Superintendent's Weekly Update: Friday, September 17, 2021

The Public Schools of

Northborough and Southborough

EDUCATE - INSPIRE - CHALLENGE

"Ten Schools, Three Districts, One Community of Learners"

Superintendent's Weekly Update

Friday, September 17, 2021

Table of Contents

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 - Input Welcomed

2022-2023 Draft Student Calendar - Input Welcomed

School Committee Policies: First Readings - Input Welcomed

Food Services Update - September 2021

Weekly COVID-19 Dashboard

Information about COVID-19 Safety Checks (Formerly known as pooled screening)

Health and Safety Protocols, Recommendations, and Guidelines

Photo of the Week - Peaslee Students Working on Solving Problems

(Traducción/Traduções/ ترجمة)

Dear Parent(s) and Guardian(s):

In this week’s update, I have three opportunities for parents and guardians to provide input. Community input is greatly appreciated and will be used to inform decisions.

Opportunity One: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Overview: The Public Schools of Northborough, The Public Schools of Southborough, and The Northborough-Southborough Regional School District have received grant funds administered through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The District is seeking public comment on the allocation of these funds and appreciates your input. Please take a few minutes to provide your feedback. The feedback forms close on Tuesday, September 28, 2021.

The Public Schools of Northborough

The Public Schools of Southborough

The Northborough-Southborough Regional School District

Opportunity Two: 2022-2023 Draft Student Calendar

Overview: The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough is interested in your feedback on the DRAFT 2022-2023 Student Calendar. Please take a moment to share your thoughts and respond to the questions below. The results of this survey will be shared with the Northborough, Southborough, and Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committees, prior to voting a 2022-2023 Student Calendar.

Link to the 2022-2023 Student Calendar Survey

Opportunity Three: School Committee Policies (First Readings) - Input Welcomed

Overview: The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough is seeking community input on several school committee policies. To review the policies and provide feedback, click here. (Survey closes Friday, October 29, 2021)

Respectfully,

Gregory L. Martineau

Superintendent of Schools

Hispanic Heritage Month

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 to

Wednesday, October 15, 2021

(To learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month, click here)

Community Commitment to Reduce Risk

Food Services Update - September 2021

As the school year falls into its natural rhythm, we have a few updates for the school lunch program.

Free Meals

The first lunch for every student is FREE for the 2021-2022 school year. This is a USDA program that extends the COVID 19 support to families. However, many schools offer 2nd lunches or

a la carte items that come at an additional cost. This cost is covered by the money that parents put onto student’s MySchoolBucks accounts. For students to have a 2nd lunch or a la carte item, they need to have a positive MySchoolBucks account balance.

Menu Changes

You may have noticed some menu changes and a lack of variety this September. This is due to a nationwide delay in food production and distribution. In fact, many of our distributors have warned us of this shortage and it is playing out with menu items simply not available. Our Food Services Managers have been collaborating with vendors, kitchen staff, and school administrators as this challenge unfolds. We appreciate your patience as we continue to feel the effects of the pandemic on our everyday operations.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:

Kyle Parson - K-8 Food Services Manager - [email protected]

Dianne Cofer - Algonquin Food Services Manager - [email protected]

Keith Lavoie - Assistant Superintendent of Operations - [email protected]