Weekly Bulletin

Important Dates:

Important Dates

• Monday, September 26-Pto Meeting @ 7pm
  
• Thursday, September 29- School Pictures Day
• Thursday, September 29- M.S. Curriculum Night for Grades 7 & 8 at 6-7:30pm
• Monday, October 10- No School for Columbus Day
• Tuesday,October 18- Early Release Day -Dismissal at 11:10 a.m.
• Friday, October 21- Grade 5/6 Social
• Monday, October 24 - PTO Meeting
• Thursday, November 3 -Term 1 Ends
• Monday November 7- Project 300 Kick -Off (collection 11/7 thru 11/14)
• Tuesday November 8- No School
• Friday November 11- No School (Veterans Day)

PLEDGE

DATE -----NAME------------H.R.

9/26 Caiden D. & Ethan C. 206

9/27 Ashley B. & Medhanshi B. 206

9/28 MikaylaA. & Maahi P. 206

9/29 Sumeda P. & Anthony Y. 206

9/30 Kristen R. 206

FLAG

Date --------Name-------------H.R.

9/26 Evelyn M & Sumedha P. 206

9/27 Aiden Kivlan & Owen D. 206

9/28 Nahla T. & Amber L. 206

9/29 Sam S. & Kyle P & Matt C. 212

9/30 Sophia G.B & Gemma B. 212

Chromebook Repair Protocol: If your student enters a ticket through the IIQ Helpdesk while at home, they will need to drop off the Chromebook in the library when they come to school the next day. The Tech Department will collect the broken device and perform the repairs. Students may be able to get a loaner device while waiting for their device to be repaired.

When the repairs are done, the student will be alerted via their ticket/email to pick up their device in the library.

Please use this video tutorial for the process of submitting an IIQ Helpdesk ticket.

September Lunch Menu

Click on link below for the September Lunch Menu:

https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/webmenus2/#/view?id=62a9f60e7057ec33e3d19004&siteCode=3370

To report an absence,tardy or dismissal for your student.Please notify McCarthy School by emailing mccarthy_attendance@chelmsford.k12.ma.us or by calling the attendance line at 978-251-5133,extention 4100.~ Thank You ,

Ida Mannion

NRT Bus Company:

If you need to reach out to NRT here is the phone # 978-323-0101

If any issues come up regarding the bus coming late, or not picking up your child etc.

Buses/ Transportation: I encourage families to register your students for the buses. There is plenty of room on our buses. Please use this link to register your students for the bus: https://www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us/domain/90

McCarthy Middle School has water bottle refill stations and water bubblers for students to use located throughout the building.

Start/End Times: Students will be allowed to enter the school at 8:00am with HR beginning at 8:19. Students who enter before 8:05 will go to the cafeteria where we have supervision and breakfast is served. Our dismissal time is 2:40pm. We will continue to maintain a safe, staggered dismissal allowing for less-crowded hallways and ample time for students to board the buses or get picked up.

COVID-19 Protocol Updates

• No mask requirement- except when in the Health Offices and/or returning to school after testing positive- wear a mask Day 6-10 (unless test negative on Day 5 or after)
• Individuals who wish to continue to wear a mask will be supported
• Discontinued Pool Testing, At-Home Rapid Antigen Testing, Test to Stay and Contract Tracing
• Quarantine for close contacts is no longer required, regardless of vaccination status or where the exposure occurred.
• Exposed individuals may attend school as long as they remain symptom free.

COVID-19 Symptoms

• Fever 100.0/chills, shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or Shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell,
• Muscle aches/body aches
• Cough (not due to other known cause such as chronic cough)
• Sore throat when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms
• Headache when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion/runny nose (not due to other known cause such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

McCarthy & Parker Cross Country Running Team

The Cross Country Running Team is open to middle-school students of all grades and abilities. The team practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at the track behind McCarthy Middle School, from 2:45-3:45 pm, from September 26st-November 3rd. In addition to practices, runners will have the opportunity to compete in meets with area middle schools. Students of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate - our goal is to run approximately two miles (or more) each practice. Practices always start with stretching and end with a game!

*Runners of all abilities are encouraged to attend meets, although races are never mandatory. All runners are responsible for their own transportation to and from practices and meets.

