Cunningham Connection
Full Day Starts April 5, 2021!
Dear Cunningham Families,
I hope everyone is excited for Monday, April 5th!
The Cunningham staff has worked hard to prepare for this upcoming shift to full in-person learning. Whether it was adjusting schedules, rearranging classrooms, preparing to welcome new students, planning exciting “getting to know you” activities or attending to the many new details outlined below, the Cunningham staff was up to the task.
Below is a comprehensive summary of all things related to our full in-person return. For our remote families who are remaining remote, your teachers will be communicating any changes in schedule with you if they haven’t already.
I will send a follow-up email on Sunday if there are any updates or if there is something I want to clarify. Enjoy this long weekend, Happy Easter to all who celebrate and we look forward to seeing all of our students on Monday.
All the Best,
Dr. Jonathan Redden, Principal
617.696.4285 ext. 2012
Preschool Hours
- Drop off begins at 8:15 am and dismissal is at 2:30 pm
AM Preschool Hours are 8:30 am - 11 am
- Drop off begins at 8:20 and dismissal is at 11 am (Front Driveway)
PM Preschool Hours are from 12:10 pm - 2:40 pm
- Drop Off begins at 12:00 pm and dismissal is at 2:40 pm
Arrival and Dismissal procedures remain the same for our preschool students.
Note: K-5 students will be eating lunch or having movement breaks on the grass and cement in the front of the building during arrival and dismissal times for the half-day programs.As always please take care when picking up and dropping off your child.
Kindergarten - Grade 5 School Hours
- Drop off begins at 8:05 am and dismissal is at 2:49 pm
All students will go directly to their classrooms at 8:05 am. Please make every effort to make sure students are in the building by 8:20 am so they are not marked tardy.
Arrival Procedures: Students who arrive in front of Cunningham can now enter the main entrance, the lower doors behind the ramp, or the gym door. All of the doors will be staffed with additional staff available inside to assist students if they need help getting to their classrooms. Students who arrive after 8:20 am will be directed to enter the main entrance so that they can check in with Ms. Cadigan prior to going to class.
Students who are dropped off in the back driveway should enter the cafeteria doors or the doors at the end of the driveway. When the car line stops, please let students out on the driver's side only. They can walk along the sidewalk to the door of their choice. Cuningham staff will be outside to assist students. If you have a student in grades 3 - 5, entering the back cafeteria doors is quicker for most students. However, they can choose either door. As always, please do not leave your vehicle or pull around cars in the back driveway. Students who walk to school can also use the back doors to enter the building.
We will once again have over 1200 students arriving every morning to Cunningham and Collicot. Please follow all drop off procedures to allow for a efficient and safe morning drop off for all.
Dismissal Procedures: Students in grades 1 - 5 who are being picked up by a parent or guardian will dismiss from the front of the Cunningham Gym. Unless you filled out this Walking Home Form, students will wait with staff until 3 pm in the gym and then be brought to the main office. Students in kindergarten who are being picked up by a parent or guardian will dismiss from the lower doors to the left of the main entrance behind the ramp.
Students who are being picked up by car will dismiss to the back of the school. Please use the back driveway and follow the same procedure as in the morning (driving all the way down). Additional staff will be on duty to help assist students to their vehicles.
Transportation: All students who take the bus will dismiss from the cafeteria. Bus registration is closed and will remain so until mid-April. Every current and new rider should have a new blue bus pass. No students may board the bus with the old red passes as of April 5. Every child has a new seat assignment. The old ones are not valid and with the blending of cohorts and addition of new riders, we cannot accommodate seat request changes from families. The buses in many cases are full as DESE has lifted all capacity and social distancing guidelines for the bus. Students must sit in their assigned seats for contact tracing purposes, there is no eating or drinking, and masks must be worn at all times. All bus routes and transportation updates can be found on the MPS website. Cunningham bus routes are linked here.
