Sherwood Middle School
November 22, 2020 Update
Happy November!
We hope you are having a safe and enjoyable weekend so far!
Thank you to ALL of our students, staff, and families for your ongoing positivity and flexibility.
Have a great week!
This Week's Messages
Important Reminders for Students & Parents From Mr. Kelly
This Week's In-Person Schedule
Monday November 23rd: Following Typical Wednesday Schedule
- In person ½ Day Learning: Cohort A1 students (11:30am dismissal)
- Remote Learning: Cohort A2, B, C & D students
Tuesday November 24th: Following Typical Wednesday Schedule
- In person ½ Day Learning: Cohort A1 students (11:30am dismissal)
- Remote Learning: Cohort A2, B, C & D students
Wednesday November 25th-Friday November 27th: No School-Thanksgiving Break
Traveling for the Holidays?
In addition to our daily health and safety practices, as we approach a busy time of year full of holidays and family gatherings another mitigation strategy to keep our community healthy is to ensure we follow the Massachusetts COVID-19 Travel Order. If you are planning to travel out of state please adhere to the travel order. The order specifies:
- Unless you are visiting a lower-risk state designated by MA Department of Public Health, you must quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result when returning to Massachusetts. Please check the map of lower-risk states before leaving and upon return to MA as the list of states changes frequently.
- Testing for children, 10 years and younger, who are traveling with an adult from their household is not required. Children may attend school following a negative PCR test for themselves or an adult in their household with whom they travelled.
- Travelers must provide the results of a PCR test that is administered up to 72-hours prior to arriving in Massachusetts. All travelers must quarantine until a negative result is obtained. Antigen or serology tests can not be accepted.
- If you have any questions about your upcoming travel please email our school nurses, Linda Berard lberard@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us and Kristin Franger at kfranger@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us
Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping our town and families well this school year.
What's for Lunch This Week?
Snapshots of Sherwood
Thank you to 5 Blue students who made cards for the local Veterans
and sent them along with candy bags.
Picture Day
We are so happy to be able to host picture day for our students this year. We will be having 3 dates to accommodate all of our cohorts.
Tuesday, 12/1: Cohort A1, and B
Wednesday, 12/2: Cohort D (Schedule below: arrive at your assigned time)
Thursday, 12/3: Cohort A2 and C
Despite the fact the holidays will be right around the corner, Casson Foster will provide a quick turn around to be sure the photos are ready in time. More information coming soon specific details (time, place, etc). Please call the main office (508-841-8670) if you have any questions.
Cohort D Picture Day Schedule: Wednesday 12/2/20
8:35: 5 Teal (McCarthy & Martin)
9:05: 5 Silver (Marcigliano & Cushing)
9:35: 5 Yellow (Virzi & Nolle)
10:05: 6 Gold (Egan & Stoychoff)
10:35: 6 Green (Polechronis & DiGiacomo)
11:05: 6 Silver (Goudreau & Butler)
Sherwood Holiday Helper Program: DONATE NOW
The Sherwood Community would like to offer a little extra help to families in need this season. We have a variety of gift cards to local businesses (Target, Walmart, Shaws, etc…) that will be ready for distribution to families in need by mid-November. Would this be helpful to your family this year? If so, please fill out this Google Form:
If you prefer, you can also contact your grade-level assistant principal to let them know you would like some assistance.
- Grade 5: Heather Gablaski (508) 841-8672
- Grade 6: Karen Gutekanst (508) 841-8673
Please Note: Families, to change the language from English to another language, please open the Google Form using the Google Chrome browser. Then you can right click to choose and change the language the form is written in.
If you would like to donate to this great cause, please visit this link: (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f4fa9ae2aaaf94-holiday) DONATE NOW!!!
