PUBLICATION INFORMATION – Please submit any submissions for the Community section to: [email protected] by Wednesdays at 1:00. Online attachments must be compressed (less than 500KB) and in PNG format. Hard copies (25) must be submitted by Wednesdays at 1:00. Call x100 with any questions.
Howdy Moose,
Well, we had another wild and wintery week! What a way to ring in February! Today the WHALEMOBILE came to school! We were treated to a great assembly AND individual class sessions with the whale. We learned SO MUCH. Students went INSIDE of the life-size whale for their special class. A million thanks to Mary Anne Antonellis for writing the grant to bring the Whalemobile to us!
Next week is the last week before February break! Hopefully it will be major winter weather free and full of fun. Teachers will be communicating with families around classroom Valentine's Day plans.
Report cards will go home next Friday!
Have a great weekend!
Jackie
***SCHOOL NEWS***
Dear Shutesbury community,
I'm sure everyone is aware of all the illnesses going around at the school over the past couple of weeks. We have had 20% of our students out for over a week, most of these illnesses include a fever/cough/ sore throat/fatigue. We also have some gastrointestinal illness in addition to those symptoms. Fevers are lingering with many of these illnesses. We do have confirmed Influenza B in the school. I would like to thank all of our families for keeping your children out when they are sick as I know how this can be difficult being a full-time working parent of 3 children myself.
I wanted to send out a reminder of our school's policy on student illness. Please keep your child home for a full 24 hours fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications for that 24 hours. Please keep your child out for a full 24 hours after vomiting/ diarrhea or after starting antibiotics for a bacterial infection such as strep throat. Your child is still highly contagious in that period of 24 hours and when in school will not only spread it to others, but they are unable to get the rest they need to continue fighting the illness and are generally absent again in a few days. Your child will be sent home with a fever of 99.6 or above. However, I am finding that children who aren't feeling well are often presenting with temperatures lower than this and those will be dealt with on an individual basis depending on other symptoms that may be present.
We are working diligently to fight the germs from within. Give our custodians Matt and Andy an extra thank you if you see them for making many extra efforts to clean and sanitize our classrooms, bathrooms, and common areas. All staff have been working with the children doing extra hand washing and coughing/nasal discharge etiquette. The school has also purchased hospital grade sanitizers to wipe down common areas and classrooms. With the above measures and the cooperation from our families, our hope is to significantly reduce the illnesses and keep children learning in the classroom.
Thank you everyone,
Katie Harrington
ATTENDANCE REMINDER!
When your child is absent, please call the office 413-259-1212 x0 or email Martina, Jessica and/or Nurse Katie by 9:15 am. When we do not receive a call, you will be contacted by the school nurse to determine the reason for the absence. Thank you!
COMMUNITY NETWORK FOR CHILDREN NEWS: Just a reminder that if the Union #28 schools are closed or delayed due to inclement weather CNC programs are cancelled.
The upcoming weather MAY impact the following this week:
*Sunday, Family Playtime at the Erving Elementary School
If in doubt, please check our website, email, Facebook page or email me to check.
Be on the look-out for upcoming CNC programs and registration info:
- The ever-popular Toileting Tips on March 12th at Erving Elementary
- The return of the Union #28 Family Café Nights Intended for Families with Children with Diagnosed or Undiagnosed Learning Needs. We will meet on February 27th in Erving & March 26th in Shutesbury
- Beyond Bedtime Stories: What does early literacy mean for your family? Series on the following dates April 9th, April 30th, May 14th at Swift River School. If you can't make these dates look for opportunities to engage in the workshop online!
Spring will come soon!
***PTO NEWS***
Please come to our next meeting, Wednesday, February 13 at 8:45 a.m. in the SES conference room.
* The PTO executive board has approved the bylaws! Next, members will vote on them at our February meeting. If approved, they will take us a leap closer to being a non-profit organization! This is a huge endeavor, years in the making.
The bylaws are available per requests emailed to [email protected].
* Our annual auction is beginning to take shape! There are many ways you can help, from attending a meeting for an hour, picking up a donation on your way home or helping at the auction tables on May 15.
*We are currently seeking volunteers to fill envelopes with letters of request for donations and people to make a few phone calls. Easy work from home!
Please let us know if you would like to help out in any capacity. Contact us at [email protected].
***MOOSE ON THE MOVE NEWS***
Our January/February session continues with a lot of hearty, dedicated participants! The following students and staff* have hit personal milestones and will be recognized at the next assembly:
10 MILES
Matthew Diaz
Quinn Dooley-Carvalho
Aly Fernette
Elyse Hawkins
Ethan Lamore
William Malcolm-Brown
Evelyn Okerberg
William Rathbun
Nick Stinson
Abby Summers
Finn Zaklanovic
20 MILES
Landon Bryant
Elena Levine
25 MILES
Travis Mason-Makepeace
30 MILES
Seneca Mori
Axel Sullivan
35 MILES
Judie Belanger*
Ani Levine
***COMMUNITY NEWS***
(NOT SCHOOL SPONSORED)
Join Multi-Arts February Vacation program:
Interested in planting the seed of creativity and self-confidence in your child? Multi-Arts is here for you! This fun program will awaken and develop your child’s creative powers and stimulate, provoke, and engage your child’s imagination.
There is still time to sign up your 4-12 year old(s). You can choose our one day or half day options. Register here today: https://forms.gle/LnsMEeUfNk6yoXWZ8
Please visit us at multi-arts.org to learn more about Multi-Arts and our 2020 camps offerings, or call 413-584-7951.
ATTACHMENTS:
