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McGovern News!
May 26, 2023
As the school year begins to wind down, we would like to take a moment to celebrate the remarkable achievements and growth of our early childhood students. It has been a joyous and transformative journey, filled with countless milestones and cherished memories.
Reflecting on the past months, we are filled with immense pride for each child's accomplishments. It is through their enthusiasm, curiosity, and hard work that we have witnessed them blossom into confident and capable learners. We extend our deepest appreciation to you, our supportive families, for your partnership in nurturing their growth and fostering a love for learning.
The last two weeks have been filled with end of year assessments and celebrating all of the academic accomplishments of our students. We will share end of year reports with families before the end of the school year.
Finally, we had a scheduled fire drill today and our students did an excellent job of getting out of the building quickly and safely.
I hope you enjoy the long holiday weekend. Please read below for end of year announcements and check out the important dates section.
Best,
Amy McDonald, Principal
School Safety
As we continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students, we are constantly seeking ways to enhance our preparedness for any unforeseen events. With this goal in mind, we are writing to inform you about an important development regarding an additional safety drill that will take place during the month of June.
We understand that safety drills are a crucial aspect of our emergency response protocols. They play a vital role in preparing our students, faculty, and staff to respond effectively and calmly in emergency situations. Our existing safety drills have proven to be invaluable in raising awareness, fostering a sense of preparedness, and ensuring the well-being of our school community.
To further strengthen our readiness, we have decided to introduce an additional safety drill in the upcoming month of June. This drill will focus on a specific emergency scenario, aiming to provide our students with practical knowledge and skills necessary to respond appropriately. By engaging in this drill, we aim to equip our students with the tools to navigate emergency situations confidently, should they ever arise.
The safety and security of your children remain our top priority. We assure you that the drill will be conducted in a controlled, supervised environment and in a developmentally appropriate manner, with the utmost care and consideration for the well-being of all participants. Our staff and faculty have been trained extensively to ensure the drill is carried out smoothly, without causing unnecessary distress to our students.
We understand that some children may feel apprehensive or anxious about participating in a safety drill. Rest assured, we will provide a nurturing and supportive environment throughout the process. Our school counselors and teachers will be available to address any concerns your child may have, offering guidance and reassurance as needed.
Thank you for your unwavering support and trust in our commitment to providing a safe learning environment. We greatly appreciate your partnership in prioritizing the well-being of our entire school community. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me or your child's teacher. Below are some tips for preparing for the drill and discussing it afterwards.
Before the drill, prepare your children by setting expectations:
- You know your child best, and your guidance will help them. Let them know that school is a safe place and that part of the job of teachers and school staff is to practice safety skills. “Just like you practice fire drills at school, you also practice lockdown drills so that you know exactly what to do to stay safe in an emergency.”
- Make connections to safety habits you already practice. Explain that the lockdown drill is another safety habit, just like the many safety habits you do regularly, for example, wearing seat belts and bike helmets. Though it may be new to your child, the lockdown drill will be best learned through practice.
- Follow your child’s lead. If they seem worried or uncomfortable, help them identify their feelings and talk with them about handling them. For example, taking a few deep breaths, reminding themselves the drill will end soon, asking the teacher for help, or staying close to a friend.
- Consider your child’s unique needs. If you are concerned about how your child will handle the lockdown drill, please reach out to me at the school.
After the drill, follow your child’s lead:
- Let your child know the school notified you of a lockdown drill that day. Children feel safer when they know that families and schools are working together.
- Ask if they would like to discuss it, and let their comments guide you. Children process events in many ways. Some children would prefer not to talk about it, which is okay, too. Some children may simply want to spend some together in a shared activity with few words. Young children often process through their play.
- If they share that they feel okay about the drill, reinforce that the purpose of the drill is to keep them safe by knowing what to do.
- If they share that they felt scared, sad, or nervous, acknowledge the feeling while directing the student toward positive coping skills. “Yes, sometimes we all have scary feelings. What helps you to feel safer when you are scared?” Some things that may help them feel safer might include knowing their teacher is there with them; knowing they have responded in a way that will keep them safe. You can also share a time when you felt scared and what helped you get through it.
- Maintain routines. Following your typical home routines help everyone feel calm and safe. Most children will feel better with the passage of time and returning to their familiar routines.
Principal Coffee Hours - Rescheduled !
Our final coffee hour will be on June 5, 2023 from either 9:00-10:00 am or 4:00-5:00 pm. Our last coffee hour will focus on our 2023-2024 School Improvement Plan.
Summer Resources
Our Amazing Artists Featured at the Permanent Art Collection
Butterfly Release with Mr. Holt!
Book Check Out
Grade 1 Field Trip - Southwick's Zoo !
Volunteering for Field Day!
If you are planning on volunteering for Field Day the district is requiring all volunteers to complete a CORI check (good for one academic school year) and sign off on a Confidentiality Agreement.
Families need to fill out this Google Form. The Google Form includes all the necessary documents to volunteer the CORI Form a section to upload a copy of your license, and the Confidentiality Agreement. If you are having trouble uploading the documents to the Google form you are more than welcome to drop off a paper copy or fill them out in the main office.
CORI checks for Field Day are due by June 2, 2023 at 3:00 PM
Parents/Guardians will not be able to volunteer if we do not receive their CORI and Confidentiality Agreement are not received by the deadline.
Snacks and Water Bottles !
