A Holiday Poem

 I don't often feel inclined to channel my creative writing skills these days, and even more rare are the occasions when writing poetry seems the most apropos way to deliver a message. Last night, I got a little inspired, and, well, what is below is the result. I shared with our staff this morning.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy, and healthy holiday and new year. May 2021 bring joy and hope to us all.

'Twas the night before break and all through the room

Everyone's thinking of shutting down Zoom.

With I on my laptop and kids' tablets charged too,

We were ready to bid 2020 adieu.

But before we could leave and call it a year,

Before chilling the egg nog or pouring some cheer

I paused to reflect on this joyous day,

And hoping 'gainst hope that we'd not lost our way.

See, this year had once started, in spirit and hope,

But after March came, it was easier to mope.

We were wrenched from our lives and forced into masks,

Reminded each day of our distancing tasks.

We spread out our desks and sanitized hands,

Ensured the full function of all venting fans,

For our students behind those masks held a smile 

Despite fear and the tension we felt all the while.

The world around us is filled with such clatter, 

On one hand because we know our work does matter.

So as I parted for break, I heard from the street 

A bang and a crash, so I jumped from my seat.

Outside I saw him, in his festive red,

Boots on his feet and a cap on his head.

He stood and he shouted with a festive cry,

The same has been uttered in the years gone by:

"On Dasher, on Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen

On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen.

To the top of their roof, down their schoolway hall,

What they all deserve can't be found in a mall,

Not sold on Etsy or Amazon Prime,

Not streamed on Netflix, not a drink twist with lime.

No, what they have earned equates with some rest,

For the staff and their efforts have been but the best.”

He went on to tell with a stentorian voice,

(That word is a favorite thesaurus choice):

“With Christmas this year, all teachers should know

light at tunnel's end, it is starting to glow.”

From St. Nick's white beard, the words came with a smile, 

To give us the gift we’ve wanted a long while:

"From vaccine and science, now research and shots

From Fauci and Pfizer, now hope we have lots.

Quarantine, sure, keep your gatherings small,

Future success requires effort from all.

While tired you are and while some of you weary,

Your voices exhausted, from screens your eyes bleary,

It still remains true to this very day,

That this fearless staff has NOT lost its way.

On admin and union, you still work together,

For parents and students, through all kinds of weather.

There may be dark days from the virus to heed

So camaraderie's trust is what you have and need,

But first take that time, your battery charge must be strong,

For the weeks are not easy, the hours are long. 

You've adapted new learning, a task no doubt monstrous,

With a lesson at home and in class that's synchronous.

Now be stronger together and fail apart,

In the new year cooperate with hope and with heart."

I realized his gift was not something wrapped nice,

But rather some worldly, old fashioned advice.

He then gave me a smile, his eyes they both shined

Wondering if the fatigue had insaned my mind.

I heard his old mantra as he got back on his sleigh

And with a "ho-ho-ho" he set off on his way.

As he flew off that night and awayed to the sky,

To sum him up nicely, I wanted to try.

I popped open the laptop, to type a message anew,

Since that’s what I’m told most good principals do.

Wanting to pen one more word as St. Nick left my sight,

One more “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night,”

But I knew that those words were not nearly enough,

Since this year for all has been so very rough.

So I wrote one simple line as this year was done -

“Thank you, my friends - on to 2021!”

December Podcast

 Our December 18 podcast is available here:

UHS: Weekly News and Notes

Good morning,

We have a few updates from UHS this week. Please note: we will not be sending a weekly update next week.

School Building Closed

Classes will take place on Monday and Tuesday in a fully remote model. For students who may need materials in the school, they will be available, but please check with teachers first, as some teachers may also be working remotely. On Wednesday, our students will participate in advisory and office hours, with an opportunity to tidy up any loose ends prior to the start of January.

Food Service Update

The Food Service Department will be providing meals during school vacation. Our schedule for the rest of December is as follows:

• December 23rd, Wednesday, pick up at Taft between 7:00AM to 8:00AM
• December 30th, Wednesday, pick up at Taft between 9:00AM to 10:00AM  (Time Change)

We will resume our normal schedule on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 with pick up at Taft from 7:00AM to 8:00AM.

We will be distributing 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and a gallon of milk per student.

For questions, please contact Kelly Haley, Food Service Director, at khaley@uxbridge.k12.ma.us.

Winter Athletics: Most Recent Update

Podcast

We will be sharing our next podcast episode over the weekend, which features a conversation with our school counselors, information about winter athletics, and a couple of additional updates on some programming options and developments at UHS.

Supports for Students

For students who have had difficulty accessing remote and virtual learning through our schedule and current model, our school counselors have reached out to students who have failed classes in the first quarter, particularly multiple classes, and have not been able to return to school despite offerings of an in-person model, even some of the time. We will have support staff available after hours to work with these students, and the hope is that this pilot group will meet greater success. While this program is, at present, by counselor and administrative recommendation, we hope that the pilot will also lead to additional opportunities for more students in the future.

In addition, we have had a number of students who have been remote who have requested returning to school in-person. While transportation is tight, we have been able to support all of those requests. If there are parents who are still curious about whether a return from remote to hybrid is possible, we ask that they reach out to their child's school counselor.

Senior Events

We know that there are already individuals inquiring about end-of-year events for seniors. While we are governed by state guidance and requirements, we have already started to plan in earnest for a number of different scenarios. Please know that we have not forgotten about events like prom, graduation, and awards night, and that we hope, in time, to release additional details about our plans. Please know that this will not likely happen until early spring, but we want to be able to give families ample time to make arrangements if we are able to have some of these events.

As with anything else, there is always the possibility that these events are not able to be scheduled, either because of state guidelines or logistics. Please know we will do our best to make sure these happen, even if they look different.

School Council

We are still looking for a grade 8 or 9 parent to serve on our School Council. The Council typically meets monthly and informs School Improvement goals, including the development of our School Improvement Plan and ongoing plans and initiatives. If interested, send an email to mrubin@uxbridge.k12.ma.us.

Finally, it has been a challenging 2020, to say the least. As we bid farewell to this year, on behalf of everyone at UHS, I wish you a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season, and good tidings as we look ahead to 2021. Please enjoy time with your immediate families and close contacts over the next few weeks, and do your part to limit any risk or spread of the virus, so that our January and February are consumed more with the business of school and less with the existential health crisis of a generation. Mask up, be safe, be in good health, and we look forward to continuing to move our school and community forward as we return to the new year!

Winter Athletics Update: Statement

 

Weekly News and Notes, December 11

 Good afternoon,

We have a few updates from UHS this week.

Rising COVID-19 Cases

As the daily numbers have increased across the state, we have likewise seen some additional cases here in our community. Fortunately, we have yet to see any real transmission in the building, and our safety protocols continue to work. Families may see some teachers working remotely or teaching from places other than a classroom; please avoid speculation on the reasons for such scenarios, as there are a variety of reasons why someone may be remote.

Additionally, we have been working closely with families throughout the pandemic to ensure that we have the best information possible should we have to engage in contact tracing. To those ends, if we ask about particular travel patterns in the building, social connections, etc., please know that it is simply done to support the tracing practices of the Board of Health so we can curb any continued outbreaks. To date, the honesty and forthrightness of our community has been appreciated.

The Uxbridge Public Schools COVID-19 dashboard has weekly updates on the number of cases in our schools, including staff and students.

Winter Athletics

We will be compiling a series of winter athletic guidelines to be shared with our Board of Health in the next week or so. We have developed a number of specific protocols that will support safety in the winter, but there is the possibility that the current surge precludes our participation in athletics this season. We know that other communities and leagues have already made the decision to cancel winter sports, and we anticipate having a decision from the Southern Worcester County League being made in the first week of January.

MCAS

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has cancelled the January administration of MCAS, which was due to administered to the Class of 2022 (current juniors). We have not yet been provided any guidance on MCAS for the coming spring for grades 8, 9, and 10.

Remote Learning Grant

For students who are struggling with remote and hybrid learning, we have earned a grant from the Commonwealth to provide additional supports for students, in the form of counselors, teachers, and support staff after school hours and potentially on weekends. Ms. Emily Cotter, one of our school counselors, will be coordinating this program. Outreach will begin in the next two weeks, with the intention of starting the program after the first of year. If anyone has specific questions or interest, feel free to reach out to her.

