Broadmeadow Buzz

Email the Office

School Dismissal Manager

Broadmeadow Families,

It’s been a chilly one this week! Below you will find two important updates.

The first is an invitation to a Community Coffee event focused on SEL supports and strategies for students in grades 3-5. The coffee will be held on Thursday, January 23rd, from 8:30-9:30 in the performance center. We recently held a similar event for students in grades K-2 and we received positive feedback. This conversation will focus on the top SEL challenges we see from students in grades 3-5, how we provide proactive support and instruction, our response to behavioral challenges and how families can support and supplement at home.

The second update below is about the weather and how we make safety decisions due to extreme cold. Our hope is to always let students get outside and play. However, there are certainly times when it is not safe to be outside for a longer amount of time. Below are some reminders about preparedness for this weather and how we make the decision to have indoor recess.

Stay warm.

Do good. Be kind.

Be prepared! In order to go outside in the cold weather, students must be wearing the appropriate winter gear. This includes

• Pants

• Coat

• Hats/Gloves

Please make sure winter items are labeled so if they go missing, they can be easily returned.

Winter Weather Chart - Recess Safety Oversimplified

• 20℉ and above - Bundle up and be ready for the kids to go outside.

• 19℉ and below - Bundle up for arrival/dismissal but likely indoor recess.

• Wind chill and “real feel” temperatures impact our decisions to go outside.

• Community members who visit Broadmeadow must enter and exit through the front door. Please ring the bell to your left when you arrive. All visitors must check-in at the office and sign our visitor log.
• After ringing the bell, families who arrive to drop off student materials are asked to label all items with their student’s full name and teacher name and place them in the bin on the office counter. The office will facilitate getting materials to the student’s classroom.
• Families who arrive to pick up students early will be asked to wait outside for their child to exit the building.

Andy Garlick, Principal

Chanit List, Assistant Principal

Laurie Blakely, K-2 Guidance

Katie Lizotte, 3-5 Guidance

Jacqui Murphy, Connections Guidance

Any adult who volunteers at a school event will be required to complete the CORI review process at least 4 days in advance of their visit. Completed CORI and Confidentiality forms (linked below) can be dropped off at the office or emailed to Roberta Redpath.

• CORI FORM: Please complete both sides of the CORI form being sure to include the last 6 digits of your social security number. A copy of a license or passport is also required order for the CORI to be processed.
• CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT: In addition, please return a copy of a completed confidentiality form with your CORI documents.

In order to assure that you (and/or other adults in your family who do not have an online portal account) are set up to receive these important email communications, we urge you to log into your account on the PowerSchool parent/guardian portal and make sure that all adults who should receive email are set up as “contacts” who receive emails. While adding or reviewing these contacts, please also take the time to add or update cell phone numbers for parents/guardians and anyone else who is identified as an emergency contact. All of these tasks can be accomplished by viewing the instructions provided in this VIDEO or by referring to the following instructions:

1. Log into your account on the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

2. Click on “Forms” in the left-hand margin.

2. Under the “All Forms” tab, click on Student Information

3. Scroll down to the “Enter Contacts” section.

• Review contacts and update information. (click on the blue pencil to edit/update the contact)

• Be sure to add or update emails and cell phone numbers if necessary. IMPORTANT: If you would like the receive all school email communications, please select the option “Receives Mail” when adding an email address

4. New contacts may be added by clicking on the “ADD” button located under the “Enter Contacts” section. IMPORTANT: Please make certain that if the contact wants to receive all email communications, to select the option “Receives Mail.”

Please note that If you have not created a Parent Portal account, or if you have forgotten your login or password, please email Roberta Redpath for assistance.

Please let me know when your child has been treated for lice. I will keep your child's medical information private but if more than 2 students in one class have lice, I will send a letter out to families (NOT naming names). It is also recommended you inform friends and family with whom your child has had close contact with so they can check their child(ren). I cannot provide education to classrooms if I don't know.

Mary Beth Arigo, RN

781-455-0448 x51309

LICE INFORMATION

FACT

• Where: grades 1,2,4

• Lice do NOT jump or fly

• Lice do not live on pets

• Head to head contact is the MOST likely means of transmission

• Children are allowed in school with active lice (unless uncomfortable)

WHAT DOES BROADMEADOW DO TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF LICE?

• Inform parents of lice in the classroom when there are more than 2 cases

• Vacuum each classroom rug nightly

• We sometimes use large plastic bags for hats and coats

• Nurse conducts post treatment inspection upon return to school, upon request

• Nurse provides recommendations of lice resources

WHAT CAN FAMILIES DO TO PREVENT LICE?

