DUNNING NOTES FROM the OFFICE
Sunday, February 28th, 2021
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All previous Notes From the Office are available by using this LINK.
Dear Dunning Community,
We will welcome back our Phase IV students on the following dates:
- March 3rd - Phase IV - Cohort B Students: Students in Cohort B will attend in-person on “B-Week” and learn remotely during “A-Week".
- March 8th - Phase IV - Cohort A Students: Students in Cohort A will attend in person on “A-Week” and learn remotely during “B-Week".
If you opted for an in-person return, you should have received notification from the district with your child’s cohort.
Students will need to bring their school-issued chromebook and charger back to school when they return. The chromebook and charger travel back and forth with students each day and a new protective case will be provided.
It is essential that all students wear a mask on the bus and at school, practice social distancing and hand washing.
As a reminder, there will be some asynchronous blocks of time for our remote learners on March 3rd and March 8th, as we acclimate the students that are in the building for the first time to the new structures and routines that are in place across Dunning. Your child's teacher will share any schedule changes.
We will be sending a separate Smore tomorrow with important information for students returning to in-person learning, including procedures for student drop-off and pick-up.
What's New This Week:
- Return to School Update from Dr. Tremblay - 2/26 (While we have included some information from Dr. Tremblay's February 12th update below, please be sure to read it in its entirety.)
- MCAS and ACCESS Testing
- Dunning Spirit Wear
- Bus Registration Codes
- COVID-19 Pooled Testing for Students
- MyMedBot
- COVID Call Center
- MetroWest Mediation Services
- March Book-Reading Slideshow
Please let us know if you have any question or concerns! We are ALWAYS available! Please call us or email us.
Sincerely,
Michele & Kathie
mschecter@framingham.k12.ma.us
MCAS and ACCESS Testing
MCAS will be shortened. There will be one testing session for each subject area: Math, English Language Arts, Science Technology & Engineering (grade 5 only).
Dunning Spirit Wear
In the hopes of building school spirit for our returning students, staff, and families, the Dunning Spirit Wear store is now open! The store will run through March 10, 2021. Items are received approximately 3-4 weeks after the store closes. All orders will be shipped to school, then either sent home with students or paired with a distribution bag for those students who have chosen to remain remote.
The store website address is: https://dunningspiritwear.itemorder.com/
Bus Registration Codes
COVID-19 Pooled Testing for Students
Free pooled testing will be available weekly for all students in attendance for their scheduled week of in-school learning beginning the week of March 1, 2021. Testing will take place on site at your child’s school during the school day. A completed, signed consent (English, Spanish, Portuguese) form is required for participation. Although participation is voluntary, it is strongly encouraged.
Pooled testing involves mixing several respiratory test samples together in a “batch” or “pool” and then testing the pooled sample with a PCR test for detection of COVID-19. This approach increases the number of individuals that can be tested using the same amount of resources as a single PCR test. The test is performed at least once per week with anterior nasal swab. Test results are delivered within approximately 24-48 hours. If a pooled test result is negative, then all individuals within that pool are presumed negative and may continue to remain in school. If a pooled test result is positive, then all individuals in the pool must quarantine until they are retested individually with a PCR test.
For additional information, please review the Framingham Public Schools COVID-19 Testing for Students Overview English, Spanish, Portuguese.
MyMedBot
MyMedBot is your ticket to school! MyMedBot is used to screen all FPS staff and students daily for potential COVID symptoms. Students, families, and staff must answer a series of COVID-19 related questions and based on the answers, the app will show a red screen, meaning you are not permitted to enter the school or a green screen, meaning you may enter the school. MyMedBot invitation codes are unique for each user and are being rolled out by cohort to families with students who are returning to in-person instruction. Here is the rollout plan:
Phase I, II, and III Students are already using it!
Cohort B will receive codes on March 1st for a March 3rd start. (Phase IV)
Cohort A will receive codes on March 4th for a March 8th start. (Phase IV)
If you are scheduled to come back to school and you do not receive the message, you can contact the FPS COVID Call Center (see below).
Please remember to complete MyMedBot everyday that your child is scheduled to attend school in-person. We ask that you complete MyMedBot by 8:30 at the latest each morning.
COVID Call Center
Framingham Public Schools has launched a trilingual COVID Call Center to help families with the MyMedBot App questions. Families can reach the Call Center by email COVID@framingham.k12.ma.us or by calling (508) 782-6633. Call Center staff are available between 5:00am to 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Staff who have MyMedBot App questions should continue to reach out to the Help Desk.
MetroWest Mediation Services
MetroWest Mediation Services is offering free virtual mediation between landlords and tenants for non-payment situations. This program is part of Governor Baker's comprehensive Eviction Diversion Initiative to mitigate the harmful economic impacts of COVID-19 and prevent homelessness by keeping tenants stably housed and landlords from mortgage foreclosures.
For more information or to schedule a free mediation, please contact Li, Coordinator of the Housing Mediation Program, by emailing li@metrowestmediation.org or calling 781-591-0866.
For assistance in Spanish or Portuguese: Please contact Peter at peter@metrowestmediation.org or call 617-213-0365.
