Summer Street Beat

Dear Summer Street & Lynnfield Preschool Families,

Welcome Back! Although we still have a week before school officially begins, I know these next few days will come by fast and furious. Below is (hopefully) all the information you will need to know to begin the new school year. Whether you are a returning family or a new family, please do read through each section, and do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have.

The first day of school will be here soon, and after a few years of unusual first days of school, it is a joyous feeling to be returning in a more typical fashion. Our entire staff is eager to welcome you back, and excited to start the year with all of our students. Thanks to their dedication and great skill, and your strong communication and partnership, I know it will be a year of positivity and growth for all.

Please read on for important information and updates.

In partnership,

Karen Cronin

Last Spring, some of our beloved staff retired, and a few others moved on to other districts. A few other staff members made some changes within Summer Street School & Lynnfield Preschool. We also had a few positions left to fill when summer finally came. Here is a recap of all of those changes:

New Staff:

• Mr. Matt Armano: Physical Education Teacher
• Ms. Paige Campbell: Special Education Teacher, Language Based Classroom
• Ms. Caroline Connolly: Grade 2 Paraprofessional
• Ms. Rachel Figucia & Mr. Adam Kohnle: Merrimack College Fellows
• Ms. Jennifer Gillis: Preschool Paraprofessional
  
• Ms. Danielle Pierce: Special Education Teacher, Inclusion
• Ms. Janira Rodriguez: Multilingual Learners Teacher
• Ms. Briane Santo: PM Preschool Paraprofessional
• Ms. Kristen Shannon: Special Education Teachers, DLC Preschool
• Ms. Kayla Taylor: Grade 4 Paraprofessional

Familiar Faces, New Places:

• Ms. Melissa Dearborn: 3rd Grade Teacher
• Ms. Abby Fitzgerald: Kindergarten Paraprofessional
• Ms. Nicole Kinney: 4th Grade Teacher
• Ms. Kate Mancinelli: 3rd Grade Teacher
  
• Ms. Caitlin McCarthy: Nurse
• Ms. Marina Padovani: 1st Grade Teacher
• Ms. Paula Rinaldi: Kindergarten Paraprofessional

Interventionists (formally known as Tutors)

• Ms. Jaclyn Freeman, Ms. Jennifer Guthrie, Ms. Kathy Marsh & Ms. Kim Sokop

PowerSchool is a data system that is new to LPS this summer. Many of the forms you once filled out by pen and paper have shifted over to this online system. It is essential that you make sure your information has been updated accordingly, no matter how many years you have had students in our schools. Please click on the button below to set up your PowerSchool Parent account, and see the list of forms that must be completed.

There have been some changes to our "traditional" classroom assignment layout for this coming school year. We are eagerly welcoming a program from the SEEM Collaborative that will have two sections of students in our building (as well as one class at Huckleberry Hill). SEEM's Program for deaf and hard of hearing students serves children in kindergarten to third grade who present with moderate, severe or profound hearing loss. They will be occupying two of our empty classrooms this year; therefore, we have mixed "adjacent" grades in the first, second, and third-grade pods. A building map can be accessed below to help you and your student get a visual of where classrooms are.

• Wednesday, August 31st: First Day of School, Grades 1-4
• Thursday, September 1st: Kindergarten Orientation
• 2 sessions pre-assigned to families
• 9:30-11:00 (parents in APR)
• 12:00-1:30 (parents in Media Center)
• Friday, September 2nd: First Day of Kindergarten; Early Release for all
• Monday, September 5th: Labor Day, no school
• Tuesday, September 6th: First Full Day of Kindergarten; Preschool Orientation
• 2 sessions pre-assigned to families
• 9:30-10:00 (in Preschool classrooms)
• 10:30-11:00 (in Preschool classrooms)
• Wednesday, September 7th: First Day of Preschool
• Thursday, September 8th: Open House, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Each day, we welcome approximately 460 students to our school by bus, bike, car, and feet! In order to keep these times safe and efficient, please follow the following procedures:

School Hours

• 8:00 AM: Lynnfield AM Preschool & Lynnfield DLP Preschool arrival begins
• 8:35 AM: Summer Street School arrival begins
• 8:50 AM: Summer Street School "officially" starts the day. Students arriving after this time must enter through the main entrance
• 9:00 AM: SEEM Collaborative arrival begins
• 11:00 AM: Lynnfield AM Preschool dismissal begins
• 11:30 AM: Lynnfield PM Preschool arrival begins
• 1:15 PM: Lynnfield DLP Preschool dismissal begins
• 2:30 PM: Lynnfield PM Preschool dismissal begins
• 3:00 PM: Summer Street School dismissal begins
• 3:15 PM: SEEM Collaborative dismissal begins

Where do I go for Arrival & Dismissal?

