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Mill Falls News
November 202020
IN THIS ISSUE
Important Dates
at a 
Glance

11/20-11/22  
Material Pick Up
for Remote Learning

11/25 -11/27 
Thanksgiving Break No School

12/4
Tea With Laura
@10am
Virtual Event
Zoom info to follow

12/23
Early Release 
@11:15 for the start of December Break

12/24-1/1/21
December Break

1/4/21
School Resumes 




CORPORATE SPONSORS

We gratefully acknowledge the ongoing contributions from the following corporate partners: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Working Together in Support of Our Kids!

Last Friday afternoon, our First Trimester Progress Reports were sent home. If there is an overarching theme among the reports, it would have to be our students' tenacity and hard work expressed with pride and appreciation by our staff despite all the obstacles presented to teaching and learning in the age of COVID.

As follow-up to the reports, our staff spent the day with families, utilizing Zoom as our Conference tool this year to go over the reports, sharing successes, challenges and plans for our each of our students. Sending a heartfelt thanks to our staff and families who spent time together yesterday in support of our kids!

Please make note of our next Tea with Laura on Friday, December 4th. This is part of a new series of conversations designed for parents/guardians to speak with our own Laura Wrubleski - our Educational Program Director - about various issues impacting their children's education. 

Also wanted to send a HUGE thank you to a small but mighty set of women who have been helping to prepare Montessori materials for our Montessori Home Kits. Please join me in celebrating Sharon Craig, Jennifer Kulesza, Jody Wilhelm and Jen Avery. We so appreciate you!

We expect that many of you have been following the news, both of the increasing COVID case load and hospitalizations, as well as the new state guidelines in relation to travel and facial coverings. These are challenging times in the relation to COVID here and across our country. We hope that everyone is continuing to practice sound methods of hygiene and physical distancing. To keep our community in the know about information regarding quarantining (if you are exposed to a known case of COVID) or isolation (if you yourself test positive), we have included some new one-pagers that the state's Department of Health and Human Services has shared this week (please see the Covid section below.)

Please stay safe, and close to home, wear your masks and take care of yourselves. These are complex times that demand the most of us, as we join together to keep ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbors well!

* * *




A reminder that Thanksgiving Break begins on Wednesday!

School will be closed from Wednesday, November 25th through Friday, November 27th.

 Remote Learning Attendance Reminders


Regular & consistent attendance is the bedrock of solid learning.
 


No matter the learning model, it is expected that all Mill Falls students will be present and ready for learning each school day, just as in pre-COVID times. 

Each day, our Students Learning at Home are expected to attend:
1. 8:45am Morning Meeting followed by their Planning Session
2: All Scheduled Live Lessons (specific schedule shared by teachers)
3: At least ONE Daily Check in (specific schedule shared by teachers)
4: Additionally, ALL work must be turned in by 3:15pm

To be marked PRESENT for the day: a Remote Student must attend items 1-3 above and turn in all work by 3:15pm.

A student will be marked unexcused TARDY for the day, if he/she misses  1 or 2 of the items above, and still turns in all work by 3:15pm.

A student will be marked unexcused ABSENT if he/she misses 3 or more of the items in the list above, even if they turn in work by 3:15pm. 

Please note, repeated unexcused absences and tardies will trigger our Attendance Protocol as noted in our Family Handbook.


If your child is going to be absent or tardy or must end the day early, parents/guardians are required to alert the front office by phone or email. 

 Share Your Images & Stories from Learning at Home!

To keep us connected while we are teaching and learning at a distance, we hope you will share your images and stories of the children learning remotely so that we can feature them in future newsletters. 


Please share your children's daily work as well as Big Work Wednesday Projects, which we can share in our newsletter. 

Send your photographs, brief stories (remember sharing humorous moments will help keep us all healthy!), and quotes to Ms. Meryl at: stories.pictures@millfalls.org.
 
Please be sure to send the photos at small to medium resolution, and send along a description / story about what is going on in the photos. Thank you!

 ** IMPORTANT UPDATE** Family Tech Support


This year, Ms. Jody is serving as our Family Tech Support person. 

She is now available by email, Zoom and now BY PHONE, too, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (note, she is not available on Wednesdays). 

