McGovern News!

Happy New Year! I hope this message finds you well and that you had a wonderful winter break filled with joy and relaxation. It's always refreshing to reconnect with loved ones and recharge for the exciting challenges that lie ahead.

This week our teachers spent time reviewing routines and expectations. It is always good to come back to this after a vacation and our students transitioned seamlessly back to school. While some were tired, it was great to see them fall back into the school routine with ease.

Additionally, this week we welcomed students, staff, and administration from Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School for our Playground Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. We are so appreciative to Ms. Tara Barrows for writing the grant for this project, Medway Foundation for Educators (MFE) for funding the grant, and Tri-County for building such beautiful outdoor dramatic play spaces. In total they built, 4 mud kitchens, 2 sandboxes, 4 easels, 1 stage and an amazing, two-story pirate ship. These pieces complete our playground area and provide students with opportunities to learn valuable life skills, such as teamwork, resilience, problem solving and creativity, all while having fun. We are so grateful to all who made this dream a reality! Please see below for pictures of the event and dramatic play pieces.

Finally, as we embark on the new year, January marks the beginning of mid-year assessments for our students. These assessments play a crucial role in gauging their progress and identifying areas for growth. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate their achievements and ensure that we are providing the support they need to thrive academically. In the coming weeks, you can expect more detailed information about the mid-year assessments.

Thank you for you continued support and partnership in your children's education. Here's to a successful and fulfilling 2024!

Best,

Amy McDonald, Principal

To cut down the duplicate notifications we receive per child, we are asking parents to use the Parent Portal on our website to submit attendance requests. Please leave your child's name, teacher's name, room number, and the reason for absence in the space provided for notes. You will receive a notification once your request has been processed. To log in, use the credentials you used to register your child for kindergarten. If you cannot access the parent portal, please email one of our secretaries with your request. For time-sensitive matters, the absentee call line is always available for requests. We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we implement this new procedure.

Parent Portal: https://medwayma.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/medway.jsp

Sara Becker, Secretary: Sbecker@medwayschools.org

Amanda Rice, Secretary: Amrice@medwayschools.org

Starting next week students will begin to engage in their Mid Year assessments. These are done through iReady, Panorama, and DIBELS assessments. This information is critical to ensuring your students are receiving the instruction and extension opportunities they require. These assessments will be completed over multiple weeks so that students are not over assessed in a small period of time. We're looking forward to seeing how our students have grown and will provide an update to families on how to interpret results once they are completed.

Federal and state laws require that English learner (EL) students be assessed annually to measure their proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking English, as well as the progress they are making in learning English. In fulfillment of these laws, EL students are required to participate in ACCESS for ELLs tests. ACCESS (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners) for ELLs tests are administered annually. At Burke Memorial, we will start these assessments next week.

Medway Friends of the Performing Arts is a Community Support group whose mission is to foster and promote excellence in performing arts programs in the Medway Public Schools K-12 music and theater programs. They have done this by raising funds to provide things like: Scholarships, financial aid, equiptment, instruments, support for curriculum-based enrichment activities for the music program, and so much more!
Their upcoming Musical Bing Night is on Thursday February 8th from 6 to 8 PM in the Medway Middle School Cafeteria.

• Mr. Doug Herbst is our Musical Bingo DJ again this year! Bring your dancing shoes!
• Doors open at 5:30 pm and Bingo starts promptly at 6:00 pm
• Pre-registration is required
• Fee is $10/person or $50/family

This is an all ages, family-friendly event. Space is limited, so register early. The last day to register is February 5th, based on availability.

Payment can be made after registering in advance via Venmo or cash/check at the door.

There will be prizes, concessions for purchase, raffles, and lots of fun!Musical

BingoPresentedbyMedwayFriendsofthePerformingArts

The Medway School District has upcoming early release days on Wednesday 1/31 and the following week Wednesday 2/7. Preschool students will dismiss at 11:05 AM and kindergarten and 1st grade will dismiss at 12:00 PM.

District release times:

• Medway Middle School: 11:02 a.m.
• Burke-Memorial Elementary: 11:30 a.m.
• Medway High School: 11:34 a.m.
• McGovern Elementary: 11:05 am (preschool) & 12:00 p.m. (K/1)

MEPTO has officially opened their Yearbook orders through March 29th. Yearbooks are directly managed by the organization as part of their support efforts. Students typically get their yearbooks shortly before the school year ends. There are scholarship opportunities for any families who are unable to purchase yearbooks and they should contact John Kelley with any of those needs. All questions related to yearbook should go directly to MEPTO at medwaypto@gmail.com. Please see directions below to order

1. Go to www.coffeepond.com.

2. Click on the Order Yearbooks button.

3. Enter the password BMMYB2024 and select online order and continue.

4. Enter the child’s name & grade and the book quantity.

5. Enter your email under contact and select add to cart.

6. If you have another child to order for, please select order for another child. If not, you can finish

checking out.

