Cape Cod Tech's November Update
November 15th Update
Good evening everyone,
Phase C begins tomorrow! Please review the Bus Schedule at the link below!
Our website has changed. Please check out the new "digs" at capetech.us A special thank you goes to Scott Nagle for the design and implementation of the new site. He has worked extensively on this, and it shows. Great work. For information specifically for students or for parents see the links on the new site at the top right of the front page.
Also on Tuesday, Nov. 17th we will be holding a Parent Council. Only those that RSVP will be able to attend. Please RSVP below.
Thursday, Nov. 19th is our re-scheduled Financial AId Night For Parents. If you did not previously RSVP then you may do so below.
As stated in the previous newsletter on Monday, November 16th our students will be on two different schedules depending on their grades. From 11/16-12/4 10th and 12th graders will attend every day from 8 am - 1 pm. 9th and 11th graders will attend every other day depending on their Cohort from 10 am - 3 pm. On your student's academic remote day they will be assigned 5-6 hours of asynchronous and synchronous assignments. Only students who complete their work will be marked present. This will take us through December 4th. On December 7th we will switch, and our 9th and 11th graders will attend shop classes every day from 8 am - 1 pm. 10th and 12th graders will attend academic classes every other day depending on their Cohort from 10 am - 3 pm.
We hope this to be as successful as possible for students. A big reason to make this shift is that students need to be in school. Students are struggling, as many are not completing assignments to the best of their ability. We hope being in the classroom will help make students more accountable for their academic learning.
Below I have included a calendar for November and December that marks which days each academic cohort will attend school. Please remember students in their technical week attend EVERY DAY.
Parent Council
- Approve minutes of February 2020 meeting
- Phase C
- Busing
- What school has been like so far?
- New Website
- Tech Night
- Planning for Parent-Teacher Conferences in the Virtual World: What do parents want?
- Exploratory
- Other topics
- Adjournment
Tuesday, Nov 17, 2020, 07:00 PM
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Financial Aid Night-NEW DATE
We are moving this date to November 19th. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Thursday, Nov 19, 2020, 06:00 PM
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MCAS Information For Parents of 11th Graders
October 21, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians of Members of the Class of 2022:
As you are likely aware, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school closures for in-person learning this past spring resulted in the cancellation of state-mandated English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics MCAS tests for your sons and daughters this past spring. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recently released the schedule to the right for testing the affected students during this 2020 - 2021 school year.
After careful consideration, the Cape Tech English Department is unanimous in recommending that your sons and daughters participate in the Next-Gen Computer-based MCAS test administration during the period from May 18 - May 27. The Cape Tech Administration is in agreement with this recommendation. However, it is necessary for parents/guardians to opt-out of the January 2021 test administration if your child will test in May 2021.
Following, please find a link to a Google Form where you are asked whether or not you wish to opt-out of the January 2021 testing as recommended.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond to the form. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.
Best regards,
Anne Wagner
Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
(508) 432- 4500, ext. 3300
Blue Academic Cohort consists primarily of students whose last names begin with the letters A-K
Yellow Academic Cohort consists primarily of students whose last names begin with the letters L-Z.
New Schedule For November 9 - December 4
November 9-13 Gray Week:
November 11 Veteran's Day- No School
9th Graders: In School (at CCT) Shop
10th Graders: Remote (at home) Academic Classes
11th Graders: In School (at CCT) Shop
12th Graders: Remote (at home) Academic Classes
At-home learners will follow the shop or academic schedule according to their grade level.
November 16-December 4 Maroon Cycle:
Thanksgiving Break November 25, 26, and 27: NO SCHOOL
10th and 12th Graders: In School (at CCT) Shop
- Every day attend shop from 8 am -1 pm
9th and 11th Graders: In School (at CCT) Academic Classes every other day from 10 am - 3 pm
The following cohorts attend in-person on each scheduled day:
- Nov 16: Blue Academic Cohort
- Nov 17: Yellow Academic Cohort
- Nov 18: Blue Academic Cohort
- Nov 19: Yellow Academic Cohort
- Nov 20: Blue Academic Cohort
- Nov 23: Yellow Academic Cohort
- Nov 24: Blue Academic Cohort
- Nov 30: Yellow Academic Cohort
- Dec 1: Blue Academic Cohort
- Dec 2: Yellow Academic Cohort
- Dec 3: Blue Academic Cohort
- Dec 4: Yellow Academic Cohort
At-home learners will follow the shop or academic schedule according to their grade level.
November 1st Update
Good evening Everyone,
In this month's email, you will find some medical information that must be shared with parents and guardians.
Below is a letter from Gretchen Wahtola and myself in regard to the Massachusetts Flu Vaccine mandate. For reference, we will need proof that your child was inoculated or exempted from the vaccine. Please understand this is not a school or district rule, but a state law. If you are in disagreement with the law, please feel free to contact the MA Department of Public Health or your local state representative. If you have questions you may contact Gretchen Wahtola Cape Cod Tech's school nurse. Please do not reach out to share your disagreement with the Massachusetts law.
Influenza Vaccination Requirement
Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that influenza immunization will be required for all children attending Massachusetts schools. Proof of vaccination is due to be submitted to the school nurse's office by December 31, 2020. If you have chosen not to have your child immunized you will need to submit an Exemption letter to the school nurse's office by December 31, 2020. If you routinely are exempt from all vaccines, we need an updated exemption letter each year; please submit this to the school nurse's office by December 31, 2020.
