April APS Family Newsletter

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Dear Arlington Public Schools Families,

April is a time to welcome spring and the awakening of trees, flowers, and greenery (and sometimes, allergies!). As a gardener myself, I look forward to the splash of color from those first crocuses and snowdrops. I hope the start of spring brings you joy, optimism, and new opportunities for growth and connection.

Additionally, if you were unable to attend the Mid-Year Superintendent's Update last week, I've attached a recording of the meeting for your convenience. Thank you to all who were able to attend, and to those who have already sent us feedback about ways we can continue to improve and meet the needs of the full Arlington community.

Happy April, everyone!

Sincerely,

Dr. Elizabeth C. Homan

Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools

It's that time of year again: state testing is upon us. We know that testing can sometimes bring anxiety and nervousness, but we are confident that our teachers and students have worked hard all year to prepare for the MCAS.

Here are a few practical tips that can help you and your child prepare for the MCAS this spring:

1. Get a full night's rest the night before a test. Being fully rested will help students have energy to stay focused during the assessment.

2. Eat a good, healthy breakfast. A healthy breakfast helps fuel the brain before a test. As a reminder, all students may eat breakfast at their schools at no charge.

3. Practice positive self-talk. Remind your students how smart they are and that you believe in them. Invite them to say something positive to themselves. Confidence is critical to achievement.

4. Practice deep breaths. Assist students in practicing deep breaths to promote focus and balance. (Example: Breathe in for 3 seconds, hold that breath for 3 seconds, and exhale for 6 seconds.)

5. Remind students of the purpose of these tests. These tests are intended for the school and adults to learn how we are doing for students! Students are not judged based on their individual performance on these tests! The tests are used to give the schools a "snapshot" of how all of our students are doing relative to state standards.

Here is a copy of the MCAS testing schedule.

APS Families,

Please see the updates to the respiratory infection guidelines. Here's the APS community message regarding respiratory illnesses for your convenience. APS nurses are here to assist our families and answer any questions you may have. We wish you a healthy April!

~APS School Nurses

Parent Workshop open to all parents, in person on April 9th.

In addition, on April 30th at 7 p.m., join us on zoom for a workshop with Leslie Leslie, MassPAC program director for the Federation for Children with Special Needs on the role of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council. Please consider attending this workshop if you are interested in being an active member of SEPAC next year. Nominations for next year's board positions will open at the May meeting at 9 a.m. on May 14, and the election will be held at the June meeting on June 11th at 7:30 p.m.

APS Literacy Coaches and Dr. Mona Ford Walker recently presented an overview of the new literacy curriculum that will be used in all K-5 classrooms beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. The team presented the theory behind EL, the components of the curriculum, shared their experiences, discussed what has been working well and how teachers have been responding and also answered questions. Please review the video for more information. Click the photo to go to the website where the recording is posted.

Summer Fun registration is open! SummerFun runs July 8-August 16 at Arlington High School and serves children in grades 1-12. With classes in arts & crafts, cooking, fitness, games, music, theater, dance, STEAM, and more, there is something for everyone. Find out more about SummerFun!

• Half-day or full-day
• One week or up to all six
• Morning & afternoon extended day
• Small class sizes
• Brand new building with A/C!

Registrations must be made online. Please create an account in our registration system, if you have not done so already. Tuition assistance is available for qualifying Arlington families.

Arlington High School Principal Dr. Matthew Janger is planning on doing a few tours for new and prospective students (aside from the 8th grade visit in June). Interested parents can contact Morgan Cummings (781-316-3658) or email, if they are interested in attending. The next tour date will be Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 3:30PM.

Kindergarten Registration Letter

Registration Checklist

Register Here

Registration Website

As part of the Arlington Education Foundation’s “Multicultural Concert Series” grant, the Arlington Public Schools Performing Arts Department will present Espirales, a Cuban Ensemble, for the first in a series of Multicultural Concerts.