Yearbooks will be on sale through March 29, 2024.

Head Lice

Pediculosis (head lice) is common among children 3-12 years old. It is often detected on the human scalp by the presence of adult lice or nits attached to the hair shaft. Head lice do not spread disease nor are a sign of uncleanliness. They cannot hop, jump or fly; they crawl. Research does not support the practice of classroom “head checks” screenings, exclusion of infested children, or a “no nit” policy. Head lice are primarily spread by close head-to-head contact within a family or household. The management of head lice should not interfere with school attendance, and it is the parents and guardians who are primarily responsible for the surveillance and treatment of head lice at home.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Penny McKay, RN, MSN

pmckay@medwayschools.org

In our work to continuously improve our practices, a RC representative came to McGovern and Burke Memorial Schools to observe practices and structures within our buildings. Their feedback was both positive and informative with strong assessment ratings in both schools and some specific areas of opportunity to further practices.

Back by popular demand, the MFE will be hosting its time honored night of trivia fun on Tuesday, February 27. Details to come but interested individuals should start hitting the books and pulling together your team for a fun night!

Please remember that twice a month there are no preschool classes as it is an "Arena day". This is when we complete assessments for students in an IEP evaluation cycle, hold IEP meetings, and/or conduct training. Upcoming arena days are:

• January 19th
• February 1st
• March 1st

As a reminder to all families, when picking up your child, you will need to bring your license with you to the main office. Not only is this for safety reasons, but we also have new staff in the front office. Please remember to bring this with you to the main office as you will be asked to get it if you forget it in your car. Thank you for your cooperation.

It is the goal of the district to hold school whenever possible. Parents and students should plan accordingly and leave plenty of time on winter mornings to arrive at school safely. Please know that the final decision about a child attending school during a weather event always rests with individual families. There may be occasions when deteriorating weather will mean that schools close due to unsafe conditions.

The superintendent will review anticipated road and sidewalk conditions, access to schools, projected weather forecasts, and consult with the police and public works departments in order to make a determination between approximately 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. if conditions will be safe for students to come to school.

The following plans will be in effect for inclement weather:

No School Announcement

If the superintendent has determined the conditions are unsafe, school will be canceled. The district will utilize the emergency notification system that will contact your home/cell phone and email using the information you have provided to your child’s school. The “no-school” announcement will also be shared on social media channels and carried on local television channels 4, 5, and 7.

All classes, school activities, before and after school programs, the Medway Extended Day program (MEDI), daycare program, adult education evening classes, and any school facilities use activities will be canceled. Transportation of students to out-of-district schools will also be canceled.

One or Two-Hour Delayed Opening Announcement

If the superintendent has been notified that the public works department needs additional time to plow or sand the streets to ensure safety, then a determination for a one or two-hour delay may be made. As with no-school announcements, the delayed opening announcement will be made using the emergency notification system to home/cell phone and email and carried on local television channels.

Please keep in mind:

• Bus routes will begin by a one or two-hour delay, including all special education transportation for out-of-district schools.

• Do not send your child to school earlier than the delayed opening, as the school grounds may not be plowed and there will be no staff available to supervise early arrivals.

• PreK ½ day sessions will take place if a one hour delay is called, and will be canceled for a two hour delay.

• School lunch will be served at its regularly scheduled time.

• Schools will be dismissed at their regular times.

Emergency Early Release Announcement

If a severe weather condition or other emergency develops during the school day, the district may release students before the typical end of the school day. Parents will be notified by home/cell phone and email and the announcement will be carried on local television channels, and displayed on the district website. As appropriate, the district will work with public safety officials to shelter students in the district if unable to send home.

Inclement Weather Bus Stops for Walkers

We understand that inclement weather days can present challenges when it comes to getting your child to school safely. Snow clearing responsibilities for our town begin with the main roads, followed by sidewalks around our schools. We recognize that this can be especially concerning for families whose children typically walk to and from school.

