When we open the school year, it comes with a ‘new normal’ that will require all of us to take tentative steps forward together. Together, we will be experiencing completely different instructional models; these models will require us to focus as much on learning as physical and emotional safety. To succeed we will all need to take care of one another and support the guidelines and instructional models that have been designed. Everyone is going to need to have patience and recognize that the tremendous task of completely remaking the school experience requires that some of the typical timelines and school experiences will be different this year.
Over the next several days families will begin receiving more information from your child’s school, and it will be more important than ever to read and complete needed paperwork. Please contact your child’s school if you have questions.
We look forward to welcoming all of you back to the year ahead. Your partnership and support will be more critical than ever before. We remain deeply committed to serving both families and faculty to ensure a successful year.
What's New From Last Week?
Here are the key links to documents you will need to start school:
QUICKLINKS:
Please read the above documents/links as they contain answers to many frequently asked questions.
BUS PASSES: Today, bus passes were mailed after no less than 1,000 change orders from parents; K-5 schedules will be available as of today 5pm emailed directly to families, and teachers will begin virtual reach outs to students.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION: Parent academy trainings have been ongoing. Training docs are now updated with parent and student orientations and links to past trainings for viewing at your leisure.
SCHEDULES: Tonight, you will receive an email from elementary principals including those in remote learning academy, with important teacher assignments, cohorts, supplies and all the nitty-gritty you need to get started! Middle and high school schedules with all the levels and course offerings expected by Natick families means that the process takes time and to do so and safety cohorting as we have done at NHS takes even longer. We expect them by mid-week next week. However, all of your principals put out cohort assignment guidance this week so you can plan childcare and coverage.
Reminder:
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School for Cohort A starts on September 16th, and is a normal full school day.
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School for Cohort B starts on September 14th and will be a two hour "dry run" for that cohort to be trained on safety protocols, gain information for log in for their remote week of study and will allow our staff to ease in to school routines with students.
AFTER SCHOOL CHILDCARE UPDATES (ASAP)
ASAP is not going to open at this time because for weeks we have been unable to find space to accommodate both teacher children in their hybrid weeks (if they do not have care, they can all take a 12 week CARES act leave at 2/3 pay AND we'd have to hire subs for them while we pay their leave) AND also accommodate the working parents in Natick we desperately want to serve. This week we have found small spaces and we are aggressively moving ahead.
As a working parent, of children in another town who will be totally remote learning, I understand the plight of working parents, as do all of our administrators who save two, have school aged children in public schools, too. We are working as fast as we can to provide the same level of excellence you expect from Natick Schools--and high quality care for working families.
ATHLETICS:
The school committee will hear the details on a phased approach to athletics on Monday, September 14th at our meeting (see link above).
FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS: We Need Your Support!
At our upcoming school committee meeting, we will continue to discuss the added expenses of opening schools
(included here) under the new health conditions. Please become informed as we will have to petition for added financial support from the town for these adaptations.
BRING IN ALL DEVICES : GLOBAL CHROMEBOOK SHORTAGE MAY IMPACT US!
Please note, Natick has been well ahead of the curve regarding technology use and deployment. Our laptops ordered in spring still have not arrived due to a global chromebook shortage. They are slated for early October arrival, but I need parents to be patient while we obtain them and deploy them.
DEVICES: LOANED BY NPS AND THOSE YOU OWN... FALL 2020.
When your children return to school on the 16th (cohort A) and in the subsequent week on the 21st (cohort B) please have your children bring with them to school any technology you have been loaned from NPS. ALSO, if, by the start of school, you have not been given a laptop you asked for, but you have one you have been using with your child at home, the technology department will allow those devices to be used in school for this time period as we wait for our shipment of chromebooks and as we try to ensure all students have a device with which they are comfortable using from minute 1 of school.
Quarantine and Return to School/Labor Day Weekend Activities
As you may recall, we are asking you to quarantine two weeks prior to the start of school--that time is now. As you head into Labor Day weekend, while the data on local infection rates remains strong, a weekend of not doing the right thing--not social distancing, avoiding large gatherings and parties and not wearing masks or practicing hand hygiene will set us back in the coming weeks. Children need to get back to school and have the opportunity to say in schools--and as a community we have the power to continue safe practices to ensure this.
A NEW POSSIBILITY
Natick Public Schools is exploring a partnership with a testing company and other school systems in the Tri-County area in order to provide what is called "pool testing" for our system. Pool testing is a passive saliva (drool in a cup) test that would be administered to students the week prior to their attendance at school in the hybrid or live models of school. The sample would be combined with that of any other child in their cohort (class groups) and sent to a lab for 48 hour turn around to inform us if any one of our cohorts has COVID or may have COVID (there can be false positives). Any pool found possibly positive would then be quarantined (remote learning for staff and students) and would be asked to be tested. Current prices on this service are between $200 and $300 for testing every other week for the entire school year. We survey you now to see if you are interested and if you would be able and willing to pay for this service. We want to do everything we can to keep school open and keep our staff and students safe. This is not a done deal, but we want to know our community feelings on this matter.
Please read your principals' newsletters below; the team continues to work diligently to prepare for school reopening and we are exited to see your children in any manner in which they attend school.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC LESSON INFORMATION IS BELOW.