CPS Weekly Parent Update
Week of June 7, 2021
End of Year Information
CPS Parents,
Please review the sections below that contain several end-of-year updates and announcements. We are wrapping up MCAS testing this week.
Here is a link to the MA DESE website about the MCAS for 2021:
MCAS Info from MA DESE - May 2021
As a friendly reminder, Wednesday, 6/9 is a half-day with dismissal at 11:50am.
Video Version of CPS Weekly Parent Update - 6/7/21
Thank you,
CPS Admin Team
Michael Horton, Adriene Lombardi, and Tracy Mailloux
CPS MCAS Testing Dates
Wednesday, May 19 (grade 6 & 8 ELA)
Wednesday, May 26 (Grade 6 & 8 math)
Wednesday, June 2 (Grade 7 ELA & Grade 8 science)
Wednesday, June 9 (Grade 7 math & remote ELA testing)
Thursday, June 10 (Additional remote testing for math)
Friday, June 11 (Make-ups)
It is not too late for Cohort D students to come into the building to take the MCAS. Please email me directly: hortonm@npsk.org
Otherwise, remote students will be taking MCAS at home this Wednesday, June 9 and Thursday, June 10. An adult must be home supervising and the student taking the test must have their camera ON while testing.
Charge Chromebooks - PLEASE Bring Chargers to School During MCAS Testing
We have a few loaner chromebooks for devices that are not working properly, but not enough for every student.
Planning for the Grade 8 Celebration
The current plan is a celebration in the NHS auditorium on Friday, June 25. We are leaning to TWO sessions in order to accommodate TWO parents per each 8th grader. Picnics and field days and other events are in the works for all three grades leading up to the last day of school on Friday, June 25.
Sailing on the Lynx - THIS WEEK!!
SUMMER SCHOOL at CPS
The Summer Support Program will take place from Tuesday, July 6 through Thursday, August 5, 2021 on the CPS campus. The program will run Monday through Thursday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. Busing to and from the program and a healthy snack will be provided.
I hope you will consider sending your child to this exciting program! Please register your child on or before Monday, June 7, 2021 at https://forms.gle/3kRLxAuRM3ixS9eeA. I look forward to working with you and your child this summer. If you have any questions, please email me at raboldj@npsk.org.
CPS School Council Positions
before 12 noon on Tuesday, June 15
Information was emailed out this morning; these positions are for current parents of 5th, 6th, and 7th students.
ENCORE Choices for 2021-22
Art
Band
Chorus
Drama
Percussion/Instrumentals
STEM (Engineering)
All CPS students will have Wellness next year and 8th graders will also have Oceanography.
At the moment, we are considering Spanish for all 7th and 8th graders, too.
REPEAT REMINDERS ARE BELOW
Students Late to School
We have been lenient on late arrivers this year, but are asking for parent support to get students to school on time each morning. The CPS doors open at 7:45am with the first bell for homeroom. The late bell is 7:50am. Students should be in their homerooms before 7:50am.
CPS Dress Code Review
DRESS CODE:
We take pride in the appearance of our students. The dress of our students in many ways reflects the sense of purpose and quality of our school. Students are to dress neatly, cleanly, and appropriately while in attendance; therefore, the 5Bs should never be visible – buttocks, bellies, breasts, bare-backs, or boxers.
Expressive clothing that causes disruption or disorder is not allowed on school grounds. Per order of the board of health, footwear must be worn in the school building at all times. Clothing promoting alcohol, tobacco products or drugs, guns, weapons or violence are not permitted. Students are expected to comply with any reasonable request from a faculty/staff member regarding dress code.
Students who do not follow the dress code will be asked to call home and remain in the office until appropriate clothes are brought to school. Questions or concerns about dress code should be directed to the Assistant Principal and/or Principal.
Freedom of speech ends when it disrupts the civil rights of another student for their right to a free and appropriate public education.
Our biggest problems this spring have been short shorts with rips in them and open midriffs. We understand that it is difficult to review your student's clothing before school each morning, but we ask for your support when clothing is inappropriate by bringing in a change of clothes when called.
