or with the mobile app.

With MySchoolBucks you’ll be able to view cafeteria purchases, check your student’s balance, receive low balance alerts and pay for school milk or ala carte items.

from anywhere!

1. Go to myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app
2. Create your free account and add your students using their school name / student ID
3. Add funds using your credit / debit card or electronic check
   Note: For each transaction, you will be charged a program fee of $2.75 if using a credit or debit card and $2.49 if paying by electronic check.
4. Set up automatic payments and never forget to send in lunch money again.

We appreciate you using this online option as a way to help reduce the amount of physical cash and check handling that would typically happen in the serving line.

If you need assistance with your account, or need help accessing your student's ID number, Please contact our Director of Dining Services, Shawn Fallon, at sfallon@medwayschools.org

Medway Schools has partnered with Care Solace, which offers mental health care coordination services and can help connect you, your child, and extended family members with appropriate community-based providers. Whether it's counseling, therapy, or other mental health services, Care Solace can assist you in finding the support your family may need. To access Care Solace's coordination services, simply reach out using the following options:

1. Call 888-515-0595: Their multilingual helpline is staffed 24/7/365.
2. Visit www.caresolace.com/medway: On their website, you can explore mental health providers independently or click "Book Appointment" for personalized assistance through video chat, email, or phone.

In partnership with Medway’s Department of Public Health, we will be hosting a flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Burke-Memorial School cafeteria on October 7th from 3-6 PM. Pre-registration is required and can be completed here.

A copy of the approved 2024-2025 school year calendar can be found here.

Medway Schools has partnered with Care Solace, which offers mental health care coordination services and can help connect you, your child, and extended family members with appropriate community-based providers. Whether it's counseling, therapy, or other mental health services, Care Solace can assist you in finding the support your family may need. To access Care Solace's coordination services, simply reach out using the following options:

1. Call 888-515-0595: Their multilingual helpline is staffed 24/7/365.
2. 2. Visit www.caresolace.com/medway: On their website, you can explore mental health providers independently or click "Book Appointment" for personalized assistance through video chat, email, or phone.

English

To open the SMORE newsletter, click on the link above. Then, to translate the SMORE newsletter, click on the “Translate” button at the top of the page. Use the drop-down menu to select your language. The newsletter will then be translated.

Portuguese

Para abrir a newsletter SMORE, clique no link acima. Em seguida, para traduzir a newsletter SMORE, clique no botão “Traduzir” no topo da página. Use o menu suspenso para selecionar seu idioma. O boletim informativo será então traduzido.

Spanish

Para abrir el boletín SMORE, haga clic en el enlace de arriba. Luego, para traducir el boletín SMORE, haga clic en el botón "Traducir" en la parte superior de la página. Utilice el menú desplegable para seleccionar su idioma. Luego se traducirá el boletín.

Arabic

لفتح النشرة الإخبارية SMORE، انقر على الرابط أعلاه. وبعد ذلك، لترجمة نشرة SMORE الإخبارية، انقر فوق الزر "ترجمة" الموجود أعلى الصفحة. استخدم القائمة المنسدلة لاختيار لغتك. سيتم بعد ذلك ترجمة النشرة الإخبارية.

Haitian Creole

Pou ouvri bilten SMORE a, klike sou lyen anlè a. Lè sa a, pou tradui bilten SMORE a, klike sou bouton "Tradwi" ki anlè paj la. Sèvi ak meni ki dewoule a pou chwazi lang ou. Lè sa a, y ap tradui bilten an.

Medway Public Schools believes it is important that families and the broader community are provided with information about the important work going on in our schools. There is a great deal of communication that happens in the district. You can expect the following:

• Community Update from the Superintendent, monthly
• McGovern News from me, bi-weekly
• Teacher newsletters, bi-weekly

All community updates and the McGovern News will be emailed and can also be found on the district and school websites or through our Medway Public Schools app which can be accessed through the QR Code below. Teachers will email their newsletters directly to their class.

McGovern Elementary School:

Twitter: @McGovernElem

Facebook: @mcgovernelem

Instagram: @mcgovernelem

Friday September 20th: Arena Day (No Preschool)

Thursday September 26th:

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Curriculum Night for Preschool and Kindergarten

6:45 pm - 7:45 pm Curriculum Night for 1st Grade

Thursday October 3rd: Rosh Hashanah (No School)

Friday October 11th: Picture Day

Monday October 14th: Indigenous People's Day (No School)

Friday October 18th: Arena Day (No Preschool)

Monday October 21st: Book Fair (day 1)

Tuesday October 22nd: Book Fair (day 2)

Picture Retake Day

Wednesday October 23rd: Early Release

Preschool Dismissal at 11:30 am

Kindergarten & 1st Grade Dismissal at 12 pm

Thursday October 24th: Book Fair (day 3)

Friday October 25th: Book Fair (day 4)

Monday October 28th: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm MEPTO Meeting in Middle School Cafeteria

Friday November 1st: Arena Day (No Preschool)

Sunday November 3rd: Daylight Savings, turn the clocks 1 hour back

Tuesday November 5th: Election Day (No School)

Monday November 11th: Veteran's Day (No School)

Thursday November 14th: Parent-Teacher Conference Night 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Friday November 15th: Arena Day (No Preschool)

Wednesday November 20th: Early Release

Preschool Dismissal at 11:30 am

Kindergarten & 1st Grade Dismissal at 12 pm

Wednesday November 27th: Early Release

Preschool Dismissal at 11:30 am

Kindergarten & 1st Grade Dismissal at 12 pm

Thursday November 28th & Friday November 29th: Thanksgiving Holiday (No School)