McGovern News!

I am thrilled to share some exciting news! We know how important in person learning is for our youngest students. Remote learning can be challenging on students and families. I know everyone has done their absolute best with remote learning including faculty and staff, students and families, but we know nothing can replace in person learning. Students can more easily build relationships and connections in person, teachers can deliver lessons using hands on materials in person, differentiation is easier in person.... it is all easier, in person! Having said that, if we need to expand our remote learning- we are prepared.

Our goal in Medway has always been to safely bring students back to school 100% of the time. I am excited to share that beginning on November 4th, we will welcome our students back in person on Wednesday for half day. Arrival will remain at 8:35 am and dismissal will begin at 12:00 pm, which is our standard early release dismissal time.

We know that our school structure and routines are set up to maintain physical distancing and our students have done a terrific job of following all of our new procedures. The faculty, staff and I are beyond thrilled to have students in the building for an additional half day. Finally, we will keep working towards a 100% return and I will update you when that becomes possible.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Best,

Amy McDonald, Principal

Our Curriculum Night will take place on Thursday, October 29, 2020 and it will be a virtual experience. You will have an opportunity to hear from me, your child's teacher, and our allied arts team. There will also be time for you to ask questions. The structure of the evening can be found below and teachers will share zoom links as the night gets closer.

Allied Arts/Special Education/Interventionists:

Our Allied Arts team, special educators and interventionists will provide an overview session and then leave time for question and answers. The times are below and you will receive links the week of 10/26.

6:15-6:45- PK & K

6:45-7:15- 1st

First Grade Teachers:

6:00-6:50

Classroom teachers will share information about expectations, routines and the curriculum. Each classroom teacher will host their own event and their will be time for questions at the end.

PreK and K Teachers:

6:45-7:35

Classroom teachers will share information about expectations, routines and the curriculum. Each classroom teacher will host their own event and their will be time for questions at the end.

In order to ensure confidentiality and begin Contact Tracing as soon as possible, the District has established lines of communication if ever you need to report a positive COVID Test.

Report a student positive COVID test results by either emailing or calling the hotline below:

• covid@medwayschools.org
• 508-321-4779

Believe it or not, there are already have many items turned into the office as lost items! It is very important that everything a child brings to school is labeled with their full name. This includes common items like, lunch bags, water bottles, and sweatshirts. At the end of every school year, we donate several bags of unclaimed sweatshirts, winter coats, and more! Please double check that your child's items are all labeled.

If you have a kindergarten or first grade student, please read this Transportation Letter. You must respond by October 23, 2020. If we do not receive a response by October 23, your child will not have an assigned seat on the bus and will not be allowed to utilize bus transportation.

As I have mentioned, we have assessed students to understand their strengths and opportunities for growth. The information that teachers receive from beginning of year assessments is valuable in creating differentiated learning opportunities. Next week, teachers will send home diagnostic reports for you to review. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher.

Well Monday and Tuesday morning reminded us what Fall is capable of, even if the temperature did end up warming up toward the end of the school day. Here is a helpful graphic to ensure that students are arriving to school with the best layers and apparel as we transition from summer temperatures to the crisp air of fall. This is also helpful in the classrooms and on the bus, if your child is a rider, as we are trying to keep windows open as much as possible.

The first few weeks are always a bit of a roller coaster, families and teachers are getting used to new routines and ways of doing things, especially if you are fully remote or learning remotely on Wednesdays. One of the many skill sets we strive to achieve with our students is independence. While this type of learning requires a high use of technology, we don’t want to lose focus on building our students independence skill set. Please click this link for some very helpful tips from our teachers!

Please remember when attending a scheduled virtual session it is imperative that your child is on time. Our Allied Arts teachers are teaching both virtual and hybrid classes throughout the school day, and there is a finite window in which they must engage students, present lessons and allow for questions. This is also true for our virtual teachers who are moving between whole group and small group lessons throughout the day. When students are late, teachers have to stop presenting their screen, allow the child in, and restart the lesson. Having to stop and restart lessons when there are late arrivals can be a distraction for such young students and having to review information just taught can waste valuable time on learning.

It can be very helpful to use a smart device or watch to set alarms for the daily/weekly sessions about 5 minutes before they are scheduled to begin, so you can ensure that you are logged on and ready to go.

