Upcoming Important Dates:
Early Release Dismissal @ 11:15AM December 23
No School: Winter Recess Dec. 24-Jan. 1
School Resumes January 4
No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 18
We wish you and your family a safe and healthy winter vacation, and look forward to seeing students in 2021! Happy New Year!
Winter gear
While the winter weather has us mostly eating lunch inside now, we still will go out for recess daily and will eat outside as the weather allows. It's the one time of day that kids really can move and play without as many restrictions as they face inside. Thank you for making sure your child has appropriate boots, coats, mittens, and hats to be comfortable while we are outside multiple times each day.
HW HEALTH OFFICE UPDATES
December 2020
We wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season. Please see the CDC's winter holiday health and safety tips.
COVID-19 CLOSE CONTACT
Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of an infectious person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. A COVID positive individual is considered infectious or contagious starting 2 days prior to their symptom onset, or 2 days prior to their positive COVID test in the case of asymptomatic individuals. During the contact tracing process, positive individuals are interviewed to see who they have been in close contact with during their infectious period, and close contacts are then notified of the need to quarantine. Masks reduce risk but do not eliminate exposure completely.
COVID-19 QUARANTINE
The CDC and MA DPH have provided new quarantine guidelines based on data on the typical timing of developing COVID after close contact exposure. For individuals who do not have, and have never had, symptoms during their quarantine period there is now a 7 day option with testing or a 10-day option without testing. Local public health nurses work with individuals to release them from quarantine, or from isolation in the case of positive individuals. Here are the quarantine options from the MA DPH:
TRAVEL
All Massachusetts residents are required to comply with the COVID-19 travel order. 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 hrs prior to your return to MA. 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 member's negative tests to your school nurse prior to their return to in-person learning. Please notify your school nurse of any travel plans during our December vacation.
COVID-19 TESTING
If your child is experiencing potential COVID-19 symptoms please keep your child home from school and/or contact their health care provider and seek testing if advised. Testing also needs to be done to comply with the travel order. We ask you to seek a COVID-19 PCR test which is considered the gold standard for testing. MA has many free stop the spread testing locations, including locations in Salem which do not require an appointment and are open 6 days a week. The towns of Hamilton and Wenham are also offering COVID-19 testing to their residents, HW school employees and their families, and all HW students on certain dates in December at the Miles River Middle School parking lot. See the website for eligibility requirements and testing dates.
INFLUENZA
All MA students are now required to be vaccinated against influenza by December 31st, 2020. This is critical during the pandemic as it will reduce the impact of COVID 19. Vaccination for influenza will also aid in the protection of vulnerable populations and decrease the burden on the healthcare system. Both the flumist and the flu shot are available this year. You will be/have been notified if we are missing documentation of your child(ren)'s flu vaccine. If you have not already done so, please provide documentation of your child(ren)'s flu vaccine to your school nurse as soon as possible.
For more health and COVID-19 information please visit our HW nurses' website.
- Breakfast items: Jam/jelly, cereal (hot & cold), pancake mix, syrup
- Canned goods: Chili, hearty soups, canned meats (white tuna, chicken, salmon, ham), baked beans, beef stew, Chef Boyardee
- Dry goods: Coffee, tea, cocoa, baking mixes, macaroni & cheese, couscous, quinoa, and other grains
- Snack items: granola bars, raisins, pudding, peanut butter crackers, other crackers
- Condiments: Mayonnaise, salad dressing, mustard, ketchup, and other condiments
- Personal care items: Soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products
- Baby items: Diapers, formula, baby food
#HWgivesback - Coats for Kids Drive
Two years ago, students at the high school launched a a charitable giving campaign, #HWgivesback, to promote awareness of challenges impacting members of our Hamilton and Wenham and surrounding communities and raise money to support these causes. Our goal is to collaborate with community leaders, public safety officials, business owners and families to work together to make a difference. Our goal for this year is to provide opportunities for all students to hear about the idea of #HWgivesback and connect it to the many charitable causes they are currently supporting.
Over the next month we are joining forces with Anton’s Cleaners to help make their annual Coats for Kids drive the most successful year yet! We would love to have the elementary school students join us in this effort. We will begin collecting new and lightly used coats in all sizes (children to adult) on Monday, December 7th, and conclude January 8th. Coats will be collected in the box located in the Gallery.
