MURSD District Update

MURSD: We Empower All Learners To Thrive.

Email: mcohen@mursd.org
Website: https://www.mursd.org/
Location: 150 North Ave, Mendon, MA, USA
Phone: 508-634-1585
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MURSDInspires/
Twitter: @mendonuptonrsd

August 28, 2023

Dear Mendon-Upton School Community,

Welcome back to all our returning students and a huge welcome to our new students this year. Today we welcomed back all of our district staff with great fanfare to celebrate our numerous staff members who have served in our district for 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30+ years! We also welcomed our enthusiastic and highly skilled new members to our #MURSDTeam. While those are always some of my favorite moments of celebration, I also touched upon the importance of creating meaningful moments of awe, joy, and connection for our students. It is the greatest honor and privilege to be entrusted with your precious children (no matter what age!) into our care and we are committed collectively to supporting, engaging, and empowering them to thrive.

Personally, this past week I'm watching my eldest son enter his senior year and my other son enter grade 10. No longer do I have the baby faces in front of me, but in a matter of the last few months I have two towering young men calling me "Mom" in deep voices I still don't quite recognize. When they were really little, a woman once stopped me in a store and said "you blink and they will be graduating high school." Since they were just entering school, I thought, "that's a strange thing to say," but now I get it and it has led me to a lot of reflection about our roles as educators. Your children are entrusted to our care in the early years and in collaboration with our families, we are are creating moments, opportunities, meaningful learning, and authentic experiences (and the list could go on) to help guide them to follow their passions, explore their interests, and cultivate their own paths. This is a responsibility we take seriously and with great pride here in Mendon-Upton. While I won't tell you all to not blink as time passes, I will say "enjoy it." Every moment is so precious and we are committed to making the most of each one.

I know the beginning of the year can evoke many feelings for some. As I personally try to prepare for my children's school year by getting them the right supplies, putting the correct schedules in my calendar, checking their bus routes, signing school forms, etc. I am right there with many of you in trying to find balance. Please know that our schools have put forth a lot of information in their newsletters to help you with that process. If any questions come up, we are here with you and will work it out.

The following newsletter includes links to school newsletters for your convenience. It also includes a link to our new district strategic plan, which you will hear more about in future district communications.

We are excited to embark on our 2023-2024 school journey!

Warm regards,

Maureen Cohen

Superintendent of Schools

To access the bus routes for the 2023-2024 School Year they can be found here. If you have any questions or are looking for more information on transportation please go to the Transportation Webpage on our district website.

The Summer Reading Lists were shared at all of the school webpages and newsletters. You can also find them on our Summer Learning Webpage.

As families have been returning from some summer travels, some have picked up Covid as a result. Therefore, as a reminder on our current Covid Protocols, always stay home if you are sick. If a student has Covid it is still 5 days of isolation from the date of symptom onset or positive test (whichever comes first). Students/staff may return on day 6 as long as symptoms have improved. Masking is required from days 6-10 if you continue to test positive. If you test negative on day 6 or after, you do not need to mask. If state or federal guidance change, we will communicate this to all of you through school health updates.

Links to School Back-to-School Communications Below

Our Strategic Planning Committee spent all of last year reviewing and analyzing feedback from focus groups, surveys, and all stakeholders to help create and design the next district strategic plan for 2023-2028. The following is a link to the new vision and plan to move our district forward and to bring our mission to life empowering all our learners to thrive. Thank you again to the strategic planning committee for their tireless commitment to representing what the broader community is seeking in our future growth.

Strategic Plan 2023-2028 #MURSDThrives

Join the MURSD Team. Build your Career. Make a Difference.

As an organization, we're committed to providing high-quality education to our students and understand the importance of building a supportive and collaborative workplace. We are also committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are valued and respected for their unique perspectives and contributions. If you are seeking a workplace that values creativity, inclusivity, and making a positive impact on the lives of students--that is what we are all about. In support of our teachers and staff, we strive to provide a workplace where every member is valued, respected, and supported. To that end, we believe in fostering a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, where every voice is heard and ideas are shared.

We have many opportunities for you to join our Mendon-Upton Team. Please use the link below to view the available positions to see which ones align best with your skills, experience, and passion. We're excited to hear from you and to learn how your creativity and experience can help us continue to reimagine education for our students.

Thank you for considering a career with us. We look forward to making a difference together.

The following provides some highlighted end-of-year June events (past, present, and future).

• Wednesday, August 30th: First Day of School for Grades 1-4, Kindergarten Open House
• Thursday, August 31st: First Day of School Kindergarten
• Friday, September 1st and Monday, September 4th: No School
• Tuesday, September 5th: First Day for Preschool

The Mendon-Upton Education Foundation is a volunteer organization committed to enhancing academic opportunities for the children of the Mendon-Upton School District by providing funding, ideas, and other resources to educators while cultivating friendships

Please check out the most recent MUEF Newsletter.

MUEF (partnering with the Miscoe PTO) is hosting the annual Spooky Run for 2023. We hope to see you there!

Please follow the link for everything you need to know.

https://www.muef.org/spookrun-home