Salemwood Shark Newsletter

Greetings Salemwood Families!

We are so excited to welcome back our returning students and their families as well as extending a warm welcome to our new students and families! We hope you had a relaxing and fun summer! We are looking forward to a wonderful and enriching 2024-2025 school year.

The first day of school for Grade 1 through Gr 8 is Wednesday, August 28, 2024.

The first day of school for Kindergarten is Friday, September 6th. Kindergarten Orientation will be held on August 29th from 9:00 am (K-4 Cafe). Families and incoming Kindergarteners are welcome to attend and met their student's teacher. During orientation families will receive important information and sign up for screening.

School hours

Kindergarten- Grade 6 are 8:15am-2:15pm

Grade 7 & Grade 8 school hours are 7:45am-2:20pm

Each grade level has their designated area for drop off and pick up:

Kindergarten: 2 homerooms at classroom doorway on K-4 plaza and 3 homerooms on Salem St 5-8 plaza; Grade 1: K-4 main office plaza

Gr 2: Double blue doors near K-4 cafe doors

Gr 3 & Gr 4: Tot lot/playground

Gr 5 & 6: Salem Street 5-8 plaza

Gr 7 & Gr 8: 5-8 cafe/gym entrance

Breakfast and lunch are free to all students.

We would like to remind you to join the Salemwood School's Class Dojo to receive our school notifications. Please click on the link to join: https://www.classdojo.com/invite/?s=5397ca2ae25e7dc77f001069

Please reach out to us here at the school if you have any questions or concerns. We would be happy to help you. The school's number is 781-388-0643 or 781-388-0647 or email me at vhuynh@maldenps.org.

Thank you and enjoy the last days of summer vacation!

Ms. Van Huynh

maldenps.org/salemwood

Email: vhuynh@maldenps.org
Website: https://maldenps.org/salemwood/

Salemwood Meet and Greet August 21st

Wednesday, August 21st, 2024, 4-5PM.

The first day of school:

• Grades 1-8 start school on August 28th.
• Kindergarten begins on September 6th

• Grades K-6 start at 8:15 and are dismissed at 2:15
• Grades 7 & 8 start at 7:45 and are dismissed at 2:20

Fall Important Dates

08/28 First day of school grades 1-8

08/29 Kindergarten Orientation 9:00 am in K-4 cafe

08/30 No School

09/02 Labor Day (No school)

09/03 No school (Teacher PD)

09/04 Kindergarten Screening (by appointment)

09/05 Kindergarten Screening (by appointment)

09/06 First day of school for Kindergarten (8:15am-2:15pm)

9/09 School Committee Meeting

09/17 Open House for Kindergarten-Grade 8 6:00-7:30 pm

9/24 Title 1 Caregiver Event 8:15am in K-4 cafe

10/10 Quarter 1 progress reports distributed

11/15 Quarter 1 report cards distributed

11/19 Caregiver/ Teacher Conferences 6:00-7:30

Parking at the Salemwood has always been a challenge.

If your plan is to leave the car to accompany your child to their line please note, there is no parking or drop off in the school parking lot. The spaces are reserved for staff so the teachers are able to welcome our students on time.

Please be mindful of our neighbors. Do not park in such a way as to block driveways to make the street impassable.

The Salemwood School does not have any elementary staff on duty prior to 8:10. Please do not drop off your little one early. Children are not allowed into the building before school as there is no one available to watch them.

Please note, there is no supervision before or afterschool on the school ground or playground

The Student & Family Handbook has been updated for this coming school year. The Handbook can be found on the MPS website as well as HERE. Please take some time to read the attendance policy & dress code updates.

Attendance Policy

Regular and punctual school attendance is essential for success in school. We recognize that parents/caregivers of students attending our schools have special rights as well as responsibilities, one of which is to ensure that their students attend school regularly, in accordance with state law.

Therefore, students may receive excused absences from school attendance only for the following reasons:

• Illness, injury or quarantine that prevents the student from attending school upon receipt of doctor’s note.

• Bereavement or serious illness in the parents/caregivers.

• Inclement weather is to endanger the health of the student.

• Observance of major religious holidays.

• A significant personal or parents/caregivers crisis that prevents the student from attending school as approved by school admin.

• Court appearances: Students must present evidence of the required appearance.

• Medical or psychological tests during the school day that cannot be scheduled after school or on the weekend. Students must show evidence (such as a note from the health center) that the tests could not be scheduled after school.

