MTRS Student and Family Update
11/6/2020
Dear Students and Families,
Thank you to those who attended our first virtual Open House last night! If you were unable to attend, but still would like to connect with a teacher, please email the teacher for a copy of what was presented. Next week school will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11 as we honor our veterans. THANK YOU to the veterans in our community for your service to our country.
As part of our Trailblazer redesign model at MTRS, caregivers--we need YOUR feedback! Please take a few moments to take this survey. This information is an important piece of our grant work which will be used by the MTRS Mass IDEAS Grant Team to make adjustments to our redesign plan and the ways in which we support and engage caregivers. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this survey: https://forms.gle/jcLQ76AjhLHRwCGk9
Student Council Canned Food Drive
The MTRS Student Council is hosting a canned food drive for all grade levels as a pre-kick off event for Booster Week. We are looking at Spring dates for Booster Week this year, but the Student Council is designing activities leading up to this week. Baskets for each grade level are outside the MTRS main doors for you to drop-off your non-perishable food items. Baskets will be weighed each day and points will be awarded to the classes that collect the most items (by weight). These points will be counted and used during Booster Week. The last day to bring items will be Monday, November 23.
MTRSD Hybrid Learning Model
Over the next two weeks there the district will host two meetings where the revised Hybrid learning model will be shared and discussed. As a reminder, no plans have yet been finalized. These meetings will offer opportunities to hear revised plans and discussion.
School Committee Meeting, Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. No vote will be taken.
District Virtual Town Hall, Monday, Nov. 16. More details to follow from Superintendent Stanton.
Advisory and Daily Attendance
Advisory is a new, required, credit-baring class this year for all MTRS students. It is important for students to understand that attendance is mandatory and failure to attend Advisory is considered an absence. Excessive absences, as explained in our handbook, will result in a failing grade and a loss of 1 credit (for high school students) In addition, Advisory is when attendance for the day is taken, so if you are absent from advisory for more than 10 minutes, you may be recorded as absent for the entire day. Teachers and staff make every effort to accurately record and correct attendance records but it is the responsibility of the student to reconcile any unexcused absences. If your child is having difficulty in attending or if you have questions about advisory, please contact your child’s advisory teacher for questions or concerns.
Using Cameras During Class Time
MTRS does not require students to turn-on cameras during class time. However, as our high school students begin their Trimester 1 classes and meet their teachers for the first time, we want to strongly encourage students to turn cameras on for brief periods of time during the first few weeks of classes. This allows the teacher and students to connect; nonverbal / visual cues help teachers recognize when a student may need additional help. This is especially important as teachers get to know their students and recognize when / if they need additional supports. A blurred background feature is now available in Google which provides students with some privacy. We encourage students to turn their cameras on and give this a try. As we continue to plan for a possible return to in-person learning, it would especially helpful for teachers to recognize their students visually--not just their bitmoji or picture icon. Cameras don’t have to be on for the entire class (we know this can impact bandwidth), but ask that students turn them on for a short period of time (ex: when you’re called on or the start of class) each day in order to build community connection within their classes.
Message from the Health Office
Please click here for a reference chart regarding COVID symptoms.
School & District Updates
Don’t forget to follow us on our official social outlets Facebook & Instagram @mohawktrailregional! For all things athletics, follow @mtrsathletics on Instagram and Twitter.
For important district COVID-19 information and updates, visit the district’s website: www.mtrsd.org/covid-19-information
Marisa