NES WEEKLY UPDATE
MONDAY AUGUST 10, 2020
Latest Information
I cannot thank all of you enough! You have been so wonderful in communicating your support, understanding, hopefulness, and gratitude for all the work that is being done to get our kids back in school. This is such a challenging task. I am truly humbled and so grateful. It truly means so much. We are lucky to live in such a wonderful community.
Thank you to everyone who has completed the Commitment survey sent out last week. These were due last Friday. We must have this information to set up the classrooms with appropriate numbers to maintain the 6 feet of social distance. In addition, we need to know bus transportation information to assist us in planning bus routes. Jane Melville and Patricia Harding are contacting families to confirm these decisions this week. Please contact the school if you have received a message or have any questions regarding this survey. I have some emails from parents who are looking for different cohorts, and I am unable to respond until I know who has accepted which cohort.
Very important - the Draft Comprehensive Reopening Document was shared with everyone today. This plan represents what learning will look like when we go back to school on 9/16. The School Committee will be reviewing and voting to approve/not approve this Thursday, 8/13 at 6:00 pm. Here is the link DRAFT Comprehensive Reopening Plan We will also have the Parent Advisory Committee Meeting tomorrow evening at 6:00 pm. If you have any questions regarding this plan, feel free to reach out to me or the Parent/Community members listed below.
I spoke with John Lavenburgh at the Inquirer and Mirror this afternoon. He is seeking parent feedback regrading our plans. For those of you who have been staying informed on all of this, feel free to contact him at jlavenburg@inkm.com to share your thoughts!
I am also sharing a link for you to review regarding children and mask wearing. I strongly encourage each of you to review these ideas. As we will be expecting all students to wear masks in school, it is important that children start growing accustomed to wearing them for longer periods of time, building their stamina for having them on. We will build in breaks for students to remove them safely as well. Please check this out and as always, please share your ideas too!
https://drdarria.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/KidsMask-Wearing.pdf
I am sure you have received emails from the Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Hallett. She sends these weekly (also on Mondays). It is our collective hope to keep you as informed as we can through this challenging process. You should regularly visit the NPS website - www.npsk.org
As soon as the page opens, COVID - 19 information is front and center. In addition, you can click on the schools top tab, and then Nantucket Elementary School. Then, click on "our school" and Covid-19 News and Updates. Here, we are keeping all NES information including all the letters we have shared, DESE guidelines, and other resources.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated and continued support and understanding. I am so grateful!
Warmly,
Kimberly Kubisch, Principal NES
Office Hours
Kimberly Kubisch is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/92272685448?pwd=SzZuY0J2MnA5WnNGRzBKb0RWNWxFUT09 Meeting ID: 922 7268 5448 Passcode: xSYHs3
Parent/Community Advisory Committee
Dr. Hallett has convened a group of community and NPS parent members to meet weekly to discuss all re-entering information. Should you have any questions or concerns feel free to email them. They will share your ideas with the entire committee. We will use this information to help inform our District planning.
Members to Contact
Rocky (Anthony) Fox
Nantucket native, business owner, substitute
Vanessa Rendeiro
NES bilingual parent
Jean Witt
NES/SNAC parent
Micajah (Wiley) Mastriano
NES parent
Tech updates and Devices
1. Parents must log onto ASPEN and complete the verification in the portal. If this does not get completed before August 1, the chromebooks will become disabled. This is so critical for making sure students and families continue to access the devices provided and will be needed for the future. HOPE EVERYONE DID THIS!! Email with questions.
If you currently have an NES device at home that isn't working or you do not need it, please feel free to put it in the box outside of NIS. This is a collection box for all four of our schools.
2. Complete the US census. This gives accurate information to the government to help support our schools and hospitals with funding, to reflect the numbers of people living here so we can get proper representation at the State and Federal government levels, etc. Please do your part to answer the census.
ABOUT NES
Principal
Kimberly F. Albertson
Assistant Principal
Email: kubischk@npsk.org
Website: www.npsk.org
Location: 30 Surfside Road, Nantucket, MA, USA
Phone: 508 228 7290
Covid - 19 Relief fund through Immigration Resource Center
If you need a helping hand through this difficult time, please click on the link below!!
Traveling to and From Massachusetts
Remember to be mindful of any travel you may have planned for August. You will be required to follow the regulations that go into effect on 8/1. These include:
All visitors and Massachusetts residents returning home — including students returning to campuses this fall — must fill out a “Massachusetts Travel Form” and quarantine for 14 days. People can also text MATraveler to 888-777.
Exemptions include travelers from lower-risk states and people who can show a negative COVID-19 test administered no more than 72 hours prior to arriving in the Bay State. The current low-risk states are New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Hawaii.
People must remain in quarantine until they receive negative test results, except for when going to get their test.
Failure to comply can result in a $500 fine per day.
Exceptions include people passing through or commuting across state lines for work, military personnel, critical infrastructure workers, and people seeking or receiving medical treatment.