The Espirales Project, featuring Tania Haase, violin & vocals; Olivia Rodríguez, bass; Alejandro Aguiar, percussion; Jesús Estrada, percussion; Rodrigo García, keyboard, are arriving in Arlington from Cuba this week. They will offer a workshop to AHS students on Thursday, April 4th, as part of the AHS Inclusion Workshops.

The Espirales Project will present a free “Boston/Havana Connection” concert for the Arlington community on April 5th at 7:00 PM in the Arlington High School Auditorium. The “Boston/Havana Connection” concert will feature AHS Jazz Band at 7:00 PM and the Espirales Project at 8:15 PM.

Newly emerging on the Cuban music scene in 2023, the Espirales Project brings together five top graduates of Cuba’s Instituto Superior de Arte performing across several genres—Cuban, jazz, world, and chamber music. Tania Haase, Olivia Rodríguez, Alejandro Aguiar, Jesús Estrada and Rodrigo García have led or contributed nationally and internationally to projects across all these styles, performing at Cuba’s International Jazz Plaza Festival and the Habana Clásica concert music festival. They are also teachers who have designed a development program on Cuban music and culture.

Check out their YouTube video and their recent interviews in the PBS News.

Dear Arlington Families:

Every year, as part of our efforts to encourage intercultural learning, we invite international students to join us at Arlington High School and we've hosted students from all over the globe. We've had a blast getting to know these students and they've added so much to our community. I am writing to you because our wonderful families are an important part of this program. Families who open their homes and hearts to these students make this intercultural learning experience possible. Past families have told us how much they have gotten out of the experience. Connections are made that last well beyond the duration of the visit.

We have wonderful families who have hosted in the past returning and we are looking for a few new families as well. Our current needs are for host families starting fall 2024. In our effort to attract great families, we are working with a company called Educatius Group. Host families are paid a monthly fee for hosting and will receive 24/7 support. If you would like to learn more about being a host parent, you can contact Maria Ribon from Educatius Group at maria.ribon@educatius.org or call/text her at 617-970-1999.

If you would like to know more about the visiting international student program at Arlington High School, you can contact me. Please consider hosting an international student! You'll be supporting this great program and past host families will tell you what a wonderful experience hosting an international student can be for everybody involved. Thank you for your help and support with this amazing program.

Highlighting school events from the previous month

Please join us for our bi-weekly regular meeting that will be held in person at the District Offices in the School Committee Room located at 14 Mill Brook Drive Arlington and online via Zoom or on ACMi at 6:30PM on the following dates:

• Thursday April 25th 6:30PM
• Thursday May 9th 6:30PM

All members of the school district community have the opportunity to address the School Committee on issues that affect the school district and are within the scope of the Committee's responsibilities during the Public Comment portion of the School Committee Meeting and/or through written correspondence to the Members. For full school committee calendar and more information please visit the School Committee Website. If you have any questions please contact Liz Diggins via email ediggins@arlington.k12.ma.us.

Please join us for a session on Saturday April 6th @ 9:30AM, held remotely via Zoom.

• April 1st - MCAS testing across the district
• April 3rd - Paraprofessional Appreciation Day
• April 3rd - 4th - Game of Myths, Gibbs Drama Club
• April 4th - School Librarian Appreciation Day
• April 9th - OMS Quarter 3 Art Show & Reception
• April 9th - Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Parent Workshop
• April 11th - Regular School Committee Meeting
• April 15th - Patriots' Day
• April 15th through 19th - NO SCHOOL - April Break
• April 25th - Regular School Committee Meeting
• April 26th - 27th - Mean Girls, Jr. Ottoson Middle School Performing Arts

Resources and opportunities for families to engage in continued learning

New Balance Foundation Adaptive Sports Program at Franciscan Children's is happy to announce registration for several adaptive sports programs. On the schedule this year are track, bike riding, and a walking and movement club for families.

Visit the website to learn more: https://franciscanchildrens.org/resources/support-services/adaptive-sports-program/

ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

CAREGIVER ADVISORY COUNCIL 2023-2024

This is an opportunity for parents, guardians, and caregivers to meet with the Principal

for updates, feedback, and input on the annual School Improvement Plan and other topics around AHS .