Weekly News and Notes, December 4

 

We have a few updates from Uxbridge High School this week:

Grade 8 Guidance Seminars

Counselors met with our Grade 8 students this week for their Fall Seminar presentation. We provided the code for the School Counseling Google Classroom, which houses a number of resources for the kids. In our presentation we covered:

-Effective Effort - what it looks like and how students can implement it into their day to day.

-Email Etiquette - how to create and send an appropriate email as well as email organization.

-Organization - tips and tricks, utilizing Google Calendar

The students had an opportunity to sign up for check-ins with counselors via Doodle, and we walked them through how to set up any additional meetings with their counselor. 

Early College Opportunities

As part of our partnership with Quinsigamond Community College, we continue to expand course offerings that offer classes for post-secondary credit at a significantly reduced cost. Below are the opportunities available to students in grades 11 and 12 for the coming spring. If students or parents are interested, we ask that they contact their student's school counselor. There is a cost associated with these classes, but the credits earned count both for college and high school purposes, and all are transferable within the Massachusetts state college and university system. (Most also transfer to private and out-of-state schools, but that is determined with the individual schools).

Welcome!

We welcome Mellisa Peloquin to our office staff next week, as she will be filling in as one of our office secretaries. She brings a wealth of experience to our team, having worked for many years for EAW in Northbridge. We look forward to having her on board.

Moving Forward!

Despite the pandemic, we continue to move forward with a number of partnerships and initiatives. As many individuals already know, we have three existing Innovation Pathways, in Information Science/Media, Biomedical Science, and Manufacturing Engineering. We are moving forward with developing a fourth pathway in Global Finance and Logistics. The deadline for this next application is February, and we, ideally, will have approval of the fourth pathway sometime this spring. In the meantime, we will be working to identify partners for business and finance, so if there are any parents or community members who read this who feel as though they may have a connection that fits, that information would be appreciated. Simply reach out to the administration!

Winter Athletics

A separate communication regarding the possibility of winter sports is being shared. Please know that we appreciate the many feelings and opinions people have on the matter, but the decisions that are being made will be done with our collective safety in mind. We have surveyed other leagues, other states, other communities, and our own towns, and there is little to add beyond what is explained in that community letter. Please be patient as we determine what is best. In the meantime, please resist the urge to spread rumors, besiege teachers and school staff, and ask questions for which we may not have answers. At the end of the day, we will do our best to communicate with you, families, and the community at large as best we can, while doing our best to advocate and stay grounded.



Have a great weekend.

Weekly News and Notes, November 20

We have a few updates from UHS this week. There will not be a Weekly update shared next week.

Spartan Podcast

Please click below to tune into this week's Podcast.

State Mandated Vaccine requirements

Influenza (flu) vaccine for all UHS grade levels by December 31st and MenACWY (Meningococcal) vaccine for Grade 11 students, this is typically done at the 16 year physical. This applies to fully remote and in-person students. Documentation by your provider may be submitted to UHS via fax 508-278-8647, email: tschiller@uxbridge.k12.ma.us, or hard copy to the UHS main office. Also, if you have a medical or religious exemption to either of these vaccines please submit documentation.    

Winter Sports

The MIAA Board of Directors was voting on Friday, November 20 to review the recommendations of the Sports Medicine Committee and the MIAA COVID Task Force for fall athletics. When those recommendations are approved (or sent back to revision), we will work with our district athletic committee and league to operationalize them within the winter season.

Right now, we are asking for patience. We do not believe there will be any winter sports starting before mid-December. Mr. Carbone will be sharing information as soon as we can.

Picture Makeup Day

We hope to be scheduling a school photo makeup day for one of the Wednesdays in December, during which students can come to the building and have their photo redone. We are asking anyone who is requesting a photo makeup, or who has not taken his/her picture, to email Ms. Durkin at ddurkin@uxbridge.k12.ma.us, so we can have an idea of how many students we are looking at.

Finally, I have long said that Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year. This year, it will absolutely take on a different look and feel, particularly as many of our large gathering are compromised by the pandemic. We remind families of the restrictions placed on travel and urge people to make smart choices and, most importantly, stay safe during this holiday season. In that spirit, we hope that everyone finds something for which they are thankful, be it family, friends, good health, or spirt. 

Fall Sports 2020: A Requiem

Dear Parents, Guardians, Coaches, and, especially, Student-Athletes:

When we first set out to begin this school year, there were many concerns about the fall season, from logistics, to safety, to scheduling. We asked a great deal of our student-athletes and our communities. In August, we were concerned beyond belief about where our school year would go, how long we would stay in session safely, and whether or not our procedures, despite the hundreds of hours that went into planning, would be fail-safe. To complicate matters, we heard the hew and cry from dozens of prospective student-athletes and families about the impact of delaying the fall season's start, with some imploring us not to cancel - though that was never a consideration.

We are now at the waning moments of this fall season, a season that has had its crest of emotions, an ebb and flow, highs and lows, unlike any season any of us have experienced. With the pod system, traditional rivalries went by the wayside. Some of our opponents because quite familiar, since we had fewer options for some sports' opponents, and the goal of hoisting a state tournament championship trophy, which is so very important to so many of us, also was taken from us. Practices took new forms. Bus rides had different feels. Game strategy, for some sports, adjusted and adapted, whether it was because of new rules or limits to players and tactics. Hand sanitizing and masks became as much a part of our equipment as the ball, the spikes, or the sticks. Fans were mostly respectful of our guidance and limitations, draconian as they may have been considered. 

We managed to get to the end of the season with, really, very little disruption. To that end, our school administration is grateful. We are grateful for our coaches and support staff, for all they rolled with, and being patient with an administration that was imposing new guidelines, some of which were not of our own will and design. We are grateful for our parents, guardians, and fans, who did their best to stay upbeat with student-athletes who were frustrated with these new rules and provided us with feedback, positive and negative. We are grateful, most of all, for our student-athletes, not just for their commitment to their sports, but for recognizing how hard this really was. Personally, I missed getting out to games as often as possible - it is one of my favorite parts of the job. This fall, complications and conflicts made that difficult, particularly as we continue to move the school forward. However, many of us who could not be there in person, were always watching from afar, be it via the erstwhile support of Uxbridge Cable and the live streams, or by getting regular texts from the athletic director.

We all long for those days before March, when things seemed much simpler and sports were just sports, to an extent. We look ahead to winter, with trepidation and anxiety about the rising numbers at the local, state, and national scale. We continue to ask our students, staff, coaches, families, and communities to make extraordinary sacrifices and adjustments to combat a global pandemic and sustain our safety and well-being. No decisions we make have been done lightly, and many of them came with incredible disappointment and frustration, though, as we have now persevered through the fall, we hope that everyone looks back at fall 2020 with a degree of both relief and gratitude for what was accomplished, not what was lost.

Athletics are, as another educator administrator wrote last week, an "important and intricate part of the fabric of our communities." To those who helped make this fall a possibility, thank you. To those who gave us something to cheer for, thank you. And to those who remain patient with the prospect of our next seasons and a day when more normalcy returns, thank you.

Yours in black and orange,

Mike Rubin, Principal
Uxbridge High School

Schedule for November 16

 The schedule for Monday, November 16:

Spartan Podcast: November 13

 The Spartan Podcast edition for November 13 is linked below!

Weekly News and Notes, November 13

We have a few updates from UHS this week.

Winter Athletics

The MIAA sport committees will be providing information to the Sports Medicine Committee next week, after which recommendations for the winter season will be forthcoming. Right now, we have very few certainties.

If we are able to have a winter season, please know that our district will not likely be starting immediately after Thanksgiving, as is the typical practice. We also are not sure if the athletic pod for the winter will be consistent with the pod alignment from the winter. Given the rising metrics and ongoing issues with COVID-19 in both the local and regional areas, we are sharing this concern now because we know that the community has much interest in decisions about athletics. The reality is that it is impossible to speculate at this point, and we will let everyone know what the winter will include once we are certain.

In the meantime, winter registration will be opening on FamilyID in the next week.

Thanksgiving Travel

We are looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of the month. Please be aware of all travel guidelines and restrictions. If out-of-state travel occurs during the holiday weekend, individuals must quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative PCR test for COVID-19.

Picture Retakes

We have not yet scheduled picture retakes for this year. We will let everyone know when that date and time is finalized.

School Council Opening

We are still in search of a grade 8 and grade 9 parent to participate on our School Council. We meet monthly. Please reach out to Mr. Rubin directly if at all interested.

Spirit Week!

