Chatham Elementary School
Where We Are Proud To Be SHARKS
June 5, 2020
Important Dates:
June 22-Last day of school! See information below
Monomoy Regional School District: Our Home Away From Home...Where Everyone has a Voice at the Table
Dear Families:
1. We will have two "traditional" end-of-year events virtually this year. The first is our field day, and the second is our end of year "parade". See more information about these two events below.
2. Over the last several weeks, we have been discussing a possibility of shifting to a multi-age kindergarten and grade 1 classroom format. I appreciated all the positive and thoughtful feedback from families, caregivers, and our educators. However, at this time, I have decided to not pursue the multi-age arrangement for the 2020-2021 school year. There were several reasons for this decision, but most importantly, we are confident that we can meet the needs of all of our students in our "traditional" format at this time. Please reach out if you have any additional questions, thoughts, or concerns.
3. Next week, students will find a diagnostic online math expectation in their daily learning plan (grades K-4). This online assessment is designed to allow us, as educators, to collect information so that we can begin to best prepare over the summer for learning in the fall. Please allow your child the opportunity to complete this assessment independently. It is important to collect accurate data in order for us to accurately make adjustments our scope and sequence of our curriculum to meet the needs of your child(ren).
4. On June 22nd, teachers will be providing families with an "end of year" feedback form. This feedback form is not a report card, and a third term report card will not be issued this year. This feedback form is provided to you as communication on what expectations have been completed, or not, during term 3. The elements captured are based on the remote learning expectations set forth in the daily learning plans for your child. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's classroom teacher or to me for any additional information on the criteria for this feedback. The form will be mailed by June 26th directly to your home.
5. Lastly, this year, we will not be providing information on homeroom teacher/class placements on the feedback forms at the end of the year. This information will be sent digitally later on in the summer. Again, there are several reasons for this decision, but one is that we are hopeful to shift our communication for our elementary families to the online digital learning management system, Aspen, by July. This platform is currently used by all middle and high school families and students. When we shift to this platform, we are able to then provide this information directly to you via this system. Stay tuned for more information soon.
On June 22nd, we will also still be waiting on our two town budgets to be voted upon at town meetings. Chatham is scheduled at Veteran's Field at the end of June, and we also need to wait for the acceptance of our "1/12th budget" by the state due to Harwich's town meeting being postponed to September. At this time, we continue to be hopeful that our current reductions for the 2020-2021 school year are all that is necessary as they are primarily based on population decreases. The school council and I will continue to monitor the information, and we will continue to inform all of you as we progress through this process.
However, in the meantime, we are asking caregivers to again complete the Caregiver Input Placement survey as we do each year. This year's form also contains an optional section that will provide us with additional information so that we can make plans for our return back to school, hopefully in person, in the fall. Please complete one google form for each of your children: Caregiver Input Placement Form.
PIease do not hesitate to reach out to me for any clarification or thoughts.
Sincerely,
Robin
Field Day-June 19th; practice video links below announcement
Save the Date: Monday, June 22nd at 11am for our traditional "Last Day of School" Parade at CES
Dear Caregivers:
However, since buses are obviously not running this year, we would like to invite all to a "last day of school" parade so we can continue this tradition. We will have Monomoy Community Services and our staff socially distanced along the route to wave goodbye as families proceed through the route in their cars (only cars will be allowed-no foot or bike traffic will enter the parade).
When: June 22nd at 11am
Route: In order to participate, you must enter the route starting at Old Harbor Road turn onto Depot Road. The route will drive by Monomoy Community Service and then turn to enter the front driveway of the school around the bus platform and then to Hitching Post. Cars will then enter the "kiss and ride" lot (Hitching Post) and continue around back out to the final right on Hitching Post. We will have a special area for grade 4 families to "pop their trunk" to receive a special gift from the PTO and grade 4 families.
SRO Massey and other safety personnel/staff will be along the route to help direct traffic.
