News to Use, November 23, 2020

Upcoming Important Dates:

No School: Thanksgiving Recess                                                    Thurs & Fri, November 26 & 27
School Pictures, Cohort A & remote students                              Tuesday, December 1
School Pictures, Cohort B                                                                Thursday, December 3
No School: Winter Recess                                                                December 24-January 1

We will still eat outside and take as many breaks as possible outside, please continue to pack layers, hats, and mittens as the cold weather arrives! Wet weather is the one thing that will keep us in, as wet masks aren't comfortable or healthy.

We hope you are able to enjoy this unusual Thanksgiving holiday with your family. As we slow down here at Cutler to reflect on what we are grateful for, our connections with your children are at the top of our list. This is a difficult holiday season for so many reasons, but please know we are truly thankful for being able to learn with your children each day.

Thank you for the messages and treats last week that were provided in the teachers' room! Everyone loved the sweet signs and many enjoyed a little treat!

Message from HW Health Offices: 

Dear Hamilton-Wenham Community,

If you are traveling out of state for Thanksgiving, please notify your school nurse of your travel plans. ​New Hampshire and Maine have been removed from the list of lower risk travel states​. ​At this time, the only states that remain lower risk, and exempt from the travel order requirements, are Vermont and Hawaii. ​This is subject to change, so please check the ​travel order website​ prior to any travel for the most up-to-date information.​ We urge you to limit any unnecessary travel.

If you are traveling to a non-lower risk state, you need to follow the ​travel order​ which requires that you quarantine for 14 days upon return to MA or seek COVID-19 PCR testing no earlier than 72 hours prior to your return to MA. Free COVID-19 PCR tests can be obtained for MA residents at a ​Stop the Spread​ location. A negative COVID-19 PCR test needs to be submitted to your school nurse prior to your child(ren)'s return to in-person learning. If your children are 10 years old or younger, they are not required to receive a COVID-19 test, but you will need to share documentation of your adult household members' negative tests to your school nurse prior to their return to in-person learning.

Please review the information from the Massachusetts DPH on how to have a ​safe Thanksgiving​.

Please contact your school nurse with any questions or concerns. Stay safe.

Sincerely,

The HWRSD Nurses

Additional Nurse Notes

• Flu shots are required for all students by 12/31/20.  Please email, fax or send in documentation with your child to pass into the school nurse, Lynne Nardella.  Documentation can be emailed to l.nardella@hwschools.net or faxed to (978) 468-5314.
• Emergency medical forms: if you have not already done so, please log on to your Aspen family portal account and ensure that all contact and medical information is updated in case of an emergency.

School Pictures - LAST CALL TO OPT-IN - DEADLINE IS TOMORROW, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH

O'Connor Studios will be here next week, Tuesday, December 1st (Cohort A & fully remote students) and Thursday, December 3rd (Cohort B & LBC classes).

Here are some notes of how picture day will work;

• Photographers will have the whole day to photograph. This ensures that we meet all social distancing guidelines.  

• Photographers keep their mask on at all times and remain 8’ at a minimum from the students and staff.  

• No more exchanging any paperwork between photographer and student.  Everything is now done electronically.

• Students remain standing for their photo, and cannot remove their mask until instructed by the photographer

Ordering:

• All ordering must be done online this year and photos will be mailed to your home address.
• PLEASE NOTE:  O'Connor Studios will offer an Opt-In Ordering Program.  This program allows you to sign up and receive an email to place your order directly with O'Connor Studios.  
• Please click on the following link and fill out your information to opt-in if you plan to purchase school pictures from O'Connor Studios;

O'Connor Studios Opt-in Program for Cutler School

•   The opt-in program will be open from 11/16/20-11/24/20.  If you opt-in during this timeframe, then you will receive a separate email on Wednesday, 11/25/20 from O'Connor with your child's unique identifier code, which will securely link you to place your order for your child's photo.  Each student will receive their own unique identifier code, so even if there are siblings in the same school, each will receive their own identifier code for security reasons.

Hamilton-Wenham Holiday Assistance Fund

As the holiday season is approaching, we want to let families know about the Hamilton-Wenham Holiday Assistance Fund. This confidential program is coordinated by a dedicated community volunteer and is supported by the generous donations of many community members. The Holiday Assistance Fund has been established to assist Hamilton and Wenham residents and their families who have experienced hardship due to unemployment, illness of a parent or some other unusual circumstance. Due to limited funds, it is not intended to be a long-term assistance program or for families to use repeatedly unless there are extenuating circumstances. 

If your family meets the criteria stated above and you would like to request assistance, please contact Ann Creilson, School Adjustment Counselor, to discuss this program and eligibility in further detail. Ann can be reached at 978-468-8475 or via email at a.creilson@hwschools.net. 

Assistance will be in the form of gift cards for winter clothing and/or food or in some instances, gifts of essential clothing such as winter coats, hats, pajamas, socks etc. 

If you are interested in making a monetary donation to the program, you may also contact

Ann Creilson for details.