Jody can be reached by email at techsupport@millfalls.org

She can be reached on Zoom (for live chats via the waiting room one at a time) from: 
10am-12pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
**NEW Meeting ID: 440 672 8787   PW: 356575
**NEW: She can NOW be reached by phone at: (857) 228-8286

If Jody cannot answer your question, she will reach out to our team to get an answer for you. 

Academic questions? These should be sent to your child's classroom teacher(s).

 Support Mill Falls While You Shop & Gift!

**School CODE CORRECTION**
Please see below due to technical error

Whether you buy gift cards as presents
or use them to shop for yourself,
your order through ShopWithScrip.com
helps raise critical funds for our school!

MFCS Parent, Jenna Bridgett, is once again coordinating the ShopWithSCRIP.com give-and-get fundraising tool, an easy and effective way to raise funds for Mill Falls, while you shop for yourself or for others. 

There are over 750 top brands offering gift cards that give back! 

Shop, gift & support Mill Falls by clicking here: 
**CODE CORRECTION:
Mill Falls Enrollment Code:
228A3E9L34664



 Set Up to Print from School Chromebooks


If you would like to set up your child's Chromebook to print to your home printer, pleaser follow the instructions below which have been created by the intrepid, Jen Z. 

 

Here is a video showing you how to set up your home printer: 
 
For written instructions, and to check if your printer is compatible with Chromebooks, please visit: 
 
Important Note: If your printer auto connects when you log into your child's Chromebook, you MUST save your printer so that it will to continue to work next week.  

If the steps aren't working for you, please screenshot and send the screenshot to techsupport@millfalls.org and we can troubleshoot from there (screenshot instructions: https://www.google.com/chromebook/howto/take-full-screenshots/)
  
ADDITIONAL TIPS related to Printing and Network Management
  • If you are following the video instructions included here, and nothing happens when you click the 'settings icon', please log out of the Chromebook and log back in. (This resets the policy information)
  • Remember, you must save your printer on your Chromebook! Regardless of if it auto connects, continue to follow the steps to save the printer.
  • If you have more than one Chromebook, the printer must be set up on each machine.
Academic questions? These should be sent to your child's classroom teacher(s).

 Health & Wellness Reminders in the Age of COVID

Health & Wellness Reminders:

**NEW**Please click here to review information from the NH Department of Health and Human Services:

(due to exposure to COVID)

(due to a positive test for COVID)

* * *

Holiday Season Advice from the NH State Epidemiologist & the NH Health and Human Services (HHS) Department:

At this week's state-wide school partner meeting with HHS, the following guidelines were shared in relation to the upcoming holiday season:
    • Don't travel if you don't have to;
    • Avoid public transportation;
    • Avoid gathering in groups with people not already part of your immediate close household contracts;
    • Travel restrictions around the region and country are changing. So you may either have restrictions applied to you in another state, or be subject to quarantine when you return to NH or both!
* * *

People exhibiting symptoms or thought to have been exposed to COVID, should seek testing to assist in our overall ability to limit and track COVID spread. 

Which Test Should You Get?
  • PCR testing (the test that generally takes a day or a few days to get back) is the recommended test to get if you feel you have been exposed to COVID, but do not have any symptoms. Is is the most sensitive of tests - the current gold standard - and can also be given to those with symptoms. 
  • Antigen testing, what is being also being referenced as the rapid test, should ONLY be accessed if a person is experiencing symptoms related to COVID. The rapid test is far less sensitive, and so it may not catch cases if used on people who are asymptomatic. 
Dealing with Test Results

If the COVID test is positive, the patient will need to isolate at home for at least 10 days, including the final day without fever (and fever reducing medication). We strongly advise family members to also seek testing, as they will be considered 'close contacts' by the Health Department. Remember, while no one can test out of the 14-day close contact quarantine, the testing is to help trace and limit community spread!

If you or anyone is your household is found to be a close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID, your or your household member will need to quarantine at home for 14 days after that close contact. Again you and your household members are strongly advised to seek testing. Remember, while no one can test out of close contact quarantine, the testing is to help trace and limit community spread!

