BBRSD District-Wide Weekly Update
November 19, 2021
Our Next Newsletter Will Be December 3, 2021
Superintendent's Office
Save-The-Date for A Vaccine Clinic at Tahanto
BBRSD is pleased to announce we, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, will be holding a vaccination clinic on Saturday, December 11, 2021, from 9:00-5:00 at Tahanto Regional Middle/High School.
This clinic will be open to both adults and children ages 5 and up (for boosters and first-doses) and will offer the Pfizer vaccine. There is no charge for vaccination. A registration link will be sent out as soon as it is available.
Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning
Greetings,
From time to time, and through our partnership and participation in the Central MA S.T.E.M. Network Ecosystem, we become aware of opportunities like the ones listed below. This particular focus is on bringing more girls into coding.
You can also check out the CMSNE Facebook page, LinkedIn page and Twitter page for further opportunities as they come along.
Coming Up….
GIRLS WHO CODE - FOR GRADES 3-12 - ARE YOU INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING?
Girls Who Code (GWC) is an international nonprofit offering free and flexible coding resources for our community!
When you sign up to start a GWC Club, you’ll get access to everything you need -- including training, comprehensive resources, 120+ hours of easy-to-use and flexible coding curriculum for 3-12th graders, and even free t-shirts and other swag for each of your Club members. Clubs curriculum feature coding tutorials for all skill levels, inspiring women in tech, community-building activities to increase confidence, and project-based learning related to activism. You don’t need any prior coding experience to get started! Plus -- all genders are welcome in this girls-supportive environment. Learn more about the Clubs program here or join a webinar here.
Sign up here to access GWC’s free Clubs curriculum & resources!
A SUMMER CODING PROGRAM FOR GIRLS IN GRADES 9-12
Ever wonder how a career in tech can help you pursue your passions? Join Girls Who Code summer 2022 to find out! If you’re a 9-12th grade girl - both cis and trans - or non-binary student, you’re invited to apply to Girls Who Code’s 2-week virtual Summer Immersion Program (SIP) or virtual Self-Paced Program (SPP)!
You’ll learn an intro to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through fun, hands-on projects for beginners or receive advanced certification in cybersecurity if you’re looking to sharpen your coding skills. You’ll even explore careers in tech through connections to top companies like YumBrands and Bank of America, just to name two! Plus - you’ll become a part of a global sisterhood of 450,000 students worldwide that’ll grant you access to exclusive alumni career support for life! In addition to our Summer Programs being 100% free, stipends of up to $300 and tech support are available for applicants who qualify.
So what are you waiting for?! Fill out the interest form today to be the first to know when the application goes live mid-January 2022!
Valerie Tomici Manager, Community Partnerships & Outreach
Carol Costello, Assistant Superintendent
Business Office
Berlin Memorial Facilities Update
We experienced some challenges with our HVAC system earlier this week, with the building slow to heat up on Tuesday morning. Please see the following update from our Facilities Manager, Steve Pusateri, who explains this in more detail, and steps taken to address the situation.
Update:
Tuesday, November 16th we were experiencing heating issues throughout the building. Although we did have some heat, most of the classrooms were not getting above 64 degrees that morning. We were also experiencing issues with the controls through the Building Management System (BMS). After some exhausting research and with the assistance of the vendor that installed the BMS we were able to determine that the BMS had lost communication with one of the KMS controllers. After several attempts at rebooting, the controller came back online. This specific controller was for the two (2) main injection pumps on the glycol loop as well as the two (2) main circulation pumps. Without communication to the pumps, we could not manually turn them on to pump the glycol through the system to bring heat to the individual rooms.
We’ve attributed this communication loss to the frequent small power outages and/or spikes that we get at the facility. To remedy this, we have installed a small UPS/Surge protector at the main control panel in the mechanical room and have ordered an additional one for the control panel on the second floor. This will prevent the panels from losing power and creating communication issues caused by the power losses/spikes.