Please check back at this site for schedule changes.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83380739062

April 4th: 7:30 - 8:30am ZOOM

May 7th: 6 - 7pm ZOOM

Last year Arlington Public Schools was awarded a Mental Health Awareness Training Grant to support FREE Youth Mental Health First Aid training to any APS staff member, caregiver, and community member within the Arlington community.

What is Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)?

An evidence- and skills-based training for adults (18+) who frequently interact with youth. YMHFA provides the tools a layperson needs to identify, understand, and respond to an adolescent who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. Upon training completion, participants will be awarded a YMHFA certification.

What will I learn?

• Common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges in adolescents
• Language and skills to talk to youth about suicide
• 5-step action plan to recognize and respond to youth in crisis and non-crisis situations
• How to refer a youth to the appropriate professional support services
• Increase your mental health literacy, become more confident when helping a young person in distress, and act as a valuable link to early intervention

Click here for more information or to register. The next training is April 26th.

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) offers techniques and tools to help parents improve communication with their children; develop healthy family values and clear behavioral expectations; control and express anger constructively; strengthen family bonds and trust; and prevent children from engaging in substance use and other risky behaviors.

Spring Series: Wednesday nights (3/6 , 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10 ) from 6:30-8:30pm on Zoom

Join our FREE workshops for parents and caregivers of children ages 9-14. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED, Register here: https://forms.gle/gxjgyUP5N1MBnHKS7

The Middlesex County 4H Fifes and Drums is actively recruiting new members who want to learn how to play the fife, snare drum, or bass drum. Composed of youth aged 8 to 18, the corps has performed at Boston’s First Night festivities, Drummer’s Call in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and Concord’s Patriots’ Day ceremonies. The corps is led by its members, who elect their leaders and determine their events and repertoire each season. We offer music instruction in the fife and drum at weekly practices in Lincoln on Sunday afternoons. For more information, reach out at mc4hfd@gmail.com, @mc4hfd, or mc4hfd.org

APS partners with Cartwheel to provide mental health services to all APS community members! Sign up here to receive emails about Cartwheel's webinars, including registration links and recordings. These webinars empower caregivers, family members, and school staff with practical and actionable information on mental health topics affecting youth and families today.

Upcoming Webinars:

April 3rd at 7:00 p.m. - Demystifying Teens: Parenting Strategies to Help Pre-teens and Teens Thrive

May 7th at 7:30 p.m. - Finding the Words: How to Effectively Speak with Kids and Teens about Suicide and Mental Health

The APS Family Welcome & Resource Center is open and supporting the needs of families with enrollment, engagement, connecting with resources, and making referrals to local agencies as needed. Regular hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. View the flyer below in other languages here.

The School News app by Edlio is an activity feed for alerts, news, and events from APS. It’s a simple way to view the school news feeds and calendars. The app is free to download to your iOS or Android phone and quick to set up:

• Go to the App Store or Google Play and search for “School News by Edlio” to install.
• Open the app and search for Arlington Public Schools; tap “Add School.”
• Enable push notification by going to the Alerts tab and tapping “Enable Notifications.”

On Monday, April 8th, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. While no place in Massachusetts will see the sun completely disappear, some parts of the state will see a shadow cover 95 percent of the sun, if weather permits. The eclipse will begin shortly after 2 p.m. and will last about two and a half hours until about 4:30 p.m. Visit DESE’s new eclipse resource site for more information.

This year's Patriots' Day Week events are shared on the Arlington 250 website. The American Revolution began on April 19, 1775, with battles in Arlington — then known as Menotomy — Lexington, and Concord. In 2025, Arlington and other local towns will honor the 250th anniversary of that pivotal day and time period with a series of events and commemorations. In Arlington, the Semiquincentennial (Arlington 250) Committee is planning the town’s Revolutionary War commemoration.