The Coolidge Family Newsletter
The Week of December 7, 2020
Brought to you by Sarah Marchant, Principal
Dates of Note
Week of December 7: Cohort B in Person/ Cohort A Remote
December 10: Hanukkah begins at sundown
Week of December 14: Cohort A in Person/ Cohort B Remote
Week of December 21: Cohort B in Person/ Cohort A Remote
December 21: "Make it Easy Mondays" PTO Fundraiser. Print & bring this flyer to the Reading House of Pizza! Not only will we be supporting a local (Coolidge family owned) restaurant, but 10% of your purchase will go directly back to the Coolidge PTO!
December 24 - 31: Winter Recess
January 4: School Resumes (Cohort A In Person/ Cohort B Remote)
For the district calendar (which includes Cohort A and B weeks for the year), click here.
A Message from Principal Marchant
Looking to the winter ahead, there will likely be times when we have "snow days", but these will look different now than they have looked in the past. There will be a semblance of an official school day (still TBD at the district level) so that it will count towards the yearly total, rather than extending the school year later into the summer. We do realize that families and staff need time to shovel out and to have some outdoor fun, so that is being factored into the snow day schedule planning!
On Monday during lunch, Ms. Karow is going to reiterate the importance of mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing. Many students are amazing with this, and many are so naturally drawn to each other that I think it's very hard to live by these new practices, as they are social creatures! For those students who consistently struggle with keeping a mask fully covering their faces, we will be contacting caregivers and will consider additional options for intervention, such as removal from the classroom setting. Please make sure you are sending your child to school with a mask that fits well and that they are comfortable wearing. There are some inserts that can be purchased that sit inside the mask, allowing space around the mouth, for those who struggle with the feeling of a mask. Thank you for your ongoing help with this, as well as reiterating, and living by, the health and safety guidelines in the home setting!
Thanks Before Thanksgiving
PTO: Holiday Cheer Request
Looking ahead, the PTO hopes to again provide each staff member a $5 gift card this holiday season. $5 gift cards donations will be received in the main office between now and December 14. Please consider donating! To make sure we get enough but not too much, there is a Sign Up Genius to commit to a certain number of gift cards. Please sign up here, thank you!
School Council Update
Coolidge School Vision: At Coolidge Middle School, we believe that all students are integral contributors to our community. Our vision is to encourage students to embrace continual self-evolution and exploration as they become confident, responsible, empathetic, globally-minded citizens who feel the value of their strengths and contributions.
Coolidge School Mission: We strive to provide a challenging, engaging, and supportive learning environment that honors and fosters the culture, individuality, and potential of every student.
Team Pegasus Hand Turkey Competition
Slide 1: Maddie Gentile
Slide 25: Elliana Calo
Slide 20: Kalen Hagopian
Slide 23: Camryn Rafuse
"Close Contact" and Quarantining Guidelines
You must quarantine for:
-At least 14 days from the date of last exposure; or
-At least 10 days, provided all of the following are satisfied:
- you have not had, and do not have, any symptoms;
- you are tested on day 8 of your quarantine period or later using a molecular diagnostic test (e.g., polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the presence of the virus;
- you receive a negative test result; and
- you monitor yourself for symptoms for the full 14 days. If you develop symptoms you should contact your health care provider and be re-tested.
Here are the testing sites:
https://memamaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=eba3f0395451430b9f631cb095febf13
The "stop the spread" sites are free and typically the fastest turnaround.
The specific state guidelines can be found here.
A Message From Jennifer Stys and Allison Wright, District Special Education Director/Assistant
Dear Families,
With the holidays upon us, we wanted to take a quick moment to thank all the families for their support and partnership during this most unusual school year. We hope that you all have a chance to relax, spend time with family and reenergize for the coming weeks!
As December is approaching, we wanted to share our office hours for the month of December. Jen Stys, Director of Student Services, and Allison Wright, Assistant Director of Student Services, are available for office hours on the following dates. Please sign up for an appointment through the link below.
December Office Hours:
- Tuesday, December 8 @ 9-10 am
- Wednesday, December 16 @ 2-3 pm
- Monday, December 21 @ 12-1 pm
Link to the DOODLE Poll to sign up for office hours:
https://doodle.com/poll/megik5eq9tmh8tvf?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link
We are all thankful to be working in such a wonderful community. We hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!
Best,
Jen and Allison
Private School Application Process
Attention 8th Graders: 9-12 Technical School Applications
Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical Schools will be holding a virtual open house on November 21st beginning at 9am. (Students were able to begin the application process on October 26th.) The deadline for application is January 8, 2021. For more information please visit www.essexnorthshore.org/admissions
SEPAC Updates/ Information
Please join the SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) at our next business meeting on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 7:00 PM! New business to be discussed includes an update from the Director of Student Services, Dr. Jennifer Stys, regarding the special education program descriptions; a report from the SEPAC reading/literacy subcommittee; and a request for a SEPAC budget liaison volunteer regarding the Reading Public Schools FY 2021 Budget.
This meeting will be held virtually, via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, December 8th at 7 PM.
Meeting link: Click here to join the meeting
All are welcome and ENCOURAGED to attend!
Connect with SEPAC by clicking these links:
Join SEPAC's mailing list by emailing SEPACREADING@gmail.com
Follow SEPAC on Facebook (please adjust settings so that you are sure to see our posts)
The mission of the Reading Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to work for the understanding of, respect for, and support of, all children with special needs in the community.
RESOURCE SECTION
Introducing: Study Buddies!
Study Buddies is a volunteer tutor program where struggling middle schoolers can access free educational resources. Each middle school student will sign up to be tutored in a specific subject and will then be paired with a RMHS tutor who specializes in that subject. They will work one on one with their tutor virtually through Microsoft Teams every Thursday. If/when deemed possible to do so safely, students will have the option to meet in the Homework Center at the RPL weekly or continue virtually. Students must register for this program. For more information or to register visit the Study Buddies website.
Did you know that all students can receive free breakfast and lunch?
Free & Reduced Lunch Application: Many Benefits!
In a usual year, the meals are free for those who qualify by way of qualifying using the "Free & Reduced Lunch" application. Yet what may not be clear is that the application has more benefits than just breakfast/ lunch. If families fill out the form, as well as the "Share" form on the back page, then those who qualify can also qualify for assistance for things like after school activities and field trips. So if you are someone who thinks you may qualify, please consider filling it out so that we can help you in various areas over the course of the year! We can't actually help without this form! The form can be found here.
Additional Resources for Families
- Town of Reading: compiled resources linked here.
- Mental Health Resource list linked here.
- RCASA resources linked here.
- St. Vincent de Paul linked here.
- Free & Reduced lunch access: sign up here. (but ANYONE can get free lunch; the form helps with other things as well!)
- Reading Food Pantry linked here.
- Project Bread link here.
How to Translate This Newsletter
- Portuguese: Na caixa preta na parte superior do boletim, selecione Traduzir Boletim informativo para escolher o idioma desejado.
- Spanish: En el cuadro de Negro en la parte superior del boletín de noticias, seleccione Traducir Boletín de escoger el idioma deseado.
Vietnamese: Trong hộp đen ở đầu bản tin, chọn Dịch bản tin để chọn ngôn ngữ mong muốn
Polish: W czarnym polu u góry biuletynu wybierz Przetłumacz biuletyn, aby wybrać żądany język
Now, more than ever, show your school pride and purchase some Coolidge spirit wear!
Contact Us
Brienne Karow, Assistant Principal (x12302)
Marianna Zanni, Administrative Assistant (x12303)
Karen Mungenast, School Secretary (x12304)
Cindy Ventura, School Nurse (x12305)
Matthew Darling, Technology Integration Specialist (matthew.darling@reading.k12.ma.us)
Email: sarah.marchant@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: reading.k12.ma.us/coolidge
Location: 89 Birch Meadow Drive, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-942-9158
Twitter: @coolidgemiddle