We have also increased the number of preventative maintenance visits for the pellet boilers from four (4) to six (6) per heating season. Basically one PM per month November – April. This has also reduced minor issues with the pellet boilers.
Steve Pusateri, Facilities Manager
Berlin-Boylston Public Schools
Bob Conry, Director of Finance and Operations
Boylston Elementary School
I am sure you are all getting as tired of reading my positive case emails as I am of sending them. Fortunately, we continue to not have spread within the building. Our Test and Stay process becomes smoother with each passing week.
And of course, our new Nurse Lisa has been putting in the hours to keep everyone in our building healthy. She has put this letter of introduction together for all of you. As has been mentioned previously, she came to us with a lot of experience around COVID. She is in the process of updating some of our procedures and we wanted to share those updates with you as well. And finally, you should have found a COVID letter in your child's backpack this week. Now that children are eligible for the vaccine, we are attempting to collect data around its usage. This information will be used to determine if we get close to the levels of lifting a mask requirement and also help in contact tracing. Please let us know your plans. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Nurse Lisa at lleighton@bbrsd.org.
Mrs. Sullivan asked me to share some exciting news with all of you. Scholastic books reached out to 100 educators across the country to nominate a student in their building who was a positive student and SUPER reader. Mrs. Sullivan nominated one of our students, Adrian. Of the 100 students nominated, 25 received a copy of JK Rowling's latest novel, "A Christmas Pig." After a rigorous interview process, 5 of these students were picked to participate in a video chat with JK Rowling herself. It was such a cool experience and as you can see in the picture, Adrian represented BES well in his video interview. We are all very proud of him.
The Week Ahead:
Saturday (11/20)
BEF Gobble Wobble!
Wednesday (11/24)
Half-Day Dismissal at 11:45
Thursday (11/25)
No school - Thanksgiving
Friday (11/26)
No school
Ace Thompson, Principal
BES Office: 508-869-2200
Berlin Memorial School
A few items of interest as we head into Thanksgiving week:
November Turkey Trot
Our Annual Turkey Trot is scheduled for next Wednesday, November 24th! The very early weather forecast looks promising, but as always, remember to dress your child appropriately for the weather on that day. The kids always enjoy this event and it is a great way to kick off the holiday weekend!
COVID Updates
We have had a COVID-free week here at school, at least as regards the “test & stay” program. Hopefully, that will continue through next week! In the meantime, vaccinations for children are becoming more easily available and I am thrilled that so many parents have taken advantage of immunizations. Nurse Ana asked me to share information on this upcoming clinic.
Clinton Savings Bank In-school Program
Another sign that we are getting back to normal - Scratch the Cat and the in-school banking program are back. We will be starting on December 3rd. For more information, click here.
Community Events
We like to share community events when we are aware of them - here are a couple you might be interested in:
And finally…
We hope you have a happy and healthy long weekend!
Tahanto Regional Middle/High School
Welcome, Nurse Lamb!
Our Tahanto family welcomes our newest member,
Nurse Courtney Lamb
Please read the message below from Nurse Lamb:
Hello Tahanto Students, Family, and Staff!
I am so excited to be starting this journey as your new school nurse and wanted to share a little bit about myself. I am a mom to 3 boys- who are 8, 10, and 17. I have been a nurse for 7.5 years and a school nurse for about 4 of those years. I have also worked in ob-gyn, psych, long-term care, sub-acute rehab, on a medical-surgical unit, and as a private duty nurse. My favorite, by far, has been working with students as a school nurse!
My husband and boys love to play sports and I also played my share back in the day! We love football and basketball, and I enjoy watching them play each season. I hope to catch some games of the students at Tahanto- Go Stags!
I look forward to meeting and getting to know you all as the year progresses! I'm ready to hit the ground running, and have faith that we can work together to ensure our students stay safe and healthy!
Please reach out if I can be of any assistance!
