Good Morning, Hosmer Families!

Hooray! We are so excited to welcome your child(ren) back to in-person school on April 5th! We hope that this newsletter will answer any lingering questions you may have and also invite you to an option Q&A session with us tomorrow (see link below).

Mandatory Pooled Testing

As Dr. Galdston recently communicated at the School Committee meeting and in The Superintendent's Newsletter, as of April 5, 2021, pooled testing will be mandated for all students who are learning in-person. The School Committee unanimously approved the recommendation contained within the updated COVID-19 Handbook Addendum.

When families select in-person instruction five days a week at a distance of less than six feet, they agree to and understand the health and safety expectations as outlined by the District including but not limited to wearing a mask, participating in COVID-19 universal surveillance pooled testing, and abiding by social distance guidelines.

• COVID-19 universal surveillance pooled testing will be completed once a week with a non-invasive anterior nasal swab testing protocol and is mandatory for all students who are learning in-person.

• All students who will be returning to full 5-day in-person instruction will be required to fill out the “Commitment to In-Person Learning, COVID Protocols, and Consent for Pooled Testing” form prior to returning to in-person school. This additional safety measure is fully supported by the Watertown Health Department.

Attendance

With the return to in-person school, students are no longer able to "attend remotely" unless of a confirmed COVID-related absence. Please plan accordingly regarding transportation to and from school and in making travel plans.

Students in Watertown Virtual School

Virtual School students will also be facing some changes, with students entering or leaving the cohorts. Additionally, they will now spend the full school day (8:15-2:30) with their teacher. They will follow a new schedule, mirroring that of the in-person day. Specialist teachers will be able to zoom into the existing classroom link.

Husky Spirit

Let's celebrate our first day back together by showing some Hosmer Husky Spirit! Wear red or don your Hosmer gear!

Erin Moulton

To maintain a safe environment, students should bring only essential items into school.

If your child is returning to full-time school, they should bring all school-provided materials back on April 5th. Individual teachers will provide more clarity in their weekly smore

Doors open at 8:05.

Students are expected to arrive between 8:05 (when Morning Announcements begin) and 8:15.

Any students arriving after 8:20 will be marked tardy for the day.

Please see the map below for reminders about which door your child should enter.

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Note: Masks must be worn by all adults and children while on school grounds.

This includes everyone dropping off or picking up.

AS we increase the number of students attending daily, it is especially important that families follow the procedures for Drop & Go along Chauncy St.

• PLEASE pull as far up on Chauncy as possible before stopping.
• There is NO parking or live parking in this area.
• Do not get out of your car.
  
• Students will exit out the passenger side door. Staff will be there to open the door and direct students where to go.
• Masks must be on!

In an effort to maintain social distancing, students are assigned entry and exit doors based on the location of the classroom. Assignments have NOT changed. Doors have been color-coded for ease and directional signs will be displayed. Door assignments by class and a building diagram are below. Please review this with your child so they feel confident upon arrival. Your child will enter AND EXIT at these locations.

Masks & Hygiene

• Masks will be worn at all times when inside the building.

• Mask breaks can be taken when outside.

• Masks can be taken off when eating.
  

• When eating outside, children must be seated so they cannot touch a peer with outstretched arms when eating - 6 feet apart

• If a child needs or loses a mask, Nurse Sabrina will provide them with a new one.

Hand hygiene is critical. Students and staff are required to exercise hand hygiene (hand washing or sanitizing) throughout the day.

• Entering the classroom

• Before and after eating - handwashing

• Exiting the bathroom - handwashing

• Before putting on and taking off masks

• Exiting the classroom

Art, Music, Library, and Spanish classes will be taking place in student homerooms. Teachers will travel and students will sty put.

PE will take place outside. In the case of inclement weather, it will move to classrooms and teachers are planning rainy day lessons accordingly.

Students receiving ESL, Special Education and/or Reading services will continue to do so. In many cases, these take place in the classroom. We have also designated many small group areas throughout the building.

Students will have a 10-minute snack break, a 20-minute recess, and 30-minute lunch outside daily. Students will have a designated area as a class to avoid co-mingling of groups.

Snack

• This is a brief time, so please send food that can be easily opened and eaten.
• Please send snacks in disposable packaging.

Lunch

• We will be eating outside seated on stadium cushions picnic style.
• Lunch can be brought or children can eat the school lunch that will be provided daily free of charge. There are always two choices, including one vegetarian option.
• School lunch menus can be found here.
• If your child will be eating the school lunch they will order it as they enter the classroom. Please be sure that your child knows if they are eating school lunch that day.
• If you send in lunch items, please send food that can be easily opened. We can no longer cut or peel fruit.
• Please do not send in glass containers.

In order to provide classrooms with separate spaces during Snack, Lunch, and Recess, we are marking the South Lawn and the lawn along the Kindergarten to create four different areas in each space. This will allow students the freedom to run and play with the area while also maintaining distance between students in different classrooms.

The school day ends at 2:30. The staggered dismissal schedule is below.

We will continue conducting a staggered and strategic dismissal to allow for continued social distancing. Teachers will bring their students to the locations indicated below and will hold up signs with their names for the first week or so.

Please remember that we will also need you to wear a mask and maintain social distancing when you pick up your children. We ask that parents remain on the sidewalks and wave to students and teachers. (Kindergarten families, you should wait on the grass but away from the kindergarten doors.) The teacher will send the child to you. Please do NOT come directly to the area where the class is waiting.

Students are staggered for dismissal as followed:

Website: www.watertown.k12.ma.us/hosmer
Location: 1 Concord Road, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: 617-926-7740
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HosmerElementarySchool/
Twitter: @HosmerSchool