A couple of safety notes to keep in mind:
1. No child(ren) or caregivers should exit their cars at anytime (this is a driving parade);
2. Social distancing will be maintained by staff, and masks will be worn;
3. No exchange of items/resouces will be allowed at this time (except for the "pop a trunk" area for grade 4);
4. Appropriate car safety procedures are expected;
3. Decorations, signs, and some form of identification (via a sign) of who is in the car is encouraged!
We are excited to share again in this tradition this year, so for any student that is not able to make the parade, we will also be streaming it live so stay tuned for a link to this event!
3rd Graders Interview Their Person that Has made a significant impact in their lives!
4th graders write to local officials to explain the problem that they are working to solve in their community!
Dear Ms. Elizabeth Sullivan:
My name is LC and I reside in Dennis, Massachusetts. I am in fourth grade at Chatham Elementary School.
I am writing to ask that you help me get more signs on Mayfair Rd in South Dennis. Do you like to bike ride? I do but it is dangerous because people drive fast on my street. After looking at some solutions to fix my issue of not being able to walk or bike ride on my road, my solution has changed. I thought a sidewalk would be good but after emailing Thomas Andrade who is an engineer for Dennis, road signs make more sense. He explained to me that sidewalks are so much more money and Mayfair Road would take a lot of work/money/time to make happen. I think there needs to be more slow children or speed signs on Mayfair Road in South Dennis to make people drive slower. People who walk their dogs can not safely walk while cars are going down the street. If you are walking and a car comes, you have to get on the grass. If there are two cars coming each way, they can’t get over for you. This affects children on my street because they can not walk or bike ride safely. If we had more signs on my road, people would be aware and drive slower. Signs also will give a quick result because signs are something the town already has.
I appreciate your help and ask that you please send me a response letting me know if you are able to help me get road signs on Mayfair Road.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and consider my idea.
Sincerely,
LC
Dear Mr. Tobin, My name is (BJ), I live in Brewster, and I am in fourth grade at Chatham Elementary school. I am writing to ask if you can help with polluted drinking water from Brewsters ponds. A study by the Brewster Coalition in 2009 found that our ponds are “phosphorus limited” and that the phosphorus is moving very slowly from the ponds to the Cape’s drinking water aquifer. The end result of the study shows that there is not enough of this important nutrient in our water supply and that as the years go on, the water quality will only get worse. Additionally, the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides from surrounding housing developments are seeping into the ground and making their way to the ponds. Another problem that seems to be caused by the chemicals going into the pond water - and then into the drinking water - is the high rates of cancer on Cape Cod. According to WickedLocal.com, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Silent Spring Institute studied the relationship between the high chemicals in the ponds and the rate of breast cancer on Cape Cod. They found over a period of about a decade, that the cases of breast cancer increased by 40%. They also found that the numbers were higher in areas where there was a lot of dense housing and development. One idea to solve the problem might be to build a man-made pond system and not allow the public to swim or put up buildings near there. This fresh, new pond system would then be monitored by the Conservation Trust. It would create fresher water for wildlife and for use by our drinking water source. We could also form a committee to monitor both the original ponds and the newly created ones for garbage and look at the water for too much algae which might mean that there are chemicals being absorbed from the surrounding area development. Another thing the committee could do is raise public awareness about the problem through social media. I would like to thank you for your time and consideration of my request. Could you let me know if you think my ideas could work to solve the problem? Sincerely, BJ
1st Grade Shares Their Animal Projects in Digital Form
A SHARK Shout Out:
A SHARK Shout Out:
A SHARK Shout Out:
We want to encourage ALL Chatham families to apply for the the Chatham Coronavirus Impact Fund. This fund is a short-term financial assistance program for Chatham year-round residents. It was created to help cover basic household expenses (mortgage, rent, utilities) for those struggling financially because of reduced employment or financial difficulties as a result of the COVID19 outbreak. Here is a link to more information and a flyer can be found below. https://lcoutreach.org/coronavirus-impact-fund/
Sharks on Wheels Program Launches
Sharks on Wheels is a meal delivery program for families who are unable to to travel to one of the Grab and Go sites. The existing Grab and Go free meal program is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Monomoy Regional Middle School (425 Crowell Road, Chatham) and Monomoy Regional High School (75 Oak St., Harwich), where families can pick up free breakfast and lunch for each child daily (plus weekend meals on Fridays).