Thanks to our Student Council for organizing a Spirit Week next week. Themes are:

Parent Feedback

The parent feedback that we got from last week's survey (almost 250 responses!) was tremendously helpful. We will be reviewing the composite data with our School Council and leadership team, and, fortunately, the positives outweighed the negatives. For the most part, there seems to be confidence in the building's safety, concern for the upcoming cold and flu season and the virus' autumn surge, and gratitude for the efforts of the staff and administration. We realize that there are some areas where the schoolwork has been challenging to navigate, in terms of assignment and quantity, and we could do a better job of articulating due dates in some areas.

The challenge that was most overwhelmingly identified was that the students in the two cohorts are generally disconnected from each other, which is to be expected, given the logistics. There were also a number of comments that most consistently indicated that some parents, at least those who shared those, want students back in school more days. Some parents also indicated that they do not understand or value the work being asked of students on Wednesday, namely the idea of a passion project, though in grades 8 and 11 these are centered around specific requirements, such as the civics project (grade 8) and financial literacy (grade 11). 

Further, for every person who indicated that there was “too much work,” there was someone indicating that students could be challenged more. Additionally, for some of the specific teachers who were mentioned as needing support in terms of organization or work assignments, there were other parents who commended the same teachers for the same areas. Please know that we continue to work hard at differentiating and adjusting the workload in all our classes, that there is never a perfect solution, and that we are starting to hear successes and challenges typically heard in any given school year is a sign that we have normalized the hybrid schedule, to some extent.

Finally, in the past couple of days, we have had a number of people reach out following the town's recent uptick in positive cases. Please know that we continue to operate very safely at UHS. One of the pieces of advice we have provided our staff is to treat everyone as if they are potentially carrying the virus - meaning maintaining distance, washing hands, and being masked. Because of the many safeguards we have in place, we know that UHS is safe and that risk is minimized. We know that this is inconvenient for everyone, but we are confident that better days are coming. Feel free to reach out if you or your families need any support, particularly as we head to the holiday season.

Have a great weekend!

Spartan Podcast: October 30

 Our latest podcast is available! Tune in below or via anchor.fm/uxbridgehighschool.

Weekly News and Notes, October 30

 Good morning,

We have a few updates this week, but if you choose to only read one of them, please focus on the first.

It is no secret to anyone who has been following the news of late that the fall surge of COVID-19 is upon us. Fortunately, because of advances in treatment, the fatality rate has dropped, but, as we all know, the virus has no borders, no limits, no discretion. Of late, many schools in Massachusetts have been forced into full remote learning environments because of either the number of quarantine cases among the faculty or students. Still more concerning are the number of schools who need to close because they cannot guarantee safety or adequately minimize risks. This is for several reasons, but, most significantly, it is because of an inability to sufficiently contact trace when students are gathering socially on weekends or at night, and with students not always being forthcoming with information.

For example, several weeks ago, there was a gathering in a Massachusetts town with about 40-50 people present. Because the police were called, those in attendance scattered, as is prone to happen. However, because the attendees could not be validated, once one positive case were identified from that gathering, contact tracing was not possible, and an entire community was potentially put at risk. Consequently, athletics in those schools were temporarily suspended, all students forced to learn remotely, and additional emotions for the students and staff identified, from anger to fear to disappointment.

To bring it closer to home, I will share my overt concern with our community. Over the summer, I was inundated with messages from families, coaches, and, most significantly, student-athletes, who were, in their words, "devastated" that we were delaying - not cancelling - an athletic season, out of abundance of caution and safety. This anger made its way all the way to the School Committee level, and I shared at a meeting in early September that my gravest concern was how our seasons were hanging on very much by a thread, given the possibility of a cluster to a school, team, opponent, etc. There were those in the community who did not share my concern, but now, here we are, in late October/early November, dealing with that very potential.

I understand that "kids will be kids," and that we all long for a return to normalcy. It saddens me that kids have lost so much in these times - as an educator and as a parent. I know firsthand how our students miss their regular routines, seeing the same complement of friends at school, and being here like it used to be. I also understand that these are challenging times that require us all to adjust and compromise. I share that desire for normalcy and frustration with the situation. That said, this recent surge and the subsequent potential impact for our school has been keeping me up nights - since the thread I described at the start of the school year is straining and very much on the verge of tearing. If those students are still as worried about their season(s), I would hope that they would put the impact to team, school, and family above a couple hours of social time, or that they would try to be safe during those times.

As we head toward the holiday season, when more families gather, when more travel happens, when there is more likelihood of being in close contact with a broader number of people, please remember that we are in this together, that our actions count, and that what we do can have far-reaching consequences.

Heart of the Arts Award

Congratulations again to Ms. Penza, who earlier this month was presented with the Massachusetts Heart of the Arts award. To watch a quick video of the presentation, click here.

School Photos

We will be taking school pictures next week. The schedule is listed below, as is a link to the order form.

Schedule: 

Cohort A: Tuesday, November 3

Cohort D: Wednesday, November 4

Grade 8: 7:30 a.m.

Grade 9: 8:00 a.m.

Grade 10: 8:20 a.m.

Grade 11: 8:45 a.m.

Grade 12: 9:00 a.m.Cohort B: Thursday, November 5

For Cohort D pictures, we will have an area set up either outside or right inside the gym. Parents who are dropping off can drop off the student just outside the gym and proceed to the student parking lot to wait. When the student is done, they will walk to the vehicle and leave.

We take photos of every student for both the yearbook and for Student ID's. We would like to do our best to get every student's photo taken, even if families do not plan on ordering.

Grade 8 Civics Projects

Our grade 8 social studies team has been organizing the students' civics projects, and some of those projects are starting to take shape. The students' enthusiasm for this work is really exciting to watch, and we are looking forward to seeing how they engage with community and each other over the course of the year. You may see some messages from the school coming from the different groups - they have to do with effecting some sort of positive change in the world, and we sometimes share their surveys or information in order to help them have a real-world experience. Feel free to participate if you'd like!

Finally, on a personal level, I was able to accept the 2020 Massachusetts High School Principal of the Year this week, at a ceremony that the Massachusetts School Administrators' Association hosted here at Uxbridge High School. While the pandemic cancelled the typical plan for the award, it meant so much to me to be able to accept the award here in Uxbridge, with our staff, administrative team, School Committee, and my family in the audience. As I shared that day in my remarks, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work at this school and with this community, and while awards like this are validating, they hardly mean the end of the work. We look forward to continuing to keep our school moving forward, even in these challenging times!

Be safe and stay well.

Mike Rubin
Principal, Uxbridge High School

Weekly News and Notes, October 23

We have a couple of updates from UHS this week.

Board of Education Meeting

Earlier this week, Mr. Rubin and Dr. Tiano had the opportunity to attend the meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, in which the work of Uxbridge High School in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) was highlighted as part of Massachusetts STEM Week. The school has earned more than $2 million in competitive grants over the past couple of years, including in-kind donations, which has helped to augment technology deployment and teacher training at UHS.

If you would like to watch the presentations, they can be viewed at this link. The UHS presentation starts at about the 1:53 (one hour, 53 minute) mark of the first part video, and then continues at the start of the "part two" video.

World Language Clarification

Our World Language classes have moved to an entirely proficiency-based model this year, which has helped students and teachers see gains around actual skill development, rather than rote memorization. We acknowledge that the new grading system is complex if unfamiliar to students and parents, and so an additional video clarifying is linked below. (Something was shared at the start of the school year as well).

Clarification on COVID-19 Protocols

With the start of the athletic season, we appreciate the commitment to our teams that many student-athletes have. However, that commitment cannot come at the expense of procedures and protocols. If families leave the state, there is a required quarantine or proof of a negative PCR test is required to be shared with the school nurse before a student can return to school, much less start participating in sports. Also, symptomatic students will be sent home. We simply cannot take the chance of the illness being anything more than a common cold, and the symptoms are quite similar.

We appreciate everyone's cooperation. It has been a heavy lift to get athletics back on the field and to keep our work going strong here at UHS, so we are looking to continue that positive trajectory.

Eight Week Evaluation

We have been consistently enlisting the feedback of students as part of our weekly advisory units and using that feedback to drive conversation here, both administratively and within departments. We will be asking families for feedback within the next couple of weeks as well.

As we constantly examine and reexamine our practices, we intend to make adjustments, but to do so thoughtfully and with improvement in mind. We certainly will not make changes just for the sake of change. We certainly will do our best to clarify anything that we plan!

