NES WEEKLY UPDATE
MONDAY, January 11, 2021
Latest Information
Dear Families,
Here we are in week two after the holiday! I hope everyone is settling into their routines. As we may have predicted, there has been a spike in Covid-19 cases after the holidays. This has caused the return date for students to be moved from 1/4 to 1/14. As of right now, our return date for in person learning is: Cohort A students only from 1/14 - 1/15. Then, we have the Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Day on Monday, 1/18/21. On Tuesday, January 19, the students in Cohort B will join their Cohort A classmates. On Thursday and Friday, January 21 & January 22, students in Cohort C will join students in Cohort A. Then, we are back in our normal schedule. Dr. Hallett will also be updating again this week if needs be based on the health and safety metrics.
We are very excited to have the chance to meet virtually with families on Wednesday of this week for parent conferences. There will be NO SCHOOL for students at all on 1/13/21. Your child's teacher has shared a sign up sheet so that each of you can sign up for a block of time to meet with the teacher. In the conference, you will hear about your child's progress through this school year to date. They can assist you in understanding the report cards that were shared before the holiday break. You should have received these in the mail, and you can also access them through Aspen. They will talk to you about things that your child is doing really well, and they will offer suggestions for areas of struggle. Our Specialists (Art, Music, and PE), Reading Teachers, School Counselors, Social Worker, Therapists, and English Language Teachers are available to meet with you virtually as well. If you would like to speak to them, feel free to contact them through email or call the main office (508-228-7290 ext 2104 or ext 2187 (Spanish)) to set up appointment times.
Remember that your child's attendance in this virtual setting is required. Students must be online to count as virtually present. Students must also be attending their small group classes. These small group classes include: occupational therapy, speech, physical therapy, English Learner classes, Reading intervention, special education small groups, specials, social work, and classroom teachers may have small group sessions with your child. These are not optional. These represent the required services for your child to support their learning. The online times are when teachers are teaching students. They are sharing the standards required for students at each grade level. This online time is often interactive with teachers asking students to share, answer questions, and talk to their classmates potentially.
It is our collective hope that our students will be back in school very soon!
Best,
Kimberly Kubisch, Principal NES
Our school nurse, Meri Lepore, has asked me to share this very important health information with you.
Happy New Year NES Families! I hope you all enjoyed your holiday break and are well rested and ready to get back to school/work. I know I am. Good riddance to 2020 and hello 2021. I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I know the Covid vaccine will help to stop the spread of this pandemic and bring about positive changes. I look forward to getting my vaccine!
Just some friendly reminders. Please be aware, if you traveled anywhere outside of Massachusetts, and returned to Nantucket anytime after January 3, 2021, be sure to quarantine for 10 days (this is a change from 14 days) or get a COVID-19 test and quarantine until negative test results. See link for travel order. Mass Travel Order . Please send in copies of your child’s proof of test or your quarantine dates. You can email me at Leporem@npsk.org. The symptomatic testing is at the Hospital and the asymptomatic testing is now at the Nantucket VFW building on 22 New South Road. Nantucket Cottage Hospital Testing
The deadline for getting the flu vaccine has been extended to February 28, 2021. It is still state mandated and you may get the vaccine by making an appointment with a nurse at Nantucket Cottage Hospital by calling 508-825-1000. If you do not plan on getting your student vaccinated due to religious beliefs or a medical condition, I will need a handwritten note stating it’s against your religious beliefs or a physician’s note.
Please keep safe and healthy,
Meri Lepore
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
Travel
Please be thoughtful and careful when planning travel. It will be necessary for students to quarantine or test negatively if you travel to all states with the exception of Hawaii. This means you must test negative when you return from the other states. The testing negative is important for the safety of all of our students, their families, staff, and their families. Thank you in advance for your attention to this. I have shared a link for current Corona Virus information.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-updates-and-information
Children with any illness symptoms
Know that we understand and appreciate when you choose to keep your child at home because they have one of the symptoms or don't feel well, not necessarily COVID-19 positive but run down as happens to us all. With a bit of notice and clear communication to your child's teacher, they can work with you to determine the child's participation in synchronous and/or asynchronous work.