Sherwood Middle School
February 7, 2021 Update
This Week's Messages
Friendly February
To practice these daily goals at home, download or print the calendar here.
Good Morning Sherwood Families,
I hope you and your family are enjoying your weekend so far!
Special thanks this week to our students and staff who planned and ran our first live school wide Community Meeting on Friday! Thank you to our masters of ceremonies Maia from 6 Green and Niti from 5 Teal, our Student Advisory Group leaders, Prisha from 6 Silver, Arthi from 5 Yellow, and Miu from 5 Gold, as well as Mrs. McCarthy, Mrs. DiGiacomo, Mrs. Polechronis, and Mrs. Gablaski. The focus of Friday's Community Meeting was Kindness. Check out the full video below.
Thank you again to all of our students, staff, and families for your help as we continue to adjust to the Time on Learning changes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has put in place. The goal of these changes is to increase live connections for students on their remote days, which allows for more social opportunities and targeted academic practice and supports.
We are looking forward to another great week of learning with your child!
Sincerely,
Jonathan Kelly
Principal
A Message From Mr. Kelly
This Week's Schedule
Monday, February 8th and Tuesday, February 9th
Cohort A & B in person
Cohort C will follow their typical Monday/Tuesday asynchronous learning plans.
Cohort D will follow their typical schedule.
Wednesday, February 10th
Cohort A1 in person 1/2 day
Cohorts A2, B & C will follow their typical live classes via Zoom in the morning and then have asynchronous learning in the afternoon.
Cohort D will follow their typical schedule.
Thursday, February 11th & Friday, February 12th
Cohort A & C in person
Cohort B will follow their typical Thursday/Friday asynchronous learning plans.
Cohort D will follow their typical schedule.
Saturday, February 13th-Sunday, February 21st: Enjoy the February Vacation!
Kindness Week Daily Themes
What's For Lunch?
February Community Meeting
Congratulations to Our Speech Team
Congratulations to the twenty one 6th graders who competed in the Shrewsbury Winter Tournament on Sunday, January 24th. This was the team’s first full-fledged tournament, competing against veteran speech students in 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Congratulations to each and every student who spent their Sunday doing something hard and brave!
A special shout-out to the following students who were recognized as Honorable Mention (that means they just missed being a finalist):
Parnitha Karapakula in Impromptu, Shamini Biju & Shamika Sureshkumar, both in Original.
Congratulations to the following students who were finalists:
Shuban Venkataramanan, 8th in Impromptu
DeAnna Tsefrekas, 7th in Impromptu
Vikram Angiras, 4th in Impromptu
Angelina Tie, 2nd in Prose
Exciting Opportunity For 5th & 6th Grade Girls
Sherwood is teaming up with LUK Inc. and Project Shine to offer a 8-10 week group opportunity via zoom from 3:30- 4:30pm on Thursdays starting March 4th. The purpose of the group is to develop strategies to work on leadership skills and promote positive relationships which impact young women. If interested, please return the following permission slip to Program Coordinator, Najid Figueroa at nfigueroa@luk.org. The Registration deadline is Friday, February 19th. Participation is limited!
Please see the links below for more information and the permission form.
Thank you to Sherwood Adjustment Counselors, Mrs. Jen Bolt, Mrs. Rebecca Connole, and Mrs. Kelly O’Connell for coordinating this great opportunity!
Gap Junction Opportunity for SIXTH GRADE students beginning March 9
Gap Junction is a four week after school program run by Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine students. It is designed to have four 1.5-2 hour sessions (1 per week) that will cover a variety of topics and have interactive and hands-on components! The program is held entirely virtually. Body systems, diseases, and treatments will be discussed in addition to STEM careers related to veterinary medicine. A virtual tour of some facilities on campus will be given as well. The goal of this program is to expose interested middle school students to veterinary medicine and to get them excited about careers in science (especially veterinary medicine)!
The dates for the next session are March 9th, 23rd, 30th, and April 6th. Sessions run from 3:30 - 5:30 (virtually). Here is a link to sign-up for the March/April sessions:
There is a cap on the number of students, and students will be accepted on a first come basis.
We are opening this opportunity to sixth grade students only for this session as this will be the last opportunity for sixth graders to participate.
Sherwood Counseling Team
For More Information or to Contact Us, Open this link.
From the PTO
During February & March the SMS PTO will be doing Team Shout Outs to recognize all 29 teams at both Sherwood and Oak. We want to include quotes from students highlighting what makes their teachers and team so awesome!
Please have your student(s) help complete this form to add their own team highlights and shout outs to this fun event.
Thank you!
JOIN US FOR VIRTUAL TRIVIA NIGHT: 2/26/21
Join us for a spirited game of Trivia that should provide lots of laughs too - something we all sorely need these days! Our game will start at 7:00 pm on Friday, February 26th and all you need is Zoom and a great attitude! We will be providing prizes for our top team as well as a few others - including best team name and best team beverage and/or snack!
Please use the form linked here for more information and to register (registration is $15 per person).