Upcoming Weeks

As an FYI, there is no school on November 4, due to a teacher workshop day. November 11 is a no-school day due to Veterans' Day, and we have a half-day on November 25 in advance of the Thanksgiving weekend. 

Here's a look at our "Week That Was" video, which we hope will provide some insight into the work happening in our building. We are starting to get back into the normalcy of school, to the best of our ability, and we see classrooms starting to regain some of the buzz we had before the pandemic.

Have a great week.

Weekly News and Notes, October 16

We have much to celebrate this week at UHS!

Student Achievements!

Congratulations are in order for a couple of our UHS students for their individual accomplishments this week! Carlee Veinotte competed in Oklahoma City at the Morgan Grand National and World Championship horse show Competition, and she earned the distinction of being a world champion in the Hunter Pleasure Youth class, including competitors aged 21 and under! 

On Thursday, Luke Esposito first hole in one in recent Uxbridge golf history, the achievement coming on the fifth hole at Blissful Meadows.

 

Heart of the Arts Award

On Thursday, longtime Uxbridge music educator Kathleen Penza was honored by the MIAA and National Federation of High Schools as the Massachusetts recipient of the Heart of the Arts award. The Award is given annually to one recipient who meets this criteria:

·         Seeks to recognize those individuals who exemplify the ideals of the positive hearts of the arts that represent the core mission of education-based activities.

·         May be given in recognition of a specific act or for an activity of longer duration.

·         Covers a plethora of performing arts disciplines: Music, Speech, Debate, Theatre, Visual Arts and other performing arts activities.

·         The recipient could be any student, adult or group associated with the school’s performing arts program.

We are so proud of the work Mrs. Penza does with our school and community - be on the lookout for video footage!

Class Elections!

Congratulations to the newly elected officers of our classes. We look forward to partnering with them in the coming weeks and months.

Class of 2025:

President: Jack Sullivan

Vice President: Thatcher Kling

Secretary: Elyse Bouchard

Treasurer: Ali Alomar

Historian: Landon Sweet 

Class of 2024:

President: Payson Roy

Vice President: Nathan Noyes

Secretary- Kellen Lachapelle

Treasurer- Luke Esposito 

Historian- Matthew DiLibero  

Class of 2023: 

President: Tyler Richardson

Vice President: Carl Gallawan

Secretary- Grace Orr

Treasurer- Abby Sanches

Historian- Morgan Ouellette  

Class of 2022: 

President: Grace Boisvert 

Vice President: Liam Sweeney

Secretary- Lexi Wojciechowski

Treasurer- Zoe Jones

Historian- Chloe Kaeller 

Class of 2021:

President: Anastasia Achiaa

Vice: Mikenna Manz

Secretary: Karen Hernandez

Treasurer: Johnny Fabian

Historian: Brendan Thompson 

School Council

Our School Council has a couple of open seats on it for parent members. We are looking for parent representation from the Classes of 2024 and 2025. Our School Council helps drive school improvement planning and provides a mechanism for us to share goals and opportunities with a collaborative group of students, parents, community members and educators.

If you are interested, please contact Mr. Rubin directly via mrubin@uxbridge.k12.ma.us.

Final Word

Much is being written and shared about the current surge in cases of COVID-19 across the state. We realize that we have many safety procedures in place here at UHS. We do, however, realize that the ongoing increases in numbers puts the school and our community in a precarious position. We ask that you please do your part and remind students to follow all safety guidelines, particularly when away from school. We certainly do not want to compromise any opportunities for the coming year.

Weekly News and Notes, October 9

Good morning,

We have a few updates from UHS. To hear this as a podcast, please click here:

Columbus Day Weekend

With the Columbus Day weekend upon us and many families planning trips, we wanted to send along a reminder that travel outside of Massachusetts to anyplace other than Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, or Maine requires a self-quarantine until a negative COVID test or 14 day quarantine upon return to MA. For more information:

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order

Questions about Attendance

Some families have asked a very fair question about what to do if a student is not well or facing some sort of scheduling conflict at home, particularly if that student can log in remotely and still participate in class. Here is our guidance, at this time.

If a student is supposed to be physically in the building for an in-person day, our teachers will be instructed to mark the student absent. This assists us from the perspective of contact tracing, as well as to flag any absences for our school nurse to check in, particularly if the student is home for symptomatic reasons. The term "absent" should not be seen as a mark against the student - it is done solely for the purpose of knowing who is physically present and who is not. We obviously encourage students to continue with their learning when they are able to do so. Of course, if a student is not well, and needs to the time at home to rest and recover, we support those decisions as well. Either way, keeping our school nurse informed is critical!

MCAS

The Commissioner's office released new guidance on MCAS this week. We are summarizing the details for our students below based on the grade-level expectations for MCAS. Some of our teachers may have shared information regarding this year's testing that, at the time, was accurate, and, as is common for 2020-21, information changed from DESE, so that we now have a clearer expectation from the state about MCAS for the coming year. Of course, this could change.

Grade 8: Students will take MCAS exams in science, English, and mathematics, as is the typical process. This will be the next-generation assessment, completed via computer.

Grade 9: Students in grade 9 will take the MCAS exam in physics. This will be the next-generation science assessment, and will be taken in June. The window for the assessment has not yet been released.

Grade 10: Students in grades 10 will take the English and math assessments in May. The tests are currently projected to be scheduled for May 18-27. This will be computer-based.

Students in grades 11-12 have an optional window for testing in English and mathematics. We will be reaching out to all students to see if they want to test in January for the opportunity to earn the Adams or Koplik scholarship and their graduation requirement. We will be reaching out to families regarding this option for the purpose of scheduling, as the window for that first test is January 14-February 5.

Masks and Athletics

As we started our fall athletic season this week, we are issuing a not-so-gentle reminder about the mask policy and sport-specific rules.

Our School Committee and district policy is that all individuals on school grounds or in school buildings must be wearing masks. This includes coaches, spectators, and student-athletes. The sport-specific guidance from the MIAA also requires coaches to be mindful of a number of protocols and guidelines, all of which require mask wearing, practices to occur in pod-like fashion, and for only momentary mask breaks to take place. We are also requiring a pre-screening for practice, which helps us with attendance. While it takes a couple of minutes to complete, it gives us a fast and accurate record to share with the school nurse, particularly if we have a positive case identified.

As we start hosting events in the coming weeks, spectators will also be required to wear masks, maintain distance, and follow any guidelines and procedures required by the Board of Health, Department of Public Health, and MIAA. Some districts and leagues have already gone to the length of not allowing spectators, and others have already made the change to the second fall season that will be played this spring. We do not want to take any of these draconian measures, but we have the impossible tasks of maintaining safety and fidelity to policy. 

We hope this provides some clarity.

Week That Was

 

Finally, we have our teachers and students communicating frequently for quick check-ins and to gain feedback on how lessons are going. We conduct these checks not only in our weekly advisory, but also within the context of individual classes. The ongoing feedback has helped give students the opportunity to have a voice in their learning, for our staff to make adjustments, and for our classes, as a whole, to make the appropriate adjustments. 

We hope everyone enjoys the long weekend.

UHS: Instructional Adjustments

Good afternoon,

As we continue to make gains and strides in the hybrid model, we wanted to let families and students know of some adjustments that students and families may see in some courses.

First, over the first three weeks of the year, our teachers have prioritized synchronous learning, for the most part. That means that the majority of our classes the teacher is teaching to a group of students live, and the students and teachers are on a similar schedule. Synchronous learning allowed our teachers and students to get into a routine, for teachers to introduce direct instruction, and for staff to become acquainted with the names and faces in their sections. There are many positives to this model, from enabling teachers and staff to be on same page as their students, to get the learning going, and to establish connections.

At the same time, some of the feedback we have been provided is that some courses have become a bit too homework-centric, and also that class time in the building is not necessarily being used for activities, as teachers are working hard to keep both in-person and remote students on a similar page, with the same assignments. We are working, as a result, to make some adjustments, as well as to get more differentiated assignments integrated into classes.

The term that is often used is "asynchronous" learning. Asynchronous learning is a general term used to describe forms of education, instruction, and learning that do not occur in the same place or at the same time. Asynchronous instruction can be in the form of pre-recorded slides, assignments in Google Classroom, a paper and pencil assignment, videos to watch, independent studio time, or a reading. In other words, the instruction by the teacher and the learning by the student do not necessarily occur at the same time, or the student can work on something at one time and consult with the teacher at a different time. For example, the teachers can assign a video with some questions or a written response to be done by the end of the week - the student can complete that assignment during the regular class time, or during a convenient time for the student. In the interim, the teachers will provide times that they are available, which may mean that there are not specific responsibilities during a class time.

