Bates Family Newsletter

Time is moving quickly! Only 10 more wake ups until February vacation, yet it seems like just yesterday we were coming back from winter break. Lots of work to do, and we look forward to a super productive week!

Bates students have successfully completed close to 50% of the ST MATH curriculum! It's an incredible achievement and speaks to the hard work and dedication of both our students and teachers.

To celebrate this milestone, on Friday, February 16, we will have Dress Like a Penguin Spirit Day! Students are encouraged to wear black and white for this penguin-themed celebration. Waddle On!!!

SALEM SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

GUIDELINES for ACUTE ILLNESSES

The school nurses realize there are times when it is in the best interest of your child to keep him/her home from school due to illness. The school nurses must also provide a healthy environment for all students. Therefore, the goal of the sick day guidelines is to assist the parent/guardian with the decision of when to keep their child home from school due to illness or infection.

Students should not attend school if:

• The student has a temperature over 100 F; the student may return to school after having a normal temperature for 24 hours without taking fever reducing mediation.

• Antibiotics are prescribed; the student may return to school after taking the antibiotics for a minimum of 24 hours and without a temperature over 100 F.

• The student is vomiting; the student may return to school approximately 12 hours after symptoms resolve and is able to tolerate a normal diet.

• The student has diarrhea; the student may return to school approximately 12 hours after symptoms resolve and is able to tolerate a normal diet.

• The student has an undiagnosed rash

• The student has severe cold symptoms

• The student is diagnosed with a serious communicable disease i.e.: influenza, chicken pox, impetigo, scabies, and pertussis. Please contact your school nurse before sending your child back to school. Physician’s documentation may be required for school attendance after treatment for impetigo, scabies, pertussis, conjunctivitis, and other treatable communicable diseases.

Please contact your school nurse if you have any questions or concerns regarding the health status of your child.

It's time to start thinking about MCAS, so we're sharing our testing dates with you!

Teamwork makes the dreamwork! We'll be focusing this week on how working in teams is important. Students will flex their teamwork muscles by working together to compile a list of important facts they've learned about Charlotte Forten, too. Over the coming weeks, ask your child who Charlotte Forten was and what a difference she made in the lives of so many!

Please mark your calendars for the All City Beginner Concert, February 13, Salem High School @ 7pm.

The school menus are posted on the SPS website. Find them here.

23.3% -- Chronic absenteeism

Our goal is 18.2% or under in the "Chronic Absence" category. We understand that illnesses are on the uptick right now, so if your student is ill, please do keep them home. If they are well, let's get them to school!

Shout out to grade 1 again this week with the lowest number of chronic absences! 15.9%...wow!

Did you know you can earn money for our school just by scanning your grocery receipts? All you need to do is download the Boxtops app, and scan those receipts! Don't want to scan? No worries, you can always send receipts into school with your student in an envelope marked, "PTO Boxtops".

Again, we're stressing that if you MUST leave your car during drop off, pull up past the school entrance and drive as far down the sidewalk as possible. Adults are exiting vehicles close to "the rock" causing a cars to back up into the street. This is unsafe. Please follow the drop off rules.

Our Bates spirit rock is available for weekly rentals. Celebrate your student's birthday or other accomplishments by painting a message on our rock. Please click here to rent the rock!

Bates Elementary School, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with a culturally responsive, student – centered, and equitable learning experience that celebrates our students’ diverse backgrounds, creative pursuits, and their academic, social, emotional success.