MA Travel Order / When can students remote in?
The MA Travel Order to produce a negative test after returning to the state has been 'down-graded' to a MA Travel Advisory. If a family is returning to MA from out of state, it is 'highly recommended' that students and parents get a Covid-19 test. However, it is no longer 'required'.
Updated MA Travel Order - March 22
ABSENT: NO. If a student is absent on the day that they are supposed to be present in-person, they cannot remote in that day. They are marked absent since they are not physically present for their in-person class. This is too last minute and disruptive to class rosters changing on a daily basis.
VACATION/LONG WEEKEND: NO. If a student is going away for a vacation or weekend event early on a Friday, we do not provide remote links. They are also considered absent and must make-up any missed work as has always been the district policy when families extend weekends or vacations. The state requires that students be physically present within district boundaries (the island of Nantucket) to attend 'school'. The MA DESE does not differentiate in-person learning from remote learning, as both are considered 'school'. So students off-island are consider 'absent' from NPS.
QUARANTINE ORDER: YES. If a student is asked to quarantine due to a positive Covid-19 test result or close contact to someone else who is positive, we can temporarily set-up links for the student to remote-in to their current schedule (if they feel well enough).
MOVING to COHORT D for LONG TERM: YES*. If a family feels that in-person is unsafe, they may request to move their student to Cohort D for all remote links to their classes. *However, students cannot 'flip-flop' back and forth. The move to Cohort D is potentially for the remainder of the year as the switch back to an in-person section is not so simple. The MA DESE provides schools 8 weeks to make plans for the switch back and at this point of the year, that is the last two months of the 2020-21 school year.
If a student is going to miss more than 5 consecutive days for vacation or travel, a parent must schedule a meeting with the principal.
CPS Random Drug Searches
Any familiy struggling with students vaping or other substance abuse are encouraged to reach out to CPS school counselors or the Nantucket Family Resource Center:
Nantucket Family Resource Center
The Nantucket Family Resource Center is a great place to start and can lead to support from other island organizations.
Grade 6 Math
Grade 6 Mapping a Cell with Clay
Grade 7 Popsicle Project
Trimester 3 started Monday, March 22
As it was at the end of trimester 1 back in December, school administrators will become academic 'coaches' for students who failed courses for trimester 2. CPS admin will set-up up individual meetings with students to set some goals to pass courses for the year.
Grades and Athletic Eligibility
CPS students may not fail ANY subject for a trimester to be eligible for the upcoming 'fall 2' (Football) season and spring sports after April vacation (Baseball, Softball, or Lacrosse). One F on a report card will make a student athlete ineligible to participate in team GAMES for the season. Students may still practice with their teammates, and are encouraged to do so.
An F is a final trimester average below 60% for the trimester.
Students may appeal to the CPS principal by proposing an academic probation plan.
CPS Lobby Left Display Case
CPS Valentine from Art Class
CPS Lobby Right Display Case
Schoology Support
Schoology is a learning platform that CPS teachers are using for daily 'playlists' and class activities. We are also using Schoology for recording grades for assignments. If any parent is having trouble logging into Schoology, please email Michael Horton for support:
We can reset a password/username or add a parent to a student account. Once in, the program is relatively simple to navigate to your student's courses.
Note: Although we are starting to utilize Schoology to share student grades during the term, it is not replacing Aspen. Report cards, schedules, and other components must still exist in Aspen for state reporting. Aspen is a student information database.
As a learning platform, Schoology is more of a replacement for Google Classroom.
Report Cards Posted in Aspen Friday, March 26
After logging into the Aspen parent portal, report cards will be under the 'Pages' home tab and then under the 'Published Reports' box in the lower right corner of the screen.
Report cards will also be mailed home.
If parents have trouble logging into Aspen, please either click the forgot my password link on the log-in page. An email will be sent to the parent's private email that was provided when your student was registered for school.