Lunch and Snack
Students in grades K and 1 will have lunch in the cafeteria. Most days, only two classes will be in the cafeteria at a time. However, if the weather is not great, the entire grade may be in the cafeteria. All students in k and 1 can fit in the cafeteria at 6 feet apart. However, we will try to avoid doing this by having two of the classes do a movement break first.
Students in grades 2 - 5 will eat lunch in designated locations in front of the school. Please see the pictures to get a better idea of what it will look like when students eat lunch outside. During this time, students will remain with their homerooms and be six feet apart. Their movement break will take place after they have completed their lunch.
Seating: All students who eat lunch outside will have the option to sit on a grey bucket. These buckets will be wiped if they are used after each lunch but they will be shared. Students can bring towels or yoga mats to school and choose to sit on those instead. They may also choose to sit on the towels/mats and put their lunch on the upside-down bucket if they choose.
Cunningham School is peanut and nut-free. Please do not send your child into school with any snacks/lunch items that contain nuts. Please send along items that are relatively simple for students to eat and navigate as they will not be seated at tables while eating. Students will have the opportunity to have school-provided lunch every day. Lunches and breakfasts will continue to be offered free of charge through the end of the year. School lunches will be “grab and go” options and students can sign up each morning during lunch count in the classroom.
School Lunch: Students may either bring lunch from home or choose to get a school lunch. All lunches from home must be peanut/nut free. If students choose to get a school lunch, their options include the following:
- Sunbutter/Jelly, Cape Cod Chips, Veggie, Fruit, Milk
- Turkey Sandwich, Cape Cod Chips, Veggie, Fruit, Milk
- Hot Lunch- choices vary, to-go style
You can access the daily hot lunch menu here. Please note that if you click on each item, you can access a list of ingredients and allergens. All school lunch continues to be offered free of charge to all students. Students will simply sign up if they want school lunch each day during the classroom lunch count.
With over 1,200 students between the two schools and one cafeteria, Collicot Principal Concannon and I will have students grades 2-5 students eating outside in different areas. Collicot will use the back of the school.
When the weather does not allow for students to eat outside, they will eat in smaller groups in their classrooms. Depending on the layout of the class, every other student may remove their mask and eat. Students would switch halfway through lunch. We also may have half of the students sit outside by their lockers while the remaining students eat their lunches.
Students will enjoy an active movement break as part of the lunch block.
Movement Breaks
Water Breaks
Specialists
Your child’s teacher will communicate the specialist schedule for your classroom so that you know when to make sure your child is wearing sneakers (PE).
Nurse Communication
All medical/health information about your child should be sent directly to Nurse Joyce Please feel free to cc me and the classroom teacher on your communication.
It is critical that we continue to keep our guard up and keep our students and staff safe, healthy, and in school. We continue to rely on you to monitor your child for symptoms and to communicate with Nurse Joyce and if you have any COVID-related concerns or questions. Please continue to follow this Daily Screening before sending your child to school each day.
Live Streaming
Social Distancing
The social distancing in classrooms will range depending on the size of the classroom, but will be at least 3 feet, per DESE guidance. Social distancing must be determined by measuring the edge of the seat to the edge of the next seat, side by side and front to back. Educators will maintain a 6-foot work space. All desks will face the same direction.
Close Contacts
Out of State Travel
Visitor Policy
Supports for Students
Changes in Dismissal Plans
Helpful Contacts
Mrs. Bernadette Butler, Assistant Principal/Curriculum Coordinator, bbutler@miltonps.org
Ms. Erica Cadigan, Administrative Assistant, ecadigan@miltonps.org
Ms. Heather Kantrowitz, Adjustment Counselor, hkantrowitz@miltonps.org
Mrs. Lindsay Moonan, K-5 TEAM Chair, lmoonan@miltonps.org
Mrs. Jayme Szymczak, Pre-K TEAM Chair, jszymczak@miltonps.org
Mrs. Marti McKenna, Family Outreach Liaison, mmckenna@miltonps.org
Cunningham Phone Number - 617 696 4285 ext. 2012
Do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions!