South Row's Home Link
Week of: November 6th, 2023
Message from the Principals
Thank you to everyone who donated to our Coat Drive this month. The community will benefit greatly from your generosity as we move into the colder months. If you or a member of your family is in need of a coat as the winter month approaches, please reach out to us.
We will hold an ALICE drill this coming week. Students will be briefed prior to the drill in order to make sure we respond safely and accordingly. Click here to view a link which includes an overview letter and information for families. We encourage you to take the time to review it.
Additionally, we wanted to take a moment to remind all families on our arrival and dismissal protocols within the car loop. All families/community should enter the car loop on Mill Road and take left out of the parking lot towards Boston Road (click here for a visual) unless directed differently by staff. These procedures have been determined by our school based incident management team in collaboration with the Chelmsford Police Department. It is essential that all members of the community adhere to these traffic patterns for the safety of all members of our community. We have been noticing that cars are sometimes exiting out of the loop and taking a right towards Mill Rd (especially towards the end of arrival and dismissal). Although we recognize this may be a convenience factor to get to your next destination, we kindly ask that all community members adhere to the traffic pattern regardless as to the time or amount of cars on the access road. Thank you for your support and understanding and for adhering to this request daily. Additionally, please do not exit the car loop until directed by staff and please be sure to listen to requests/direction by staff when in the car loop to ensure a safe and orderly dismissal. This is for the safety of students and staff. Please reach out to Mr. Ramalho directly with any questions.
Lastly, we are pleased to share that students read 59,420 minutes over the last 4 weeks. Thank you for your support! The final standings are included below.
Reading Challenge Final Standings:
Kindergarten - 10,280
Grade 1 - 15,400 - - Congratulations!
Grade 2 - 8,360
Grade 3 - 12,700
Grade 4 - 12,680
Have a great weekend!
Respectfully,
Terri and Jayson
Week at a Glance
Monday, November 6th
- Student Grade Level Meetings w/ Mrs. Gilbert & Mr. Ramalho
- Kindness Matters Spirit Day - Students and staff encouraged to wear kindness shirts
Tuesday, November 7th
- Election Day ~ No School ~ Full Day Professional Development for Teachers
Wednesday, November 8th
- November "Walk to School Day"
Thursday, November 9th
- no events
Friday, November 10th
- Veterans Day (observed) - No School
Looking ahead...
Monday, November 13th
- Gr. 2 Enrichment - Sub-Zero
- Gr. 4 Student Council Meeting, 3:30-4:15pm
- School Council Meeting, 5:30pm, Conference Room
- PTO Board Meeting, 6:30pm, Conference Room
- PTO Meeting, 7:00pm, Cafeteria
Tuesday, November 14th
- Try it Tuesday
- Make Up/Retake Picture Day
Wednesday, November 15th
- Early Release Day - students dismissed at 11:45am (Parent/Caregiver Conferences)
Friday, November 17th
- High Five Friday w/ Chelmsford Police Department
- Favorite Book Character Spirit Day
- Substitute Appreciation Day
Wednesday, November 22nd
- Early Release Day - Students dismissed at 11:45am - Thanksgiving break
Thursday, November 23rd
- No School - Thanksgiving break
Friday, November 24th
- No School - Thanksgiving break
Reminders/ Updates
Coats: Now that we approach are approaching the colder months, please be sure your your child wears a coat and/or jacket to school as we do our very best to have outdoor recess every day (weather permitting). If your family is in need of one, please contact a member of the support team.
Kind Act for the Month: Our students will be writing letters to Veterans this month. We are excited for them to have this opportunity to spread our thanks!
Food Service Reminder: Our nutrition website has information and the link for families re: online ELEMENTARY BREAKFAST and ALL STUDENTS HALF DAY LUNCH ordering. This information is on the main page of our website. Also, if any family is having difficulty with online ordering, please reach out to the food service team. https://cpsnutrition.com/
Fourth Grade Activities Update
Attention, fourth grade parents!
Watch for information on fourth grade activities to be coming home in backpacks. Please return the shirt order form to school by Friday, December 1. If you would prefer to order online, you may do so by visiting South-row-pto.square.site/shop/4thGradeActivities/3.
Please visit https://tinyurl.com/SR4th23-24.and upload any pictures you have from school activities through the years at South Row. These will be used for the memory book.
*** Lunch/Recess Aide Opening at South Row ***
Walk to School Day - November
*NEW* - Parent Resources and Support Button
Nurse's Corner
Dear South Row Families,
Health Screenings went very well! All of our students were respectful and well behaved. I will be entering the results over the next few school days.
For students who did not pass the vision screening or were absent, I will be re-screening those students over the next couple of weeks. If your student does not pass the rescreen, I will email you and send a referral home in their backpack. If your student did not pass the hearing, I will rescreen that starting November 20th. We give a couple weeks to repeat hearing because it can be affected by recent or current illness.
Speaking of illness… there’s a lot of it going around. In addition to your typical cold virus, we have had some positive strep throat and a handful (no pun intended) of Hand, Foot, & Mouth (coxsackievirus). Below, you will find information on both diseases.
What causes strep throat?
Strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by bacteria called group A Streptococcus (group A strep).
What are the symptoms?
Common symptoms may include:
Fever
Pain when swallowing
Sore throat that can start very quickly and may look red
Red and swollen tonsils
White patches or streaks of pus on the tonsils
Tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth, called petechiae (pronounced pi-TEE-kee-eye)
Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck
Small Children (usually kindergarten, 1st grade) may experience:
Headache
Stomach pain
Nausea or vomiting
Rash (scarlet fever)
How does it spread?
Group A strep bacteria often live in the nose and throat. People who are infected spread the bacteria by talking, coughing, or sneezing, which creates respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria.