*Parker students must be picked up at dismissal time and dropped off at the track behind McCarthy Middle School (carpooling is allowed and encouraged). Staff will not be able to jog students over and back as in years past.

*This is an after school club and all students must get an after school activity card in order to participate. Homeroom teachers will have sign ups available starting next week.

*Deadline for registration is Friday, September 16th.

If interested, please have your child ask their homeroom teachers for a handout in order to sign up and purchase the required after-school activity card. If you have any additional questions, please contact felzania@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

Drop Off Procedures at McCarthy

DROP OFF/PICKUP/DISMISSAL REMINDERS

DROP OFF FOR STUDENTS MEETING WITH A TEACHER: Students should not arrive at school before 8:00am unless they have a pre-arranged meeting with a teacher. Those students arriving before 8:00am must enter through the front door any time after 7:30 and sign in at the main office.

REGULAR MORNING DROP OFF: This still occurs on the police station side of the school. The side doors open at 8:00am. Parents need to have their students exit the vehicle ASAP and walk directly onto the sidewalk. Parents cannot wait until the car pulls up to the door. Multiple cars (8-10 cars) need to allow students to disembark simultaneously. Rain or Shine!

Once buses are clear from the front, we begin sending cars to the front door as well to alleviate congestion. Students should not be waiting to exit right at the door. That slows the process down. We want to make sure students get to HR on time (8:19).

Morning traffic pattern (PLEASE see photo below)

Traffic can either pull in off on North Road or enter the back parking lot from Old Westford Road. At that point two lines (potentially more) will be formed running parallel to the football field. This allows traffic coming in from North Road to join the cars coming in from Old Westford Road. As the cars turn left to go toward the actual drop off zone, lines will merge back into one lane to drop students off directly onto the sidewalk.

Pick Up Procedures at McCarthy

AFTER SCHOOL PICK-UP (2:40): Please enter back parking lot from Old Westford Road. Pick-ups at the end of the school day are in the parking lot near the tennis courts/football field. If you are picking up any combination of 6th, 7th or 8th grade students, please park in a parking spot and the students will come to you in your car. You will exit the parking lot back onto Old Westford Road. If you are picking up a fifth-grade student or any combination of students that includes a fifth-grade student, you can line up along the sidewalk next to the school. Please see blue line below. For children's safety, please back into a parking spot before the dismissal time as it is much safer pulling forward out of a parking spot once school is dismissed. Thanks for keeping our children safe. PLEASE see photo below.

DISMISSALS: Please try to remember to send in a note with your child when you know your child will need to be dismissed.

Thanks for helping us keep children safe by following these procedures.

Dear McCarthy Community,

It has again been reported that we have an unsafe situation. Despite previous messaging to all families, our Central Office parking lot continues to be an unsafe area people are dropping off/picking up children. This can no longer happen. There have been some close calls and near accidents as people are pulling over in various spots in the driveways and parking lot at Central Office. All drop-offs and pick-ups are on the Chelmsford Police Department side (right side) of the building. There should be no drop-off/pick-ups on the staff parking area as well (left side of the building). The only time there are pick-ups on the left side of the school are for activities pick-ups at 3:45. Below is a reminder of our drop-off and pick-up procedures. Thanks for everyone's cooperation as we want to keep everyone safe.

Regards,

Mr. McPhee

PTO

2022-2023 PTO Board : President:

Vice President: Risa DiVincenzo

Treasurer: Shanon Dahlstrom

Secretary: Alicia Cunningham

Enrichment Coord.: Katie Kelepouris

Contact Us: PTO.McCarthy@gmail.com

MCCARTHY GUIDANCE COUNSELOR'S

Please contact your child’s guidance counselor if you have any overarching concerns whether it is attendance related or not. Specific class/assignment related questions or concerns should be directed to the particular teacher involved. Our counselor assignments are as follows:

Moya Charig: Grade 8 & Team 5-4 charigm@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Elyse Seero: Grade 6& Team 5-2,5/6 seeroe@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Jessica Weaver : Grade 7 & Team 5-1 & 5-3 weaverj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Email: mannioni@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Location: 250 North Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5122