Jordan/Jackson News You Can Use
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Principal's Message - Placement Input for Families
Dear Families,
Jordan/Jackson and Robinson teachers and administrators will undergo the comprehensive placement process for the next school year. We realize that there are still many questions regarding what next school year will look like for all of us. However, we will be moving forward with this process at this time and we recognize that families have an important role in helping us understand their student’s needs.
As we work to streamline the process, we are utilizing the benefits of Google Forms to collect your input. If you would like to share your thoughts regarding your child’s learning experience for the upcoming school year:
Request a link to the Family Placement Letter Form by emailing robinsonplacement@mansfieldschools.com (incoming Grades 1 and 2) or jjplacement@mansfieldschools.com (incoming Grades 3, 4 & 5).
Once we receive your email request, we will send you a link to the form.
Within the Form, you will be asked to respond to a few brief questions and have the opportunity to submit a detailed response, outlining your considerations.
If you are unable to complete the electronic placement letter form or would prefer to send a letter, please email your letter to robinsonplacement@mansfieldschools.com or jjplacement@mansfieldschools.com. You may also mail the letter to the appropriate school.
We kindly ask that all placement requests be submitted by Friday, May 21, 2021.
We would like to clarify that for equity reasons, we will not be able to honor specific requests for placement with a particular teacher and/or students. Therefore, we request that you communicate what you feel is most important for us to know about your student’s specific learning needs as we move forward with this process.
The placement process includes the following:
Service providers and classroom teachers are aligned based on the proposed education schedule.
Teachers and Administrators review performance data and specific student information.
Teams will develop a list of tentative classroom assignments. Information from families will be considered at this point.
Early August: Final review of placements.
Mid-August: Families will receive placement assignments.
When developing classes, we consider many factors with input from teachers and families including: academic strengths and needs, social-emotional needs and learning styles. We strive to create environments that will support a variety of learners.
Please note that this detailed process strikes a balance in our schools among classroom teachers and various service providers that are essential to meeting our goal of providing targeted instruction to every student. For these reasons, we may be unable to change student placements after they are communicated to families in August.
Sincerely,
Jordan/Jackson and Robinson Administration
MCAS UPDATES: Families of Remote Cohort Students
We wish to share information with you about the spring 2021 Remote MCAS testing schedule for your student during MCAS testing.
MCAS tests are required by state and federal law and are an important tool to promote student success and educational equity. In addition, MCAS test results will:
- give information about areas of learning that have been most impacted by the pandemic,
- provide important data on which students, schools, and districts have been most affected by pandemic-related changes in schooling and
- improve understanding of your child’s knowledge and skills in relation to the state’s learning standards so that we can provide the best system of support and instruction in future years.
The schedule for remote MCAS administration at Jordan/Jackson is as follows:
May 25, 2021 ELA - All remote classes - Grades 3, 4, 5
May 27, 2021 Math - All remote classes - Grades 3, 4, 5
June 1, 2021 STE - All in-person and remote classes - Grade 5
A subsequent email will be forthcoming with more details regarding procedures on the day of testing as well as student responsibilities during MCAS testing.
Jordan/Jackson's MCAS Schedule
May 18 - ELA Grade 3
May 19 - ELA Grade 4
May 20 - ELA Grade 5
May 25 - Math Grade 3
May 25 - ELA REMOTE Grades 3, 4, 5
May 26 - Math Grade 4
May 27 - Math Grade 5
May 27 - Math REMOTE Grades 3, 4, 5
June 1 - Science and Technology/Engineering Grade 5
June 1 - Science and Technology/Engineering REMOTE Grade 5
New Quarantine Guidance from Mansfield Health Services
In consultation with Mansfield Department of Health and the Mansfield COVID-19 Task Force, Mansfield Public Schools will be following updated Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios in school, on the Bus or in Community Settings
Please click the following link for more information:
Mansfield Public Schools Health Services Department
Mask Wearing
Starting Friday, April 30 face coverings will no longer be required in many outdoor settings in Massachusetts as the state continues to see declines in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Governor Baker announced that the face coverings order will be relaxed outdoors, except for situations where it is not possible to maintain social distance and when required by business-specific guidelines. We will continue wearing masks in all outdoor settings until further guidance from DESE. This includes recess, physical education, sporting events, or any other school-sponsored activity.
Family Night for Growth and Development for 4th and 5th Grade Students
More information to follow
PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF GRADE 5 STUDENTS
THIS WEEK'S SHOUTOUTS!
Eli G - Ms. Parsons, Grade 5
Jackson H - Mrs. Risotti, Grade 3
Tyler G - Mrs. DeAngelis, Grade 5
Jolie S - Ms. Rathgeb, Grade 4
Story K - Mrs. Conroy, Grade 4
Savannah N - Mrs. Gentili, Grade 3
Anabel R, Samantha S, Lorenzo P, Gabe E - Mrs. Ouwinga, Grade 5
Emma R, Mila B, Patrick M, Lucas R, Giulia D - Ms. LePage, Grade 3
Click the link to read about some of our amazing students! SHOUTOUTS
Supporting Students in Quarantine
When students are absent due to medical quarantine/isolation protocols as a result of being a close contact, a positive test, or post-travel, the school nurse will inform the teacher that the student is eligible for instructional delivery as outlined below:
For all schools, students in medical quarantine/isolation protocol will receive relevant classwork from their classroom teacher(s). The assigned classwork will be in line with the current classroom curriculum pacing. Teachers will decide on the method of lesson delivery, communication method, and technology tools used to provide these opportunities.
At Jordan/Jackson, the classroom teacher(s) will provide the quarantined students with their classwork in a manner that will best meet the needs of the students working remotely. A designated staff member will be assigned to provide additional support and connection to quarantined students.
Some students and families have become comfortable with the remote aspect of school and we have found that some students have periodically chosen to remain at home and log into their Google Classroom/Chromebook in lieu of coming to school on their in-person day. The District is now focused on the in-person learning model. As a result, we are limiting access to remote classroom instruction for most.
TRAVEL GUIDANCE
Massachusetts has changed the mandated Travel Order to a Travel Advisory. After careful consultation with our local department of health and Mansfield's COVID-19 Task Force, MPS will continue to follow the travel advisory with additional modifications. Staff and students are required to follow the advisory for all travel longer than 24hrs except for those listed exemptions on the travel website. Testing is required for all destinations. There are no longer specific high risk areas of travel. MPS will also follow these additional modifications:
We will continue to accept parent/guardian post-travel tests from an unvaccinated parent/guardian for students less than ten years of age.
If all parents/guardians who have traveled with students under ten years are vaccinated, the student needs to have their own COVID-19 test before returning to school.
WHAT TYPE OF TEST DOES MY STUDENT NEED TO RETURN TO SCHOOL?
CONTACT TRACING
Our Health Services Department would like to remind families that while the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has relaxed recommendations for in school distancing, we will continue to follow the Massachusetts Department of Health quarantine guidelines. A close contact is defined as an individual who has been exposed to a positive case for 15 minutes or more in 24 hours at less than six feet. An important part of keeping quarantines to a minimum will be continuing with our strategy for managing student and household illness.
SUBSTITUTES NEEDED!! TEACHERS, NURSES, PARAPROFESSIONALS AND CUSTODIANS!!
Substitute Teachers, Nurses, Paraprofessionals and Custodians
Applications can be mailed, dropped off at Central Office, 2 Park Row, Mansfield Attention: Human Resources, emailed to hr@mansfieldschools.com or apply online at SchoolSpring
Applications should be mailed or dropped off at Jordan/Jackson, 255 East Street, Mansfield
Attention: Denise daGraca