The reality is that asynchronous learning is something that has always happened in class, with learning stations, differentiated instruction, purposeful grouping, and different assignments for different students, a hallmark of universal design principles. It now takes on more of a focus because that work may happen at home, where families can see it, but this is at the core of the practice standards and skills - and students will hardly be left to their own devices without (a) support or (b) accountability. What this will allow us to do is create different learning experiences for students, emphasize specific objectives and tasks, focus on skills through content, and give students a range of experiences - all of which have been part of our focus. 

For students who are fully remote, there will remain opportunities for students to connect with in-person classes and for teachers to balance direct instruction with independent learning, and to provide check-ins. Please do not interpret a shift to implementing asynchronous learning as a complete pivot away from synchronous instruction, but more of a thoughtful joining of the two, as, in some cases, the classes were already running in this manner.

We will continue to reflect on what we do, elicit feedback, and make adjustments as we see fit. To those ends, we expect you will continue to see changes and, ideally, improvements. We thank you for your continued patience, feedback, and support.

Weekly News and Notes, October 2

 Weekly Update from UHS

We have a few updates from UHS this week:

Updates from Health Office

Annual Health Information Form: Please fill out annual health information for each student you have at UHS, fully remote and in-person. 

 UHS Student Medical Information Form

New State Mandated Vaccine Requirements: Influenza (flu) vaccine for all UHS grade levels by December 31st. MenACWY (Meningococcal) vaccine for Grade 11 students, this is typically done at the 16 year physical. This applies to fully remote and in-person students. Documentation by your provider may be emailed to tschiller@uxbridge.k12.ma.us or faxed to 508-278-8647 or brought to the UHS main office. If you have a medical or religious exemption to either of these vaccines please submit documentation. 

Immunization info is linked here.

Athletics

Fall sports will start on Monday. We have very specific guidelines for each of our sports that we need to follow. Most importantly, for all spectators, participants, coaches, and support staff: mask wearing is required at all times when on campus. We have already had some issues with student-athletes after school, and, despite our protestations, this week had not only student-athletes without masks, but also some adults not willing to follow rules. 

We follow Board of Health, MIAA, and Department of Public Health guidance. At best, those who are not able to follow these rules could forfeit the privilege of participating or spectating. At worst, those who are not following the rules compromise the safety and health of us all.

We are already disappointed in how our precious seasons have been cut short, and there are those in the community who have harbored feelings of disappointment, frustration, and even anger about late starts and shorter seasons. We are doing everything in our power to make this season a possibility. Anything short of everyone's complete cooperation compromises so much more than one individual's comfort or opinion.

Also, some questions have been raised about whether or not athletics would continue should Uxbridge's community metrics trend toward red in terms of the number of cases. We would be dealing with those cases should they come up, as well as looking at patterns. Obviously, our biggest concern is a cluster at the high school, which would be extremely problematic, particularly if we were to have to be fully remote due to an outbreak, in particular one in our athletic program.

Feedback from Students and Parents

Each week, as part of advisory, our teachers survey our students to get feedback on things that are going well, and aspects of life at UHS that could be improved. We use that feedback to drive some of our teachers' collaborative time and to develop lessons that will thus meet more students' needs. In the coming weeks, we will be providing families with the opportunity to provide us feedback as well.

Please know that we are still very much in the early stages of this hybrid model - this was just our second full week of school. While we are still working out some kinks, the early reviews seem to be positive from the students' perspective, and we will be working to fine tune some of the challenges being reported in some classes. When we share that information, please be sure to offer us feedback based on what you are seeing, since it will help us grow and improve, as well as to validate what is being done well.

Student Voice and Current Climate

It goes without saying that there are many disparate points of view in the nation right now, and we have many different thoughts, opinions, and perspectives within our staff, our families, and our students. As school administration, we have a responsibility to ensure that our community is safe, and that students and staff are protected from speech and symbols that could cause a deleterious impact to the experience at school.

We follow guidance established by the most significant rulings possible, those of the United States Supreme Court, and we invoke those responsibilities based on the case law. For example, in Tinker v. Des Moines, the Court held that school officials may discipline a student for expressive conduct that is otherwise protected by the First Amendment if the conduct “materially and substantially interfere[s] with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school,” or if school officials can reasonably forecast that the speech will cause a material and substantial disruption.

We respect the various viewpoints of our students, but please know that when those viewpoints disrupt the rights of others, are blatantly disrespectful or hateful, or intend to create a hostile environment at school, we work collaboratively with our public safety partners, counselors, and families to respond accordingly. We likewise have built conversations and lessons about implicit bias, structural racism, and prejudicial behaviors into our various curricula, particularly in grades 8 and 9, to help students understand the impact of their statements, comments, etc. Simply put, hate speech is not tolerated in any form, regardless of the platform by which individuals may seek to espouse or impose their views.

Weekly News and Notes, September 25

 We have a few updates from UHS:

Fall Sports Night, 9/28

Fall Sports Night will take place "virtually" (Zoom) on Monday September 28th at 6:30pm. This event is mandatory for all students (and at least 1 parent/guardian) who is participating in Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf and Soccer. We will review athletic department policies and other important information, as well as provide an update on our new athletic department COVID-19 protocols. Following the AD presentation, students and their parents will meet with their individual coaches for their Pre-Season Team Meeting. All registered athletes and their parent/guardian will receive an email on Friday with both zoom links and instructions on how to access the meetings (AD presentation, individual team meeting). 

After School Access

A number of our students and student-athletes have been accessing the fields and track after school hours. When there, masks are required. Per the School Committee mask policy, masks are required to be worn at all times when on school grounds. We have had a number of situations this week with entire packs of students, engaged in physical activity, not wearing masks, and not practicing physical distancing. We have been patient, have reminded, and have redirected those individuals, and there has been the argument that "well, they've been together for a long time, and nothing has happened." While that may be true, we need everyone following guidelines to ensure that stays the case.

Senior Seminars

Senior seminars with guidance will begin next Wednesday as part of the advisory blocks in the morning. Seniors will get login information shared with them via email early next week.

Proper Online Etiquette

For the most part, our students have been very respectful during online class sessions. We all realize what a heavy lift the remote part of learning can be, and we are still in the very new stages of this model. We have had many successes as teachers have adapted to this model, and there are likewise some challenges emerging with respect to the technology, bandwidth at home, and ability to access some assignments.

Teachers' primary means of connecting with students will be through Google Classroom, for assignments, and Zoom, for streaming of lessons. As parents, there may be a temptation to communicate with staff as classes begin and end, but we have to remind everyone that, while the teacher may appear to be working in isolation, or be concluding a lesson, parents should not be interrupting lessons or attempting to communicate with teachers during class time. Even simple questions about student progress are not appropriate to be asked, as there are other students present, both online and in person.

Additionally, we realize that some classes may be running more smoothly than others are this point in the year. The challenge of revamping entire methods of schooling are very real, and we have been extremely grateful with everyone's patience, including the students. 

At the same time, we are finding the way the schedule is working, with the classes in person and then fully remote in the afternoon, has been fairly smooth and successful. We will be collecting some feedback from students in the coming days to help guide our future planning, and teachers will be using time each Wednesday to reflect on plans and use our results to guide future instruction and curricular adjustments.

Enjoy the weekend.

Virtual Meet the Teacher Night

Good morning,

On Thursday, September 24, Uxbridge High School will host its annual Meet the Teacher night, with this year's version taking a virtual approach. Below are the details of how the evening will work and how you will be able to participate. The event is scheduled to take place from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

1. This Zoom link is for the opening presentation at 6:00 p.m. This will last from about 6-6:30 or so, and will include updates from administration and counselors. 

2. The opening presentation's slides will be shared, and embedded in them will be a message from teachers, in which they will have developed an introductory video to their class(es) that parents will be able to access simply by clicking on the link to the class. The videos will be sorted by department and then by teacher for easy access. The link on the course will be the class introductory video. The staff member's name will be the link to the Zoom session for Thursday night.

3. If you wish to connect with an individual teacher, you may do so by clicking on the individual teacher's name as part of the presentation. Teachers will be available at that link until 8:00 p.m., and you can also email them, as they will be available on Thursday night. Please note that Meet the Teacher night is not Parent-Teacher Conferences. 

