MHS Newsletter
Your news source for Mansfield High School
From the Principal's Desk...
January 29, 2021
Dear MHS Parents and Guardians,
Please read this newsletter closely. Listed below are several important updates that impact all students:
- 2nd Semester begins this Monday, February 1st. Earlier this week, students received instructions for accessing their schedules as well as a copy of the new lunch schedule and the February rotation. Teachers reviewed this information with students in class on Wednesday morning. Students should be on the lookout for Google Classroom and Google Meet invites from their new teachers, if any. Parents/Guardians of Freshmen- if you would please check-in with your child this weekend to ensure that they are aware of any changes to their schedule for Monday. Typically, only elective classes will change.
- MHS is now providing additional synchronous learning time to students. Over a two week period, each student will now receive two synchronous class sessions in every class while at home. Students should continue to log on to all classes on remote days just as they normally would to access their instruction.
- In addition, MHS will now be making universal use of Aspen X2 Open Grade Book. Parents/guardians may log onto the parent portal to view their child's grades in each class; as a result, quarterly progress reports will no longer be issued. Teachers will enter grades within five days of returning work to students. Please note: we are starting with work collected during 2nd semester- expect a few weeks for initial 2nd semester assignments to be made, then collected, graded, returned to students, and, finally, posted in the portal.
- Report cards for Q2 will be released to students on Monday, February 8th. Credit loss for 1st quarter due to absences will be forgiven as a result of the pandemic. Students will not need to apply for a credit waiver.
- Parents/guardians, when dropping of your child in the morning you must now DROP OFF AND GO. Do not park in the fire lane, reserved parking spots, or student parking spots. Current practice is creating a dangerous situation by blocking fire lanes reserved for emergency vehicles. Thank you for prompt attention and cooperation in this safety matter.
- 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.
Over the next 2 weeks, the second half of the 9th grade will receive "Signs Of Suicide" (SOS) curriculum in their Introduction to Wellness classes. A mailing was sent home to all 9th grade parents/guardians earlier this school year with presentation details. During implementation, school counselors will have limited access to email/voicemail. If you need immediate assistance please contact Mrs. MacKillop in the School Counseling Office, at denise.mackillop@mansfieldschools.com.
Thank you for reading and have a great weekend!
Best regards,
Mary Watkins
Principal
Senior Celebration Donations
The Senior Celebration Committee is requesting donations to 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):
Go to the Mansfield Public Schools website, select the "Parents" tab, then "Online Payments" => Unipay Link. http://www.mansfieldschools.com/
Select: "Student Activity" transaction type (NOT the donation option), then => "High School Student Activity." PLEASE note for the activity "Senior Celebration."
If you wish to join the Senior Celebration Committee please click on this link:https://forms.gle/t7VgdkSPsBcQTUTz5. Questions? Contact Alexandra Piccirilli at mansfieldhsparents@gmail.com. Thank you!
School Photos Retakes
Grade 9 - 11 students not yet photographed this year will have their picture taken on our Photo Retake Days below, with a new ID to follow a few weeks later. Picture order envelopes are available in the Main Office for student pick up if needed.
In addition, students who purchased pictures in December but would like to have them retaken may do so on the Retake Day. The original photo package must be returned to the photographer at that time.
Photo Retake Dates:
Tuesday, February 2nd AM - Daily & Hybrid Cohort B students with last names L-Z
Thursday, February 4th AM - Daily & Hybrid Cohort A students with last names A-K
Thursday, February 4th 3-4pm - Virtual Remote Cohort students
Class of 2023
Please be on the lookout for an email from Ink'd when your order is ready to be picked up!
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. 1- Start of Q3/S2
Feb. 2- Photo Retakes in school - L-Z (Hybrid/Daily Cohorts)
Feb. 4- Photo Retakes in school - A-K (Hybrid/Daily Cohorts), and again at 3PM for students in the VRC
Feb. 8- Q2 Report Cards released
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