MacArthur Notes
January 12, 2024
Principals' Update
Greetings MacArthur Families,
Happy Friday! This week, we prepared for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by sharing famous quotes from Dr. King on our morning announcements. This was a great way to start each day and share his mission of compassion and justice for all.
Thank you to all who joined us for this week's PTO Meeting and Principals' Forum. We have some exciting school events coming up including Rafflemania on 3/22. See the PTO update below for more information on how you can help. Speaking of which, the Harlem Wizards return to Waltham on February 2nd! We are both very excited to play this year and represent MacArthur well. See ticket information below.
Please see the update below from Nurse King to learn more about the impact of cold and flu season on our school community and ways to proactively approach this time of year.
This week, Safe Routes to School visited MacArthur to observe our arrival and dismissal process. This visit comes on the heels of our family survey that was completed in December. We were able to surpass our goal of 50% participation and will be sharing the contents of our prize pack in the weeks ahead to support our work to enhance safe and efficient travel to and from school. Stay tuned!
In addition, the Waltham SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) newsletter is available in English and Spanish. Thank you for reading and learning more about available resources for families of students who receive these services. In addition, the WPS 5th Annual Parenting Awareness Conference offered by the Office of Pupil Services will take place on Saturday, March 9th from 9am - 1:30pm. Here is the link to register.
Finally, Waltham Public Schools has released the new 2024-2025 school calendar. Click on the link to view next year's school calendar.
Have a wonderful long weekend!
In Partnership,
Mr. Kmiec - (781) 314-5721 kevinkmiec@walthampublicschools.org
Mr. Howes - (781) 314-5725 roberthowes@walthampublicschools.org
Lunch Menu
Waltham Recreation
Winter flier below. Scroll down for more info.
Healthy Waltham Food Pantry
Notes from the Nurse
As we are entering the height of cold, flu, RSV and COVID season this is a reminder that these illnesses are currently in our community.
Families, students and school staff can help keep from getting these illnesses in several ways:
Practice good hand washing. Hands should be washed often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.
Practice respiratory etiquette. The main way these illnesses are spread is from person to person in droplets produced by coughs and sneezes. It is important to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder - not your hands.
Stay home if you are sick and keep children home if they are sick. If a child has a temperature over 100 F, keep them home. They should stay home until they are fever free for 24 hours and show no signs of fever.
Keep bodies strong by eating well, sleeping well and exercising regularly.
COVID Exposure:
Quarantine is no longer recommended for children or staff.
All exposed individuals may continue to attend work/school if asymptomatic.
Follow the guidance for symptomatic individuals below:
Positive Test for Staff and Students:
Isolate for at least 5 days, with day 0 being the start of symptoms.
Return after day 5 if symptoms are improving. Mild symptoms are acceptable for return as long
as the individual is fever free without fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours.
Wear a high-quality mask through Day 10 while indoors if able.
Masks are not necessary following a negative test on day 5 or later.
Please contact me if you have any questions. Let us know if your child tests positive for flu, RSV or Covid as I try to keep a pulse on tracking the spread at school.
PTO Weekly Update
Rafflemania - Friday, March 22nd - Join us for our biggest event of the year! We need volunteers to make it happen! If you are interested, please sign up at the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C48AFAB2CA6F58-47084566-rafflemania#/
MacArthur 5K & Fun Run - Saturday, April 27th
We are looking for volunteers who are interested in helping to plan this new and exciting event! Please email Gretchen at gretchen@pineo.net if you are interested in volunteering. More information to come soon!
Restaurant Night at Bertucci's - Wednesday, January 17th
This fundraiser is good for ANY Bertucci's with this nine digit code: 789-181-780
Spread the word to friends and family members who live outside of Waltham!
Harlem Wizards vx. Declan Hawkstars, Friday, February 2, 2024 at Kennedy Middle School
Purchase Tickets Online: https://pretix.eu/harlemwizards/walthamma02-02-24-07-00pm
If we can get 2-3 MacArthur volunteers, we will receive $3 back per ticket. Sign up to volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0848A8A62BA4FE3-47024592-2024
Navigating Social Media
Many students reported new devices that they received as holiday gifts during their conversations with students and staff this week. Ms. Jurkiewicz, our School Adjustment Counselor, shared the resources below to help families navigate the world of social media with their elementary students. With the increase of online usage, you may consider Parental Controls to monitor a child’s cell phone and limit their screen time. I recognize it is a lot to navigate and important to consider these things to support their mental health. As a reminder, all students who have smart watches and cell phones are expected to have them in their backpacks and turned off throughout the school day, per the school committee approved student handbook.
MacArthur Elementary School
Absence Line - (781) 314-5722
Email: kevinkmiec@walthampublicschools.org
Website: walthampublicschools.org/macarthur
Location: 494 Lincoln Street, Waltham, MA, USA
Phone: 781-314-5721