Hello Families,

We are looking forward to hosting our Family Engagement Night on January 31st from 6:30-7:30pm and hope you will consider attending. We have a variety of presenters including teachers and parents. It should be an informative night and childcare is offered. Please see below for more information and complete this form if you plan or hope to attend to assist us in preparing!

Also, a big thank you to whoever cleared the snow off of some staff cars up at the tennis courts on Tuesday. It was a sweet act of kindness and was appreciated. Thank you!

Next week kicks off The Great Kindness Challenge Week at South Row. Please review the information below to learn more about this week and how you can partner with the school to promote kindness!

Enjoy the weekend!

Respectfully,

Terri and Jayson

Monday, January 22nd

• Beginning of the Kindness Challenge Week ~ wear kindness shirts to kick off the week!
• Kindergarten Magic Mike Bent Enrichment

Tuesday, January 23rd

• No events

Wednesday, January 24th

• Kindergarten Term 1 Grades Available via X2 - click here for directions

Thursday, January 25th

• No events

Friday, January 26th

• Tentative High Five Friday with the Chelmsford Fire Department
• PTO Movie Night (Sold Out), 6:30pm, Cafeteria

January 29th

• Start of Winter Week in Specialists in conjunction with the PTO

January 30th

• Kindergarten Registration (rising Kindergarten families), 9:00AM-6:00pm, Central Office

January 31st

• Kindergarten Registration (rising Kindergarten families), 9:00AM-6:00PM, Central Office
• Multicultural Festival Planning Committee Meeting, 3:45-4:30pm
• Family Engagement Night, 6:30pm, begins in South Row Cafeteria

February 5th

• Student Grade Level Meetings w/ Mrs. Gilbert & Mr. Ramalho
• School Counselors Appreciation Week
• Kindness Matters Day - Students encouraged to wear kindness shirts
• Student Council, 3:30pm
• School Council, 5:30pm, Conference Room
• PTO Board Meeting, 6:30pm, Conference Room
• PTO Meeting, 7:00pm, Cafeteria

February 6th

• Try it Tuesday
• Spotlight on South Row Elementary School, School Committee Meeting

February 8th

• Early Release Day - Students dismissed at 11:45am - Teacher Professional Development

February 9th

• Chelmsford/South Row Spirit Day

February 10th

• Choralfest, Gr. 4-12, CHS Performing Arts Center, 2:00pm

February 13th

• Grade 4 Enrichment Program - Lasers and Lights

February 14th

• Red, White, and Pink Spirit Day

February 19th-23rd

• February School Vacation Week - No School

February 26th

• YOGA Week in Physical Education by Pretzel Kids sponsored by the PTO

February 28th

• Science Fair, 6:30-8:00pm

Save the Date (Family Engagement Night): Our School Council is hosting a Family Engagement Night on January 31st from 6:30-7:30pm. Please click here for more information on the event. The evening is designed to educate parents on academic and social emotional programming at South Row along with providing families tips and tricks to support the success of their child. This event is for families/caregivers in the South Row community and we will have childcare for the event. We hope you will consider attending.

Save the Date (February PTO Meeting): We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming PTO Meeting on Monday, February 5th at 7:00pm in the cafeteria.

Save the Date (Science Fair): Mark your calendars! The science fair is scheduled for February 28th, 2024 from 6:30-8:30pm. This is a special and exciting South Row event organized by our School Council. Please look for more information next week. Start talking with your child(ren) about this event!

Multicultural Festival Planning Committee: Looking to get involved in planning and/or executing a special event unique to South Row? Our first Multicultural Festival planning committee will be taking place on January 31st from 3:45-4:30pm. This festival is designed to celebrate and embrace our schools cultural diversity. If you are interested in attending or getting involved please email southrowfestival@gmail.com.

2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

• BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
• (Approximately 15 minute appointments)
• TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30 & 31, 2024
• 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION CENTRAL OFFICE
• 230 NORTH ROAD, CHELMSFORD, MA
• Visit the Chelmsford Public Schools website.
• Click on the “RESERVE YOUR APPOINTMENT” link to enter parent/guardian contact information and preferred appointment time within a three-hour window.
• You will then be contacted to confirm a date and time for your registration appointment. Registration packets may also be dropped off at the School Administration Office, 230 North Road, Chelmsford, MA: Monday – Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., if you are not able to attend these two dates.
• In addition to the completed student registration packet, the required documentation to submit is listed on the CPS Student Registration page.
• For additional information or questions on kindergarten registration, please contact Jane McDonald at mcdonaldj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us; or 978-251-5100, ext. 6901.

Coats Coats Coats: The cold is upon us! Many students continue to come to school without a coat. We send students outside for recess on most days and are asking parents to make sure their child has a coat. Please talk to your child about making sure they have a coat on or in their backpack.

Reminder: Students should wear a winter jacket, hat, and gloves to school as we will do our very best to get outside for recess. In order to go into the snow, students must wear boots.

PD Day Calendar Adjustment (Early Release Day Change): The March professional development day has been moved to Tuesday, March 5th which was originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 6th. Therefore, Please see more details on the rationale to this move, please click on Dr. Lang's 12/1/23 update.

