Monday, February 22, 2021

News to Use - February 22, 2021

Upcoming Important Dates:

School picture re-takes                                                                            March 2

Kindergarten 2021-22 Parent Information Night (via Zoom)         March 11, 7pm

No School, Professional Development Day                                         March 15

No School, Good Friday                                                                           April 2

Welcome back! We are happy to be with students after a week of vacation. We are still trying to get outside for recess as much as possible, as it really is an important opportunity for students to move during the day. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately to be able to spend at least 25 minutes outside each day. Students should wear BOOTS every day that there is snow on the ground. Thank you!

Items coming home this week:

School directory - We will be sending home an all elementary school directory. A copy of the directory will go home with the youngest child in your family.

New car signs - We have created new signs to display in your driver's side window if you pick your child up from school.  We have color-coded them based on grades and the youngest member of your family that attends school here at Cutler. Please utilize these signs moving forward as it will assist our staff with ensuring your children are dismissed in a safe and timely manner.

Return to Full In-Person Learning Survey

As our district plans for an eventual return to full in-person learning, understanding our families' perspective is an important part of the process.  To inform our thinking, please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey regarding your comfort level with moving below 6 feet of physical distancing in our schools. For your reference, we have also included the most recent CDC guidelines for K-12 schools. There are a couple of details that will help the survey process go smoothly:

  • Please complete a separate survey for each HWRSD student in your household.

  • Please complete the survey by this Friday, February 26th, by 5:00 p.m. 

​In advance, thank you for taking the time to provide us with this valuable information.  We'll be sure to share out the results once we've had time to process the data.  

Survey Link:  https://forms.gle/vxzGeHesng6P92SM9


Kindergarten Information Night/Registration

On Thursday, March 11th, the HW Elementary Principals and Kindergarten teachers will host a webinar for incoming 2021 Kindergarten Parents @ 7:00pm. 2021-2022 On-Line Registration begins Monday, March 15th. Links and details to come!



HW Health Office Updates
February 2021

8 TIPS TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE WINTER

Boston Children's Hospital advises the following 8 tips to help you make it through the winter during the COVID-19 pandemic:
1) Stick to a health routine. 2) Do at least one mood-boosting activity every day. 3) Get outside. 4) Make inside more interesting. 5) Start a new hobby. 6) Do nice things for other people. 7) Practice gratitude. 8) Make a wish list.

TRAVEL

All Massachusetts residents are required to comply with the COVID-19 travel order. If you are traveling out of state, the travel order requires that you quarantine for 10 days upon return to MA or seek COVID-19 PCR testing no earlier than 72hrs 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.

Weekend Travel

If you are traveling out of state for less than 72 hours, a test collected before you depart from MA is not in compliance with the travel order. The test needs to be completed while out of state or upon your return to MA. See Other Potential Traveler Scenarios question 9 for this information. 

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. 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. There are locations in Salem which do not require an appointment and are open 6 days a week. There is also a location in Lynn through Beacon Testing that takes appointments and requires registration. We often hear that families receive their results in less than 24 hours. 

For an out of pocket test with results returned either same day (if the test is collected by 12 noon) or next day, Veritas Genetics has appointments at Conley's in Ipswich. Tests are $120.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE

"Recognizing the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on children’s mental health, the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) joined forces with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to launch HandholdMA.org, a new family-friendly website for parents and guardians of school-aged children who are concerned about their child’s mental health." If you have concerns about your child(ren) please reach out to your school nurse or school counselor. 

WELL FITTING MASK

New information from the CDC on double masking to maximize the fit and effectiveness of a mask.

                                                               

Bus Transportation
There are still some seats available on some bus routes. If you are interested in having your child ride the bus, please fill out the HWTransportation Registration form.

Lost & Found

Missing any items?  Anything look familiar? We have set-up a lost and found table in the gallery.  If you recognize any items below, please email me at s.williams@hwschools.net and we will send the item home with your child.

School Picture Retakes - Tuesday, March 2nd

We have established a school picture re-take date with O'Connor Studios for Tuesday, March 2nd.  This will be for those families who wish to have their child's picture re-taken OR for families who may not have been present on the original picture date.

Several families have already let me know if they were interested in pictures/re-takes.  If you have not done so already, please email me so that I can establish a schedule for that date.

You can email me at s.williams@hwschools.net.  I will also send a reminder email as we get closer to the date.

Re-takes:  If you are having your child's photo re-taken, you will need to return the original photos and complete the back of the photo package you received them in.  Your child will hand this to the photographer on that day.  They will process the same package utilizing the new photo.  If you are looking to change the original package you ordered, you will need to contact O'Connor Studios Customer Service at 978-640-6250.

New photos:  For those families who did not get pictures taken on the original date, I'm waiting for O'Connor to mail me order packets. As soon as I receive them, I will send one home with your child if you emailed me you are interested in pictures.

