Miscoe Hill Weekly Update

Cohort 1 is in school on Monday 12/21

Cohort 2 is in school on Tuesday 12/22

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The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) will begin for 8th grade students this upcoming spring. Due to Remote Learning in the spring of 2020 that resulted in only Pass/Fail grading, slight changes have been made for determining if students qualify.

Grades used for qualifying an 8th grader for NJHS 2020-2021 are as follows:

From 6th Grade: Grades from all 4 terms (same as previous years)

From 7th Grade: Grades from Terms 1 & 2

From 8th Grade: Grades from Terms 1 & 2

Eighth grade students will be notified during Term 3 as to whether they are eligible. We look forward to working with our NJHS students this year!

This is a program designed to help students who are struggling with organization and work-completion. It will be especially helpful during the unique circumstances of this school year.

The Miscoe Hill Inspired Innovation Center is pleased to announce two new virtual learning opportunities for your child(ren) and family. The Inspired Innovation Center is a joint project between American Student Assistance and MURSD to provide a makerspace and career education programing to Miscoe Hill students.

1) Monthly Career Interviews 1/13/2021

2) January "do your :bit" Challenge

Miscoe Hill Middle School is taking part in a wonderful fundraiser for Mendon and Upton. This winter, we are selling firewood for $10.00 a bundle. All proceeds will help benefit people in our communities that may need financial assistance throughout the year.

If you would like to purchase wood and support this fundraiser, please email Bill McInnis at wmcinnis@mursd.org to make arrangements. Students (who will be wearing masks and adhering to COVID-19 protocols) will carry bundles of wood to your car and place them in the trunk.

If you or anyone you know needs wood to help defray the cost of heat, please let us know. We would be happy to donate to you/them directly.

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The Upton Town Library will be offering a Virtual Baby Sign Language class in January

This class will be held via ZOOM and can accommodate 12 caregivers and their children. This is a 4-week session held on January 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 9:30am to 10:15am. Instructor Sheryl White of Baby Kneads will teach caregivers to strengthen the connection with their infants using early communication skills. Participants will learn to reduce frustration and help give their baby the ability to communicate before speaking. This class is designed for children ages 6 months to pre-verbal.

Those interested must register for all four sessions by visiting the event calendar at uptonlibrary.org or by contacting Children’s & Young Adult Librarian, Lee Ann Murphy, at lmurphy@cwmars.org.

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The Mendon-Upton Regional School District would like to take the opportunity to share photos of students engaged in learning. We request your permission for the District to photograph or record and to identify your child for possible use in school-related posts to social media, local newspaper features, newsletters, the SCHOOL YEARBOOK, and television.

Please fill out this Photo Permission Form only if you DO NOT want your child photographed.

Per the MA Department of Public Health, influenza immunization will be required for all children 6 months of age or older who are attending Massachusetts child care, pre-school, kindergarten, K-12, and colleges and universities. The new vaccine requirement is an important step to reduce flu-related illness and the overall impact of respiratory illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All MURSD students will be expected to have received a flu vaccine by December 31, 2020 for the 2020-2021 influenza season, unless either a medical or religious exemption is provided. Also exempted are K-12 students who are homeschooled and higher education students who are completely off-campus and engaged in remote learning only. This new flu immunization requirement to enter school in January is in addition to existing vaccine requirements for all those attending child care, preschool, K-12, and colleges and universities in Massachusetts. Elementary and secondary students in districts and schools that are using a remote education model are not exempt.

Please forward documentation of your child’s flu vaccine to the school nurse prior to December 31, 2020. Please email Gfarquharson@mursd.org or send a copy in to school.

Please click here for more information on the flu vaccine requirement.

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Dear Parents of 7th Graders;

There are still several 7th grade students who are missing the required immunizations for 7th grade. Massachusetts State Law mandates that all students entering 7th grade have the following immunizations.

MMR (measles mumps rubella) 2 doses

Hepatitis B- 3 doses

Tetanus (tdap, adacel or boostrix) - within the last 5 years (This is the one most kids are missing)

Varicella/Varivax (Chicken Pox or proof of the disease)

Meningitis

Recommended Vaccines for 7th grade: (not required)

HPV 3 dose

Hepatitis A

*If you have not submitted a copy of these immunizations, please do so as soon as possible.

Medical forms can be faxed, emailed or sent in with your child.

Fax 508-634-1576 or email to gfarquharson@mursd.org

*If you have already submitted these immunizations, then please disregard this message.

New Mass State Law requires that All students with a medical or religious exemption must provide a note yearly to the school nurse.

Thank you,
Gail Farquharson RNMSN

School Nurse Miscoe 508-634-1589

The following are the DPH guidelines for quarantine guidance for those who have been exposed to COVID-19:

• At least 14 days from the date of last exposure; or
• At least 10 days, provided all of the following are satisfied:
  • You have not had, and do not have, any symptoms;
  • You are tested on day 8 of your quarantine period or later using a molecular diagnostic test (e.g., polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) to detect the presence of the virus;
  • You receive a negative test result; and
  • You monitor yourself for symptoms for the full 14 days. If you develop symptoms you should contact your health care provider and be re-tested.

All students working remotely, either on their asynchronous days in the hybrid model, or those who are in the stand-alone remote model, should log into their Miscoe homeroom teacher's Zoom link between 8:10 and 8:25 to be marked present for daily attendance. This will assist in accurate state reporting. Homeroom teachers are identified in students' schedules on PowerSchool.

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Every week, the Weekly Hybrid Learning Communication Chart will be shared with parents on Monday. This chart will allow for adults supporting students to understand the learning following:

• Learning objectives for the week
• Specific materials needed
• What special resources will be used instructionally.
• Information regarding how to access teachers.

Please click below to access this week's Hybrid Learning Communication Chart.