News to Use - November 30, 2020

Upcoming Important Dates:

School Pictures - POSTPONED - STAY TUNED FOR NEW SCHEDULED DATES
No School: Winter Recess                                                                December 24-January 1

2020 still continues to bring us many challenges. Thank you for supporting your children this week at home while they participate in remote learning. Teachers are working hard to make schedules that work under a variety of constraints. You may see changes between today and Thursday as they bring both cohorts together and try new configurations. Please reach out to us if there is anything we can do to help your child, we all want to make this work!

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District continues to make computer devices available at each school for those students who are without an appropriate remote learning device. If your student does not have dedicated access to an Internet-ready device please complete the device request form: https://forms.gle/b7JipLN8wquWvkFCA. If your student encounters technology difficulties with a District loaner device, please email helpdesk@hwschools.net for assistance.

HW HEALTH OFFICE FLU UPDATE

December 1, 2020

Massachusetts requires the flu vaccine for all students (hybrid and remote)

The influenza vaccine is important because:

• It reduces the risk of getting sick with influenza, reduces the severity of disease (including the risk of hospitalization), and prevents the spread of influenza to others.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the influenza vaccine is especially critical to reduce the overall impact of respiratory illness on the population, protect vulnerable populations from severe illness, and decrease the overall burden on the healthcare system.

If your child(ren) have not received their flu vaccine yet, please call their pediatrician today to schedule their vaccine. Once received, please submit the documentation to your school nurse in whatever way is most convenient. It can also be faxed to (978) 468-0450 or attached to a message in our health portal.

                  

Frequently Asked Questions:

Which students need to receive influenza vaccine?

• Students in Kindergarten – Grade 12 are required to receive influenza vaccine for the current influenza season for school attendance.

When do students need to receive the influenza vaccine?

• Students must receive the influenza vaccine for the current season by December 31, 2020.

Are there any exemptions to receiving influenza vaccine?

• Medical and religious exemptions are allowable in the state of Massachusetts.

What type of influenza vaccine can students receive?

• Any age-appropriate licensed influenza vaccine for the current season fulfills the requirement. This includes injectable and nasal spray vaccine types.

If my school will be providing instruction remotely, will students still need to meet immunization requirements?

• The school immunization requirements, including the requirement for seasonal influenza vaccine, apply to all Massachusetts students enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 12, regardless of whether the district is providing instruction in-person, or using a hybrid or remote learning model.

Source: FAQ Influenza Vaccine Requirement for School Attendance at mass.gov

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.

 

 

 

News to Use, November 16, 2020

Upcoming Important Dates:

Virtual Parent Coffee with Superintendent & Principal            Tuesday, November 17, 7pm
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 this week, please pack layers, hats, and mittens as the seasonable weather sets in!

A friendly reminder that playground supervision begins at 8:30am. Please do not let students out of cars before this time. Even if a car in front of you lets students out, you do not need to follow suit until a staff member is outside to supervise. Thank you for helping us maintain safety for all.

As we started to lend books from the library last week it became clear that we are still missing a number of books from last spring. If you know where these books are in your house, please send them in! No worries about sending them now, we will take them at any time and are just happy to have them in circulation so all students can benefit from them. All books are set aside when for at least 72 hours before we put them back into circulation.

Parent Coffee

Parents and guardians are welcome to join Jenn Clifford and Mary Beth Banios for a virtual coffee hour again on Tuesday, November 17 at 7pm. We will be able to have a casual conversation during this virtual coffee hour. The Zoom link will be emailed directly to families on November 16. https://zoom.us/j/99253709354?pwd=ZTFya1p5R2lXTmo4OTl2M2ROYThpdz09

HW Health Office Thanksgiving Updates

November 13, 2020

Are you traveling for Thanksgiving? Do you have college students returning to your home after being away at school? Are you concerned about how you can celebrate Thanksgiving and at the same time protect yourself and your family?