We ask that you not share any of these links via social media, and, for security purposes, it is required that you be logged into Zoom with your full first and last name.

Thank you!

Michael Rubin, Principal
Uxbridge High School

Weekly News and Notes, September 18

Back at it! We have a few updates from UHS for this week: 

Athletics Information

1. 2020 FALL ATHLETIC SCHEDULE - The Uxbridge High School Athletic Department is proud to announce the 2020 Fall Athletic schedules for Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf and Soccer. These schedules will provide an unmatched level of competition that will push our teams and athletes to new heights. 

The 2020 Fall MASTER Schedule will include both contest and practice dates/times for the entire season and can be accessed on the front page of our website or by CLICKING HERE. Please review often for changes and updates as things are quite fluid these days. We would like to thank you all for your continued patience throughout this process and are looking forward to seeing our amazing student-athletes out on the field real soon!

2. CAPTAINS' PRACTICES - While we understand that our student-athletes want to get together to workout, it is important to clarify that the MIAA does not allow such practices to take place. We are, however, well aware that some of our students may have been getting together this summer to train and prepare for upcoming seasons. Given the social stresses brought on by the pandemic, we are happy to know that our student-athletes are there for each other. However, it is very important that if kids are getting together to play a sport, they are doing so by choice AND that they are following state/local and district expectations around COVID-19 protocols. They should be socially distancing and wearing protective face coverings at all times while on UHS grounds. With the new modifications released this week, it makes sense for them to begin getting used to the "new" normal.

Work Permit Information

As of September 17, 2020.....Please follow these procedures below to obtain your Work Permit. Uxbridge High School Students ONLY are to do the following: 1. Download and print out the Promise of Employment Form (available via the Guidance webpage). 2. Your employer, physician (if applicable) and your parent/guardian sign the form. The student must then sign the bottom of the form "Signature of Minor" 3. Scan and/or take a picture of the this form and send to Jennifer Robertson at jrobertson@uxbridge.k12.ma.us 4. Include in the body of the email: Name of minor, Minor's address, Minor's place of birth, Date of Birth, Current age, Color Hair, Color of Eyes, Facial Marks, Gender, Grade. 5. When the work permit is ready to be signed, Mrs. Robertson will send you an email to make an appointment for you to come to the Guidance Office to sign it.

Remote Student Classroom Materials

We will be communicating next week about times for students who are remote-only to come to UHS and have materials picked up, if classes have them for distribution. If you have been notified by a teacher that something is here, please come to the main office and let us know by the window.

Finally, we are again impressed with the level of cooperation we saw today and throughout the week. That said, we know that the transition back to school likely brought with it some fatigue, from Zoom or otherwise. The schedule, as it is laid out, gives us the opportunity to have some longer and shorter blocks of time with our students, and, at the same time, knowing full well that it is different, will allow us to combat Zoom fatigue. We also know that the students are a little sluggish, particularly after getting back after six months of being away and hearing a lot of lectures about routines, but things will turn next week back to actual learning and new content.

To those who celebrate the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, we wish you a happy and healthy new year. For everyone else, have a great weekend!

Update for September 17

Good evening,

Our 2020-21 school year started today. There were a few times in the past several months where that seemed more dream than reality.

Around 7:15, the first buses started arriving, and the students were incredibly mindful of our passing routes both into and around the building. There were some emotions, for sure, both from many of our students and staff, and while we had a few unforeseen challenges and glitches, we were able to iron out most of the kinks relatively quickly. To those who were most affected by them, and the students who were patient with these challenges, we are both apologetic and grateful, since their patience - collectively and individually - was a true hallmark of the day.

Classes throughout the day showed our staff's commitment to meeting the unique challenges of hybrid learning. Watching classes engage with both students in person and those at home simultaneously was truly exciting to watch.

Dismissal was timely - but we want to make sure that families afford themselves of the opportunity to get a lunch from the school. Students can take a meal for anyone in their home who is under the age of 22; all they need to do is notify the cafeteria staff of this intention, and there is no charge.

It did not appear there were many issues with students logging into the classes after lunch, particularly for those leaving UHS, but we will be keeping an eye on that timing.

All in all, today really was a successful start for cohorts A and C. Tomorrow, cohort B will join us in the building. We remind all our students and families of our etiquette and protocols for remote learning, to consistently check Google Classroom and email to be notified of changes and updates, and to reach out if there are any issues. Typically, that first line of question will be the school counselor, whose names and contact information are listed below:

Ashley Smith: asmith@uxbridge.k12.ma.us (Last names A-Go)

Jamie Toto: jtoto@uxbridge.k12.ma.us (Gr-O)

Emily Cotter: ecotter@uxbridge.k12.ma.us (P-Z)

Finally, our year started today, it started strongly, and it started because of a team effort. To those of you who took the time to thank us for all our effort, we appreciate the sentiment. Know that our work has only just started, and we have a great school year ahead of us. We will certainly do our best to keep you informed.

Reopening Update, September 15

Hi everyone,

I say this is the final update, but the reality is there may be some additional pieces of info that we share tomorrow, and certainly as we head into the weekend. We know that the work is hardly ever done, and there is always some communication to be had.

1. Bus assignments have already been posted to the district website. They are linked here: https://www.uxbridgeschools.com/domain/174

2. The School District is providing free meals to all students, as late as December 31 or as long as funding is available. For the full letter of information, click here.

3. We have a few more procedures that have been updated, largely around the cafeteria, entry and dismissal based on busing, and a few other reminders that we wanted to make sure are clear before the year starts. This video can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/zUBk8H9wcnw. The slides are here: 

We are so excited to see students back here this week!

Be safe.

Mike Rubin, Principal

Uxbridge High School

Weekly Update, September 12

September 12, 2020

Dear Uxbridge Families, Students, and Extended Community:

At long last, we are ready to provide some final details for students and families regarding next week’s return to school. While this message is lengthy, and may not be a one-sitting read, it will have almost EVERYTHING you need to prepare for day one.

If you are not inclined to read everything, there is a three-part video series that should help answer most of the questions, as well as a slide presentation that provides a great deal of information:

Reopening Procedures Slide

Back to School Video 1: Safety Protocols

Back to School Video 2: Procedures and Academics

Back to School Video 3: What’s Next

Also, please note the following documents and links:

Reopening Webpage (including Supply Lists)

Covid Handbook Addendum

Nurse’s Update

Safety and Handbook Verification Form

It is with a great deal of gratitude and appreciation that we are at this point and able to be confident in saying we are ready to open school. While this information may seem overwhelming, we are sharing today, so that everyone can take a few minutes each day to process, in advance of Thursday.

Please reach out if you have any questions.

This document is also broken up into some sections to help with navigation. Clicking on the link below will help navigate to that section of this document:

Back to School Updates

SAFETY

Update on Arrival Time and Procedure

Parent Drop-Off

Class Transit and Classroom Procedures

Changing Bus Assignments, Cohort Assignments, or Learning Models

Class Schedules

What to Expect on the First Day

Fully Remote Model Students and Families

Wednesday Schedule

Athletics

Expectations for Online Class Meetings

ONLINE LEARNING EXPECTATIONS

Handbook Verification

Sample Syllabi

A Final Word

Students Responsibilities This Week

SAFETY

All students are required to wear a mask. A mask must cover the nose and mouth, and it must be two-ply, washable fabric.

In terms of health requirements, Any student who has these symptoms should stay home, get a COVID test and consult with their primary care physician:

Cough (not due to known cause)

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

fever of 100.0 F or higher 

chills or shaking chills

congestion or runny nose (not due to known causes and 

when in combination with other symptoms) 

muscle aches or body aches

headache (when in combination with other symptoms)

fatigue (when in combination with other symptoms)

sore throat

new loss of taste or smell

vomiting, diarrhea, nausea

Students with any symptoms should not report to school. They can log into school remotely. Students who are symptomatic at school will be sent home with notification and a requirement to be tested, and can only return to school if certain criteria are met (see the COVID-Addendum to the Handbook).

When students arrive:

Update on Arrival Time and Procedure

Please note that we are modifying our arrival time and procedures this year.

Students may not enter the building until 7:20 a.m.

Students may only enter through one of the following three entrances:

the main entrance

the gym entrance

the entrance at the end of the B-wing

Students must wear an appropriate mask covering the full mouth and nose.

Students must sanitize their hands upon entry using sanitizer provided by the school.