EARLY CHILDHOOD PARTNERS CFCE “WIND-DOWN WEDNESDAYS” PARENT WORKSHOPS ON ZOOM
Please join Early Childhood Partners CFCE for a series of FREE drop-in parent workshops to connect local families during these unprecedented times. Each week we will focus on self-care strategies, share parenting challenges & opportunities and discuss ways to better support our children. These workshops will be facilitated by Maryellen Collamore, MSW, LICSW, a local child & family clinician who specializes in parenting and childhood mental health.
JANUARY 6 @ 7:30PM: PARENTING DURING COVID
JAN 13 @ 7:30PM: ADDRESSING CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS
JAN 20 @ 7:30PM: ENGAGING TWO AGE LEVELS AT ONCE
JAN 27 @ 7:30PM: PARENT/PARTNER COMMUNICATION
FEBRUARY 3 @ 7:30PM: SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FEB 10 @ 7:30PM: SELF-CARE FOR BUSY PARENTS
Please register at www.EarlyChildhoodPartners.com to receive the ZOOM link. Feel free to join us for one or all of the workshops!
Early Childhood Partners CFCE offers FREE storytimes, playgroups, workshops, community events, advocacy, connections, and support for families and children aged 0-8.
To learn more and to register, please go to our website www.EarlyChildhoodPartners.com or call 978-468-5489.
Funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care awarded to Hamilton-Wenham RSD. All educational and non-academic programs, activities and employment opportunities at Hamilton-Wenham RSD are offered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, age and/or disability, and any other class or characteristic protected by law.
EARLY CHILDHOOD PARTNERS WINTER 2021
All Early Childhood Partners programs are FREEand available on our Website, Facebook Page, & ZOOM! www.EarlyChildhoodPartners.com @EarlyChildhoodPartnersCFCEMONDAYS “FIRST FRIENDS” Interactive Story Time @ 10am on ZOOM. Themed circle time, songs, stories, group activities, and so much more! This program is best for parents/caregivers & children ages 2-8!
TUESDAYS “STORYTIME YOGA” is a pre-recorded mindfulness & movement storytime for children ages 2-6yo & a parent/caregiver. Participate in basic yoga stretches & breathing exercises inspired by a book.
“THE PROCESS ART WORKSHOP” is designed for children ages 3-8yo & their parents/caregivers. Participants will enjoy links to online read-aloud stories & activities that practice process art methods. Available for those who pre-register: FREE PROCESS ART TAKE & MAKE BAGS!
WEDNESDAYS “PRE-K HOORAY” is a virtual storytime focused on literacy, arts, music, movement, & science! Designed for children ages 2-6yo & their parents/caregivers. Includes SPECIAL EVENTS & GIVEAWAYS!
“WIND-DOWN WEDNESDAYS” Parenting Workshops @ 7:30pm on ZOOM. Focus on self-care strategies, share parenting challenges & opportunities, and discuss ways to better support our children.
THURSDAYS “LITTLE LEARNERS” Interactive Story Time @ 10am on ZOOM. Families with children ages 0-5 will enjoy stories, songs, & fingerplays. An opportunity to virtually meet and connect with other parents!
“WENDY’S STORY ART“ is designed for children ages 0-5yo & their parents/caregivers. Participants will develop literacy & fine motor skills through links to online read-aloud stories and play-based art experiences. Available for those who pre-register: FREE STORY ART TAKE & MAKE BAGS!
FRIDAYS “STORIES AND SONGS” Interactive Story Time @ 10am on ZOOM. Join us for a fun early literacy music & movement story time for the whole family. Play, move, sing, read, and have fun together!
“SCIENCE FRIDAYS” is STEAM fun! Parents/caregivers and children ages 2-6yo will listen to online read-aloud stories and explore links to science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities! Includes SPECIAL ACTIVITIES AND GIVEAWAYS!
"M IS FOR MUSEUM" & ”POPPETS PLAYDATES” is a pre-recorded story time with the Wenham Museum. Join us for a virtual version of our popular monthly preschool and toddler programs.
Available for those who pre-register: FREE TAKE & MAKE ACTIVITY BAGS!SATURDAYS "SEASIDE SATURDAYS" weekly virt