• Other extraordinary situations approved by the school administration.

• Disability-related absences.

• A student may also be excused for other exceptional reasons with approval of the Principal or designee.

How Parents/Caregivers Can Help: A student's understanding of the importance of day-to-day schoolwork is an important factor in the shaping of a character. parents/caregivers can help their studentren by not allowing them to miss school needlessly.

Here are some steps to take in the event of an absence:

• Parents/caregivers are asked to provide a written explanation for the absence or tardiness of a student. This will be required in advance for types of absences where advance notice is possible.

• To ensure continuity and maximum advantage of the school program, students must attend school each day and arrive on time. parents/caregivers are expected to telephone the school office prior to 8:00AM to report that their student will be absent on any given day.

• In addition, a written excuse from the parent/caregiver must be presented the day any pupil returns to school from an absence. Any situation resulting in an absence that may have serious extenuating circumstances must be brought to the attention of the Principal, by the parent/caregiver, as soon as those circumstances are apparent. Absent notes are given to the student’s homeroom teacher, who then sends the note to the office. (Please include: the date(s) of the absence, the student’s full name, the reason for the absence, and the student’s homeroom number.

• Notes are necessary even when a parent/caregiver has spoken to the Principal, assistant Principal, or the main office about the absence.

Any student who is absent over three (3) consecutive days must report to the main office with their note and may be asked to see the school nurse. In instances of chronic or irregular absence reportedly due to illness, the school administration may request a physician's statement certifying such absences to be justified.

Family Vacations

Attending school every day is vital to students’ academic success. parents/caregivers and students should make every possible effort to plan vacations during the regular scheduled school vacations listed in the annual academic calendar. State policy requires Malden Public Schools to mark skipped days as unexcused absences. Vacations other than regularly scheduled school vacations are unexcused absences.

“Skipping School” is considered truancy as well as an unexcused absence. Missing school days directly before and after school breaks due to extended vacations is not permitted.

School based staff cannot excuse any vacation time from students’ records and teachers are not permitted to give out make-up work for such instances.

Dress Code

Malden Public Schools is a serious place of learning. There is an expectation that students dress in keeping with reasonable standards of safety, health, and cleanliness, so as not to detract from the educational process. Student attire should not disrupt the educational environment. If a student is wearing clothing that disrupts the educational process, such as clothes that promote drugs, alcohol, or violence, he or she will be asked to go home and change or to wear a t-shirt provided by the school staff. The discretion of administration will prevail in whether the clothing creates a disruption.

In accordance with Massachusetts State Law, students have the right to freedom of expression, provided that such right shall not cause any disruption or disorder within the school. There is an expectation that students dress in a manner that is appropriate for a place of study; and are obeying to reasonable standards of safety, health, and cleanliness, so as not to detract from the education process. If style demonstrates that it is disruptive to the educational process, constitutes a threat to the safety and health of self and others, or is in violation of any statute, it will not be permitted in school. The intent of this document is to create a standard that will align with overall expectations of appropriate attire that contribute to a positive school environment. By no means is the desired outcome of this document for students to be judged or shamed.

Clothing that creates a risk of substantial and material disruption or disorder within the school is not acceptable.

This may include:

• Clothing, including face masks with any picture and/or wording that relates, advertises, or infers to sex, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or displays lewd, vulgar, indecent or “plainly offensive” language (masking is optional)

• Hats, hoods, bandanas, or any other head coverings (except for religious or cultural reasons)

• Clothing worn in such a manner as to reveal undergarments.

• Strapless tops and halter tops.

• Skirts and shorts where buttocks are visible.

• Sunglasses worn inside the school building.

• Clothing or article that suggests gang activities.

• Chains (wallet, belt, large neck chains, etc.).

• Spiked collars, spiked belts, spiked bracelets.

• Pants, when the waist falls below the hip.

The school Principal, having discretion to render judgments regarding what is and what is not appropriate, may, if necessary, waive these policy restrictions in religious and/or medical situations. The Principal will determine what consequences should follow when a student does not comply with this policy. A student may change to wear a school T-Shirt offered by the school, bring their own change of clothes, or a parent/caregivers may be required to bring in a change of clothing.

Email: vhuynh@maldenps.org
Website: https://maldenps.org/salemwood/
Phone: 781-388-0643
Twitter: @salemwoodmalden