In the event that sidewalks are not passable and you are unable to find an alternative means of transportation for your child(ren) on these days, we are here to help. To assist us in providing a solution that ensures your child's safe travel to school, please complete the brief form linked here.

By completing this form, you'll enable us to notify you of the designated bus stop location where your child(ren) can board or exit the bus on such occasions. We have introduced this service to support safe transportation to school during inclement weather, and we appreciate your proactive participation.

It is important to note that these specialized bus stops will only be available to families who have signed up in advance. We will communicate additional information once the inclement weather bus stops have been established.

Additional Reminders for Parents

Be sure your child’s school has your updated contact information.

Have a family emergency plan in place so your child knows what to do if sent home for any of the reasons noted above.

If your child is regularly driven to school and you or they feel it is unsafe to drive during the inclement weather, please determine an alternative means of transportation to school.

Snack

Families are asked to provide students with a daily snack to bring to school. If there are any barriers to a family providing a daily snack, please reach out to our main office and they will connect you with an administrator or counselor and we will ensure that all students have snacks daily.

Free Breakfast and Lunch

We are thrilled to offer all students breakfast and lunch free of charge. All students are offered breakfast as they come through the doors at McGovern School and students chose their lunch in the cafeteria. If you do not want your students to eat breakfast or lunch, please have a conversation with your student about your home expectations.

Medway Schools has partnered with Care Solace, which offers mental health care coordination services and can help connect you, your child, and extended family members with appropriate community-based providers. Whether it's counseling, therapy, or other mental health services, Care Solace can assist you in finding the support your family may need. To access Care Solace's coordination services, simply reach out using the following options:

1. Call 888-515-0595: Their multilingual helpline is staffed 24/7/365.
2. 2. Visit www.caresolace.com/medway: On their website, you can explore mental health providers independently or click "Book Appointment" for personalized assistance through video chat, email, or phone.

You can find the 2023-2024 District calendar here.

English

To open the SMORE newsletter, click on the link above. Then, to translate the SMORE newsletter, click on the “Translate” button at the top of the page. Use the drop-down menu to select your language. The newsletter will then be translated.

Portuguese

Para abrir a newsletter SMORE, clique no link acima. Em seguida, para traduzir a newsletter SMORE, clique no botão “Traduzir” no topo da página. Use o menu suspenso para selecionar seu idioma. O boletim informativo será então traduzido.

Spanish

Para abrir el boletín SMORE, haga clic en el enlace de arriba. Luego, para traducir el boletín SMORE, haga clic en el botón "Traducir" en la parte superior de la página. Utilice el menú desplegable para seleccionar su idioma. Luego se traducirá el boletín.

Arabic

لفتح النشرة الإخبارية SMORE، انقر على الرابط أعلاه. وبعد ذلك، لترجمة نشرة SMORE الإخبارية، انقر فوق الزر "ترجمة" الموجود أعلى الصفحة. استخدم القائمة المنسدلة لاختيار لغتك. سيتم بعد ذلك ترجمة النشرة الإخبارية.

Haitian Creole

Pou ouvri bilten SMORE a, klike sou lyen anlè a. Lè sa a, pou tradui bilten SMORE a, klike sou bouton "Tradwi" ki anlè paj la. Sèvi ak meni ki dewoule a pou chwazi lang ou. Lè sa a, y ap tradui bilten an.

Medway Public Schools believes it is important that families and the broader community are provided with information about the important work going on in our schools. There is a great deal of communication that happens in the district. You can expect the following:

• Community Update from the Superintendent, monthly
• McGovern News from me, bi-weekly
• Teacher newsletters, bi-weekly

All community updates and the McGovern News will be emailed and can also be found on the district and school websites or through our Medway Public Schools app which can be accessed through the QR Code below. Teachers will email their newsletters directly to their class.

McGovern Elementary School:

Twitter: @McGovernElem

Facebook: @mcgovernelem

Instagram: @mcgovernelem

January 10th: OOCH Experience in the gym, 9:00-10:00am & 10:10am (students only)

School Site Council Meeting 3:20pm

January 15th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No school

January 19th: Arena day, No Preschool

January 22nd: MEPTO Meeting 6:30 pm, Burke Memorial Library

January 31st: Elementary Early Release Day, Dismissal 12:00 pm (Preschool 11:05 am)

February 1st: Arena Day (No Preschool)

February 7th: Elementary Early Release Day, Dismissal 12:00 pm (Preschool 11:05 am)

February 19th-February23rd: February Vacation No school

February 26th: School Resumes

March 1st: Arena Day (No Preschool)