Or, contact the NPS Tech Department:
Or, contact Kristen Holdgate in the CPS front office: 508-228-7283
Moving Ahead - Supporting Students
1) Students should use their school-issued device to attend remote classes. When not in the classroom, Go Guardian is the best way for teachers to keep students on task and provide direct support for what to do or where to go. If a device is not working, contact the front office to arrange a loaner while a repair is done: Kristen Holdgate 508-228-7283 x1408
2) Students should keep their cameras on as much as they can. There are many benefits for teachers to 'see' student faces: attendance, engagement, and positive interaction with peers.
3) Parents should check on student progress. Schoology and ASPEN are open to parents as ways to check for missing assignments and updated grades.
4) CPS administration is examining why students failed classes for trimester one and then suggesting ways to support students for trimester two: extra help, tutoring, intervention classes with teacher assistants, and check-ins with school counselors or other support staff.
Principal note: Don't be afraid to ask for help!
Food Service Update - The Food Truck
Although lunches are free for all students through June 2021 (US Department of Agriculture) other assistive services are available during the pandemic through the Free & Reduced program.
Please contact Sarah Erichsen for more information: erichsens@npsk.org
Sarah is our data coordinator and can answer questions about the Free & Reduced Lunch Program. (It is much more than lunches these days...)
2020 Sound Bites Awards - PSA First Place to Nantucket Students
Outdoor Learning
Waiting for Front Doors to Open at 7:45am
Remoting In...
Accessing ASPEN or SCHOOLOGY...
During the trimester, please contact Michael Horton if you are having trouble logging into SCHOOLOGY to view grades on daily or weekly assignments and assessments:
Contact Tracing Procedure
1) Teachers of the Covid positive student are asked for seating charts.
2) Teachers of the student are asked to report if anyone in their class was in close contact* with anyone else while in their class.
3) Anyone who is determined close contact will be contacted by Sara Brooks and will be encouraged to get a Covid test.
4) Regardless of the test result, that student or staff member must quarantine out of the school building for 8 days since last contact.
5) Further information will be provided through a letter from the Superintendent.
*The NEW CDC close contact definition is defined as being within 6 feet of a Covid positive person for more than 15 minutes. The 15 minutes is cumulative for the day and it does not matter whether wearing a mask or not.
The name of the Covid positive school community member (staff or student) is not released.
LUNCH MENU - School Lunch FREE for ALL students through June 25, 2021
CPS is under 'Secondary' with the high school menu
Per the US Department of Agriculture, School Lunch will be FREE for ALL students for the rest of the school year.
Breakfasts now available; must pre-order: petersonl@npsk.org
Nantucket Public Schools also offers Breakfast & Lunch for all remote learners. Pick-up available Monday - Friday
9:30am - 12 noon
Location: Right side of Cyrus Peirce Middle School. Drive through gates at school entrance, Food Truck located on the left-hand side of driveway, by the ramp, door 23.
Be Safe, Wear A Mask, Practice Hand Washing & Social Distancing 6 Feet Apart
NO LOCKERS Assigned for the Year - BACKPACKS have been donated.
The Nantucket Rotary Club and Sheriff Jim Perelman have joined together to donate backpacks to students who need a backpack to navigate the halls of CPS. Please let me, a teacher, or the front office (Kristen Holdgate) know if your student needs a backpack.
We would also like to consider assigning lockers to students in the next month when the weather gets colder.
CPS Attendance Line: 508-228-7283 option 2
Student DROP-OFF and PICK-UP is in the back of CPS
CPS Enrollment Update: 425 (no change since the 5/17/21 report)
(+14 since June 23, 2020)
CPS School Council Parent Members
Term ends 2021 - Pauline Cronin croninp@npsk.org
Term ends 2022 - Jessica Douglas jessicadouglas2145@gmail.com
Term ends 2022 - Kristen Dussault kmd0630@verizon.net
Term ends 2022 - Vanessa Larrabee vanessa.larrabee@gmail.com
Term ends 2022 - Brent Tartamella btartamella@gmail.com
Term ends 2021 - Meghan Washington meg.flaherty.mf@gmail.com
Cyrus Peirce Middle School
Email: hortonm@npsk.org
Website: www.npsk.org
Location: 10 Surfside Road
Phone: (508)228-7283