Dates to Remember
MARCH
Tuesday, 2nd
- COVID-19 Pooled Testing for Students
Wednesday, 3rd
- Phase IV - Cohort B Students Returns
Monday, 8th
- Phase IV - Cohort A Students Returns
- Early Release - 1:05 Dismissal - Building Based Professional Development, Lunch IS served
- No School - Professional Development Day
Thursday, 18th
Community Meeting, 9:30 – 10:30am
- School Council Meeting, 4:00 – 5:00p
Kindergarten Dunning School Virtual Meetings, 1:45 – 2:45pm and 6:30 - 7:30pm
APRIL
Friday, 2nd
- No School- Good Friday
- Virtual Community Meeting, 2:30 – 3:30pm
- No School - Patriot's Day
- No School -Spring Recess
- Early Release - 1:05 Dismissal- Parent Conferences, Lunch IS served
Universal Lunch/Recess Hour
School Lunch Update
- School breakfasts and lunches will be free for the remainder of the school year
- Milk only purchases will cost $0.60
Commitment to Educational Program Model
As we move to the hybrid educational model, families who wish to shift from hybrid learning to remote may request to do so at any time. Requests should be directed to the Michele Schecter (mschecter@framinghamn.k12.ma.us) so that proper notice may be given to the teacher(s), transportation office, etc.
- Requests to shift from remote to hybrid learning will be considered on March 19, 2021 for an April 5, 2021 return.
- Another Family Decision Checkpoint will be offered on May 10, 2021 for a May 24, 2021 return.
The District is required to maintain 6-foot physical distancing when students return to school. Requests to shift from remote to hybrid may not be possible if 6-feet of distancing cannot be maintained.
Reminder for Families with Incoming Kindergarteners
If you have or know a child that will be five years old by August 31, 2021, online pre-registration for incoming Kindergarteners for the 2021-2022 school year is open at https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/kindergarten2021.
All new incoming Kindergarteners must be registered.
Please see below for video presentation playlists in English, Spanish, and Portuguese containing helpful information from the Parent Information Center and several of our departments including: Community Resource Development (CRD), Health and Wellness, the Office of Multilingual Education (OME), and Special Education.
DESE 2019 Dunning School & FPS District Accountability Report
"Every year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) releases a report card for each school and district in the state. Just as a student's report card shows how they are doing in different classes, school and district report cards are designed to show parents and community members how a school or district is doing in different areas. Report cards highlight a school or district's strengths as well as any challenges that need to be addressed in order to make sure the needs of all students are being met.” DESE
To view our school’s report card overview and the complete report card, visit our school’s profile on the ESE’s School and District Profiles website at this Dunning Report Card Link.
Key Terms
Phase I: Students and staff who attended school, in-person, starting in October.
Phase II: Students and staff who attended school, in-person, starting in November.
Phase III: Students and staff who were scheduled to return to school in December, but who did not return due to the shift to remote in consideration of the community public health conditions.
Phase IV: All remaining FPS students and staff not included in Phases I, II, and III.
In Person (Schedule): A schedule where students are receiving instruction in person in a classroom setting from the school.
Remote (Schedule): A schedule where students are receiving instruction from a location outside the school setting via the computer (virtually).
Hybrid (Schedule): A schedule where students are receiving instruction on a rotating schedule that includes both in person and remote experiences.
Concurrent Classroom Model: A model in which students attend class in person and others attend virtually. The teacher in a concurrent classroom attempts to meet the needs of the students in class and online simultaneously.
Synchronous Instruction (live):
Synchronous Instruction
Occurs in real-time, with participants doing something together or “in sync” with others;
May include Zoom/Google Meets meetings or be streamed; live video is not required for synchronous learning;
May include scheduled learning experiences, assessments, or collaboration to be completed at the same time as others; and/or
May provide additional structure, accountability, and opportunities to engage with others in the learning community.
Asynchronous Instruction (not live):
Asynchronous Instruction
Occurs on one’s own time or pace, with no requirements to be in lock-step with others;
Allows students to work independently, or potentially with others, at a flexible pace that meets their individual needs;
May include experiences, assessments, or collaboration to be completed within a window of time, but not necessarily in real-time with others; and/or
Allows teachers to work synchronously with one or more students while others are engaged in asynchronous learning tasks.
Asynchronous instruction does NOT mean that a student is “offline”, as in not engaging virtually with content.
Rental Assistance Program
Here is an updated application link to apply for the rental assistance program
https://portal.neighborlysoftware.com/FRAMINGHAMMA/Participant. Please note that due to the influx of applications, applying through this site would be the quickest way.
If you are submitting a paper application, use the same link to email it.
ESL Writing Assessment Information
ESL Teachers will be administering the biannual ESL Writing Assessment to students (remote and in-person) to students identified as English Learners in grades 3-12, during the following testing windows:
Final Interim Assessment Testing Window:
March 29-April 30
Housing Help
The state Department of Housing and Community Development has centralized information about resources for families struggling to make rent or mortgage payments due to COVID-19. For information, go this this WEBSITE.
Resources if You Are Struggling to Make Rent or Mortgage Payments
Community Resources
Food Services Information
District Calendars
Dunning Directory
Click on the link below to input information and sign up for the Dunning Directory,
School Hours
Early Release Days
- 1:05pm dismissal
- Lunch IS served
- Early Release Thursdays: 9/18/20, 12/3/20, 12/10/20, 12/17/20, 1/7/21, 1/14/21, 3/11/21, 4/29/21, 5/6/21, 5/13/21, 5/20/21, 5/27/21
Half Days
- Students are dismissed at 12:00pm.
- Lunch IS NOT served.
- Half Days: 11/25 and the last day of school.
Visit the Dunning Website
Join the Dunning PTO FB Page
If you are not already a member, please join the PTO FB page. It is a great way to stay connected with the Dunning Community! www.facebook.com/groups/228212977304928/?ref=bookmarks