3 Tiger Drive

978-897-6700

Principal- Keith Kinney kkinney@maynard.k12.ma.us

Assistant Principal-David Snyder dsnyder@maynard.k12.ma.us

Administrative Assistant- Joanne Lochiatto jlochiatto@maynard.k12.ma.us

Administrative Assistant- Marie Roche mroche@maynard.k12.ma.us

Nurse Amy Jamieson: ajamieson@maynard.k12.ma.us

Happy Friday-

I hope this week's newsletter finds you well. I am happy to report that our second week of school has been a great success, and our students and staff have adjusted and are running at full speed. While this week has brought great success and happiness for Fowler, this is not true for all school districts nationwide. As a career- long educator (25 years) and an advocate for students and families, I would be remiss if I did not openly acknowledge the tragedy in Apalachee High School in Georgia. When any level of hate and cruelty takes place anywhere, the results are always heartbreaking and scary, especially when lives are lost. Our thoughts go out to the community of Apalachee High School.

September 11th

Next week will mark the anniversary of the September 11th attacks. I will share the following message over the loud speaker during our morning announcements. I wanted to share this with our community in the spirit of open communication.

Dear Fowler Community,

Today, we remember a day that profoundly impacted our nation and the world – September 11th, 2001, or 9/11. On that day, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, resulting in nearly 3,000 lives lost.

We remember 9/11 to honor the brave first responders, firefighters, police officers, and everyday people who rushed to help, showing immense courage and selflessness. Their heroism reminds us that unity and resilience prevail even in the darkest moments.

As we remember the lives lost, let's also carry forward the lessons of 9/11 – the importance of coming together, showing compassion, and striving for a better world. Let's stand firm as a community, demonstrating that we can overcome adversity and build a more peaceful future through unity.

Thank you for joining me in this moment of remembrance.

Morning Drop-Off (IMPORTANT)

Starting Monday, there will not be an option to turn left into the drop-off line if you enter the property for Maynard High School. The left turn into the drop-off area at Fowler will be coned off. All cars must enter the property from the Green Meadow side. We have put this process into place to ensure the highest level of safety for all and for the efficiency of moving traffic along. This process has been posted several times. Now that we are entering our third week of school, I am confident I have exhausted all ways of communicating this expectation. Thank you for your cooperation.

Important Dates:

September 11th: BMX Presentation

September 21st: Fall Festival

September 23rd - Fowler Picture Day

September 25th - Fowler Back to School Night – 6-7:30 PM

*November 5th- No School (Students)

*The State Primary election is Tuesday, September 3, and voting will be at the Fowler School. We don't anticipate there being any disruption to school functions. For the Presidential Election, Tuesday, November 5, the school will not be in session; it will be a staff professional day."

Have a fantastic weekend!

Keith

Maynard is currently at a moderate risk level for both WNV (meaning WNV infection is likely) and EEE (due to EEE in mosquitos in our area). EEE is a rare but serious illness spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. The Maynard Public Health Division and Maynard Public Schools encourages community members to be aware and use general precautions. Community members can best protect from mosquito bites and the illnesses they cause by doing the following:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

• Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use EPA-registered repellent with DEET, permethrin, or picaridin according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin. More information on choosing and using repellents safely is included in the MDPH Mosquito Repellents fact sheet which can be viewed online at Mosquito Repellents | Mass.gov.

• Clothing Can Help reduce mosquito bites. Weather permitting, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

• Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours - The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. When risk is increased, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

• Drain Standing Water – Many mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools and change water in birdbaths frequently. Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.

• Install or Repair Screens - Keep mosquitos outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all your windows and doors and repairing any holes in screens.

For More Information:

https://www.mass.gov/mosquitoes-and-ticks (Learn what MA is doing to keep you safe – and ways you can protect yourself and your family – from mosquito bites and the illnesses they can cause.)

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mosquito-borne-disease-prevention (Learn simple steps to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites and the illnesses they cause.)

Massachusetts arbovirus update | Mass.gov (Find Notices/Alerts and local risk levels for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV) based on seasonal testing.)

