MHS Newsletter
Your news source for Mansfield High School
From the Principal's Desk...
February 5, 2021
Dear MHS Parents and Guardians,
Please find updates for the upcoming weeks:
- Report cards for Q2 will be released to students on Monday, February 8th- please look for an email indicating that the portal is open for access. Credit loss for 1st semester due to absences will be forgiven as a result of the pandemic. Students will not need to apply for a credit waiver.
- Senior Class Officers and I will be hosting three Senior Class Meeting sessions on Wednesday, February 10th during S3H. All members of the Class of 2021 have been invited to attend in order to share their thoughts on end-of-year plans. Class advisors and committee chairs on the parent-led Senior Celebration Committee are being invited listen in as well.
- On Wednesday, February 24th students in grades 9, 10, and 11 will receive critical information regarding the course registration process for next school year. Information will be shared via digital presentation in class by teachers; students will be able to access the presentation anytime thereafter for reference as they make their way through the process. More information to come.
Thank you for reading and have a great weekend!
Best regards,
Mary Watkins
Principal
Senior Celebration Donations
The Senior Celebration Committee is requesting donations for the Class of 2021 Senior Celebration Fund! All monies will be used to celebrate and honor the Class of 2021 this spring.
The suggested donation per Senior student is $35.00.
If you wish to donate, you may do so online, or via check mailed to Mansfield High School, with "Senior Celebration" noted on the Memo line.
Online donations can be made via the UniPay Link on the District website, for a fee (accepting electronic check and credit/debit card payments, except Visa):
Click here for the High School Student Activity Unipay link. Be sure to type "Senior Celebration" in the "Activity" field.
Thank you for your contributions!!
Athletics- Fall 2 Sports Meeting
All students/parents who are interested in participating in Fall 2 Sports should attend a Virtual Pre-Season Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 11th at 6:30 pm. his meeting will focus on Volleyball, Winter Track and Cheerleading and will cover important topics like schedules for games and practices, Covid regulations and protocols, use of locker rooms and guidelines, transportation information, obligations to begin practices/tryouts and an introduction to the coaching staff.
The Football Pre-Season Meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb. 18th at 6:30 pm for all players in grades 9-12.
Please do not pay the user fee yet as it will be collected once tryouts have been completed. If you have registered for Fall 2, you will be sent a link to the Google Meet for each night. If you are interested in Fall 2 sports and have not registered please go to Family ID and register as soon as possible:
https://www.familyid.com/programs/mansfield-high-school-athletics-registration-fall-ii-2020-2021
MHS Choir
Check out the new MHS Choir website- we can't sing together at MHS, but we can sing at home!!
SATs at MHS
Mansfield High School will be offering a school-based SAT exam on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. This exam session will be available only to members of the Class of 2022 (juniors).
As announced in January 2021, the College Board has eliminated the essay portion of the SAT.
In order to participate in the April 27th test administration, students must register through the School Counseling Office at MHS (NOT through the College Board website) following these instructions:
Registration is open from Monday, February 8th - Tuesday, March 30th.
Secure a check or US money order made payable to Mansfield High School in the amount of $52.
In the memo line of the check, please print the student’s full name.
To submit payment, students may do one of the following:
Bring payment to Mrs. MacKillop in the School Counseling Office on assigned in-person cohort day.
Drop payment off in the MHS Main Lobby Drop Box between 8am-3pm Monday-Friday. Please mark “Attn: Mrs. MacKillop” on the envelope. The drop box is located just inside the door- please ring the bell and you will be buzzed in.
Mail payment to the following address:
Attn: Denise MacKillop
Mansfield High School
250 East Street
Mansfield, MA 02048
Students on Free/Reduced lunch should bring a copy of the letter they received this past fall to Mrs. MacKillop on their in-person cohort day during the registration period, and exam fees will be reviewed at that time; students in the VRC who have a letter should email a copy or photo of the document to Mrs. MacKillop.
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Karidoyanes our Director of School Counseling.
Quiz Show
MHS Sports Captains Fundraiser
SEPAC
SEPAC's next general meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 9th at 6:30pm.
This is a Basic Rights Workshop on the IEP hosted by the Federation. Please see the PDF below for more information.
Student Mental Health Support
Flu Vaccination Update
Please see the statement below from the MA DPH, School Health Services, which was issued on Friday, January 15, 2021:
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is removing the requirement for flu vaccination for attendance in childcare/preschool, primary, secondary and postsecondary education. Preliminary data show that this has been a mild flu season to date, presumably as people have received their seasonal flu vaccine and have been adhering to mask-wearing and social distancing due to COVID-19. Given the intensive Commonwealth-wide efforts regarding COVID-19 vaccination, DPH wants to alleviate the burden to obtain flu vaccination and focus on continuing our COVID -19 vaccination efforts.
