Principal Madden’s Weekly Message—Week of October 18, 2021
I hope you had a nice weekend! Sunday was such a lovely fall day. Chillier weather is certainly on the way. Please make sure to bundle up your children for the weather. We are outside quite a bit, and three grades (2, 4 & 5) will continue to eat lunch outdoors for as long as we are able.
Photos
This week’s photos show kindergarten students in Ms. Mariani-Prall’s Maker Space doing some awesome engineering, our 1st grade gardeners (can you believe how many seeds we got from our sunflowers?), and our super breakfast distribution team of Ms. Minton and 5th grade leaders.
October News From Ms Minton
October-PE-2021-NewsletterCOVID Updates
We had great news with our weekly safety check testing (pool testing). All pools from Thursday (10/14) were negative. Yea! Also, none of the identified “close contacts” are positive, so that helps me to feel confident in all that we are doing at school to stay safe. Please stay vigilant regarding COVID safety and get vaccinated if you have not already done so. And, call me if you have any questions.
We will continue to have our safety testing on Thursdays from now on. We begin at 8:30. Some members of the National Guard will be helping us with our testing starting this week. Our fabulous nurse, Karen Schiaffo, and/or I always accompany any testers as we collect all the swabs. We are getting this down to a pretty efficient routine. We have a large number of students testing, which is fabulous. If you want to have your child participate in the weekly testing, I have attached the consent form again, in case you need it. You can return to school anytime.
Thank you for keeping your child home if they are ill. Here is a link with some guidelines to help you make the decision: http://www.northamptonschools.org/project/illness-prevention/
Call (587-1557) or email our wonderful nurse, Karen Schiaffo, if you have any questions.
Commitment to Equity
Please see the information included about the Northampton Public School’s commitment to equity and the success of all students.
Memo.Policies.10.12.21-2 Spanish.Memo_.Policies.10.12.21School Photos
I know that many school photos were sent home on Friday. Re-Takes are scheduled for Monday, November 1. Every student (regardless of whether or not a package was purchased) will receive a class photo, but those are not ready yet. Please contact my Administrative Assistant, Vanessa Keillor, if you have any questions about school photos.
Dogs/Pets Reminder
It seems like a lot of families have new dogs (pandemic puppies!). That is wonderful, and I am a dog lover… but we do have a policy about dogs on school grounds.
All four of the Northampton Elementary Schools have established district-wide rule about dogs (or other pets) on the playground and in the school. In the first case, even if dogs are on a leash, they cannot be brought onto the playground/school grounds during school hours. Many children are afraid of dogs, even if they are friendly, and we also cannot risk any of our students getting hurt by dogs. If you like to walk your dog to pick up your child(ren), please plan to meet on a far side of the playground and pick-up areas.
If you have questions about this, please email or check in with me. Thank you for your help and understanding.
Important Upcoming Dates
October 20 at 6:30: PTO Meeting
November 1: Photo retakes
November 2: No School—Election Day & Professional Development Day for staff
November 11: No School for Veterans Day
November 20: PTO at 6:30
November 24: Early Dismissal (11:30) for Thanksgiving (and no school on November 25 and no school on November 25 and 26)
Stay up to date with all of our school activities on our School Website’s Calendar!
I hope that all families and caregivers feel welcome, comfortable, and valued at our school. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. I am happy to meet with any of you after school hours (when I can allow you inside!) or can talk on the phone anytime.
Sincerely,
Sarah Madden, Principal