Each student will report direct to their first period class.

At 7:40am, we will lock all entrances to the school.  

Students arriving after 7:40 am must enter through the main entrance.

When students are late, if they have a smart device, they will scan the QR code outside the main office that will notify the office, via email, that they have arrived. The student will then report directly to the first period class without stopping at the office.

Parent Drop-Off

The drop-off procedure for parents is changing, so please pay attention to this section if you are planning on driving a student to or from school.

In the morning, parents will not be permitted to drive all the way to the school. They will drive down the driveway until the first road, and will turn left and proceed to the student parking lot. Entering the student parking lot, parents will turn right and proceed down toward the school, where student dropoff will occur. The students being dropped off will exit the vehicle and enter the door at the end of the B wing.

Please follow the signs upon entry. A video for the drop-off will be forthcoming.

Class Transit and Classroom Procedures

When in the building, students are required to pass on the right side of the hallway. All corridors are marked with a line in the middle which provides passing routes. To access stairwells, students will have to familiarize themselves with the patterns for the individual staircases to traverse up and down:

Stairwell at end of B wing is DOWN ONLY

Stairwell at end of A wing is UP only

No classes will meet outside the locker rooms. 

Stairwell at center is two-ways (Commons)

Stairwell in D-wing is UP ONLY

There is NO stopping at lockers between classes.

When in class, students are required to wear masks at all times. If a student is taking a drink of water, the proper way to do so is to lift the mask over the lips, keep the nose covered, take the drink, and then put the mask back down over the mouth.

Most classrooms will not be permitting food. This is not negotiable and based on teacher discretion, mostly due to safety and sanitation considerations.

When students need to use the lavatory, an E-hall Pass will be filled out. Each classroom has a designated lavatory assigned to it, typically the one closest to the classroom. If a student gets to the bathroom and it already has two students present, they are asked to wait outside until one person exits. There will never be more than ten total students out of class in the building at any one time, which puts the likelihood of multiple students in the restroom as much slimmer.

The nurse’s office is reserved only for students who are (a) not well or (b) have chronic medical conditions that require monitoring. Students may not use the nurse’s office for emotional convalescence or the restroom. Basic first-aid (i.e. a bandaid) can be secured from a teacher.

Mask breaks will take place mid-morning. The procedure has been shared with teachers, and is, at this time, limited to outdoor spaces. A procedure for indoor mask breaks will be forthcoming, particularly for times of inclement weather.

If a student fails to mask properly, and this is causing a potential safety issue for others in the building, there are tiers of responses that are followed to ensure that students do not compromise the well-being of others. Typically, a first step will involve a conversation with a school counselor before the administration will have the student brought home to learn remotely. A pattern of disruption and failure to comply with mask regulations could result in a student being assigned to remote learning on a more permanent basis.

Before leaving classrooms, students will share in the responsibility of cleaning desks. Their individual classroom space will be sanitized with an alcohol-based solution prior to departure for the next class. These solutions have been approved by the CDC, DPH, and Board of Health as suitable for student use and as a virucide.

At 11:45 a.m., the first call for dismissal will take place. Students who ride the bus will be dismissed to their respective buses. 

If students are picking up lunch before leaving, there will be a line-up process that allows for six-foot distancing. Students will pick up lunch, provide their name and number to the cafeteria staff, and exit the door that they entered at the start of the day. Subsequent groups - student drivers/passengers and parent pickups - will follow the same process.

The students will then transit home and will, after eating or while eating, log into the fifth period class of the day. We anticipate that most students will be able to sign on by 12:45.  The fifth period class will end around 1:00-1:05, and will be followed by the sixth and seventh classes of the day, which are entirely remote. The full bell schedule is linked here.

Remote expectations, for students who started the day in-person and for students who are entirely remote for the day or week, appear below.

Students who intend to stay on campus for after-school athletics will be supervised in the auditorium. However, only those students who have the 2:15 practice will be permitted to stay. Students who have practice starting at any other time will be required to arrange transportation back.

Changing Bus Assignments, Cohort Assignments, or Learning Models

Our work to develop academic and transportation schedules has been extraordinarily complicated and any changes to our current schedules will be difficult to implement.  Given that, we understand that families sometimes move to a new address during the school year and students need to be assigned to a new bus route.  We also understand that there may be reasons why students need to change from the Hybrid Model to the Remote Model during the school year, or from the Remote Model to the Hybrid Model.  We also know that some students would prefer to be assigned to a different cohort.  This message addresses each of these topics.

Bus Assignments

Students who ride the bus to school will be assigned a specific seat on a specific bus.  Students will not be permitted to board a bus unless they are eligible to ride that bus.  

Any student who rides a bus to school and who moves to a new address must communicate with us prior to the move so we can coordinate transportation for the student from their new address, if it is available.  In such cases, we will try to not change the student’s cohort assignment, but it may be necessary for us to do so.  Also, with busing now having a waitlist, we will do our best to accommodate.

Cohort Assignments

Unfortunately, we simply cannot make any changes to cohort assignments.  We know that our inability to change cohort assignments is a source of hardship for some families, and we are truly sorry that we cannot be more flexible. At this point, we have accommodated all family changes.

Changing Models

We cannot accommodate a change from remote to in-person at this time. We will revisit cohort size in a few weeks. Even if a change is permitted, transportation may not follow. In terms of students who may request a move to the remote learning model, a conversation with the student’s counselor should occur first. 

Class Schedules

The master schedule for classes looks like this:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

A

E

B

F

C

G

D

B: 

F

C

G

D

A

E

C:  

G

D

A

E  

B

F

D

A

E

B

F

C

G

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

E 

B

F

C

G

D

A

F 

C

G

D

A 

E

B

G 

D

A

E

B 

F

C

The rotation would look like:

Monday

Tuesday

Thursday

Friday

Monday

Tuesday

A: 

E

A: 

E

B

F

B: 

F

B: 

F

C

G

C:  

G

C:  

G

D

A

D

A

D

A

E

B

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

GRAB & GO LUNCH

ALL REMOTE

E 

B

E 

B

F

C

ALL REMOTE

F 

C

F 

C

G

D

ALL REMOTE

G 

D

G 

D

A

E

What to Expect on the First Day

The first day of school is on September 17.  Students in Cohort A will come in-school and students in Cohort B will stay at-home.  September 17 will follow a Day 6 Schedule (GABC in person for cohort A&C, remote for cohort B&D; DEF remote for all students)., and September 18 will follow a Day 7 schedule (DEFG in person for cohort B&C, remote for cohort A&D; ABC remote for all students).

By Wednesday, September 16, all students will receive messages from their teachers with information and introduction to the courses, as well as Google Classroom sign-in codes for the classes. 

Cohort A and C

Students in Cohort A will report to school on September 17 in the morning and will learn remotely on Friday, September 18. Blocks G, A, B, and C will meet in person for Cohorts A & C on September 17.

Cohort B and C

Students in Cohort B will learn remotely on September 17 and report to school on September 18. Blocks, D, E, F, and G will meet in person for Cohorts B and C on September 18.

The regular “Monday-Tuesday” and “Thursday-Friday” schedule will start the week of September 21.

While we have a great deal of confidence in our planning for Thursday, we are equally confident that we will encounter many challenges on this first day of in-school classes since March 13.  As we work to implement new safety protocols and procedures for the first time, we may experience delays at many points during the day.  Boarding buses, entering the building, and serving breakfast may all take longer than usual.  Our mask-breaks could take longer than planned, as could lunch service, and, subsequently, the start of afternoon classes may need to be adjusted.  

We want all students and families to be ready for such delays.  If we do encounter such delays, please understand that we will work to resolve them quickly, but only when  we are ready to proceed in a manner that keeps everyone safe. 

Exterior doors will be locked and students will not be permitted to enter the building until 7:20.  They can, upon arrival, wait outside, and, if six feet apart, lift masks.

Students who ride the bus will most likely arrive between 7:20am - 7:30am.  Students who choose to eat breakfast at school will do so at an assigned seat in the cafeteria.  

Once students reach their 1st period class, teachers will guide students to their assigned seats and begin orienting students to new routines in both the classroom and the school. Most classes will have live streaming links available for students at home. Keep in mind that the priority at the start of these classes will likely be assigning seats and ensuring that safety protocols are being followed in the building, so remote students - please be patient..  