Best Regards,
Courtney Lamb M.Ed, MSN, RN
Upcoming Events
November 24th: Early Release
November 25th-26th: No School
December 6th: SEPAC Meeting
Beginning Monday, November 15 - Monday, November 22, High School Student Council will be hosting our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive to support both local Tahanto families with thanksgiving meal baskets, and additional items donated to both Berlin and Boylston Food Pantries. As we are all aware, COVID has not only impacted us emotionally and educationally, but it has also impacted many families on a financial level. Therefore, donations at holidays really can help a family struggling financially have a Thanksgiving that is memorable. As you prepare and plan your own family's grocery trips this coming week, please consider supporting other local families with grocery store gift cards or a food item. Thank you in advance for all of your ongoing supports for our students and families in our local community. Donations can be left at Tahanto in the shopping carts found in the cafeteria.
The food pantries have shared that they are specifically looking for:
Berlin
Coffee (10 oz cans)
Spaghetti sauce
Canned whole hams (not ground)
Cream of mushroom, chicken, etc.
Crackers
Cookies
Laundry detergent
Paper towels
Toilet paper
Dish soap
Boylston
Spaghetti sauce
Cereal
Canned meat
Canned fruit
Tuna fish
Toilet paper
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Floss
Tissues
Paper Towels
Soap
Middle School Counseling News
Managing Middle School
Hello everyone!
Somehow it’s almost Thanksgiving which means holiday break is right around the corner. This can be a really tough time for many families, so if there is anything I can do to support your student in the coming months, please let me know. This is the end of a long stretch of school before we get into regular breaks, so many students are feeling the strain and we often see behaviors pop up this time of year. Keep an eye out for anything that seems out of place and let us know how we can help.
What’s happening now?
6th-grade Counseling Class
6th-grade classes were swapped in the rotation, but we’re still hoping to get some time with the students before the new year. It will look a little different, taking place during Quest block, but this allows us to connect with students on a more personal level. We’re really looking forward to connecting with the students!
7th grade
Our 7th-grade lessons have begun in Ms. Hutchinson’s classroom. We started our conversation by going over how to identify and deal with bullying and mean behavior. We are moving towards talking about common stressors for middle schoolers and will be identifying strategies to deal with them. By the time we finish in a few weeks, we will also have touched on morals and ethics, philosophy, community, and good citizenship.
8th grade
We’re planning on meeting with the 8th-grade class right after the holidays to discuss the transition to High School at Tahanto. We will also be introducing them to Naviance, which is a tool they will get to know quite well during the college application process.
IMPORTANT
Assabet applications and all required paperwork are due January 15th, 2022. That feels like a ways away, but these next few months can fly! Tahanto has little to do with the application or school tour process, so if you have any questions about Assabet, please reach out to them!
School Absences/Tardies/Dismissals
Just a reminder that if your child is not feeling well, please keep them home and notify the nurse
BBRSD COVID-19 Test and Stay Program
Below please find two very important forms regarding BBRSD's COVID-19 Test and Stay program. Please note that for your child to participate in the Test and Stay program a student consent form MUST be filled out and signed by a parent/guardian. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at dtucceri@bbrsd.org.
1. Letter regarding Test and Stay COVID-19 Program
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FzNLTefNy4qjKgtMDASxKlD7GTGKnB2GdYjWNH1V8Uk/edit?usp=sharing
2. Student Consent Form
https://www.cic-health.com/consent/ma#consent
Athletic News
Registration Deadline for Winter Sports is Monday, November 22nd!
Please click on and read the important letter below from AD Matt Porcaro concerning Winter Athletics
Winter 21-22 Pre Season Letter to Athletes & Parents
https://tahantoregional.rschoolteams.com
Click on 2021-2022 Winter Athletic Registration and follow the directions.
Matt Porcaro
Athletic Director
Tahanto Regional
Diane Tucceri, Principal
Sally Stukuls, Assistant Principal
Tahanto Regional High School
1001 Main Street
Boylston, MA 01505
50) 869-2333
Contact Us!
Email: parentquestions@bbrsd.org
Website: bbrsd.org
Location: 215 Main Street, Boylston, MA, USA
Phone: 508-869-2837