Lynnfield Preschool

• Enter the SSS parking lot and continue straight. DO NOT park, as this creates a safety issue for children crossing the parking lot during a very busy time. Continue straight to the PreSchool/Kindergarten playground, and follow the route to the left, pulling up alongside the building (it will be on your right), as close to the corner of the bus loop as you can get. (You will actually pass the Preschool Entrance.) A staff member will walk to your car to greet your child; do not get out of your car until a staff member is present and beckons you out. Students should always enter and exit vehicles from the passenger side. At dismissal, please make sure your student name card is visible on the passenger side of the dashboard or visor, so we can quickly load your vehicle. Staff will walk your child to your car; please do not get out of your vehicle until your child is there. We try to empty and fill several cars simultaneously to keep the traffic moving, so please refrain from using your cell phone once you are in the SSS parking lot. Once your child has safely exited your car, please do take care when pulling out, as the traffic divides into two lanes to exit. Please exit from the same place you entered the lot - do not use the bus loop.

Summer Street School

• By Car: Enter the SSS parking lot and continue straight. DO NOT park, as this creates a safety issue for children crossing the parking lot during a very busy time. Continue straight to the PreSchool/Kindergarten playground, and follow the route to the left, pulling up alongside the building (it will be on your right), as close to the corner of the bus loop as you can get. This is the side entrance of the building. Students should always enter and exit vehicles from the passenger side. At arrival, a staff member will open the car door to assist your child out, and/or motion to you that it is safe for the child to leave the car. At dismissal, please make sure your student name card is visible on the passenger side of the dashboard or visor, so we can quickly load your vehicle. We try to empty and fill several cars simultaneously to keep the traffic moving, so please refrain from using your cell phone once you are in the SSS parking lot. Once your child has safely exited your car, please do take care when pulling out, as the traffic divides into two lanes to exit. Please exit from the same place you entered the lot - do not use the bus loop.
  
• As a walker: For arrival, please cross the street in front of the school where the Crossing Guard is, and walk straight up the walkway, adjacent to the center parking lot. All students will enter the building from the front entrance. For dismissal, Kindergarten students will be waiting at the side entrance used for car pick-up; this allows for close supervision of our youngest students. Families can meet their Kindergartener there, and then walk to the front entrance to get to the main crosswalk. Grades 1-4 students will exit from the main entrance. Families wait on the walkway next to the center parking lot to receive their children.
• As a bike rider: Students enter and exit the school at the front entrance. Bike Riders MUST WEAR HELMETS and MUST DISMOUNT THEIR BIKE when going through the crosswalk. Riders WALK THEIR BIKES in between the school and the crosswalk. If your student is riding his/her bike without an adult, please help them time their ride accurately. A Crossing Guard does not arrive until 8:35 each morning, and Summer Street is a very busy road in the morning.

Please see the map below to help visualize the traffic pattern.

Absences

If your child is going to be absent from school, please notify the office. This can be done by calling our main office number at 781-334-5830; follow the prompts to reach the absence line. Alternatively, you can send an email addressed to our Principal's Clerk Ms. Gustafson at

gustafsong@lynnfield.k12.ma.us, our Secretary Ms. Roberto at robertok@lynnfield.k12.ma.us and your child's teacher. Please include the following information:

• your child's name
• your child's teacher
• date(s) of absence
• reason for absence. If your child is ill, please be specific. For example, note the symptoms (fever, runny nose, etc) rather than simply saying "my child is sick."

Tardies

If your child is going to be late to school due to an appointment or other circumstance, follow the same procedure for absences. Please state the reason for the tardiness.

Early Dismissal

If your child is going to be picked up early from school due to an appointment or other circumstance, follow the same procedure for absences. Please state the reason for the dismissal.

Change in Dismissal Plans

If there is a change to your child's typical dismissal routine, please email that information to Ms. Gustafson, Ms. Roberto, and your child's teacher. It is essential for us to know the plan to ensure students get to their destination safely, and we appreciate as much advance notice as you can provide.

Should dismissal plans change once your child is at already at school, please call the front office at 781-334-5830 before 2:00 PM. Teachers do not always have time to check their email throughout the day, so we ask that all changes come through the main office via telephone. We will then notify the teacher. We appreciate your strict adherence to this timeline.

