Peter Noyes Friday Flyers
April 17, 2020
A Message From Mrs. Doyle
Dear Peter Noyes Families,
I hope you and your loved ones are well. My heart goes out to any of you who have been directly impacted by this devastating pandemic. Thank you to all of our first responders and to all those working on the front lines in the medical field and essential businesses. We are so grateful for all you are doing.
We have just completed the first full week of Phase 2 Sudbury Learns from Home; that’s Day 8 for those of you scoring at home. As a reminder, the School Committee voted to convert four days next week (Tuesday-Friday) from vacation days to remote learning days. Monday, April 20, is Patriots Day, a state holiday. The learning continues! Thank you to everyone for all you are doing to make remote learning successful; we know it can be stressful and exhausting to manage this along with your other responsibilities at home and work. I urge everyone, staff included, to take this 3-day weekend and focus on your well-being and that of your loved ones.
Patriots Day is usually Marathon Monday. It is rather fitting because we are facing a marathon right now with this pandemic. I am not a runner, but I do know the key to success is to pace yourself. It’s not a sprint. We are already seeing people burning out, trying to do so much.
Pace yourself. Remote learning is not intended to replicate school. Don’t expect this of yourself or the teachers. Have you been on a Zoom meeting with kindergartners? I have. It’s not conducive to instruction. It is a great way to see each other and maintain connections and that is what we are using conference calls to do. Connections are critically important.
We are all grieving the loss of traditional school and all that is possible when teachers and students are physically together. It is a painful reality right now that we cannot be; it is a profound loss and we all feel it. There is no doubt that your children need you to help them be successful with the schoolwork we are providing at home. Obviously, older students can be more independent and we want them to be, but they still need you to create the structure, provide the support and encouragement, and, for some, access the information. If they have questions, encourage your children to reach out to their teachers directly (if possible). Of course, you are also welcome to reach out and many of you have done so. Staff members have “office hours,” but that is not the only time they will respond to queries.
I think the vision some have had about what remote learning would be like is different than the reality. I know it is impossible for you to know all that has gone into this work behind the scenes, but it is substantial and continues to be. We are following state guidance around best practices for remote learning. You may be interested in the recent release of a study by MIT that ranks Massachusetts’ approach to remote learning during the pandemic as the second-best in the U.S. to date.
I attended a webinar today on how to support teachers and families during this pandemic. Do you know what the overarching theme was? Practice Radical Compassion. We are all simultaneously experiencing a traumatic event right now. Even if we do not know anyone combatting the virus, we are all suffering from the isolation, the uncertainty, and the dramatic changes to our daily lives. It is important to recognize our feelings as normal reactions to this abnormal situation. Yet, there is some solace knowing we are in this together. There is meaning to be found in the universal struggle. I invite you to listen to Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman offer words of hope during this pandemic. Be gentle with yourself and each other.
Sincerely,
Annette Doyle
Dear Peter Noyes Families,
This year we will hold our Square 1 Art project online You can now search for your child's art code online. All purchasing will be done online and shipped directly to your home.
Simply click on the Square 1 Art shopsite, and on the click on "Find Your Child's Art", and enter Massachusetts, Peter Noyes, and your child's name. Your child's art code will then appear. Once you enter your child's art code provided, you may then view your child's art, and order products! (Mobile Users: If you are already logged in to your Square 1 Art account, and do not see "Find Your Child's Art", scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and click on "view full site" and the page will re-load and you will see "Find Your Child's Art".)
If you have questions or need anything at all, please contact customer care at service@square1art.com or 888.332.3294x1 or contact Customer Care Online.
Stay Safe & Healthy,
Kristin Moffat
Square 1 Art School Coordinator
Peter Noyes Elementary