MARCH SMS PTO MEETING
Mark your calendars for the March SMS PTO meeting on Monday, March 1st @ 7PM via Zoom! (Zoom link to be provided closer to the meeting date via the SMS PTO facebook page and via the weekly Sherwood and Oak emails).
Please remember that the SMS PTO is a singular PTO group that serves BOTH Sherwood AND Oak and we would love to have you join us!
From the Main Office
Attendance
Attendance is taken every morning during Morning Meeting. Please make sure your child is present and ready to go by 8:00am. Thank you!
Student Absence
Any child, regardless of hybrid or remote learning program, must inform the office if their child will be absent or late to school. SPS requires that you telephone us either the night before or first thing in the morning on the day of the child’s absence at 508-841-8690. If we have not received a call to report an absence, the school will be in contact with the parent to confirm the child’s safety.
Technology Support
If students or families are having trouble with Schoology or Zoom, you can get tech support at ParentTechSupport@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us. Please remember that Team teachers are not immediately available for this support as they have students in class.
If students or families have other questions or concerns abut technology please go to this link: Frequently Asked Questions about Technology. This link includes parent access for Schoology; password help; school email help, broken iPad, and more!
District News
Online Enrichment Classes Coming Soon!
Online enrichment classes begin in February - Registration opens 1/20/21
The After School Activities Program is moving to Zoom! District staff will be teaching hour-long enrichment classes for students in grades K-8. The classes will meet weekly, for 6 weeks, via zoom. Topics include art, science, coding, crafts, gardening, yoga and much more. SPS students from all cohorts are welcome to register. Visit the ASAP web page for a list of all classes. https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/extendedlearning/after-school-activities-program
Registration opens in the parent portal on Wednesday, January 20th at 7:00AM. Class size is limited and classes fill quickly. Each class costs $30 for the six-week session. Payment must be made through SchoolPay at the time of registration. Your seat in the class is not reserved until payment is received.
Calling All Student Performers
Does your child sing, dance or play a musical instrument? Would they like to perform in our virtual telethon? The Shrewsbury Public Schools Colonial Fund is hosting a telethon to benefit the Performing Arts Program across all of our schools. The event will be broadcast locally on March 5 and March 6 from 7:00 - 9:00pm. We want to showcase 12 student performances and we’d love to include yours! Please visit the telethon website for more information and to learn how to submit your child’s performance. We welcome dance, instrumental performances, singing, acting, even comedy or improv. Let’s celebrate the wonderful talents of our students! Questions? Please contact us at development@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us.
SORA READING APP
The media centers across the district are excited to share that we now have a K-12 subscription to an iPad app called SORA that provides access to ebooks and audiobooks that students can read or listen to on their iPads. SORA enables users to borrow up to 3 books at a time. Users can also place holds on an additional 3 books at a time.
Here is a video overview of SORA.
Here is the link to a step-by-step tutorial that explains how to get started using SORA on your child's iPad: https://bit.ly/2JZa2SZ
Meal Access: Remote Learners & Hybrid Students on “At-Home” Learning Days
Students who have opted for remote learning and hybrid students on their “at-home learning days” may pick-up meals at Shrewsbury High School on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-11am at the main driveway. Please contact Beth Nichols at bnichols@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us if you need meals delivered.
Meal Access: Snow Days and Delays
- Snow Days If there is no School on a Tuesday, due to inclement weather, meal pick up will be on Wednesday ,same time ,10-11 and place ,main driveway at the High School. Meal Deliveries will be on Wednesday ,the same time 10-11. If there is no School on a Thursday due to inclement weather, meal pick up will be on Friday ,same time ,10-11 and place ,main driveway at the High School. Meal Deliveries will be on Friday, the same time,10-11.
- Delays If there is a 1 hour delay on a Tuesday or a Thursday, Meal pick up will be 11-12 at the main driveway of the High School. Meal delivery will be 11-12.If there is a 2 hour delay on a Tuesday or a Thursday, Meal pick up will be 12-1 at the main driveway of the High School. Meal delivery will be 12-1.
Mindfulness Programs for SPS Caregivers
Shrewsbury Public Schools will kick off our monthly community meditation and mindfulness practice group in December. This is a support tool for parents and caregivers offered freely through our mindfulness partnership with the Mindfulness Director Initiative (MDI).
All adults caring for a child attending Shrewsbury Public Schools are welcome. No registration or preparation is required, but it is helpful to have some basic experience with meditation to get the most out of these sessions. (If you are new to mindfulness practices or want some additional practice, we are offering a free 4-week virtual workshop series this fall - register and get more info here).
Monthly meetings will take place on Zoom on the first Monday and Thursday - dates/times are listed on the flyer. You may download this flyer to your device to keep the dates + zoom link handy. Each monthly meeting will include: time to check in with ourselves and as a community, a 20 minute guided meditation (with some periods of silence), and support through resources and reflections for living a life of resilience and wellbeing.
Zoom Meeting Link:
https://shrewsburyps.zoom.us/j/81441385078?pwd=WVlXc1FaR01QbTFlOXJlOVkxb2NsZz09
Meeting ID: 814 4138 5078
Passcode: 118939
28 Sherwood Ave
Shrewsbury, MA 01545
508-841-8670