MURSD District Update

Email: mcohen@mursd.org
Website: https://www.mursd.org/
Location: 150 North Ave, Mendon, MA, USA
Phone: 508-634-1585
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MURSDInspires/
Twitter: @mendonuptonrsd

August 19, 2022

Dear Mendon-Upton School Families,

It is with great enthusiasm that I would like to welcome everyone to the 2022-2023 school year!

In a little over a week, on August 31, 2022, we will be welcoming our students through our doors with open arms, hugs, high fives, waves, hellos and fist bumps.

All signs indicate that we are well poised for a positive and productive school year. Everything about Mendon-Upton conveys #TeamMURSD. It truly takes a connected and collaborative team to open each school year. Over the summer months, our custodial staff have not only thoroughly cleaned the buildings, but they have devoted many hours in maintenance and upgrades to our facilities. Our school office teams have been busy greeting and registering new families, assisting new staff, and helping to get communications, documents, and schedules ready for the year. Our administrators and interview teams have devoted time to bring in high-caliber teachers and staff through comprehensive hiring processes. Our teachers have been engaged in professional learning and collaborative lesson planning to prepare for our students. Our summer learning staff have been working with students over the summer. Our transportation team has developed updated bus routes for transporting 2,000+ students across two towns each day. Our community partners have brought in volunteers through WeCareMiscoe and our PTOs to plan orientation days for students. I can't thank our #TeamMURSD enough for their commitment to our vision, our community, and our students.

This newsletter and corresponding school newsletters are filled with back-to-school information regarding bus routes, orientations, athletic sign-ups, summer reading, and upcoming dates. We also will additionally use our website and social media accounts to re-share information you will receive in the newsletters as we know many of us live and work in many digital spaces today.

As we continue to transition out of schooling in the height of a global pandemic, we enter a space where we are excited to reconnect more in person, to reignite our students' interests, re-engage with community partners, and to rebuild from the past challenges associated with the pandemic. I am hopeful and optimistic for this year and know that all of us in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District are looking forward to working alongside parents, caregivers, and families to support, empower, and encourage our incredible students.

On behalf of the Mendon-Upton Regional School District, we wish you and your families a very safe and enjoyable conclusion to the 2022 summer. We are looking forward to a successful and productive 2022-2023 school year filled with laughter, new experiences, and learning.

Warm Regards,

~Maureen

Superintendent of Schools

Nipmuc Regional High School: Hours 7:30 am - 2:00 pm (Drop-off 7:00 am - 7:25 am)

Miscoe Hill Middle School: Hours 8:05 am - 2:40 pm (Drop-off 7:55 am - 8:04 am)

Clough and Memorial Elementary School: Hours 9:00 am - 3:15 pm (Drop-off 8:45 - 9:00 am)

If you have specific questions regarding school hours and drop-off times/locations please contact each school directly.

The MURSD Portrait of a Learner recognizes the value of helping our students become global citizens who are able to demonstrate an understanding of others' perspectives, value diversity, and respect cultural differences. What better way to get that international perspective than to host a Spanish exchange student in your home!

MURSD is seeking families who would be interested in hosting a student from September 12 to September 26, 2022. During that time, students from the Divina Pastora School in León, Spain are traveling to the US to stay with local families in MURSD and attend Nipmuc Regional High School. We are currently looking for more host families and would love for you to take advantage of this amazing opportunity!

Welcoming an exchange student into your home opens your family up to an exciting world of new relationships and rich cultural experiences! Families with students across all grade levels are encouraged to consider this opportunity. Please reach out to Tricia Moloney, Nipmuc World Language Department Chair, at tmoloney@mursd.org if you are interested and/or would like more information.

Please check out our updated bus routes for the 2022-2023 school year, which are posted on our transportation website.

Here is a direct link to all of the summer reading lists for 2022. If you are in need of assistance with the summer reading books please reach out to your local libraries and/or our schools who should have some copies available.

• August 22-Nipmuc HS Fall sports information night 6:30pm

• August 23-Miscoe Informational Athletics Meeting at Miscoe 6:30pm

• August 24-New student orientation at Nipmuc 5-7pm

• August 24-Popsicles in the Park (see above)

• August 25 -New Family Welcome at Clough at 3:00pm

• August 25 -Kindergarten Meet and Greet at Clough at 5:30pm

• August 25- Popsicle social at Miscoe at 6:30pm

• August 27- Kindergarten Play Date at Memorial 10:00am

• August 29-Opening day for faculty and staff

• August 30-Professional development day for faculty and staff

• September 14 and 15 - Open House at Miscoe

• September 20 and 21 - Open House at Clough and Memorial

• September 29 - Open House at Nipmuc

• Memorial School Supplies
• Clough School Supplies
• Miscoe Hill School Supplies

This past week the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released updated guidance for dealing with COVID during the 2022-2023 school year which is linked here and CDC updated guidance is linked here. Essentially, we will have similar guidelines to where we ended the 2021-2022 school year.

Per state guidance, we will not:

• perform contact tracing
• provide tests for home testing
• perform pool testing
• require universal masking
• report COVID cases to DESE

We will continue to:

• provide a mask flexible environment
• track and report COVID cases (to start the year)
• provide symptomatic testing in school
• provide increased ventilation and filtration in our schools
• have PPE on hand such as masks and hand sanitizers
• provide vaccination clinics throughout the year
• partner with state and local health officials as protocols change

Massachusetts has extended a waiver that allows schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to ALL students through out the 2022-2023 school year! We are thrilled with this news as it means that we will be able to provide all of Mendon-Upton students with nutritious and nourishing food for free.

What this means for your family and for the Mendon-Upton School District:

- Your children, ages 0-21 , will receive a healthy breakfast and lunch every school day, at no cost, in a safe and welcoming environment.

- It allows the Mendon-Upton Regional School District to provide the most nourishing and appetizing meals possible for your children. When your children eat school meals, it helps the school system by providing federal funds to the district. The more meals we serve, the more funding we receive, allowing us to focus on meal quality, variety and innovative practices (new recipes, frozen take home meals, etc.). If your children have never before participated in school meals, consider trying the program this year!

- It helps you save time and money. By allowing us to prepare meals for your children you don’t have to plan and shop for your children’s breakfast and lunch each school day.

For More Information on Lunches please go to our Food and Nutrition Services Department Webpage.

This portion of the newsletter will be dedicated to celebrating all members of our school community who are difference-makers. If you have someone you would like to highlight that is making a difference, please let us know by using the link below. Some will be highlighted here and everyone will receive individual recognition