Manchester Public Schools
Points of Pride: Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022
Dear Parents and Families,
As you know, Hispanic History Month ended on October 15 and this fall also saw celebrations of Rosh Hashanah (new year in the Jewish calendar) and Yom Kippur (day of atonement) which are the Jewish high holy days.
This week we have Diwali which is a festival of lights and one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs. The festival usually lasts five days (tomorrow marks the height of the celebration) and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika. Diwali symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
Looking ahead, November marks Native American Heritage Month and offers a time to reflect on the many contributions Native Americans have made and continue to make both locally and globally.
Manchester Public Schools acknowledges the relevance, importance and origins of all of those who make up our community and we are excited to center and amplify the history and culture of all those among us.
Sincerely,
Matt Geary
Superintendent of Schools
Board of Education Meets Tomorrow Night
The Board of Education meets tomorrow and will feature an update and review of the District Improvement Plan. Click to see the agenda. The meeting is at Lincoln Center at 7 p.m. and is also streamed lived on the district FB page and you can participate virtually. Here's how that works.
Notes From Our Nurses
At many of our schools we have seen a significant spike in the number of students going to the nurses office. While we want students to get the medical assistance they need, the primary purpose of having a nurse in the school is to keep students in school/class. In addition, there is an increasing number of students with complex medical needs in our buildings meaning the nurses are administering medication and monitoring conditions more than ever before. As a result, we are offering this advice regarding headaches, stomach aches, small bumps and bruises with the hope that it will keep more students in class.
We are not suggesting that students not be allowed to go to the nurse if they need to - just that we make every effort to keep kids in class when possible using these strategies.
WOW is for headaches: Water, Oxygen, Wait….
We encourage students to get a drink of water.
Next, have them take a few deep breaths.
Let them put their head down or go to a “quiet area” of the room for a few minutes.
If a child looks flushed or pale, or says they are really cold/hot, we send them to the nurse.
Stomach aches:
We ask about when they last ate.
Encourage a walk to get a drink of water.
Encourage restroom use.
If it is right after lunch, have them rest
They probably ate too fast or ran around at recess after eating.
If it is right before lunch, encourage them to eat.
When all things have been tried and they are still complaining, we send them to the nurse.
Small bumps:
Students do not need to be seen by the nurse for every bump.
We ask when the injury occurred; the nurses see many students reporting something over the weekend. There isn’t much we can do at that point. It is usually the middle of the day when we see these students and in some cases they might simply be seeking to get out of class.
Have the student take a look, is there a mark? Is it swelling or bruising?,
If yes send to nurse. If not, well, not every bump needs an ice pack. A hangnail, papercut, small scrape can be handled by the student in the classroom. Have them wash the area and place a bandaid on the area. (All classrooms have been provided bags with supplies.)
To reiterate, students who need to see a school nurse can absolutely do so but we hope that these strategies will safely and smartly reduce unnecessary visits. We appreciate your understanding and support and anyone with questions or concerns can contact Marney Reardon, the district's
Coordinator of Health Service at mreardon@mpspride.org or 860-647-3324.
Focus On Attendance
This is the last full school week in October, so according to the accompany chart students who have missed no more than two school days so far are on track to finish the year in the 'green zone.' But we have a lot of school left and missed days can add up fast so always remember -- consistent attendance helps a child get better grades and also develop healthy life habits, avoid dangerous behaviors and have a better chance of graduating.
Words of Wisdom
.
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
-- Albert Einstein