The Taylor Swift Club made friendship bracelets and sold those bracelets at school last year to raise money to create care packages for children that are unhoused and come to the emergency department at MGH. The club raised $100 and over the summer they used that money to purchase care products (brushes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, socks, notebooks and crayons, fidget toys, etc.) to make 10 care packages for schoolagers/middle schoolers to be given out in the pediatric emergency department at MGH.

The staff at MGH is very appreciative of this donation and so far we have given out 5 of the bags in the emergency department.

I think Taylor Swift would be very proud of her Swifties and I am certain Fowler School is too!

Congratulations and great work Elsie, Lucy, Max, Hale (Haleina) and Hannah (all 5th graders)

My name is Brielle Milton. I graduated from High School this past June and just started college classes this week. I have been in Girl Scouts since Kindergarten, and throughout that period, I have learned a lot and had many experiences that I would not have had if not for Girl Scouts. I am now at the end of the journey, finishing my Gold Award Project, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. For my project, I decided to do something focusing on Mental Health Awareness - specifically anxiety and depression among students in middle school. This subject is very important to me because I struggled with it myself, and I wish more help was available in middle schools. I made pamphlets for kids with valuable information and tips on how to care for themselves and where to get extra help if needed. I then took it further and redesigned the "Chill zone" at the Fowler School. I provided comfy chairs, pillows, a rug, a rolling cart filled with books, coloring books, coloring pencils, puzzles, different fidget toys, squeeze balls, and anything else a kid would need when they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. I also supplied two small pedal bikes for kids to get their energy out without going outside. I hope this project will help make their middle school life a little easier and help them cope with any day-to-day anxiety or stress they may have.

Here are the meeting dates for our monthly Booster meetings. We meet the second Wednesday of every month at 7pm at MHS Library. We hope to see many of you there. Our board is made up of parents of seniors with no other children at MHS! We would love to see new faces and old friends helping to make this year a great one!

September 11th - Welcome back kickoff meeting!
October 9th
November 13th
December 11th
January 8th
February 12th
March 12th
April 9th
May 14th

June - TBD

On September 11th to kick of our school year, Fowler PTO has sponsored a visit by Go Green BMX riders who will perform and promote anti-bullying. Click on the picture to link to more information.

Massachusetts General Hospital is returning to Maynard for a Back to School Blood Drive! It will occur on Thursday, September 19th, from 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM. Book your appointment at https://blooddonor.massgeneral.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/6287 - appointments typically take 30-40 minutes, but the actual donation is only about 5-7 minutes long! Contact Emily Chau with any questions via email at ec2696@s.maynard.k12.ma.us or text at 978-493-3044

The Maynard Food Pantry is open every Monday unless it is a holiday. Maynard residents are welcome to shop 2x a month (out-of-town residents are asked to keep it to 1x a month).

1. Adult and Youth Mobile Crisis Intervention: Call 800-640-5432

2. Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org/chat

3. Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

4. Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline: Call 800-327-5050 or visit helplinema.org

5. OUT Metrowest for LGBTQ Youth: Call 508-875-2122 or visit outmetrowest.org

6. Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ Youth: Call 866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or visit thetrevorproject.org

7. Planned Parenthood: Call 888-258-4448 or visit plannedparenthood.org

8. National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 800-799-7233, text LOVEIS to 22522, or visit thehotline.org

9. Eating Disorder Hotline: Call 800-931-2237, or visit nationaleatingdisorder.org

10. Seize the Awkward: text SEIZE to 741741, or visit seizetheawkward.org

ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) Resources

SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) Resources

Maynard Music Association (MMA)

Interested in learning more about the Maynard community and the many wonderful things happening around town? Check out the monthly Maynard Advantage Newsletters by subscribing at maynardadvantage.org

As your food service provider, we want to understand your needs and continuously improve

upon our service. We appreciate your feedback on how we can take our service at your location

to the next level.

 Contact your General Manager, Susan Mitchell-Tang, at Tangs@whitsons.com with

questions or comments related to the service at your location.

 For general comments that will help us improve our overall service, please feel free to

share your comments wish us through the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T69CJK8