So much work has continued on over the summer. Below is a list of some of the highlights you can expect to see when you come by!

• 2 newly renovated Preschool Classrooms
• A curtain that can divide the gym into two sections so two different classes can be taught simultaneously
• Expanded space for cafeteria seating in the All Purpose Room
• An additional staff parking lot
• A new Grade 1-4 playground!

As with any construction project, there are items left to do on the punchlist. I will continue to update you as necessary.

The Summer Street School Council is a group of parents, teachers, and community members that help to shape the vision and work of our school. This past year, we focused on creating activities that linked school and home; the Math Hunt and One School One Book were two initiatives born from our School Council. Each year, we solicit the community to join our team; we meet once per month after school. If you are interested in joining our team (it is a two year commitment), please email me your letter of intent that includes your rationale for joining to cronink@lynnfield.k12.ma.us

Should we receive more than two total applicants, we will hold an open election during Open House, and your letters will be available for the community to review.

If you would like more information, or have any questions, please reach out.

The state of Massachusetts has extended the free school lunch program to last throughout the 2022-2023 school year. All students are entitled to free meals (including juice or milk) each day. If students would like a snack, water bottle, or second meal/milk/juice, those must be paid for. More information will come from the Food Service Department explaining this process, and how to use the Meal Magic system.

Families are encouraged to fill out the Free/Reduced lunch application which is attached below; these forms provide data for key funding for academic resources and may also connect families to additional benefits.

Should you have any questions, or want to discuss allergy information, please reach out to the Food Service Director for LPS, Mr. James McCarthy at (781) 334-7320 or mccarthyjam@lynnfield.k12.ma.us

Just recently, I came across the book New York: 365 Days. It is a book produced by the New York Times, and includes a photograph for every day of the year. I know I can't compete - their book spans over 100 years, and consists of work from Times photojournalists. However, I do use Twitter, and I thought the challenge of posting a photo each day from Summer Street School & Lynnfield Preschool could be a worthy one!

You can follow me at @CroninSummerSt to catch a glimpse of life in our special school each day. The Twitter feed can also be found on our Summer Street School website.

The Handbook has been updated this year, and the draft will be submitted for School Committee approval this week. You will have access to a copy when the final, approved version is complete; I encourage families to read through applicable sections carefully. There are two in particular that I would like to highlight:

BIRTHDAYS

It is customary for the school to acknowledge students’ birthdays during morning announcements and with birthday pencils. Parents are not permitted to send in celebratory snacks.

Party invitations may not be distributed in school, on the playground or on the school bus. In the past, children's feelings have been hurt when they have not received an invitation. Please observe this same courtesy even if your child is inviting all of the children in the classroom.

CELL PHONES AND SMART WATCHES

We discourage students from bringing cell phones to school. If they do bring them, the cell phone must be turned off for the duration of the school and kept in a backpack. Students are not allowed to use cell phones during school hours.

We discourage students from wearing SmartWatches at school. If they do wear one, they are to be used for telling time only. Students are not allowed to use them to text, make phone calls, access the internet, or take photos.

As we transition to a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves getting closer to pre-pandemic norms. With COVID-19 vaccines now readily available, treatments accessible to those at higher risk of severe disease, and widespread availability of home self-tests, the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines given to school districts by MA DPH/DESE have significantly diminished. On August 15, 2022 , the Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education updated their guidance on COVID-19 matters. The full memo can be accessed here: https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop.html

While isolation protocols for individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are still in place, most other mitigation strategies have ended. Social distancing is no longer recommended, mask mandates have been lifted, close contact guidelines have been eliminated, and the state-wide COVID-19 school testing program has concluded. As we move forward, it is still important that our students and families adhere to the COVID-19 protocols and traditional health and safety guidelines in order to keep both students and staff safely in school.

If your student is not feeling well we ask that you keep them home until they have been fever free for 24 hours and their symptoms improve. If they are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, we ask that they have a negative test (at-home tests are acceptable) before return. Since no negative results are required to be submitted to the nurse for your student to return to school, we are depending on our families to partner with us to keep all of our students and staff members safe. Any positive results should be reported to the building nurse, so that a return to school date can be given.

COVID-19 Symptoms

• Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
• Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, when in combination with other symptoms
• Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies), when in combination with other symptoms

Email: cronink@lynnfield.k12.ma.us
Website: https://sss.lynnfield.k12.ma.us/
Location: 262 Summer Street, Lynnfield, MA, USA
Phone: (781) 334-5830
Twitter: @CroninSummerSt