People can get sick if they:
Breathe in respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria
Touch something with those droplets on it and then touch their mouth or nose
Drink from the same glass or eat from the same plate as a person infected with group A strep bacteria
How can I prevent my child from getting strep?
The best way to keep from getting or spreading group A strep is to wash your hands often. This is especially important after coughing or sneezing and before preparing foods or eating.
To prevent group A strep infections, you should:
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Put your used tissue in the wastebasket.
Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands, if you don’t have a tissue.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Use an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available.
You should also wash glasses, utensils, and plates after someone who is sick uses them. These items are safe for others to use once washed.
How is strep throat treated?
Doctors treat strep throat with antibiotics. Benefits of antibiotics include:
Decreasing how long someone is sick
Decreasing symptoms (feeling better)
Preventing the bacteria from spreading to others
Preventing serious complications like rheumatic fever
Someone with strep throat should start feeling better in just a day or two after starting antibiotics. Call the doctor if you or your child are not feeling better after taking antibiotics for 48 hours.
Source: kidshealth.org
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
What Are the Signs & Symptoms Coxsackievirus Infections?
Coxsackievirus (kok-sak-ee-VY-rus) can cause a wide variety of symptoms. About half of all kids with an infection have no symptoms. Others suddenly get a high fever, headache, and muscle aches, and some also develop a sore throat, belly discomfort, or nausea. A child with a coxsackievirus infection may simply feel hot but have no other symptoms. In most kids, the fever lasts about 3 days, then disappears.
How Are Coxsackievirus Infections Treated?
Depending on the type of infection and symptoms, the doctor may prescribe medicines to make your child feel more comfortable. Because antibiotics only work against bacteria, they can't be used to fight a coxsackievirus infection.
You can give acetaminophen or ibuprofen to ease minor aches and pains. If the fever lasts for more than 24 hours or if your child has any symptoms of a more serious coxsackievirus infection, call your doctor.
Most kids with a simple coxsackievirus infection recover completely after a few days without needing any medical treatment. A child who has a fever without any other symptoms should rest in bed or play quietly indoors. Offer plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
How Long Do Coxsackievirus Infections Last?
How long the infection lasts can vary. Kids who only have a fever may see their temperature return to normal within 24 hours, although the average fever lasts 3 days. Hand, foot, and mouth disease usually lasts for 2–3 days but can last as long as 7 days. Viral meningitis can take 3–7 days to clear up.
Source: kidshealth.org
Warmly,
Nurse V.
PTO Corner
Our fall Spirit Wear sale has ended. We anticipate having orders filled around the Thanksgiving Recess & will continue to update Homelink as information becomes available regarding fulfillment times. We still have a few items on hand (limited selection and sizes) for immediate purchase & delivery in our online store. If you missed this sale, we hope to have another sale again in the Spring, if we can get a few volunteers to help out...Any questions may be directed to southrowpto@gmail.com. Thanks for supporting our PTO with your purchase and showing your Lion PRIDE! And thank you to Denille for organizing the sale!
Our next PTO meeting is coming up on Monday Nov 13th. CHILDCARE WILL BE AVAILABLE!! We'll even have some activities for them to do including writing "thank you" notes to veterans in our area. Letters will be distributed via Clear Path for Veterans New England. The agenda will be posted on our website soon if you would like to see what will be discussed at the meeting. We hope to see you there! We'll start at 7pm in the South Row Cafeteria (enter using the door at the loading dock). Feedback, ideas, and discussions are welcome and encouraged; we would love to see and hear from you.
Tentative Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Food Services Corner
- Tentative Breakfast & Lunch Menu - PLEASE CHECK WEBSITE LINKED BELOW FOR CHANGES!
- Breakfast Sign Up Information
- Early Release Day Lunch Sign Up Information
- Direct Link to Food Services webpage
Dear Parents and Families --
Chelmsford Public Schools is utilizing on-line breakfast ordering again this year for ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ONLY.
Instructions on how to set up an account are below. If you need any help, please reach out to the school nutrition department at: (978) 251-5111
Directions to set up your account and order:
- URL Link: family.onlineordering.linq.com
- Sign up now: Email, create password.
- School District: Chelmsford Public Schools
- Student ID: This can be found on x2- Child’s Student ID Number
- Last Name: (You can also search and add siblings/family members at this time). Once this is completed, the student’s name should appear on page.
How to order meals
- School Menu-breakfast online ordering
- Scroll to day/week you are selecting breakfast (top right of page)
- Find date, select meal option
- Add item to cart/Select Add to order
- Click on shopping cart icon at top right of page
- Click Check out
- Select pick up location: Elementary pick-up location classroom
- Place order
Food Services Website
SOUTH ROW'S PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Staff Spirit
Kindergarten Parade
Pride Shout Outs
So much fun this week!
Grade 1 Earns Hat Day!
Featured Art Work
Reminders on the importance of Attendance
Contact the South Row Administrative Team!
Principal
Mr. Jayson Ramalho, M.Ed.
Assistant Principal
Email: gilbertt@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us/Domain/15
Location: 250 Boston Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5177
Facebook: facebook.com/SouthRowElementary
Twitter: @CPSSouthRow
Contact the Main Office Staff
- Mrs. Terri Gilbert, Principal: gilbertt@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177 ext. 4
- Mr. Jayson Ramalho, Assistant Principal: ramalhoj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177 ext. 3
- Mrs. Shannon Vandevoordt, School Nurse: vandevoordts@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177, ext.2
- Mrs. Debbie O'Neill, Secretary: oneilld@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177, ext. 0
- Mrs. Kim Sepe, School Clerk: sepek@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177, ext.0
- Absentee Line: 978-251-5177 ext. 1