COUNSELOR'S CORNER
I hope your break was as nice as possible and allowed you and your family opportunities to relax and recharge.  I am still offering office hours for parents or students on Thursdays from 10-10:30 through Zoom.  It has been a pleasure to see some of you there and I look forward to connecting with more of you!  To ensure privacy, I will have the waiting room feature enabled and will be sure to message anyone waiting.  Ms. Creilson’s Zoom Link
 
And as always, feel free to call or email with any concerns or questions you might have.
 
Warmly,
 
Ann Creilson
Cutler School Adjustment Counselor
a.creilson@hwschools.net

978-468-8475

Monday, February 8, 2021

News to Use - February 8, 2021

Upcoming Important Dates:

Mid-Winter School Vacation                                                                  February 15-19

No School, Professional Development Day                                         March 15

No School, Good Friday                                                                           April 2

Brrr! Winter is here! But we are still trying to get outside for recess as much as possible, as it really is an important opportunity for students to move during the day. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately to be able to spend at least 25 minutes outside each day. Students should wear BOOTS every day that there is snow on the ground. Thank you!

Bus Transportation
There are still some seats available on some bus routes. If you are interested in having your child ride the bus, please fill out the HWTransportation Registration form.


Out-of-State Travel Reminder
As our February break nears, we are again asking our families to share any travel plans they may have so that we can ensure that all protocols are properly followed. Please complete the February Family Travel Survey if you are planning on leaving the state over the upcoming vacation time. For weekend travel plans that include out-of-state travel, you will need to seek COVID-19 PCR testing and upload the negative results to the SNAP portal prior to your child returning to school. For instructions on how to upload to the health portal, see our how-to-video. If you have any difficulty, you can email a copy to Mrs. Baker. Thank you for all of your efforts to keep our school community safe!

Lost & Found

Missing any items?  Anything look familiar? We have set-up a lost and found table in the gallery.  If you recognize any items below, please email me at s.williams@hwschools.net and we will send the item home with your child.


SCHOOL PICTURE RETAKES - TUESDAY, MARCH 2nd

We have established a school picture re-take date with O'Connor Studios for Tuesday, March 2nd.  This will be for those families who wish to have their child's picture re-taken OR for families who may not have been present on the original picture date.

Several families have already let me know if they were interested in pictures/re-takes.  If you have not done so already, please email me so that I can establish a schedule for that date.

You can email me at s.williams@hwschools.net.  I will also send a reminder email as we get closer to the date.

Re-takes:  If you are having your child's photo re-taken, you will need to return the original photos and complete the back of the photo package you received them in.  Your child will hand this to the photographer on that day.  They will process the same package utilizing the new photo.  If you are looking to change the original package you ordered, you will need to contact O'Connor Studios Customer Service at 978-640-6250.

New photos:  For those families who did not get pictures taken on the original date, I'm waiting for O'Connor to mail me order packets. As soon as I receive them, I will send one home with your child if you emailed me you are interested in pictures.


COUNSELOR'S CORNER

 

Have questions or just need to chat? I am offering office hours for parents or students on Thursdays from 10-10:30 through Zoom.  To ensure privacy, I will have the waiting room feature enabled and will be sure to message anyone waiting.  I am looking forward to seeing you!  Ms. Creilson’s Zoom Link

 

And as always, feel free to call or email with any concerns or questions you might have.

 

Warmly,

 

Ann Creilson

Cutler School Adjustment Counselor

a.creilson@hwschools.net

978-468-8475



THE COMMUNITY HOUSE: AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

THE KIDS COMMUNITY @ 284

The Kids Community @ 284, sponsored by The Community House, offers safe and fun childcare options for students from kindergarten through 5th grade. Students will be engaged in a fun, hands-on learning environment where activities in the arts, science, technology, and recreation are offered. Programs offered throughout the year include baking, martial arts, lego club, crafts, sewing, knitting, music and theater arts.

For more information and registration, please visit the following link; The Community House.


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.

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.



Monday, February 1, 2021

News to Use - February 1, 2021

Upcoming Important Dates:

Mid-Winter School Vacation                                                                  February 15-19

No School, Professional Development Day                                         March 15

Brrr! Winter is here! But we are still trying to get outside for recess as much as possible, as it really is an important opportunity for students to move during the day. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately to be able to spend at least 25 minutes outside each day.

Remote Learning Day - Tuesday, February 2nd

Please check your email for information regarding the schedule for tomorrow's remote learning day due to the impending storm.

Dismissal Procedures

Today will be our third day with our new routines, thank you for adapting so quickly! With the addition of all first-graders and kindergarten students four days a week, we have about thirty more cars each day and our dismissal procedures are going to be changed slightly. Hamilton Police will be monitoring Asbury Street, and will not allow cars that are not fully off the side of the road to remain blocking the street. To help with both of these issues, we have a few things that we ask of families, starting now. This is a new issue because we have more students at school each day, which is something we are all grateful for. These ten minutes require cooperation and patience but are well worth it to have students back at school.