• Inform nurse, classroom teacher and close contacts of lice

• BE HONEST- tell your children’s close contacts

• Continue to comb out nits every day- it just takes one resistant nit to hatch for a reinfestation!! Nits are very hard to see and to dislodge

• Recognize there is NO easy fix to lice- it is not a “one and done” treatment- surveillance is essential

• DO NOT share hats- reinforce this will your child

• Limit or say NO SLEEPOVERS, SHARING OF STUFFIES, CLOSE HEAD TO HEAD CONTACT

• Additional resources

• Lice Services, Close Nit Family

• CDC guidance

MY CHILD HAS LICE…HERE’S WHAT TO DO…

1. Call your child’s provider for advice

2. Inform close friends and family that you suspect may have had head to head contact with your child (sleepovers, cousins etc)

3. Check family members

4. Inform nurse at school.

Needham Public Schools Head Lice Information Page

Join Needham Public School's Community Circle on Thursday, January 16, from 3:30-5:00 PM at the Memorial Park Field House to share and listen to the struggles of keeping Dr. King’s dream relevant and how we can continue to pursue unity as we begin another year. Register now – space is limited! See the attached flyer for more information.

Join Needham Diversity Initiative for a celebration and observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The event will take place on Monday, January 20th from 10-11:00 AM, at Needham High School. The program includes participation by several Needham Public School Groups. The theme this year is centered on an MLK quote: “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” For more information please visit https://www.needhamdiversity.org/event-details/annual-mlk-jr-day-celebration, or see the flyer attached.

You're invited to What's "Normal" Anyway?: A (Stigma Obliterating) Disability Film Series presented in partnership with NCE, NEF, SEPAC, SPAN, and Needham Youth & Family Services. This series presents four events, one a month from January to April. Each evening will feature a powerful film followed by a panel discussion with local leaders, individuals with disabilities, school administrators, and other stakeholders. Please see the flyer attached for more information and register for free here:
https://tinyurl.com/WhatsNormalAnyway

The Winter Sale of the Friends of the Needham Public Library will be held in the Needham Library Community Room on the following dates: Friday, January 31st from 12-4:00 PM, Saturday, February 1st from 9-4:00 PM and Sunday, February 2nd from 1-4:00PM. Sunday is bargain day with all books half price and a brown bag of books $8.00. For more information please visit: https://needhamlibrary.org/about/get-involved/friends-of-needham-free-public-library/friends-book-sales/

Registration is open for Plugged In's Between the Notes Winter Intersession (January 13-February 16), including Band Class, Songwriting, Drum Circle, Songwriting of Taylor Swift and Live Streaming 101. Registration for private lessons is ongoing. For more information, please call us at 781-444-1879, email info@pluggedinband.org or visit www.pluggedinband.org.

Needham Girls Youth Lacrosse - Spring 2025 registration now open until January 15, 2025. Information and registration at http://www.needhamlacrosse.com

The Mindful Community Speaker Series presents "Emotions 101: Helping your child name and navigate emotions"onWednesday March 5, 2025 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Broadmeadow Elementary School. Deborah Farmer Kris, a child development expert, parent educator, educational journalist, founder of Parenthood365, and author of the series of children's books dealing with emotional literacy. Ms. Farmer will provide practical advice for supporting kids in navigating their feelings and building emotional awareness, social competency, and resilience. Her engaging presentation will be appropriate for parents and caregivers of preschool, elementary school, and younger middle school aged children. More information and registration will be posted here: Mindful Community - Needham Community Council. Any questions, please reach out to Cathy Wong@needhamcouncil.org.

Don’t miss the Mindful Community Speaker Series on “Essential Parenting Conversations” Wednesday April 2, 2025 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm at Needham Town Hall, Powers Hall presented by Michelle Icard. Michelle has a degree in Education and has worked with parents, children, and teachers for more than 20 years, creating curriculum, books, and programs that help them better understand and navigate early adolescence. She is the author of three books on this subject. More information and registration will be posted here: Mindful Community - Needham Community Council. Any questions, please reach out to Cathy Wong@needhamcouncil.org. Prior to “Essential Parenting Conversations” the Mindful Community Speaker will be hosting a Book Club for Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen: The Essential Conversations You Need to Have with Your Kids Before They Start High School. More information and registration will be posted here: Mindful Community - Needham Community Council. Any questions, please reach out to Cathy Wong@needhamcouncil.org.