Calendar for Upcoming Weeks in December
December
Monday December 21st: Cohorts A/B
Tuesday December 22nd: Cohorts A/C
Wednesday December 23rd: Regular Wednesday Schedule
- Cohort A in school
- Students in Cohorts B, C, D will follow Wednesday Remote Schedule
DIRECT DONATION CAMPAIGN
The SMS PTO works each year to raise nearly $40,000 to help fund various field trips, programs, and other enrichments at Sherwood and Oak. While this year is different in regards to some programs, we are still funding what we can and working to raise funds as we can. Rather than offering sales of various items, where only a portion of your purchase goes to our schools, this guarantees 100% of your donation supports our students and staff.
Due to limitations this year, this will be our largest fundraising event of the year and we look forward to your support. As we continue to fund programs and materials during this challenging year, we also continue to fundraise so that we may continue to fund as programs and events return. Any amount towards our $10,000 goal is appreciated! Please see our letter and pledge form at the following link:
Donations can be made via:
• Venmo app: @sms-pto-1
• PayPal: sherwoodoakmiddleschool@gmail.com
• Personal check (check made payable to SMS PTO)
Warm Up Winter Fundraiser to Benefit Sherwood and Oak Middle School PTO.
Support Shrewsbury Middle School PTO and local business, Danielson Flowers, with an order of fresh, high-quality greenery to warm up your gardens this holiday season. Order online now through Wednesday, November 25th. Delivery is available at an additional charge or pick up for free on Sunday, November 29th at Danielson's between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. Questions Contact SMS PTO at sherwoodoakmiddleschool@gmail.com
Ready to order? Click below and don’t forget to share the link below with friends and family. https://danielsonflowers.com/product-category/shrewsbury-pto-fundraiser-nov-29th/
District News
Elementary School Redistricting Project Update
The new Beal School Project is on schedule to open in the Fall 2021.
The elementary school zone redistricting project is also ongoing and you can find all the latest information here: https://schools.shrewsburyma.gov/sc/beal-school-project-redistricting
There will be a virtual Community Forum at 7pm on December 1st to provide an update on the process and you are invited
to attend. A link will be published at a later date.
Mindfulness Programs for SPS Caregivers
Shrewsbury Public Schools will kick off our monthly community meditation and mindfulness practice group in December. This is a support tool for parents and caregivers offered freely through our mindfulness partnership with the Mindfulness Director Initiative (MDI).
All adults caring for a child attending Shrewsbury Public Schools are welcome. No registration or preparation is required, but it is helpful to have some basic experience with meditation to get the most out of these sessions. (If you are new to mindfulness practices or want some additional practice, we are offering a free 4-week virtual workshop series this fall - register and get more info here).
Monthly meetings will take place on Zoom on the first Monday and Thursday - dates/times are listed on the flyer. You may download this flyer to your device to keep the dates + zoom link handy. Each monthly meeting will include: time to check in with ourselves and as a community, a 20 minute guided meditation (with some periods of silence), and support through resources and reflections for living a life of resilience and wellbeing.
Zoom Meeting Link:
https://shrewsburyps.zoom.us/j/81441385078?pwd=WVlXc1FaR01QbTFlOXJlOVkxb2NsZz09
Meeting ID: 814 4138 5078
Passcode: 118939
Important Reminders
Attendance
Attendance is taken every morning during Morning Meeting (right after Mr. Kelly's Morning Announcements). Please make sure your child is present and ready to go by 8:00am. Thank you!
Student Absence
Any child, regardless of hybrid or remote learning program, must inform the office if their child will be absent or late to school. SPS requires that you telephone us either the night before or first thing in the morning on the day of the child’s absence at 508-841-8670. If we have not received a call to report an absence, the school will be in contact with the parent to confirm the child’s safety.
Technology Support
If students or families are having trouble with Schoology or Zoom, you can get tech support at ParentTechSupport@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us. Please remember that Team teachers are not immediately available for this support as they have students in class.
If students or families have other questions or concerns abut technology please go to this link: Frequently Asked Questions about Technology. This link includes parent access for Schoology; password help; school email help, broken iPad, and more!
28 Sherwood Ave
Shrewsbury, MA 01545
508-841-8670