Monday

Happy Great Kindness Challenge Week! - Kindness Matters Shirt Day

• Today’s Quote: “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama

• Today’s Challenge: Write or tell someone that you appreciate them

Tuesday

• Today’s Quote: “No act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted.” - Aesop

• Today’s Challenge: Make someone laugh throughout the day

Wednesday

• Today’s Quote: “Choose to be kind over being right and you’ll be right every time.” – Richard Carlson

• Today’s Challenge: Give your teacher, parent, or caregiver a compliment

Thursday

• Today’s Quote: “A smile is the beginning of peace.” – Mother Teresa

• Today’s Challenge: Help someone in your class or at home

Friday

• Today’s Quote: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’ “ – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

• Today’s Challenge: Say thank you to someone!

Dear South Row Families,

If your student is sick, please check the school’s sick policy on the CPS website linked here.

We have seen an increase in GI illnesses this week. If your student has been vomiting or having diarrhea, they need to be 24 hours symptom free before returning.

You can get FREE covid tests mailed to your home by filling out the information in this link https://special.usps.com/testkits

Below is an excerpt from our current Covid protocol. It is not the full protocol - but I have linked it here CPS COVID Health Protocols

Isolation and exposure guidance and protocols

● Quarantine is no longer required nor recommended for children or staff in these settings, regardless of vaccination status or where the exposure occurred. All exposed individuals may continue to attend programming as long as they remain asymptomatic. A high quality mask should be worn for 10 days, and test 5 days after the exposure on Day 6. If symptoms develop, follow the guidance for symptomatic individuals, below.

● Children and staff who test positive must isolate for at least 5 days. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms or the date of the positive test if the individual does not have symptoms. The next day is considered day 1. If they are asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and they have been fever free without the use of fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours, they may return to programming after Day 5 and should wear a high-quality mask through Day 10:

• If the individual is able to mask, they must do so through Day 10.

• If the child has a negative test on Day 5 or later, they do not need to mask (please provide documentation for the negative test to the school nurse).

• Upon return to school, students who test positive for COVID-19 must complete the “Return to School Form Post COVID-19 Diagnosis” to the Health Office. The form will be emailed to you by the school nurse.

Below is the full list of symptoms for which caregivers should monitor their children, and staff should monitor themselves.

COVID-19 Symptoms List:

• Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

• New loss of taste or smell

• Muscle aches or body aches

• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)

• Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms 3

• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms

• Headache when in combination with other symptoms

• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms

• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Warmly,

Nurse V.

Vandevoordts@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

We welcome you to check out our December and January Connections Calendar and provide feedback using this link.

Please click on the "button" below to access resources and supports available. Do not hesitate to reach out to any support team member with any questions you may have.

**Please note: We continuously update the button below with new resources as they arise.

There are still LOTS of opportunities to volunteer for our Winter Week activities with the specialists! Even if your student's class is not available, please consider helping with another group, they will appreciate it just as much. You can sign-up here: South Row PTO: 2024 Winter Fun Activity Volunteers (signupgenius.com)

We have more than one fundraiser that you can use any time to support the PTO. Remember, your donations and financial support help us be able to provide more and more free events and fun for the students and staff through the year. You can remind yourself of these fundraisers and figure out how to use them through our website. South Row PTO: Fundraising

This section is comprised of the following items pertaining to food services

• Website
• Breakfast Information
• Tentative Breakfast/Lunch Menus

Dear Parents and Families --

Chelmsford Public Schools is utilizing on-line breakfast ordering again this year for ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ONLY.

Instructions on how to set up an account are below. If you need any help, please reach out to the school nutrition department at: (978) 251-5111

Set Up Your Account Now

Directions to set up your account and order:

1. URL Link: family.onlineordering.linq.com
2. Sign up now: Email, create password.
3. School District: Chelmsford Public Schools
4. Student ID: This can be found on x2- Child’s Student ID Number
5. Last Name: (You can also search and add siblings/family members at this time). Once this is completed, the student’s name should appear on page.

How to order meals

1. School Menu-breakfast online ordering
2. Scroll to day/week you are selecting breakfast (top right of page)
3. Find date, select meal option
4. Add item to cart/Select Add to order
5. Click on shopping cart icon at top right of page
6. Click Check out
7. Select pick up location: Elementary pick-up location classroom
8. Place order

Mrs. Terri Gilbert

Principal

gilbertt@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Mr. Jayson Ramalho, M.Ed.

Assistant Principal

ramalhoj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Email: gilbertt@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us/Domain/15
Location: 250 Boston Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5177
Facebook: facebook.com/SouthRowElementary
Twitter: @CPSSouthRow

• Mrs. Terri Gilbert, Principal: gilbertt@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177 ext. 4
• Mr. Jayson Ramalho, Assistant Principal: ramalhoj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177 ext. 3
• Mrs. Shannon Vandevoordt, School Nurse: vandevoordts@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177, ext.2
• Mrs. Debbie O'Neill, Secretary: oneilld@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177, ext. 0
• Mrs. Kim Sepe, School Clerk: sepek@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177, ext.0
• Absentee Line: 978-251-5177 ext. 1