Salem Public Schools Weekly Update

October 7, 2022

SPS families.

It was wonderful to see so many students and families during the Haunted Happenings parade. After three years, there was so much excitement, energy and pride across our schools, along the traditional parade route. Our schools did a fabulous job of aligning to this year's parade theme - Who's Your Hero? celebrating social justice activists, current staff members, our students and, of course, humorous plays on the hero (sandwiches, superheroes, etc.). A special shout out to our Salem High School, Saltonstall, and Collins bands who blew the crowd away with their spirit and talent after being together for just a few weeks of this school year. We are so grateful to the families, educators and students who helped prepare and participated in the festive evening!

I also want to remind our community that there are a number of students, families and staff who do not celebrate Halloween for religious, cultural or personal reasons. In our effort to be inclusive of all, we encourage our schools to take this into account when they schedule their holiday-themed events. We recommend that schools schedule these events outside of the school day (like the Haunted Happenings parade) so that students are not forced to miss school or the specific activity planned. Thank you for your support to ensure that everyone feels like they belong across our school system.

Enjoy Indigenous Peoples' Day weekend! See everyone on Tuesday!

Steve

At Salem Public Schools, we are recognizing one staff member a week who exemplifies our core values of celebrating differences, facilitating collaboration, fostering innovation, creating equity and access, growing all students, and upholding high standards for all. We are surprising a deserving SPS team member with a rock star trophy.

This week's rockstar award goes to the 5th grade team at Bentley Academy Innovation School - Ms. Mercy Baez & Ms. Caroline DiOrio. This team just started working together this year and they have planned tirelessly to create a learning environment where students are challenged every day to engage with grade-level texts and solve complex problems in math and science. These two teachers exemplify the work that Bentley is doing as a school and SPS as a district to hold students to high academic expectations and transforming systems that have underserved students in the past.

October 3-7 is National Digital Inclusion Week, which highlights efforts to increase student access to technology. In Massachusetts, advocates and partners are promoting the Affordable Connectivity Program, which offers eligible households a $30 monthly discount for internet services and a $100 discount off of certain devices. Learn more & apply! Affordableconnectivity.gov or call: (877) 384-2575.

The DDS Autism Division runs a program for low-income children with autism called the Children's Autism Services Waiver Program. This program serves children under the age of 10 who meet both the clinical and financial eligibility that includes having/obtaining MassHealth Standard Insurance. The Autism Services Waiver Program allows children to receive expanded habilitation, education, in-home services and supports, such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and floor time, for a total of up to 3 years. At the conclusion of the three years of the intensive in-home services, a child may access ongoing supplemental services (for example respite and goods and services, etc.) that meet the child’s needs until the child’s 10th birthday. Currently, the program serves approximately 400 children a year. While the program is near capacity, DDS is expanding the number of participants and there is a high rate of turnover in the program every year, so they are looking to have a new pool of applicants to draw from to fill open slots.

The Autism Division is accepting new application requests for families interested in this program between the dates of October 14, 2022 and October 31, 2022. Applications must be postmarked or emailed from a parent/guardian no later than October 30, 2022.

The application form, family notice and related materials in multiple languages are available on the DDS website https://www.mass.gov/dds-autism-waiver-service-program-overview and at the seven regionally based Autism Support Centers (a list of the Centers is available on the DDS website).

Beth White from our Early Childhood Center received a Partnership Award from Essex Heritage Foundation for her projects that brought Salem schoolchildren into the community for projects that included a family kindergarten scavenger hunt around Salem and a project in cooperation with North Shore CDC in which eighth graders and kindergarteners explored the El Punto art murals and created a book. Salem Education Foundation, as well as Essex Heritage, funded both projects. Annie Harris, Exec Dir of Essex Heritage, presented the award.

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close on October 15th, SPS' Food and Nutrition Services Department will be featuring pollo asado with ensalada verde, Spanish rice & beans and yucca fries on all school lunch menus on October 13th.

Pollo asado is a flavorful marinated chicken dish with roots tied to Mexico and Cuba. The pollo asado marinade features freshly squeezed citrus juices and a Mexican spice blend, including achiote, which gives the dish its red color! Also featured with the pollo asado is a side of yucca fries. A key ingredient in many Latin foods, yucca is a starchy root vegetable that is like a cross between a white and sweet potato.

Want to try "Achiote Paste and Pollo Asado Marinade" at home? Here is a great recipe to bring these flavors to your dinner table. This marinade can also be used on steak.

With the changing colors, frost on the pumpkin, and Sunday football, comes more time indoors and, unfortunately, greater exposure to contagious viral illness. The time is now to get vaccinated against flu and Covid-19. In collaboration with the Salem Board of Health and the State of MA, our schools will be hosting vaccination clinics this month with online registration forthcoming.

10/13 - Bates Elementary School - 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

10/20 - Saltonstall School - 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm

10/27- Witchcraft Heights Elementary School -2:30 pm - 5:00 pm

11/3- Bentley Academy Innovation School - 3:00pm - 6:30 pm

11/10- Horace Mann Laboratory School -1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Both flu and Covid-19 vaccines and Covid boosters will be available. Students, staff, and families are welcome however, a parent or caregiver must be present for those under 18.

According to the CDC, it is safe to receive both vaccines at the same time in different arms. Though there is no harm in receiving a booster once symptoms of Covid-19 resolve following infection, studies have shown that increased time between infection or vaccination may improve the immune response to the booster.

• < 2-3 months since Covid-19 infection/last vaccination: Wait a month or two to get a booster.

• 3-4 months since Covid-19 infection/last vaccination: Consider a booster if you’re high risk, or have plans for an upcoming social event. (Get your booster 2 weeks before the social event for optimal protection).
• 4-6 months since Covid-19 infection/last vaccination: Get your booster anytime.
• 6+ months since Covid-19 infection/last vaccination: Get boosted now!

We'll be sharing the online registration process on the SPS website very soon but please "save the date to vaccinate!"

Applications for grants from Salem Education Foundation are due by midnight on Monday, October 10. The application form can be found at salemeducationfoundation.org.

SEF funds projects in STEM, the arts, literacy, social studies and leadership, health and wellness, and others for in-class projects and beyond. We especially value proposals that promote equity. We fund up to $1000 for individual projects and up to $3000 for collaborative projects that include two or more schools.

Please apply!

Questions? Contact pegv123@comcast.net or stephenbeauparlant@gmail.com

By Wednesday, September 7th, the central administrative offices housed at Collins Middle School will have a separate entrance. The main entrance for CMS students, CMS staff and CMS families only will remain in the center, rear of the building. All other SPS staff and visitors for the central administrative offices will now use the new central office entrance, located on the Jackson St. side of the building, closest to Highland Ave. See picture below. We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we may redirect you to the proper entrance depending on the nature of your visit.

Welcome to the Virtual Backpack. This is a space where we will place items that in the past may have been a flyer in your student's backpack from friends and partners to SPS.

A reminder that ParentSquare is the district platform for communication. You will receive communication from the district, your school, and your student's classroom all in one space. You can communicate 1-to-1 with teachers, sign up for parent-teacher conferences, and more.

This is how our school and teachers communicate with families districtwide. Please be sure you are receiving messages from ParentSquare. If need support downloading the app or receiving messages, please contact your school's front office. You can visit www.parentsquare.com for more information.