MHS Welcome Letter

We hope this letter finds you well.

As you know, the district is starting off the school year remotely. Since the district made that determination, the high school staff has been diligently preparing for a remote learning experience that will not resemble the remote learning that took place in the spring. To accomplish this, the district invested in technology, software applications and professional development designed to create a more engaging learning experience for our students. The schedule for each week (as seen in the lower attachment) will be synchronous lessons on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays will be asynchronous learning experiences for students. As we are preparing for remote lessons, we recognize that students need and thrive on strong connections with adults and peers that was largely lost during the spring and we are determined to increase student engagement and foster strong relationships.

Because the district is beginning on a Wednesday, the September 16th first day of school is scheduled to be a remote asynchronous day. As stated above, typically Wednesdays would be days for students to complete work assigned by teachers. However, because this is the first day of school, we wanted to welcome and connect with students to provide important and relevant information around the theme of "How to be successful in this remote environment." This information will be facilitated through class meetings held during the first part of the day. The second half of the day will focus on students doing brief check-ins with all their classes by logging into Google Classrooms and completing small assignments. Specific instructions will be given during class meetings. More details to follow.

Thursday September 17th will follow a day 1 and will be a synchronous day.

Friday September 18th will follow a day 2 and will be a synchronous day.

First and foremost all students will be required to engage in synchronous learning facilitated by the use of Google Classroom. All teachers will be using Google Classroom and will have "class time" according to the remote learning schedule that is attached below this paragraph. Attendance will be taken each period, and students will be expected to fully engage in the activities designed by the teacher. Assessments will be given and they will count according to our traditional numerical assessment system.

In creating the remote learning model we desired to:

1. Maintain the familiar seven block schedule in order to maintain student choice, variety, and proper credits for transcripts.

2. Increase synchronous learning opportunities to connect with students, facilitate student learning, and build classroom communities.

3. Create increased check-in time for students to foster connections, keep students engaged, incorporate social-emotional learning strategies, and to identify struggling learners.

Teachers will be encouraged to re-frame their lessons to follow an "I do”, "we do’, "you do” format providing students with opportunities to both collaborate and learn independently with the support of the teacher. See the next heading for google meet expectations.

Wednesdays are designated as fully remote asynchronous days in which students will engage in independent work or long term project work. At times, we will offer choice based advisory sessions in which students and teachers can connect around similar interests and hobbies. Teachers will have time to plan their lessons, hold office hours, attend meetings, and complete professional development provided by the district.

The flex block is a new addition to the Maynard High School schedule. It was created to increase opportunities for teachers to make connections with students outside the regularly scheduled academic time. More details to follow.

I am looking forward to seeing students, albeit remotely, starting with orientations the week of September 8th and in classes starting on September 16th. For the past 6 months teams have been working diligently to create a remote learning environment that will support students to the greatest extent possible. We are anxious to work with students and will be making further improvements as we gain real world experience and get feedback on how our new system is working. We are open to suggestions as our goal is continuous improvement for ever greater student success.

I am excited to start the year as the full-time co-principal. My official title is the Principal of Leadership and Operations. My main goal is to support students and staff while promoting sound SEL practices based on the CASEL five standards which are: self-awareness, social-awareness, self-management, decision-making skills, and relationship skills.

“We’ve got spirit, yes we do! We’ve got spirit, how about you?” The Student Government is working hard to keep us connected and find ways to show Tiger Pride! We are cooking up some activities and events (literally a Cooking Night) online to be able to have some fun together as we navigate this pandemic. We have sent a video to freshmen explaining how to get involved and run for office, we are organizing a virtual activity fair for all students to encourage getting involved in our many clubs, and our first virtual fun night will be a Cooking Night on September 11th. The meeting link and details will be sent to students in their student email and information can be found on the Student Council Website: https://sites.google.com/maynard.k12.ma.us/student-council-spirit/home

Follow us on instagram @maynardhighschool--We will see you at orientation! More to come!

The staff at the high school are eagerly awaiting the new 2020/2021 school year. They have been working hard at learning new tools and new methods of instruction delivery. They understand that this learning experience might be a challenge for some and will work hard to ensure success for all their students. Open and clear communication will be paramount. We will work to ensure our communication is where it needs to be. On the community end, should there be any issues, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Caruso or Mr. Caragianes. As we move forward, if we assume best intentions, then we are confident that issues and concerns will be resolved in a reasonable, respectful way.

Stay Safe!