For more information from the Department of Public Health click here.
All students including those who are remote, do not have a Flu Vaccine or letter of exemption by December 31, 2020, may be unenrolled from school. This does not mean they will be remote, but may be removed from school enrollment. The goal is to be able to attend school in person. If the pandemic does improve where we can safely be in person, we would like all students to be in attendance, experiencing all Cape Cod Tech has to offer.
These are some unprecedented times. Protocols and rules are changing all the time. Please understand we are doing our best to keep your student at school and loved ones at home safe and healthy. We are doing our best to prevent your student from bringing any illness home to you and your loved ones. Part of doing this is asking those who can to get their Flu Vaccine.
If you have an exemption letter for a particular disease/virus and that disease/virus appears in school your student will be sent home until it is safe to return. For example, if we have influenza cases in school your student will have to go remote until it is deemed safe to return. This could take anywhere from two weeks to three months depending on the severity.
Pediatricians are aware when a student is sent home with one or more symptoms, they will be getting a call for a note to return to school. If your child is tested for COVID please have the lab result faxed to the nurse’s office along with a note stating they are cleared to return to school.
All immunization updates, physicals, doctors’ notes, and lab results can be faxed or emailed.
Nurse’s Fax - (508) 432-0309 email - gwahtola@capetech.us
Finally, if you are planning to travel out of state at any time please follow the Massachusetts guidelines. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order
Questions or concerns regarding your student’s health should be directed to Gretchen Wahtola at 508-432-4500 ext. 2187
If you would like to reach Mr. Terranova, Princpal his contact is 508-432-4500 ext 2000
School Bus Protocol
I recently reached out to DESE in regards to this protocol, and they shared the following information:
DESE recommends opening windows at least several inches and that students wear layers of warm clothes so that windows can remain open.
Mr. Terranova
What do I do if I need to quarantine?
If you need to quarantine due to travel, proximity to a person ill, or possibly even a positive test result, please continue to access your learning remotely. This is not an option. If you do not access your classes (academic or technical) remotely you will receive 0 for the expected work and be marked absent.
If you are isolating due to illness, a counselor will speak to your parent or guardian and make a plan.
November 16th will begin Phace C. 10th and 12th graders will be in Shop for two weeks while 9th and 11th graders will attend academic classes on alternating days depending on their cohort.
Why the schedule change yet again? Why skip Phase B?
- Phase B would reduce student time in their technical area. Things are going great in the shop. Students are getting their hands dirty in their learning and doing a good job.
- Phase B's schedule is really confusing. Yes, we realized it.
- Phase C is within reach. If we moved to Phase B first it would have taken at least four weeks to get to Phase C. Why wait, let's do it!
- As mentioned in the last update, getting ninth-graders into their next phase of exploratory while completely in person will allow for a smoother transition.
- Phase B cons outweighed the pros. It just made sense to move beyond it.
After School Support
In person PSATs will not be administered at Cape Cod Tech this year
Dear Parents/Guardians of Juniors:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic safety precautions the school is taking, Cape Cod Tech has decided to forego the administration of the PSAT at this time. Maintaining cohorts to ensure the safety and health of all students and staff is of the utmost importance, and does not allow for the mixing of students from other cohorts for the purposes of test day, unfortunately. In the event an online administration of the test is added by College Board, Cape Cod Tech will pay for any student who is interested in taking the exam.
However, rest assured that students are still able to get personalized practice recommendations for the skills they will need for the SAT, plus eight official practice exams from College Board by using Khan Academy, College Board’s FREE Official SAT practice site. By using Khan Academy, students will get:
To take diagnostics if they didn't take the PSAT (which is the diagnostic).
Recommended practice based on student’s results. Students can practice other skills any time they’d like, even if we didn't recommend them to the student.
Video and text explanations will help students learn the skills covered on the test and show them how the test is structured.
Be sure to take some full-length practice exams, too! We recommend taking them without interruption to give you a sense of what to expect on test day.
In addition, there are PSAT practice booklets in the Guidance Department office for any student who is interested in receiving one. Please feel free to reach out to your student’s counselor with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your support and understanding during this unprecedented time.
Ms. Kalbach: AB, AT, CO, CU, DA, HT, MS
Ms. Davis: AG, CP, DVC, EL, EN, HVAC, IT, PH
Sincerely,
Averill Davis
School Counseling Department Chair
Busing Schedule and Information
Bus Information
Students who do not follow ridership guidelines including wearing a mask and keeping socially distant may be removed from the bus and busing privileges may be revoked. CCT will be placing monitors on buses to ensure the safety of all students.
If in the poll in early August you the parent/guardian selected that you needed bus transportation and now do not need bus transportation, PLEASE contact the school at 508-432-4500 or dmcloughlin@capetech.us. Our buses are filled to capacity and knowing that someone no longer necessitates transportation will provide tremendous relief to our system.
Cape Cod Tech Athletic Plans
The Mayflower League (our athletic league) has decided to pause on Fall Athletics.
The decision is to move season dates as follows:
Winter: January 4, 2021 - February 24, 2021
Fall: March 10, 2021 - April 30, 2021
Spring: May 5, 2021 - June 25, 2021
As a member of the league we are obligated to follow this decision.