At some times, students will have assignments due by a specific time on at-home days that they will submit via Google Classroom.  At other times, students will work on tasks in preparation for their next in-school or virtual class meeting and will not need to submit a specific assignment.  Students should expect to engage in 4-6 hours of activity on each of these at-home days.

There are also some teachers who may be teaching their classes fully remotely. Should that be the case, the students will be reporting to the auditorium, where they will be supervised and able to complete the class activities using streaming technology, such as Zoom or Google Meet, and there are also options for students to work on assignments that will be provided by teachers who are remote. These classes will communicate directly with students on a case-by-case basis.

Finally, please note that due to the pandemic and some of the guidance we currently have, some classes may have different expectations than what was actually expected. For example, “Team Sports” will be taught in concert with all physical education classes, as our courses take on a common theme each week, because contact activities and changing clothes are not permitted. Additionally, some classes, like Foods or Art, will have very specific safety protocols and procedures for partner work and sharing materials, and some equipment will not be able to used collaboratively in our fabrication shops, while science labs will be organized differently.

Fully Remote Model Students and Families

This update is designed for students and families enrolled in the fully remote model.

Teachers will be sharing direction for individual classes with respect to expectations for fully remote classes. For the four classes that meet in the “morning,” while some students are in-person, most of our classes are requiring students to log into a link to the class, typically through Zoom. There will be some classes where that is not going to take place and an assignment will be shared. This will be provided in advance by the teachers.

The afternoon classes will proceed synchronously, with all students remote, including students who were in-person during the morning. 

The goal is for our remote students to have as close to a similar experience as those students who may be in-person. Please note that some activities, particularly those that involve specialized equipment, may not be easily replicated for an at-home environment, but our teachers will be communicating what those expectations will be.

Wednesday Schedule

On Wednesday mornings, our students will be in class from 7:30-10:30 a.m. From 7:30-9:00 or so, our students will participate in an advisory with a predetermined teacher and grade-level group. During this team, our counseling team will be providing its series of lessons, the counseling curriculum, opportunities for students to connect with other teachers, and cross-checking Google Classroom and iStudent for outstanding assignments.

The second part of the day will be dedicated to Passion Projects, which will enable our students to complete an independent study driven by a specific topic or theme. In grade 8, these take a civics theme, in grades 9-10 a career exploration, grade 11 a future planning, social justice, or financial literacy theme, and grade 12 post-secondary planning and college applications. Through this time, essential skills will be the focus and foundation of all that is done, and students will work on topics like time management, effective communication, and study habits, while also focusing on some of our social-emotional competencies.

Wednesday afternoons will be dedicated to asynchronous work, likely completing assignments in advance of Thursday and Friday class time. The “morning session” ends at 10:30.

PLEASE NOTE: Fully in-person students attend school on Wednesdays from 7:30-10:30 a.m.

Athletics

Mr. Carbone will provide a full update on athletics. Our school will be competing in a pod, and there will be four shortened athletic seasons in Massachusetts this year.  The addition of a new fourth season is designed to permit students to compete in Fall sports that are not presently authorized to play.  These sports are:

Football

Cheer (competition)

Girls Volleyball

The following Fall sports are scheduled to start practice after school on October 5:

Boys and Girls Soccer

Boys and Girls Cross Country

Girls Field Hockey

Golf

Our digital registration platform, www.familyid.com, is open and accepting registrations for Soccer, Cross Country, Field Hockey, and Golf.  Students who wish to register for these sports should do so immediately.  

Students may not practice without an appropriate physical exam.  All physicals exams must have been completed within the last 13 months. Please scan and email any valid physicals to the school nurse at tschiller@uxbridge.k12.ma.us. 

If you cannot scan and email, please send the physicals to school with your student-athletes and they can drop them off at the Main Office on their first day in the building, immediately after dismissal and before exiting campus. 

As an FYI: Locker room space will not be available to students. We appreciate your understanding.

Expectations for Online Class Meetings

We use Zoom as our platform for online class meetings, whether for remote students, students in the afternoon classes, or the Wednesday class sessions.

 

We expect mature and responsible behavior from students in online class meetings at all times.  If a student is not meeting these expectations, the teacher will remove the student from the meeting and refer the student for discipline.  Consequences may include out-of-school suspension. 

 

Students should not have any other people present during online class meetings other than family members in his/her immediate household.  

 

ONLINE LEARNING EXPECTATIONS

  

To promote online safety, students MUST use their real names as their online username to enter any virtual classroom setting. Students will not be allowed to enter Zoom sessions with alternate names. 

Students should join the classroom from a family space (kitchen, living room, den, etc.) whenever possible

Mute the microphone upon first entering the meeting.

Videos must be on.    

Do not join or partake in a video conference before the teacher instructs you to do so.

Always exit the video conference when instructed.

Be on time.

Be an active participant.

Wear school-appropriate clothing and use school-appropriate language.

Frame the camera correctly. 

Be aware of your background. Make sure it is appropriate for a school setting and will not distract the teacher or classmates. 

Have the right light to enable others to see you. 

Look into the camera when speaking.

Pay attention. Give your focus to the person speaking. Do not interrupt. Raise your hand or ask to speak in the chat box. Avoid side conversations, facial expressions, or actions that cause a distraction.

Mute yourself after speaking.

Students are NOT allowed to take pictures, record, and/or distribute any personal information of any individual during a virtual learning experience. (Note: teachers will also not be taking pictures or recording any virtual sessions on Zoom.

Handbook Verification

Prior to the start of the school, we are asking that students and parents review our Student Handbook and the Handbook addendum, which includes all of our procedural updates for the coming year.  You should also review this document, which includes pertinent safety information.

After reviewing both documents, please check all student and parent contact information in iParent. Following that step, please review and fill out this form. This will be required of all students.

Sample Syllabi

Our entire staff has been working incredibly hard at making sure that expectations for the coming year are clear, consistent, and well-defined at the onset of the year. To those ends, we wanted to share some examples of what students and parents can expect later this week:

World Language Web Site

Physical Education Syllabus

History: Global I Syllabus (Grade 9)

World Literature Honors

Concert Choir

Fine Art

Each teacher will share syllabi and course information before the first day of school.

A Final Word

I know that the start of this school year is exceptionally challenging for students and families. Over the past several weeks, we have shared a mountain of information with you that is overwhelming and impossible to quantify. As a parent, I share in your feelings of overwhelmedness, and I am hoping that all of our planning results in smooth openings for our students and families next week.

Regardless of the plans, however, there are still bound to be hiccups, challenges, and anxiety, from everything about schedules, siblings, unfamiliarity with the building, safety protocols, and just getting back to the business of school after such a long period of time away. We have been sharing a theme of being in this together - we are working hard to make sure that anything urgent is addressed, and that our empathy and patience remains steady.

Many of our staff members have planned a deliberately slow start to new academic instruction to provide ample time to orient students to the building, our new safety protocols, and the technology being used in class.  Please know that students are not falling behind in these opening days as we ensure that the tools and protocols needed for success are implemented with fidelity.

Finally, there will be no more schedule changes honored, and cohort changes for reasons other than siblings cannot be made.

Students Responsibilities This Week

Students should login in to their Uxbridge email to view emails and Google Classroom invitations from their teachers.  If students have difficulty with the technology, their teachers will assist them when they come into the building

In summary, here is what students should do before Thursday:

Log into your email by Wednesday and make sure you have your class schedule, Google classroom links/codes, and relevant Zoom links. (If you are fully remote, there may be seven links).

Check the Google classrooms for each of your classes to find updates for the first day of class, so you are prepared

View safety videos, reopening slides,  and guidelines

Have a mask ready to go for the first day of school

Read the Student Handbook and Student Handbook addendum.

Sign off on having read, and understood, the Handbook

Check iParent/iStudent for your schedule and validate biographical and contact information

Check the reopening website and supply lists to see if you need anything

Make sure your Chromebook or iPad is charged.

Get your mindset ready for returning to school!

On a personal and professional note, Mr. DiMeglio and I are grateful for the efforts of so many to make this school year possible. We would not be reopening Uxbridge High School without the efforts of our fellow administrators, other colleagues across the state, our central office team, the facilities and custodial crews, our office staff, our local officials, and, of course, our faculty and instructional support staff. Their work over these past months and, in particular, these past couple of weeks has been inspiring and a reminder of the level of professionalism we sometimes take for granted as denizens of UHS.

Thank you for all your patience and understanding over these past several months. We look forward to reopening school and, finally, seeing our Spartans back at school.

Be safe.

Michael D. Rubin

Principal