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has provided advice on how to have the safest possibleThanksgiving during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you have college students returning home from an out of state college, please check the COVID-19 travel order to determine if the state they are coming from is designated as a lower risk state. If it is not a lower risk state, your college student needs to quarantine for 14 days (ideally from the other members of your household) and/or seek COVID-19 PCR testing. They can seek a free COVID-19 PCR test at a Stop the Spread location. Please talk with your college aged children about physical distancing and being safe. We all need to do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

If you are traveling for Thanksgiving, please be aware that all Massachusetts residents are required to comply with the COVID-19 travel order. On this website you can see a map for which states are designated as lower risk states. 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. 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. 

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

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

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.

FoC “News To Use”: Week of November 16^th

 

Thank you to all who joined us for our Friends of Cutler meeting on Thursday night (11/12/20).  It was wonderful to see some familiar faces (without masks 😊) and meet a few new friends!  We’d also like to thank everyone who, so generously, donated to the Acord Thanksgiving Food Drive - your contributions are so greatly appreciated! Finally, a special thanks to all who participated in the “Signs of Thanks” and Teacher/Staff Snack Cart, especially Rachel Barstow and Karen Stevenson for coordinating!  This is truly what makes Cutler such a special place!

 

Scholastic Book Fair:  Last chance…there are 7 days left of our Scholastic Book Fair (fair ends on November 22^nd)!  Let’s keep our kids reading and raise some funds for Cutler while doing so (every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly - 25% back in rewards)! Our reading events and virtual family get-togethers surrounding the Fair have been a huge success, with the community gathering together to support our kids and our school.  Enjoy this last week of events, fun, and books by visiting the following link:  https://www.scholastic.com/bf/cutlerelementaryschool3

As always, the FoC thanks you for your support!  Have a great week!

 

News to Use - November 9, 2020

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  NO SCHOOL, THIS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH IN OBSERVANCE OF THE VETERANS DAY HOLIDAY.

Upcoming Important Dates:

No School: Veterans' Day                                                                 Wednesday, November 11
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 are fortunate to have this brief respite from cold weather and will continue to hold classes, lunch, and recess outside as much as possible this week! We will stay outside even as the weather turns seasonable next week, please continue to send your child with layers and something to sit on for outside. While our tents will disappear for the winter soon, we will still eat lunch outside as the weather permits. Students have given us positive feedback about their picnic lunches, and while it's not perfect, it is a much more relaxing and enjoyable experience than our typical dining hall time. When snow and cold is here to stay, students will eat at their desks in their classrooms. We have done this just a handful of times this fall, and it's also a more relaxed environment than the dining hall. Eating outside is one of the changes we hope to continue long after the pandemic is over! 

This week, we are starting to lend books from our school library. Students in grades K-2 will be able to choose from a cart of books that visits their classrooms. Students accessing books on a cart will sanitize their hands before choosing a book. Older students will be given information from their classroom teachers about how to log in and request books through our catalog online, and we will send the books to the classrooms. We will also share this information with remote students, who can request books at any grade level. Thank you for your patience as we get this up and running! Ms. McCue and Mrs. Brousseau are assisting in the library since Mrs. Graham is a remote classroom teacher this year, so it is truly a team effort! Books will be set aside for at least 3 days once they are returned to the library before they return to the shelves for circulation. 

Parent Coffee

Parents and guardians are welcome to join Jenn Clifford and Mary Beth Banios for a virtual coffee hour again on Tuesday, November 17 at 7pm. We will be able to have a casual conversation during this virtual coffee hour. The Zoom link will be emailed directly to families on November 16.

Parenting with Less Stress and More Success
Virtual Workshop opportunity for HW parents with Robert Evans, Ed.D. 

 https://zoom.us/j/94890709533?pwd=cy8xNjFWcVA5cHlDVVhWTElDMndiUT09

November 10, 2020 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. or

November 12, 2020 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

There is no harder job than being a parent. Nothing else touches so much of a person so deeply—or unpredictably—and there is no training for it. This was true pre-COVID, as the pace of life accelerated, media influences intensified, and the future grew less predictable. So it’s no wonder parents now find it harder to be confident, how to reduce their children's stress—and their own. Dr. Evans will outline these dilemmas and offer concrete suggestions for successful coping.

