Miscoe Hill Newsletter

Dear families,

Thank you for your continued support as we kick off the 2021-2022 school year. In the Mendon-Upton Regional School District, keeping students safe and in school is our top priority. We have learned a great deal over this past year and our current guidance and procedures reflect the most updated recommendations from the CDC, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

For the 2021-22 school year, we are offering an extra layer of protection through our COVID-19 testing program. This program has two components that we are implementing to start the year: symptomatic testing for students who show symptoms of COVID-19 at school, and Test and Stay for students who may have been exposed while in school and are not exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols. Currently, we are not going to begin the year with routine COVID safety checks (formerly known as pooled testing), but ask that you complete the consent for this in the system as it may be something we need to do in the future. MURSD uses the BinaxNOW test. This is a quick, non-invasive nasal swab that is collected under the supervision of a school nurse or trained health provider. Unlike COVID-19 tests of the past, these are not uncomfortable and easy for students to do themselves under adult supervision.

Students can only participate with permission from a parent or guardian. It is important to the Mendon-Upton Regional School District that you are fully informed regarding this process and we answer any questions that you might have in advance of asking you to sign the consent form. Below we describe the testing programs, how they are conducted, and what they are used for.

Symptomatic testing (BinaxNOW) is used when a student is showing symptoms of COVID-19 during school; students should not come to school if they are feeling sick while at home. Some symptoms of the virus can present similarly to other illnesses like the cold or flu. You can find the COVID-19 symptom checklist at the bottom of this webpage. BinaxNOW is a rapid test that provides results in 15 minutes. The school nurse will communicate with parents/guardians to share the results and determine next steps.

Test and Stay allows asymptomatic, in-school close contacts who are not exempt from testing and quarantine protocols to remain in school. Instead of needing to quarantine and miss school, these students will be administered a daily BinaxNOW test while in school or participating in weekend school-related activities (eMed Take Home Test). Test and Stay has a duration of 7 days from the date of last exposure.

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, they must isolate at home for the CDC-recommended ten days from the onset of symptoms or ten days from the date of the positive test. Additionally, the student must be without symptoms and fever-free in the prior 24 hours before returning to school.

If you would like your child to participate in the COVID-19 testing program, please sign the consent form linked above. There is no cost for participation. If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact your student's school nurse.

It is our hope that these measures will work together to keep our schools safe and your student in school. Thanks again for your support during this challenging time.

Sincerely,

Maureen Cohen, Ed.D.

Interim Superintendent of Schools

Grade 6, Grade 5 on 9/29

Grade 8, Grade 7 on 9/30

Please feel free download our open house PDF as it may be easier to follow.

Grade 6 Open House - September 29

Time- 6:00-6:15

Agenda- Grade 6 Open House commences with brief presentation by administration

Zoom Link - Mrs. Mannion and Mr. Cuomo

Time- 6:15 - 6:45

Agenda- Click Zoom link to access Team. Grade 6 teachers present by team.

Team Zoom Links- Eagan, Frary, Presbrey, Rogers, Wellington or Cullen, Lambert, Manser, Pike

Time- 6:45-7:15

Agenda- Parents will exit Team Zoom sessions and re enter Zoom using this link.

Elective Teachers present to parents in grades 5 and 6. Grade 6 parents then exit Zoom Open House.

Zoom Link- Mrs. Mannion and Mr. Cuomo

Grade 5 Open House- September 29

Time- 6:45-7:15

Agenda- Grade 5 Open House commences, using Mrs. Mannion’s zoom link, with presentation by elective teachers to parents in grades 5 and 6.

Zoom Link- Mrs. Mannion and Mr. Cuomo

Time- 7:15-7:30

Agenda- Brief presentation by administration. Parents remain in Zoom.

Zoom Link- Stay in the above Zoom link

Time- 7:30-8:00

Agenda- Click Zoom link to access Team. Grade 5 teachers present by team. Parents then exit Zoom Open House.

Team Zoom Links- Lajoie/Webster/Appleby or Cote/Crawford/Montano/MacMurray/Shilale

Grade 8 Open House- September 30

Time- 6:00-6:15

Agenda- Grade 8 Open House commences with brief presentation by administration

Zoom Link- Mrs. Mannion and Mr. Cuomo

Time- 6:15 - 6:45

Agenda- Grade 8 teachers present by team.

Team Zoom Links- Alsen/Charest/Holloway/Sheehan or McCourt/Murphy/Rhodes/Rosenau

Time- 6:45-7:15

Agenda- Elective Teachers present to parents in grades 7 and 8. Grade 8 parents then exit Zoom Open House.

Zoom Link- Mrs. Mannion and Mr. Cuomo

Grade 7 Open House - September 30

Time- 6:45-7:15

Agenda- Grade 7 Open House commences, using Mrs. Mannion’s zoom link, with presentation by elective teachers to parents in grades 7 and 8.

Zoom Link- Mrs. Mannion and Mr. Cuomo

Time- 7:15-7:30

Agenda- Brief presentation by administration.

Zoom Link- Mrs. Mannion and Mr. Cuomo

Time- 7:30-8:00

Agenda- Click Zoom link to access Team. Grade 7 teachers present by team. Grade 7 parents then exit Zoom Open House.

Team Zoom Links- Labarre, Langdon, Monterotti and Parent or Adcock, Clark, Kadra, Welch

You can download the arbiter sports app on your phone or click here to find Miscoe's schedule you must type in Nipmuc in the search. The schedule is under Middle School.

Please know that the schedules are updated on arbiter app. If you have previously downloaded a printable copy there could be changes. Please feel free to download this week's schedule, as of now, below.

Please click here for access to our enrichment form. If the class you are looking for is no longer listed on the form the class is full.

Picture retakes will take place on Wednesday, October 27th.

Is your child interested in transferring to BVT next fall? Prospective students wishing to attend BVT in September 2022 are invited along with their parents/ guardians to join them at 6PM one of their online admission information sessions:

Wednesday, October 13

Wednesday, October 20

Tuesday, November 2

Reserve your spot today by completing their registration form. Once you have submitted the form be on the look out for an introductory e-mail and log in credentials on the morning of your reserved session.

Registration is now open for the 2021-2022 youth travel basketball season for boys in grades 4-8 and girls in grades 5-8. This is a competitive program with tryouts scheduled for the week of October 18th.

Click here to register by October 15th. For

more information, check out NYB’s Facebook page.

Meets on Tuesday evenings at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, Upton from 6:30-8 PM Welcoming boys age 11 and older. No scouting experience required. Please contact us by email for more info: committeechair@troop132upton.org

Lunch Menus: Please be aware that, due to interruptions in the food supply chain that are beyond our control, lunch menus may have to be adjusted. Our food service staff will do their best to honor the menus posted and update them when possible. However, they will be working under short notice of what is available and what is not, so they may not always be able to communicate these changes as quickly as we would in a non-COVID year. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience. It is greatly appreciated!