Greenlodge Weekly Update 11/24/2021
#ReachForYourBest
Dear Greenlodge Families,
It was a short week this week at Greenlodge, but the kids were all in great spirits and many looking forward to a few days off.
I would like to take a moment to let you know how thankful I am for all of you and the partnership we have together. Please know that our faculty and staff at Greenlodge care about your children a great deal and work hard each and every day to support the students. We continue to appreciate the collaboration that happens between our families and our staff as it is such an important component to each day for our Greenlodge students.
For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
I hope all of you enjoy the next few days off and are able to spend some time with friends and family.
I am looking forward to seeing our students next Monday!
Best,
Jenny
Important Dates
- November 25th and 26th - Thanksgiving Break
- November 29th- Picture Day Retake
- December 9th - Early Release / Professional Development/Conferences
Boosterthon Principal for a Day!
During our morning announcements today, we announced the winners of our "Principal for a Day" winners in each grade for their fundraising efforts with Boosterthon.
Our winners are:
- 1st grade: Doug Rickert- Mrs. Roberts' Class
- 2nd Grade- Guilana Hansbury- Mrs. Mahoney's class
- 3rd Grade- Oliver Fouty- Ms. Killgoar's class
- 4th grade- Erik Japlit- Ms. Magnacca's class
- 5th Grade- Cody Miles- Mrs. Edmunds' class
I will be setting up a schedule of days for the students to be "Principal for the Day" after the December break.
Check out the latest edition of Greenlodge News!
Notes From The Nurse
We are a Community: As the holidays approach, we wish you a relaxing, fun-filled time with family and friends. It is unfortunate we still have to deal with a very infectious virus. Please be mindful that one person’s small decision can have big consequences for many families in our school. Until more children 5-11 are fully vaccinated, please consider the safest circumstances for gatherings so that we can keep classrooms open and kids in their activities when we all return.
Holiday Tips from CDC: click here for CDC’s advice on healthy celebrations.
Holiday Travel: After consulting with the district in conjunction with DESE and the Department of Health, as a district we are currently following the State and CDC guidelines. At this time all travel guidelines are recommendations not mandatory. Therefore, if you are traveling over the holidays, your children do not need to quarantine or submit test results to return. Please consider testing prior to return if you have had any higher risk travel or gatherings, and continue to monitor for symptoms very closely.
Side Effects of Covid-19 Vaccine: Normal side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine can include pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, which can begin soon after the shot. Others include tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea, which typically begin 8-12 hours after the shot and do not last more than 48 hours. If your student has side effects and has no recent COVID-19 exposures they may return to school without testing. For any other symptoms such as loss of smell/taste, shortness of breath, cough, runny nose, sore throat in addition to a vaccine side effect symptom, they should stay home and get a PCR/NAAT Covid-19 test.
The Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine is approved for 5-11 Year Olds!
The CDC now recommends 5-11 year olds receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. Please check your pediatrician’s website for guidance and check in with them if you have questions or your child has a chronic medical condition. Please read the CDC’s statement and information page, as well as the Mass. DPH page for 5-11 year olds and Vaxfinder site to find a vaccination site. Per current DESE protocols, two weeks after the second dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, your student (if asymptomatic) will be exempt from quarantine and testing with any Covid-19 exposure--in or out of school.
Can I use a home rapid kit for symptoms? NO. Per DESE and DPS policy, all students with symptoms on the below list should have a diagnostic test (PCR or NAAT) done at a health office to return. We DO NOT accept home rapid tests for return to school. If your student tests positive by a home rapid test, they should stay home, begin isolation, and have a follow-up PCR test to confirm the results.
Covid-19 Symptoms: Monitor daily for symptoms. Please - keep your student home and have them PCR tested immediately if they have below symptoms! Help us keep the virus out and sign up for testing so your student can stay if they are exposed.
Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Muscle aches or body aches
Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms
Headache when in combination with other symptoms
Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms
Testing Sites: In addition to the pediatrician's office, you could try one of the Project Beacon, City of Boston, or Transformative Healthcare sites for a free test (their results are coming in pretty quickly). Please send all testing results to the school nurse for clearance. Other options include:
CVS Pharmacy: appointment required, 19 Eastern Ave Dedham, MA 781-326-7104
PM Pediatrics: appointment not required, 719 Providence HWY Dedham, MA 781-461-6767
ConvenientMD, appointment required, 983 Boston-Providence Turnpike Dedham, MA, 781-819-6400
Care Central Stoughton https://carecentralurgentcare.com/covid-19-services/
Click here to join our Testing Programs: Check out Nurse Duckworth’s video discussing how important it is to have maximum participation in our school-based testing.
