Memorial Buzz
News from Manchester Memorial Elementary School!
June 7, 2019
Principal's Note...
This coming week is going to a super busy one! The Grade 5 Student Ambassadors have organized a fun "spirit week" for next week. See below!
Monday: Crazy Hair Day
Tuesday: Twin Day
Wednesday: Hornet Gear
Thursday: Favorite Person Day
Friday: Pick a decade Day 60, 70, 80, 90
Have a great weekend!
Best,
John
Congrats to the Helpful Hornet of the Year!
Building Project Update
6-7-19 - Parent Meeting Summary: On June 5, 2019 MERSD hosted a parent information meeting regarding the upcoming construction project. A few highlights are below.
- Recess: For the 2019-2020 school year, the rear of the building including the play structure, Brook St. path, and turf field will not be accessible to MMES during the school day. The courtyard and play structure between the K wing and grade 1/2 wing (Kapok Tree area) will be available for us to have outdoor recess. A temporary, paved play area will be constructed in the courtyard between the grade 4/5 wing and the library/tech wing. Students WILL be able to have outdoor recess and lunchtime will be in our cafeteria as usual...hooray!
- Arrival and Dismissal will take place on the Lincoln St. side of the school ONLY. The Brook St. side will be inaccessible during the school day. Students who are picked up by car will be dismissed out to the front car line only. There will be no change for buses and we highly encourage students to ride the bus and carpool. Students who live in the village area will cross at the main crosswalk and walk to Vine St. to access the village neighborhood. More details to follow in August.
- Interior: This summer, the grade 3/4 wing (last wing on the left as you come down the main hallway) will be demolished to make room for the new, 2-story classroom wing to be built next year. This wing houses 3 classrooms, the foreign language room, and 2 special education (IRWL) classrooms. This means that the classrooms in that wing will be relocated to other areas of the building. We have a plan to ensure that all classes and programs will have appropriate spaces for learning. Art and foreign language will travel to classrooms while music will be in the auditorium. There are no changes to the library, technology, or PE rooms for next year.
- The themes that kept coming up were FLEXIBILITY and PATIENCE. There will be may curveballs thrown our way and the construction process can be disruptive at times. We will do our best to make sure the trains run on time, but the next 3 years will be quite out of the ordinary. If you have any questions or ideas along the way, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email or phone.
- More details including a FAQ from the meeting and video of the meeting will be posted here in the near future: https://www.mersd.org/domain/767
5-31-19 - I have been mentioning the importance of flexibility during the building project as we have gone through the design process. We are now on the doorstep of the time when we will all need to dig deep into our flexibility reserves! Teachers in c-wing will be in the building this weekend to begin packing materials to be moved into the gymnasium over the next 2 weeks. Materials and furniture will be staged in the gymnasium until they can be relocated to their new homes this summer. We need to start the packing and moving process now as c-wing needs to be completely empty when we close school on June 14th. Thank you, in advance, for your patience and understanding during this "out of the ordinary" time at MMES!
5-16-19 - MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Parent Information Meeting - June 5 @6PM - MMES Auditorium - Hope to see all families there. We will discussing safety and logistics for the 2019-2020 school year.
5-13-19: We are currently planning a ground breaking ceremony for early June that will include an assembly with the students and local dignitaries to officially kick off the project.
5-6-19: Staff in C-wing will need to move all items out of the wing so that it can be taken down this summer to make way for the new 2-story classroom wing. To achieve this, staff will work overtime (after school, weekends, etc.) to box everything up in preparation for moving in early to mid-June.
5-6-19: In early June, some site work will begin including the construction of fencing and erosion control around the jobsite. The jobsite will encompass a fairly large portion of the property including the path to Brook Street, the back playground, and Brook St. parking lot/tennis courts. Students and families will still have regular access to Brook St. for the remainder of the 2018-2019 school year.
5-6-19: The Brook St. field, path, parking lot, etc. will be inaccessible for the 2019-2020 school year between the hours of 7AM and 3:30PM. This means that back walkers will need to go over the footbridge and down Vine street to access the Brook St. neighborhood. All car pick up students will need to be dismissed via the front car line. We are hoping that families can ride the bus will ride the bus next year and/or carpool to lighten the number of vehicles in the front drop off/pick up line. If students live close enough to walk/bike safely (and they are old enough to do so), we encourage them to walk/bike.
5-6-19: We are currently working to schedule a parent meeting to discuss the logistical impacts and safety planning for the 2019-2020 school year. Stay tuned!
School Supplies
Back to school shopping for next year already? Why not get a head start by shopping online with 1st Day School Supplies? In just a few clicks, you will get the exact supplies the teachers in your grade requested without the hassle of shopping in the box stores and delivered right to your front door. It's a great way to cross one more thing off of your to-do list while helping our school! Click HERE to order now!
Any questions, please contact Nora Cifric
Link (to link from image to order site):
Upcoming Dates...
JUNE
11 - 5th grade "Crossing the Bridge" ceremony
12 - Field Day
13- Field Day Rain Date
14 - Last day of school
Help Wanted!
We are currently searching to build our substitute pool for the 19-20 school year. Do you know someone locally who has experience working with children in a school setting? Please have them email Mrs. Dodge directly at dodgec@mersd.org and we can take them through the application and screening process. Thanks so much in advance!
Notices From our Friends...
Essex Fireworks and Parade
As part of its year-long Bicentennial celebration, the town of Essex will be having a fireworks display on Friday, August 9th at Shepard Memorial Park. From 5:00 – 8:00 pm there will be food trucks and music prior to the fireworks.
On Saturday, August 10th there will be a parade at 10:00 am featuring bands, floats and a large contingent of Shriners. The bicentennial parade committee invites businesses, neighborhoods and groups to participate with a float or marching group. To participate in the parade, contact Dawn Burnham at dburnham@essexma.org.
For more information on all of the Bicentennial events, go to the town’s website at essexma.org.
The Musary Music Lending Library
MMES is on Facebook!
Memorial School:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009186193553&hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf
MMES Library/Technology:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007713044842&fref=ts
"Like" our friends:
MERSD:
https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterEssexRegional/?fref=ts
MMPTO:
https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterMemorialPTO/?fref=ts