Although Allied Arts supplies a choice board on Wednesdays, it is important to note that your special on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are mandatory. Teachers are tracking attendance daily for morning meeting, each whole group, small group, and allied arts class and attendance is mandatory in these sessions.

If you have any technical questions or need support, please email support@medwayschools.org Thank you so much for your continued support from home.

In an effort to continue to stay connected to families, my next office hour session is on Monday, October 26, 2020 at 10:00 am. I will share the meeting credentials via School Messenger the week of 10/19.

I know that our arrival and dismissal process takes longer than years prior. Please remember to leave space for our neighbors to get out of the driveways in the morning and afternoon. I very much appreciate your cooperation with this.

I hope this finds everyone healthy.

A gentle reminder that all students’ immunizations, whether an in-person or virtual learner, need to be compliant as mandated by the MA Department of Public Health. In addition, an in-person physical exam is needed for students entering the McGovern school for the first time; typically pre-kindergarten or kindergarten students or a student transferring from another district. Documentation of an in-person physical is required. This physical exam should be conducted within one year before or within 90 days of the start of school and can not have been a phone or virtual examination. If your child had a virtual visit please contact your child’s provider to discuss setting up an in-person appointment.

As many of you are aware, Massachusetts now requires that all students, pre k - grade 12, receive an influenza vaccine by December 31, 2020. The only exceptions allowed are for medical or religious reasons.

Please provide the appropriate documentation as soon as you are able. All forms are to be sent to the attention of the nurse. They may be sent to school with you child, scanned and emailed to pmckay@medwayschools.org or faxed to 508-533-3263.

Feel free to contact me with any questions at the above email address or at 508-533-6626 x5354. I am at school every day and available to meet with parents to discuss health concerns, develop health plans, and receive medications and paperwork. Be aware that, at this time, all in-person meetings will take place outside of the building. I am also available to speak with you on the phone or communicate via email.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Penny McKay

In order to ensure that children’s nutritional needs are satisfied during this period of remote learning, we are offering any Medway resident under the age of 21 the opportunity to access free school meals every day of the week and/or food to prepare meals at home. For more details about these offerings and to sign-up for remote meals please click here.

If you are not receiving email communications from the district or the schools, we are here to help. Please email parent@medwayschools.org and a team will work to ensure that you are connected.

MEPTO's Creative Arts program chair has created a fun calendar for the K-4 families, for the month of October. Check out the calendar for some fun activities! You can view the calendar here.

Please read the letter below regarding square 1 art:

Dear Family,

Welcome to Square 1 Art! The Square 1 Art art project provides you the opportunity to purchase keepsakes and gifts featuring your child's art and every order profits your school. This year will look a little different as all artwork will be done at home and will be submitted virtually.

Your 3 Simple Steps:

1. Your child creates art. Art Creation instructions and art/order deadlines will be provided by your Square 1 Art coordinator.

2. Take a photo of your child's art with your phone or tablet.

and upload the art online at square1art.com/shop/upload

3. You may then begin to shop for keepsakes!

Together, we can help support the school, and create keepsake memories of your child's art to enjoy for years!

More detailed instructions coming soon...

Square 1 Art

square1art.com

888.332.3294

McGovern School Square 1 Art Coordinator

Meagan Wilde

meagan.mckenna@yahoo.com

Memorial School Square 1 Art Coordinator

Julie McMenamy

juliemcmenamy@yahoo.com

Oct 28: School Site Council, 3:15 PM

Oct 29: Back to School Night, times listed above

Nov 3: No School, Election Day, Professional Development Day for faculty and staff

Please click the following links for directions on how to translate the newsletter.

Here is the link for the master directions in English.

Here is the link for Spanish.

Here is the link for French.

Here is the link for Russian.

Here is the link for Arabic

Haga clic en los siguientes enlaces para obtener instrucciones sobre cómo traducir el boletín.

Aquí está el enlace para español.

Here is the link for Spanish.

Veuillez cliquer sur les liens suivants pour savoir comment traduire le bulletin d'information.

Voici le lien pour le français.

Here is the link for French.

Пожалуйста, нажмите следующие ссылки для получения инструкций о том, как перевести информационный бюллетень.

Вот ссылка на русский.

Here is the link for Russian.