Close Contact Notifications: when we have a positive case at school, all close contacts are contacted by phone and receive an email with specific instructions. All others will receive an email notification of the positive case.
Please see below close contact quarantine procedures related to Test & Stay:
Food Allergies around the Holidays: We have several students at Greenlodge with life-threatening food allergies. NO OUTSIDE FOOD MAY BE BROUGHT IN FOR CLASSROOM TREATS. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Returning to Sports after Covid-19: Please read the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidance on returning to sports after COVID-19 infection. It is a good idea to check in with your child’s pediatrician after a positive test.
Health Conditions: if your student has a change in their health status or home medication routine, please contact me.
Medication Administration & Accommodations: If your child needs medication or medical accommodations during school hours, please contact me. Signed medical orders are mandatory.
Health Portal: it is preferred that families use the SNAP Health Portal for communication and documentation. Please see the DPS Health Office website for information. If you are having difficulty logging into SNAP, I will contact you soon to fix this.
Physical Exams: Please send in updated physical forms from the pediatrician whenever your student has an annual visit. We are required by state regulation to ensure 4th grade students receive a physical exam.
Information from Ms. Altone- Art
Ms. Altone is using Artsonia to share students' art with families. If you are new to Artsonia, you will receive an email with information on how to view your student's art online. It is a free program! Students love using the iPads to take photos of their work, and those in upper graders will use their Chromebooks to add artist statements.
What can I do with my parent account?
View your Child's Artworks
New artwork is often uploaded by your child's art teacher at school, but you can also upload artworks with your smartphone that may be sitting around the house!
Start a Fan Club
Invite family and friends to join your child's official "Fan Club" so they can receive notification when new artwork is posted.
Approve Comments
Friends and family can leave positive comments about your child's artwork. Review and approve these comments so they can be posted on your child's gallery.
Pointers from P.E.
Trying to help your child log in to a school resource from home? Here are some tips and tricks!
Mental Health Resources
There have been a few questions over the last couple of weeks regarding support for students who are struggling with their mental health. Below you will find a few resources for families and students to access.
- Crisis Text/App: https://www.crisistextline.org/
- Riverside Emergency Services: 800-529-5077
- HandHoldMA -- this is an excellent webpage with a lot of resources.
Attendance
- If your child is sick or will be out of school for any reason, please call the attendance line. 781-310-4799 to report the absence.
- If your child is required to stay home due to illness or quarantine , they are no longer able to attend school remotely.
- The school will excuse up to 7 absences in a six month period. Students who are chronically absent will receive notification from the school.
- Please see the student handbook for full details regarding attendance.
School Meals Program
All school meals will continue to be FREE for Dedham students through June 30, 2022. We still encourage families eligible for Free/Reduced lunch to complete the registration process, as it ensures you can benefit from the other program offerings including access to reduced fees in other areas. Also, please note that due to supply chain issues, our posted lunch menus may be subject to last minute changes.
Please see the Breakfast Flyer from our Food Service department.
Check-out the Greenlodge Homepage!
- Links to current and past newsletters and headlines
- Food service information
- Bus application
- Families Digital Support Page
- Counseling resources
- Coronavirus Updates
Other District Information...
Dedham Public Schools has translated resource pages:
Please click here for translated curriculum and resources.
Haga clic aquí para ver el currículo y los recursos traducidos.
Clique aqui para obter o currículo e os recursos traduzidos.
Пожалуйста, нажмите здесь для перевода учебной программы и ресурсов.
Ju lutemi klikoni këtu për kurrikulën dhe burimet e përkthyera.
الرجاء الضغط هنا للحصول على المناهج والمواد المترجمة.
There is also a Parent Support Group for Spanish speaking families.
Learn more here:Parent Support Group Flyer (Spanish)
Video Overview of Parent Support Group (Spanish)
Substance Abuse Support Group for Children: Please see this flyer for information about a virtual group to support children dealing with the impacts of a loved ones substance abuse.
About Us
Email: jmcgowan@dedham.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.dedham.k12.ma.us/greenlodge
Location: 191 Greenlodge Street, Dedham, MA, USA
Phone: 781-310-4000
Facebook: facebook.com/GreenlodgeDedham
Twitter: @GLDGESchool