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.