Our growing students often get hungry through out the school day. Please be sure to pack your child with enough snacks to get them through the day!
As the weather starts to warm up, please be sure to send your child in with a water bottle each day.
We are happy to provide these if students forget but we do not want students missing out on instructional time to come to the office to get them.
OLDER NEWS !
Attendance Letters
Per our handbook and the attendance letter, an absence may be considered excused if documentation is provided supporting one or the following conditions: family bereavement or serious illness in the family; school approved field trips; observance of major religious holidays; legal reasons; absence due to a doctor's appointment; absences on the day following dismissal by school nurse and other family circumstances at the discretion of the principal. Below is a link to the elementary student handbook which outlines the Elementary attendance policy and definitions of excused and unexcused absences.
Elementary School Handbook pages 16-17Please reach out to Caitlin Creed and or Amy McDonald with any questions.
COVID-19 REMINDERS AND PROTOCOLS
With the cold and flu season upon us, and the continuing challenges posed by COVID-19, it is important that we all stay vigilant in protecting the health of our schools. At-home testing is encouraged when your child or a family member has symptoms. Free at-home tests are available with most health insurance through CVS. If your child tests positive, please inform your child’s school nurse and follow COVID protocols around isolation and mask-wearing. We encourage you to keep your child home when exhibiting COVID and influenza symptoms and recommend mask-wearing when sick. For tips on effective mask-wearing and mask options, please click here.
2023-2024 School Calendar
At the School Committee meeting that was held on Thursday, February 2, the 2023-2024 School Year Calendar was approved. School Committee also approved the 2024 Medway High School Graduation date. Click here to view!
Medway App
SORA
We’re excited to remind you that the school has access to a wonderful reading resource called Sora. Sora is an online library, run through the Massachusetts Library Network, giving our students access to thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, and digital read aloud books. The service is free to all students, accessible at all times, and only requires your student’s school email and password to access it. Sora can be accessed at home via your web browser at soraapp.com/library/masslibma or download the Sora app onto your device.
When using Sora for the first time, please select our school district ‘Medway Public Schools’ from the list and then use your student’s school email address (@student.medwayschools.org) and password, this is the same password students use to log into their Chromebooks. Student’s may borrow up to 5 books at a time and keep them for 21 days or return them early if they wish to check out more.
If you have any issues accessing Sora please email support@medwayschools.org
Supporting Shriners Hospital
At least 4 families in Medway have been helped by Shriners Hospital for Children in Boston over the years. The Jackson family, the Davis family, the Fagerson family, and most recently the MacLeod family this summer. All at no cost thanks to the incredible Shriners Hospital!
Shriners hospital collects can tabs for money. If you would like to join us in thanking Shriners Hospital on behalf of these families you can collect can tabs and drop them at the fire station or police station. If you have a student at McGovern School you can have them bring them to school to drop in a container in our main office. Thank you for your support!
Follow us on Social Media!
Did you know there are several ways to follow us on social media? Please see below for our links. Please also note that we will not be interacting with our Facebook page, as it is a place for us to post information. As always, if you have any questions regarding your child and/or the school, please reach out to your child's teacher, the front office, or administration.
McGovern Elementary School: Twitter: @McGovernElem
Facebook: @mcgovernelem
Instagram: @mcgovernelem
Breakfast and Lunch
Important Dates!
May 29: No School - Memorial Day
May 30: Southwick Zoo (rain date, June 6)
June 2: No Preschool - Arena Day
June 5: MEPTO meeting, 6:30 PM
June 9: Field Day (rain date, June 13th)
June 16: Last Day of School: 12:00 PM dismissal K-1; 11:30 PK
Do you need the Smore Newsletter Translated?
Here is the link for the master directions in English.
Here is the link for Spanish.
Here is the link for French.
Here is the link for Russian.
Here is the link for Arabic
Here is the link for Portuguese.
Here is the link for Chinese (traditional).
Here is the link for Tamil.
Here is the link for Telugu.
Haga clic en los siguientes enlaces para obtener instrucciones sobre cómo traducir el boletín.
Aquí está el enlace para español.
Here is the link for Spanish.
Veuillez cliquer sur les liens suivants pour savoir comment traduire le bulletin d'information.
Here is the link for French.
Пожалуйста, нажмите следующие ссылки для получения инструкций о том, как перевести информационный бюллетень.
Вот ссылка на русский.
Here is the link for Russian.
Clique nos links a seguir para obter instruções sobre como traduzir o boletim informativo.
Aqui está o link para o espanhol.
Here is the link for Portuguese.
單擊以下鏈接以獲取有關如何翻譯時事通訊的說明。
這是西班牙語的鏈接。
Here is the link for Chinese (traditional).
செய்திமடலை எவ்வாறு மொழிபெயர்ப்பது என்பது குறித்த வழிமுறைகளுக்கு பின்வரும் இணைப்புகளைக் கிளிக் செய்யவும்.
ஸ்பானிஷ் மொழிக்கான இணைப்பு இதோ.
Here is the link for Tamil.
వార్తాలేఖను ఎలా అనువదించాలో సూచనల కోసం క్రింది లింక్లపై క్లిక్ చేయండి.
స్పానిష్ కోసం ఇక్కడ లింక్ ఉంది.
Here is the link for Telugu.
انقر فوق الروابط التالية للحصول على إرشادات حول كيفية ترجمة النشرة الإخبارية.
هنا هو الرابط
Here is the link for Arabic