McGovern News!

We are part way through February and inches to February break. As you may know, February is Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring and celebrating the rich contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout history. This month provides a wonderful opportunity for us to explore and learn about the remarkable individuals who have shaped our world and continue to inspire generations. While we do not solely do this in February, this designated month serves as a focused reminder and catalyst for deeper exploration, understanding, and appreciation of Black history and culture throughout the year.

Lunar New Year was also celebrated this past weekend, on February 10th, marking a joyous occasion for many cultures across the globe. As we honor Black History Month, let's also recognize the significance of Lunar New Year and the rich traditions, customs, and values it represents. This convergence of celebrations offers a unique opportunity for our community to embrace diversity, promote inclusivity, foster cultural understanding, and celebrate the richness of our collective heritage.

I hope you have a wonderful vacation week filled with laughter and joyous moments.

Best,

Amy McDonald, Principal

This is just a friendly reminder that February vacation starts Monday, February 19th through Friday, February 23rd. School will resume on Monday, February 26th. We hope everyone enjoys their vacation!

RESPONSE REQUESTED: Development of Medway’s 3 year Student Opportunity Act Plan

Medway Public Schools is in the process of developing a plan to submit to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education called a Student Opportunity Act (SOA) Plan. This is a 3 year plan that is intended to focus on a subset of the district’s overall initiatives. Each district’s plan should include the identification of evidence-based programs and strategies that will improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students, including English learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students.

Based on an analysis of student outcomes and feedback from families, school leaders, and faculty and staff, Medway’s SOA Plan for 2024-2027 will focus on enhancing our practices around mathematics education. In order to finalize this plan we are reaching out to seek your feedback to shape this plan.

Thank you for participating in this brief survey by March 1. We will be sharing the DRAFT SOA Plan with School Councils, the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) and the Medway School Committee throughout the month of March and submitting our final plan to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by April 1, 2024 per requirement.

Please contact Gabby Abrams, Assistant Superintendent, at gabrams@medwayschools.org with any questions.

Get ready for an enchanting literary journey as the eagerly awaited McGovern Spring Book Fair returns, courtesy of our partnership with Scholastic! Mark your calendars for the week of March 18th, when our school will transform into a treasure trove of literary delights.

What is the Book Fair? The Book Fair is more than just a shopping opportunity, it's a gateway to a world of age-appropriate, high-quality books and products, all available at affordable prices. From the latest releases to specially discounted options, there's something for every bookworm in the family. Not only does it ignite a passion for reading among our students, but it also provides essential funds that enhance our school's curriculum. Your child won't want to miss this adventure, and they'll have the chance to explore the Book Fair during their scheduled Library special timeslot.

Quick Links & Tips for a Seamless Experience:

• Payment Options - We accept cash, credit, and checks. For added convenience, we highly recommend using eWallets, especially for our Preschool, Kindergarten and Grade 1 students. Find out more about eWallets and how to set one up by visiting our dedicated eWallet section on the book fair website here.

• Volunteer Opportunity - Would you like to be a part of your child's Book Fair experience? Sign up here to volunteer and assist their class. Please note that all volunteers must have a current CORI clearance, which expires every academic year. If you have any CORI-related questions, feel free to reach out to Amanda Rice, amrice@medwayschools.org for clarification.

• Donations to Classrooms - Support your child's classroom by contributing to their teacher's or class's eWallet. Keep an eye on your email as teachers will reach out if they've set up an eWallet for their classroom.

• 'All for Books' Donations - Make a difference by donating during the fair to help McGovern purchase books for our library or students who may not otherwise have access to them.

• Tax Information - Please note that there will be tax applied at the book fair. Scholastic recently reclassified as a retailer, resulting in tax collection at the register. We will educate our students about this during the fair, helping them understand how tax is a common part of the shopping experience for adults as well.

Explore our dedicated Scholastic Book Fair website for book trailers, online purchases, and setting up an eWallet.

We are thrilled to embark on this literary adventure during the Book Fair Week and deeply appreciate your support in fostering a love for reading among our students.

Class t-shirts have been distributed via backpacks . Each class is given a color and class t-shirts are an elementary tradition. Class t-shirts are used for building class community, special event theme days, field day and field trips. Our goal is that every child at McGovern has a t-shirt. We do not want any child to feel left out on these special days, so we are making one last effort to get every child a t-shirt.