DPH continues to strongly recommend that everyone age six months and older receive their seasonal flu vaccine each year.
Department of Digital Learning
If you haven't checked out our Student and Family Digital Resources website, please take a minute and visit! We've been hard at work creating resources to help families and students learn and use some of the many digital tools we have available throughout MPS.
There are instructional documents and videos about the digital tool, as well as resources to help you use digital tools in an efficient and productive way.
Some of our latest topics include:
- How to create and use labels and filters to manage all the emails you receive from Google Classroom, etc.
- How to turn off/on notifications in Google Classroom
- What is the difference between Mark as Done and Turn In in Google Classroom and when do I use each option?
- How do I split my viewing screen to see and use 2 applications at the same time?
- Taking screenshots with my Chromebook
- Creating and Using Google Forms
- Managing your extensions in your Chrome browser
- Using Equatio (grades 5-12) for digital inking in math
We are continuing to create and post new materials regularly, so bookmark the site and check back often!
Housing Help
The state Department of Housing and Community Development has centralized information about resources for families struggling to make rent or mortgage payments due to COVID-19. Please use this link for more information. www.mass.gov/covidhousinghelp
Breakfast and Lunch at No Cost
Breakfast and lunch at no cost to families has been extended through June 2021. In addition, Grab and Go Meals are available for pick-up every Wednesday from 3-4pm at Mansfield High School. Please see the links below for additional information.
https://sites.google.com/mansfieldschools.com/covid-19/nutrition?authuser=0
From the Nurses
Illness Management
Please see the Daily Self Symptom Screening Checklist which needs to be reviewed every morning before sending your student to school. If your student does not feel well and stays home, please monitor their symptoms. If your student is having concerning symptoms, please contact your physician for guidance.
If your student is not feeling well:
Stay home and call your physician for guidance regarding concerning symptoms
Physician may diagnose an illness and may or may not refer student for a COVID-19 test
Inform your school nurse of absence, diagnosis, and/or testing
Student may return per our back to school guidelines(fever free for 24 hrs without use of medication and an improvement in symptoms) and a negative COVID-19 test if one was ordered by a physician
If COVID-19 test is positive, please call your school nurse for individual instructions
Communication is key in making sure information is shared in a timely manner so contacts can be identified and informed. If at any time during this school year, your student is identified as a close contact to a positive case and is placed in quarantine, please call your school nurse for individual instructions. Please do not hesitate to call your school nurse with information or with any questions.
For more information on COVID-19 symptoms and testing, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/about-covid-19-testing#where-can-get-a-test?-
Please see the MPS Return to School Flowchart for a quick reference guide.
SCHOOL NURSE CONTACT:
Roland Green Pre-School (508) 261-1561
Fax: (508) 261-7415
Debora.Wirth@mansfieldschools.com
Robinson Elementary School (508)261-7387
Fax: (508) 261-7389
Sue.McGinley@mansfieldschools.com or Tammy.Rozelle@mansfieldschools.com
Jordan/Jackson Elementary School (508) 261-7520
Fax: (508) 261-7522
Kristin.Haskell@mansfieldschools.com or Betsy.Johnston@mansfieldschools.com
Qualters Middle School (508) 261-7530
Fax: (508) 261-7374
Lisa.Anderson@mansfieldschools.com or Elayne.Brown@mansfieldschools.com
Mansfield High School (508) 261-7540
Fax: (508) 261-7416
Christine.Harrison@mansfieldschools.com or Betsy.Savoie@mansfieldschools.com
Key Dates for Your Calendar
Feb. 8- Q2 Report Cards released; School Council at 2:45PM
Feb. 15-19- No school- President's Day and February Vacation
Bus Information
Please click on the link to watch Thursday's presentation addressing transportation:
About Us
Mary Watkins, Principal
Zachary Abrams, Assistant Director, Special Education
Abigail Barlas, Assistant Principal, Student Support Services
James Schliefke, Assistant Principal, Grades 10 & 12
Timothy Tichacek, Assistant Principal, Grades 9 & 11
Email: firstname.lastname@mansfieldschools.com
Website: http://mhs.mansfieldschools.com/
Location: 250 East Street, Mansfield, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 261-7540
Twitter: @MHShornets