McGovern News!

It is hard to believe, but Monday marks a significant milestone in our academic journey – the 100th day of school! Time has truly flown by, filled with countless moments of growth, learning, and shared experiences. As we reflect on the journey thus far, we are thrilled to celebrate this special occasion with our students and all of you, our valued parents and partners in education. The 100th day is not just a number; it represents a hundred opportunities for our students to explore, discover, and thrive.

Thank you for your continuous support, and let's make the 100th day a memorable and joyous occasion for our students! Our educators will lead students through multiple 100 Day activities and are welcome to wear a "100 Day" T-shirt or dress like a 100 year old. The 100th day is celebrated in many school across the county but has been a long standing McGovern tradition.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend. Please remember there is another early release day on Wednesday, February 7th with preschool dismissal at 11:05 am and kindergarten and 1st grade at 12:00 pm.

Have a great weekend!

Best,

Amy McDonald, Principal

We will celebrate our 100th Day of School on Monday , February 5th!

Students & staff are invited to dress up as 100 year-olds or wear 100th day t-shirts.

Today, you will be receiving information about your student's Midyear i-Ready and DIBELS assessments. These will come with an accompanying letter to explain how to interpret the results. Even with the letters, you may still have questions. Please reach out to your child's teacher with any questions regarding your child's assessment results.

Dear McGovern Elementary School Families:

Every year, each public school and district in Massachusetts receives a report card. Just as your child’s report card shows how they are doing in different subjects, the school’s report card is designed to show families how our school and district are doing in different areas. A link to a fact sheet about the report card can be found here: here. A link to McGovern's information can be found here. A link to our district’s report card is available here.

The report card includes multiple measures of a school’s performance – more than just MCAS scores. It represents a new way of looking at school performance, by providing information on student achievement, teacher qualifications, student learning opportunities, and more.

Report cards are designed to be useful tools for everyone connected to our school. Families can use the information to have meaningful conversations with us about what the school is doing well and where there is room for improvement. Community and education leaders can use the information to better understand how to support students and our school.

We encourage you to become involved in helping us improve our school. We see parents as critical partners in the success of our students and school, and we are grateful for your continued support.

Finally, as your child attends a school that receives federal Title I funds, you also have the right to request the following information about the qualifications of your child’s classroom teachers:

• Whether your child’s teacher is licensed in the grade levels and subject areas they teach,

• Whether your child’s teacher is teaching under an emergency license or waiver,

• The college degree and major of your child’s teacher, and

• Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If you have questions about our district report card, would like to become involved in school improvement activities, or would like to request information about the qualifications of your child’s classroom teacher, please contact Mrs. Amy McDonald, principal.

Sincerely,

Gabrielle Abrams

Assistant Superintendent

Medway Public Schools

Class t-shirts were distributed via backpacks this week. 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 both elementary schools 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.

Each school has made a list of the students who did not order a class t-shirt. We will reach out to each family to determine if you would like to still order one, do not want one, or need assistance in purchasing one.

We appreciate MEPTO's efforts in coordinating the class t-shirts. Moving forward, the elementary schools will coordinate this initiative. We wanted to provide this context so families can see the value of building class and school community and understand our goal of every child having a shirt.

Kindergarten Registration Opens February 5, 2024 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, there are many exciting events that 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 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 opens on Monday, February 5th 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.

As many of you may have noticed, McGovern had police presence on Thursday, February 2nd. In an effort to bring our community closer together, Medway Police came to greet our students with high fives on their way into school. This was a fun way to start the day with our police department greeting our students.

Today we had an engaging and exciting visit from OOCH! Thank you MEPTO for arranging this experience for the students here at McGovern and making their Friday notable!

The Medway School District has an upcoming early release day on 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)

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.

Clothes Cupboard

Dear Parents,

As your children grow and you find yourself cleaning out their closets, please keep the Clothes Cupboard in mind. Here in the nurses' office, I keep spare clothes for students in case of any accidents. Gently used pants and leggings are needed but all types of clothing are greatly appreciated!

Best,

Penny McKay

McGovern School Nurse

We are pleased to share press releases and published news about events and accomplishments throughout the district. Click here to view recently published articles on our district website, including the dramatic play pieces made by Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School for the McGovern playground.

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

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, equipment, instruments, support for curriculum-based enrichment activities for the music program, and so much more!

MFPA 2nd Annual Musical Bingo Night!

REGISTRATION ENDS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH

• February 8th at the Medway Middle School Cafeteria
• Mr. Doug Herbst is our Musical Bingo DJ again this year! Bring your dancing shoes!
• Doors open at 6:00 pm and Bingo starts promptly at 6:30 pm (Note the time change!)

• 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!

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

February 9th: Football/Sports Gear Day

February 14th: Valentine's Day, wear pink/red

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

February 26th: School Resumes

February 27th: MFE Trivia Bee, 7:00 pm

March 1st: Arena Day (No Preschool)

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

March 10th: Daylight Savings

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

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

March 22nd: Arena Day (No Preschool)

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)