The Sharks on Wheels program is aimed at supporting families who are unable to get to one of the established Grab and Go sites.
There is a signup form on the district's website that families must complete in order to arrange for delivery of meals. MRSD will not be able to schedule delivery until one form per child is submitted. Families need only submit the form once per child in order to sign up for the delivery program. On Mondays, families will receive three breakfasts and three lunches per child, and on Thursdays, families will receive four breakfasts and four lunches, to cover the weekend.
The existing Grab and Go meal program will continue to be available to families.
Questions about Sharks on Wheels or the grab and go meal program can be sent to meals@monomoy.edu.
GRADUATION 2020 & Senior Send-Off Celebration Information
- Graduation 2020 & Senior Send-Off Celebration (Newsletter from Mr. Burkhead 5/15/2020)
- Senior Send-Off Celebrations Flyer (Updated 5/18/2020)
Out of Books? Visit Our Free Libraries or Go Online:
Online:
- MLS Commonwealth eBooks-MLS Commonwealth eBook link if you want to dive right in. Choose Monomoy Regional School District, Sign in, Sign in with student Monomoy Google Account.
- Clams Overdrive eBook resource; If you don’t already have one, you can sign up for a CLAMs Library Card to Access all of the free digital books. Click here and follow the prompts for your CLAMs Library Card.
Boston Public Library (apply for a free e-card if you have a CLAMS card)
TumbleBooks - eBooks for eKids! - Tumble books thanks to Brooks Free Library (thru June)
Username: tumble735
Password: books
National Emergency Library - Apply for a free card, lots of books on here, may want to limit by year published.
Free Access to JLG Digital - Thru June
Abdo - Great books from abdo, thru June
Crabtree Press has also opened all of their e-resources. This is mostly nonfiction titles. Their interface is rather clunky, but it's free!
Username: read
Password: free
Weigle/Gumdrop has given access to their Lightbox Interactive program. This one I think individuals sign up. It looks pretty polished and intended for classroom use (unlike the Crabtree offering)
- Tumble AudioCloud - all ages audiobook database
- Username: tumble2020
- Password: A3b5c6
#RainbowChallenge
Quote of the Issue:
For every disciplined effort there is a multiple reward.
Looking For A Way to Celebrate Your Child's Birthday! Let the Fire Department Know!
Community News:
For all our families that qualify for free and reduced lunch, please click on link below:
WIC welcomes families at any time!
The Department of Public Health is sharing the following information on access to WIC services and food for our families with young children.
The MA Department of Public Health's Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program is informing our health and community partners that WIC services are available by phone. ALL WIC Programs are able to provide all services by phone to align with social distancing efforts. Our website will be kept up-to-date as well. Contact local WIC programs with any questions about breastfeeding, nutrition or shopping. Even if local program offices are not open, they are responding to phone calls and providing services from remote locations. WIC is committed to providing families with continued support now and in the days ahead.
WIC welcomes families at any time. Check out WIC's eligibility page to see how to families can apply online for WIC services. Parents, grandparents and foster parents may apply for children under the age of five years who are in their care.
Call WIC at 1-800-942-1007 or 617-721-6601weekdays Monday through Friday 9am – 5pm. If you hear a recording, please leave a message with your name and telephone number, and staff will respond the same business day or email a Local WIC Program directly with any questions. Download the list: WIC Local Program Email Addresses.
Thank you for supporting WIC families!
Our Community Food Pantry is OPEN! Please call the school office or email rmillen@monomoy.edu or jmalinowski@monomoy.edu if you need support.
From Comcast: No Disconnects or Late Fees: We will not disconnect a customer’s internet service or assess late fees if they contact us and let us know that they can’t pay their bills during this period. Our care teams will be available to offer flexible payment options and can help find other solutions.
Fishing Partnership Support Services Navigators Chatham [Serving the Cape & Islands] Morgan Eldredge and Shannon Eldredge (508) 237-9402
Chatham Elementary School
Website: www.monomoy.edu
Location: 147 Depot Road, Chatham, MA, USA
Phone: 508-945-5135
Twitter: @ChathamElemMRSD