Rob Evans is a psychologist, a former high school and pre-school teacher, and a former child and family therapist. He has worked with schools and parents throughout the country, including Hamilton-Wenham. His presentations are known for their lively wit and plain talk. He is the author of many articles and three books, including Family Matters: How Schools Can Cope with The Crisis in Childrearing.

School Pictures:

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

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:

• Parents will order online through an email that will be sent out soon.  Stay tuned!  Photos will be mailed directly to your home address.

 

FoC “News To Use”: Week of November 9^th

Friends of Cutler Meeting: The Friends of Cutler will be hosting a meeting via Zoom on Thursday, November 12^th, at 7p.m.  All are welcome and encouraged to attend! This is a wonderful way to meet the FoC board, connect with new families, see your friends, ask questions, and hear about how you can get involved this year.  Please RSVP by Wednesday, 11/11/20, directly to Lauren LoMonaco at allomonaco@hotmail.com to receive the meeting’s Zoom ID and password. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Scholastic Book Fair:  The Scholastic Book Fair is now open!

Friends of Cutler invite you to shop our Online Book Fair and support our school!  The Fair runs from November 9^th through November 22nd. 

Join your kids in exploring titles and plots and discovering inspiring characters. Empower them by letting them choose the books to purchase and bring on the joy of reading!  Our fair offers a virtual walk-through, so you and your kids can experience the magic of the school shopping experience.  Browse titles by grade, meet popular authors, and much more! All purchases will benefit our school directly (25% back in rewards). Don’t miss these two weeks of events, fun, and books by visiting the following link:  https://www.scholastic.com/bf/cutlerelementaryschool3

 

Directory: The deadline is today (Monday, 11/9/20)! In order to be included in this year’s HWRSD Elementary School Directory, you must complete the following form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqCtOOn7RcGnUt7nctxphZicwvUhDGBm5x8Mieaq1-NYErmw/viewform

 

Signs of Thanks and Teacher Snack Cart:  Deadline is November 12^th.  

As we enter the season of gratitude, we would like to show our thanks to the Cutler staff and faculty.  In addition to the November snack cart (a special treat for faculty and staff), The FoC Hospitality Committee would love for Cutler families to make “Signs of Thanks” for our Cutler community. The signs will be posted in the building in November for staff and faculty to read! 

Please have your family or child(ren) create one or more 8x11 or larger thank you signs for all staff and faculty (not just a particular teacher). 

Please drop your signs off by November 12th at:

5 Moynihan Road South Hamilton, MA (drop off bin in driveway) 

or email rsbarstow@gmail.com or stevensonka@hotmail.com for a pick up at your house! 

ALSO: If you would like to contribute to the November snack cart, please sign up here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0f4eaaa82da6f58-november

All food donations can be dropped off at 5 Moynihan Road or a pick up can be arranged by November 12th! 

 

Acord Thanksgiving Food Drive:  Donation deadline is Friday, 11/13/20. Please visit the SignupGenius to review the available donation slots - simply click on the following link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0F4DACA82EA0FA7-acord

As always, the FoC thanks you for your support!  Have a great week!

News to Use - November 2, 2020

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  NO SCHOOL TOMORROW, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD FOR 

(IN PERSON OR REMOTE)FOR A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY.

There will be no school (in-person or remote) for students on Tuesday, November 3rd as all teachers will be taking part in a Professional Development Day. You may recall this was originally scheduled for Friday, October 6th but was moved to November 3rd to keep students out of the school buildings during election day. Elementary teachers will be studying technology tools, including DreamBox, and working to integrate them further into our hybrid learning model. We will also be discussing how to continue to strengthen our hybrid learning model and looking at our fall assessment information, planning targeted instructional supports for students. It looks to be a very busy day!

Upcoming Important Dates:

No School: Professional Development Day                     Tuesday, November 3
No School: Veterans' Day                                                                 Wednesday, November 11
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

Parent Coffee

Parents and guardians are welcome to join Jenn Clifford and Mary Beth Banios for a virtual coffee hour again on Tuesday, November 17 at 7pm. We will be able to have a casual conversation during this virtual coffee hour. The Zoom link will be emailed directly to families on November 16.

Parenting with Less Stress and More Success
Virtual Workshop opportunity for HW parents with Robert Evans, Ed.D. 

November 10, 2020 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. or

November 12, 2020 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

There is no harder job than being a parent. Nothing else touches so much of a person so deeply—or unpredictably—and there is no training for it. This was true pre-COVID, as the pace of life accelerated, media influences intensified, and the future grew less predictable. So it’s no wonder parents now find it harder to be confident, how to reduce their children's stress—and their own. Dr. Evans will outline these dilemmas and offer concrete suggestions for successful coping.

Rob Evans is a psychologist, a former high school and pre-school teacher, and a former child and family therapist. He has worked with schools and parents throughout the country, including Hamilton-Wenham. His presentations are known for their lively wit and plain talk. He is the author of many articles and three books, including Family Matters: How Schools Can Cope with The Crisis in Childrearing.

 HW HEALTH OFFICE UPDATES

10/30/2020

COVID-19

Mitigation Strategies: How well we follow these strategies in the community will influence our ability to keep our schools open for in-person learning. Please do your part to keep everyone healthy, and to minimize the risk of spreading infection to others. These measures include:

• Stay home when you're sick.
• Wear a properly fitting face covering over your nose and mouth - which fits securely without gaps.
• Practice frequent hand hygiene -lather hands with soap and water, friction for 20 seconds on all surfaces of the hands before rinsing, or alcohol-based hand sanitizer dime-sized application - friction to all surfaces of the hands until it is fully absorbed.
• Maintain DISTANCE - 6 feet of distance from those not of your household. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

TRAVEL

All Massachusetts residents are required to comply with the COVID-19 travel order. On this website you can see a map for which states are designated as lower risk states. 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 a COVID-19 PCR test no earlier than 72 hrs prior to your return to MA. Documentation of 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 child(ren) 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.

COVID-19 TESTING

If your child is experiencing potential COVID-19 symptoms please keep your child home from school, contact their health care provider, and seek testing if advised. See our return to school guidelines for more info. We ask you to seek a COVID-19 PCR test which is considered the gold standard for testing. Rapid antigen tests, if received, should be followed by a confirmatory PCR. MA has many free Stop the Spread testing locations where PCR tests are administered, including locations in Salem which do not require an appointment and are open 6 days a week. In our experience, the Salem testing site often has a 24-hour turnaround to receive results.

HEALTH PORTAL

Please remember to log-in to our health portal prior to sending your child(ren) to school on their in-person learning days. You can also use the portal to send secure messages, upload physical exams, and upload proof of vaccination.

INFLUENZA

All MA students are now required to be vaccinated against influenza by December 31st, 2020. This is critical during the pandemic as it can 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. Please provide documentation of your child(ren)'s flu vaccine to your school nurse.

ADDITIONAL HEALTH TIPS

Dress for all weather: We will be spending time outside as much as possible, weather permitting, and are keeping windows open in the building. Children should dress in layers and wear outerwear appropriate to the weather. Spare clothes are useful in elementary school if you think your child might get muddy or wet.

Hydration: Make sure your children bring a reusable water bottle to school. Hydration can help prevent headaches, dry throats, dry skin, and chapped lips. Cloth face coverings: Please keep a spare face covering your child(ren)'s backpack. Face coverings need to fit securely over the nose and mouth. Gaitors, bandanas, and masks with valves are not acceptable for school.

PHYSICAL EXAMS

Physical exams are required for school upon entry to kindergarten, upon transfer to the district, and in students' 4th, 7th, and 10th grade years. If your child is in one of these grades, or did not submit a physical last year when in one of these grades, please submit a current physical to your school nurse.

For additional information please visit our HW nurses' website. 

FoC “News To Use”: Week of November 2^nd
 
Hello Friends,
We hope you all enjoyed the snowy surprise on Friday and had a uniquely spooky Halloween!
This week’s NTU comes with a lot of exciting news, so please read carefully, and as always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out. 
 
Directory: The Friends of Buker, Friends of Cutler, and Friends of Winthrop are happy to announce that we finally found a team to take over the HWRSD Elementary School Directory for the 2020-2021 school year!  In order to be included in this year’s directory, you must complete the following form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqCtOOn7RcGnUt7nctxphZicwvUhDGBm5x8Mieaq1-NYErmw/viewform
Please note that the deadline is Monday, November 9, 2020.  
Inclusion in this district-wide directory is optional, but most families find this resource extremely useful for connecting with others in the community –especially this year!   

Classroom Liaisons:  At this time, we are looking for 1-2 classroom liaisons (room parents) per Cohort.  This year may look a bit different, but typical responsibilities include emailing communications to parents from teachers and the Friends of Cutler, soliciting volunteers when requested, and supporting the needs of the class for special projects and activities. Fifth Grade parents help organize and staff special events, as well as plan/execute Fifth Grade Week.  If you are able and interested in volunteering in this capacity, please contact Lauren LoMonaco (allomonaco@hotmail.com) or Lindsay Taylor (letaylor2815@gmail.com) directly, by Friday November 6^th.  This is an important volunteer position, particularly this year, and we would love and appreciate your involvement!  

If your child(ren) is/are a remote learner, and you are looking for ways to connect with other remote families, please reach out and we will do our best to keep you connected.  Perhaps we can assign 1-2 Remote Liaisons as well.

Scholastic Book Fair:  Get ready…Our Book Fair is going online this year, with a Virtual Fair! From November 9^th through November 22nd, discover new books with your kids. Bonus: Each purchase supports our school.  https://www.scholastic.com/bf/cutlerelementaryschool3.  More info in next week’s NTU!

 

Acord Thanksgiving Food Drive:  Every year FoC assists Acord Food Pantry with their Thanksgiving Food Drive.  This year, Acord has asked us to donate 125 small boxes of tea and 125 bags of coffee. 

Please visit the SignupGenius to review the available slots - simply click on the following link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0F4DACA82EA0FA7-acord

Please note that the donation deadline is Friday, 11/13/20. You may send the item(s) in to school with your child on their in-school days. Thank you for your generosity!

 

Signs of Thanks and Teacher Snack Cart (deadline extended): As we enter the season of gratitude, we would like to show our thanks to the Cutler staff and faculty.  In addition to the November snack cart (a special treat for faculty and staff), The FoC Hospitality Committee would love for Cutler families to make “Signs of Thanks” for our Cutler community. The signs will be posted in the building in November for staff and faculty to read! 

Please have your family or child(ren) create one or more 8x11 or larger thank you signs for all staff and faculty (not just a particular teacher). 

Please drop your signs off by November 12th at:

5 Moynihan Road South Hamilton, MA (drop off bin in driveway) 

or email rsbarstow@gmail.com or stevensonka@hotmail.com for a pick up at your house! 

ALSO: If you would like to contribute to the November snack cart, please sign up here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0f4eaaa82da6f58-november

All food donations can be dropped off at 5 Moynihan Road or a pick up can be arranged by November 12th! 

Next Meeting:  There will be an FOC meeting on Thursday, November 12, at 7PM via Zoom.

Details to follow in next weeks NTU. 

Thank you all for our attention and involvement!

Warm regards,

The Friends of Cutler Executive Board

VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISIT at the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library:

Author Katie Coppens Explores Writing & Science!

Thursday, November 5th at 4:00 PM

Hear from local author Katie Coppens as she discusses her book series "The Acadia Files" during this virtual event.
Find out about her writing process, and get inspiration for YOUR next story!

Katie will share a science experiment featuring mechanical weathering, allowing participants to evaluate different rocks using the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.

We will provide Take & Make bags with safety goggles, mica, and quartz so that every participant can
join Katie for the experiment.

For children ages 7 - 11 years old.
Online Registration is required SIGN UP HERE
We ask that you watch this quick 7-min video of Katie reading the chapter that features the activity at the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VuZXufNOiO2KYLRv_LlOfHaLl8Z76_CG/view
a ZOOM link will be sent to you prior to the program