Welcome back!

Now that the calendar has turned to August, it's time to begin really thinking about the start of the new school year. I've included a lot of information below, so please read through it carefully and let us know if you have any questions. I'm looking forward to kicking off a new year with lots of learning ahead!

The first day of school is Monday, August 29th. The first three days will be 12:30 dismissals. The regular full day schedule will begin on Thursday, September 1st.

I would also like extend a HUGE thank you to the volunteers who helped us paint 6 classrooms this summer! A fresh coat of paint makes a room look amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you to Katie Korby, Maddie Sakowicz, Jonathan Lagreze, Jamesy Cusimano, Tabitha Shearer, Valerie Lively, and Rachel Glick...the rooms look fabulous!

Finally, I won't be sending out a newsletter next week, because I will be on vacation. Look for the next one the following week.

The PTO will be hosting our annual back to school ice cream social on Friday, 8/26 from 5-6 pm. They are asking families to help with donations of ice cream, whipped cream, toppings (sauces, candies and cherries) bowls and spoons. If you would like to help with a donation please email the PTO at colrainpto@gmail.com to coordinate. Thank you for your support.

This is a great time to meet some staff, reconnect with old friends, and make some new ones before the school year starts. We look forward to seeing everyone at this fun event!

You are invited to join us for our annual First Day Celebration on Monday, August 29th from 8:30-10:00 am.

At 8:30, you'll get to visit your child's classroom, meet the teacher, and see where they'll be spending their day at school.

At 9:00, we will have all adults join us in the cafe for a cup of coffee and to hear a bit about the school and some of what we have planned for the year.

At 9:30, the students will join us for the first all school assembly of the year, where all staff will be introduced and we will share a story together and play a game or two.

At 10:00, we invite you to give your child one last hug or high-five and enjoy the rest of your morning.

Building a strong home/school partnership is really important to us as we believe this is the foundation to a successful school experience. We want to hear from you what your hopes and dreams for the year are, as well as to be able to share some of what you can expect from us. These conferences will be held between 1-3 on the first three days of school. Please contact Mrs. White in the front office to schedule your conference. You can reach her by calling 413-624-3451 or by emailing swhite@mtrsd.org

We look forward to meeting with you all then.

I'm pleased to be able to offer both our before and after school programs this year.

When staffing allows, we will run programs on all regular school days and early-release days. They will not run during school vacations, snow days, delayed openings, or on days when school is released early due to bad weather. Drop-ins are welcome if necessary, but please send a note in the morning if possible. If a child’s bill is not in good standing, they will not be able to attend the program(s) until it is. Last year's bills must be paid in full prior to a student attending this year.

Before School Care (Run by Ms. Genie Shearer)

The program will begin one hour before the start of school: 7:30 on a regular day, 8:30 on a one hour delayed opening, and 9:30 on a two hour delayed opening. Students have time for some homework help, games, activities, and movement before the school day begins. The cost for this program is $7/hour for one student and $6/hour for all subsequent family members.

The before school program will begin on Tuesday, August 30th.

After School Care (Run by Ms. Alyssa Patenaude & Ms. Clare Wasileski)

This program will run each day that school is in session from dismissal time until 5:30. The cost for this program is $7/hour for one student and $6/hour for all subsequent family members.

The after school program will begin on Monday, August 29th.

Payment options:

• online at https://unipaygold.unibank.com/customerinfo.aspx clicking on the Colrain Elementary tab and following the prompts from there
• check made out to Colrain Central School with before/afterschool program in the memo line
• Cash handed to program director

"With the signing of the FY23 state budget, Massachusetts has become the fifth state to provide state support to extend universal free meals beyond Congress’ expiration date of June 30, 2022. The new state funds will be used to supplement federal USDA reimbursements, allowing for National School Lunch Program meals to be provided to all students at no charge and to be reimbursed at the federal “free” rate during the 2022-23 school year.

However, it is still important that districts participate in direct certification of eligible families and for families to fill out income eligibility forms, because income eligibility numbers will be important in meal reimbursements to districts and for other benefits to families. (For instance, households that establish that their income qualifies them for free or reduced-price meals by August 31, 2022 will qualify for summer 2022 Pandemic EBT.)" ~A message from the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

What this all means for you is that all students, regardless of family income, will be able to receive school breakfast and lunch at no cost to you. Students are welcome to bring a lunch from home if you prefer. And, we will not be able to provide a school snack this year, so students should bring a healthy snack from home to have mid-morning.

Once school begins, we will be sending home the free/reduced lunch applications and ask that everyone complete the forms and return them to school...even if you don't qualify. Even though all students will be able to receive free lunch this year, the percentage of families that qualify using the federal guidelines also makes us eligible for other grants and federal funding, so it's really important that we get that information from everyone. All information collected will be kept strictly confidential.

8/26: PTO Back to School Ice Cream Social

8/29: First Day of School

8/29-8/31: 12:30 dismissals

9/1: First full day of school

9/5: No School: Labor Day

9/21: Open House 6:00 pm

August/September early release dates:

12:30 dismissals: 8/29, 8/30, 8/31

1:50 dismissals: 9/21, 9/28

Just a reminder that updated information can always be found at our website: https://colrain.mohawktrailschools.org/ and our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/colraincentral