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.
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.
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.
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.
Refrain from talking on cell phones on school grounds, give your full attention to driving for the safety of everyone.
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.
Children should enter their cars on the driver’s side as independently as possible, please practice this with the little ones at home.
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 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. |