If testing is not accessedthen you or your child will need to stay home for 10 days including the final day without fever (without fever reducing medication). 

If the COVID test is negative
, please keep in mind that you or your child should still remain at home until there is an improvement of symptoms and no fever or vomiting for 24 hours, as per usual health and wellness protocol.



 COVID & Community Resources


Family Support Hot Line
Waypoint Family support can help with anything from where to get Covid testing or child care. 
Call: 800-640-6486 
M-F 8:30-4:30

* * *

Free COVID Tests
Families who live in the Greater Manchester area may call the Manchester COVID-19 Hotline to arrange for a free testing appointment. East and West Side locations available. This is NOT an antibody test. The hotline is available Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Call: 603-668-1547. Testing appointments are required.  

* * *

Seasonal/Holiday Art Project Ideas

Every Tuesday, Blick Art will be offering fun and festive project demonstrations. Click here for details.

* * *


The NH Audubon at Massabesic Lake has some very engaging programming and fun activities linked to the natural world. Visit their website for details!


 Next Tea with Laura: Friday, December 4th @10am


** Recording of first Tea now available**

Tea with Laura
Friday, December 4th @10am
Laura will explore observable elements of promoting student independence in the home.
Please RSVP to Jen at Office@millfalls.org.

* * *
If you weren't able to join us at the first Tea with Laura which focused on the prepared environment, please take some time to access the recording by clicking here

* * *
This series is designed as an informal opportunity for Laura to speak with the adult members of our Mill Falls Families about educational structures and expectations as they relate to our public Montessori program as well as offer guidance to our parents/guardians in support of our students. Please stay tuned for details about the next Tea.

Have an idea for the next Tea topic? 
Please send us your thoughts to office@millfalls.org

 Laura's Corner


Student & Family Support
Below is some information from Ms. Laura W. about supporting students who are learning from home. 

The Importance of the Prepared Environment:

Fostering Student Independence During Remote Learning

A Deeper Dive into the Importance of Independence

The Power of Accomplishment

* * *

Tea with Laura
October 30,2020: The Importance of the Prepared Environment
Click here for the link to the video
 

 Montessori Moments From Near & Far...

Please enjoy some photographs from this week here at school and some sent in from families working remotely:

* * *

   



* * *

Below: Maya, a 5th year student in Everglades, is working on her class cultural project making a totem pole. She has carved her family's animals out of a bar of ivory soap. Just amazing...check it out! 


* * *

This Week in Art Class: This week's Art Assignment was seasonally inspired. This past weekend, Ms. Melissa was outside with her adult daughter sipping hot chocolate around their outdoor fire pit. That got her wondering about the origin of hot chocolate. This led her to Mexico, followed by Spain, over to London, Holland and more! 


The assignment was for each 
student to draw a cup of steamy, hot cocoa/chocolate, with a focus on the artistic elements of art, space and form. Make yourself a cup and enjoy the creations below!


 



* * *

Always Time for a Birthday!
Today in Yosemite, Ms. Kristin and Ms. Kayla helped their student, Link, celebrate his 6th Birthday. Our teachers are getting very creative with their Zoom-ing. Ms. Kristin read the information about Link's 5 trips around the sun, she lit a birthday candle for all to see and the whole class sang him the Happy Birthday song. 
 


* * *
Big Work Wednesday Projects  

 Below:
Caroline and Frankie in the Glacier Room created models of a fish, labeling the parts they have been studying. Below is also a project about Dinosaurs by Weston.



* * *

Below: At the beginning of the quarantine, Lillian's grandfather built her family a squirrel picnic table. And then they started to add lots of bird feeders. Lillian has loved watching all the birds, and wanted to document a few! She learned so much! 
 
* * *

Earlier this week, MFCS parent, Lauren Doukas, sent in these images, noting: 
This week for Big Work Wednesday, we decided to do a Thanksgiving Feast, since we missed the Friendsgiving we normally do at school. Each of my kids created a placemat and a thankful leaf wreath, and they each made a dish to share.  And mom forced them to make hats...
 

* * *
Thank you in advance for continuing to send in Remote Learning photographs and stories! This will help keep us connected as we teach and learn from afar.