We are going to load eight cars at a time, using a double line in the upper parking lot. Four cars will load and leave simultaneously, there will be no opportunity to go around a car in front of you. A staff member will be at the driveway where we will split into two lines today for the foreseeable future until we can split into two lines without assistance. Please go to the line you are directed to today. Another staff member will be at the top of the line, indicating when each line can move towards the exit. Please put your car in park once you are in one of these eight loading spots. All students must be in their cars before the signal for anyone to move out.


  1. Please do not arrive at Cutler School to line up in the live queue before 2:50 pm. We will call students to start to come out to the dismissal line at that time, as the process of releasing students takes some time. We currently have had cars in line at 2:20 pm, which causes a traffic problem well before our dismissal begins. Arriving between 2:50-3:00 will help alleviate the traffic congestion.

  2. If you arrive well before 2:50 pm because of unforeseen circumstances, please pull into the lower parking lot and park in a space. As the time gets closer to 2:50, you are welcome to exit the parking lot (it is one way, do not go back towards the entrance) onto Asbury and join the line from there.

  3. All drivers must remain in the car at all times. This is for everyone’s safety, we cannot have cars that are without drivers at any point. Be sure to put your car in PARK when you are in a live spot where students enter the car.

  4. Refrain from talking on cell phones on school grounds, give your full attention to driving for the safety of everyone.

  5. Post your family name card on the driver’s window as you arrive, we will be distributing another color-coded round of these over the next week.

  6. Children should enter their cars on the driver’s side as independently as possible, please practice this with the little ones at home.

  7. Should you need more time to get things settled in your car, once everyone is safely seated, please pull up and into a spot along the left side of the front exit driveway, out of the way of traffic.


Thank you for your help in making this complicated transition as smooth as possible. This winter weather doesn’t make it easier, but snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens for everyone will help, please make sure your child is dressed to be outside each day.

SCHOOL PICTURE RETAKES!

If you are interested in re-takes or your child was absent on the original picture day, please send me an email to s.williams@hwschools.net no later than this Wednesday, February 3rd.

If you have already emailed me, thank for doing so and I will be in touch with a scheduled date in the next few weeks.

HW HEALTH OFFICE UPDATES:

January 2021

COVID-19 VS COLD VS FLU VS ALLERGIES

This image demonstrates that COVID-19 has a lot of common symptoms with other illnesses. A person may have one or more mild symptoms or be asymptomatic. For any symptoms the recommendation is to seek a COVID-19 test.

COVID-19 VACCINATION

We are currently in Phase One of Massachusett's COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Recently several of our HW school nurses volunteered as vaccinators for first responders and also received the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is a 2 part series with the second vaccine occurring in a few weeks. We are excited and hopeful to be part of the vaccination process, and look forward to moving through the phases. School staff will be vaccinated in Phase Two.

TRAVEL ORDER FAQ

Does the travel order allow me to travel to another state for a day trip for a leisure activity such as skiing or shopping? Do I only need to comply if I stay overnight?

No. The travel order requirements still applies for day trips and leisure activities.

Travel for short, same-day trips are only exempt "for purposes that the Commissioner has designated as Critical Life Activities." This is "limited to short, same-day trips across the border and back for the following purposes: grocery shopping, visits to pharmacies, attending appointments with licensed health care providers including medical, dental, or mental health, visiting persons receiving treatment in hospitals or residing in congregate care settings, attendance at day care or children’s camps, attending religious services and funerals or memorial services, or attending to the care needs of family members."

COVID-19 HAMILTON & WENHAM TESTING

The towns of Hamilton and Wenham are providing testing to town residents and school employees on Wednesdays and Saturdays in January at the MRMS. Refer to the Hamilton or Wenham town websites for the latest information. Both towns are providing tests only to those who have COVID-19 symptoms and/or those who have been in close contact with a COVID positive person. For residents that would like to be tested for travel purposes or for peace of mind, Beauport is offering $85 PCR testing on site as well. Participants are asked to preregister by 4 pm on the previous day.

INFLUENZA

Announced on January 15, 2021: "The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is removing the requirement for flu vaccination for attendance in childcare/preschool, primary, secondary and postsecondary education. Preliminary data show that this has been a mild flu season to date, presumably as people have received their seasonal flu vaccine and have been adhering to mask-wearing and social distancing due to COVID-19. Given the intensive Commonwealth-wide efforts regarding COVID-19 vaccination, DPH wants to alleviate the burden to obtain flu vaccination and focus on continuing our COVID -19 vaccination efforts. DPH continues to strongly recommend that everyone age six months and older receive their seasonal flu vaccine each year."

For more school health and COVID information please visit our HW nurses' website


THE COMMUNITY HOUSE: AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

THE KIDS COMMUNITY @ 284

The Kids Community @ 284, sponsored by The Community House, offers safe and fun childcare options for students from kindergarten through 5th grade. Students will be engaged in a fun, hands-on learning environment where activities in the arts, science, technology, and recreation are offered. Programs offered throughout the year include baking, martial arts, lego club, crafts, sewing, knitting, music and theater arts.

For more information and registration, please visit the following link; The Community House.



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.

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.