Please get in touch with Mrs. Rice at amrice@medwayschools.org to let her know if you would like to order one or need help obtaining one.

Thank you,

Amy McDonald, Principal

Kindergarten Registration is open for the 2024-2025 school year. Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by August 31, 2024. Registration information will be available online, in the superintendent’s office, and at the McGovern School.

Families will need to register online using this website: Infinite Campus Online Registration Portal

and instructions can be found here: Online Registration Directions. Also, many exciting events lead up to the first day of kindergarten. You can find them in The Road to Kindergarten Flyer. Information on the Kindergarten Welcome session, Kindergarten camp, dates for kindergarten screening, and the summer playground date can be found here. We will send out a sign-up Genius in March for the kindergarten screening, which takes place in May.

We are excited to welcome the class of 2037!

If you are interested in a preschool community peer seat for your child, please review this document for information on how to sign up for the preschool lottery. Sign-up for the lottery is currently open and closes on Friday, March 8th at 4:00 PM. The preschool lottery will take place at McGovern School on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 11:00 AM. If you have any questions please reach out to Sue Frederick.

Monday, February 5th, Medway High School was kind enough to bring a preview of their Spring Musical 'The Wizard of Oz' to our students!

Ms. Collins and the students of Room 9 put on an amazing puppet show for their parents yesterday, Thursday, February 15th. McGovern would also like to give a HUGE thank you to Officers Schindler, Sharkey, and Student Resource Officer Paul McLoughlin of the Medway Police Department, for stopping by to watch the show and spend some time with the Room 9 students and parents.

During the January 18 School Committee meeting, the 2024-2025 school calendar and graduation date were approved. A copy of the approved FY24 school year calendar can be found here.

We have recently noticed several cars parking in the bus loop parking lot, outside the main entrance, at parent pick-up time. Please remember if you are picking your child up for parent pick up that you pull into the line. In the event you are parking and walking to meet your child, please park off of school property or at the turn-around area by the field when you first pull into the school's entrance. We have staff and parents entering the school at the end of the day for extracurriculars, meetings, etc. who have no access to parking because of this issue.

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.

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:

• March 1st
• March 22nd
• April 5th

The Medway Foundation for Education (MFE) is a non-profit organization charged with raising capital to fund innovative, educational projects throughout Medway’s public schools. Using the money generated from community events, contributions, and educational grants, MFE will allocate funds through a grant process to teacher-sponsored projects. Their partnership has resulted in close to $500,000 in support to Medway Public Schools since 2002. Please see the information below for volunteer opportunities in the Old News section:

MFE is excited to announce that they are holding both the Trivia Bee and the Dodgeball tournament this year.

Join us to have fun, compete and raise funds to help MFE support our schools!

The Trivia Bee will be held on Tuesday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Burke-Memorial School. New teams are always welcome and the MFE looks forward to welcoming back our tried and true past competitors! Minimum donation is $300 per table (6 players per table). Individuals and teams are invited to play AND we also are seeking sponsors for tables (to pay for teacher, student or other teams). To Register your team to compete in the MFE Trivia Bee OR to sponsor a table, please reach out to medwayfoundationforeducation@gmail.com.

DODGEBALL is back!! The tournament will be Saturday, March 23 at the Medway Middle School. More information will be shared soon. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, email MFEdodgeball@gmail.com. Team registration information will be out soon - check their Facebook, Instagram and website for updates.

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

February 19th-February23rd: February Vacation (No School)

February 26th: School Resumes

February 27th: MFE Trivia Bee, 7:00 pm Burke-Memorial

March 1st: Arena Day (No Preschool)

March 9th: Shamrock Shuffle, 9:00 am (Saturday) Medway High School

March 10th: Daylight Savings

March 13th: School Site Council Meeting, 3:20 pm

March 15th: Professional Development Day (No School for students)

March 18th: Scholastic Book Fair begins

March 22nd: Arena Day (No Preschool)

Scholastic Book Fair ends

March 29th: Good Friday (No School)

April 3rd: McGovern Kindergarten Night of the Arts, 5:30 pm

April 5th: Arena Day (No Preschool)

April 15th-April 19th: April Vacation (No School)

April 26th: MEPTO's Basket Raffle & Ice Cream Social, 5:00-8:00 pm Medway High School