Dear SSCPS Families,
We were excited to launch our first round of pool testing in our K through 8 building this week. The first round of pool testing went smoothly, the students and staff were extremely cooperative and did a great job. Next week we will be adding the High School to our weekly pool testing. If you have not signed up but are interested in having your student participate please follow the below link to register them. You can register at any time, you should register by Thursday if you want to be included in the following weeks pool testing. https://app.beacontesting.com/register/with-code?code=WPWCQJ As we await for the results of our first pool testing we wanted to review the pool testing procedure. You will only be called if your student is in a positive pool batch. If your student is in a pool that comes back positive, we will then test the participants in the positive pool with the BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen test at school. If all the rapid tests come back negative, then an individual PCR test will be done at school on all students in the positive pool batch. Students will need to quarantine until the results of the individual PCR test come back. If the students are in school when the results come in, they will be removed from class and brought to a designated area for the additional testing. If the student’s rapid test comes back positive they will need to be picked up and will need to isolate. If positive pool results are received after hours the on call nurse will contact you and the students will need to report to school the next morning for the rapid testing. Parents will need to remain at the school until the results of the rapid test come back. If you have any additional questions or need any additional information please do not hesitate to reach out to the nursing staff. K - 8: 781-982-4202 x 104 High School: 781-982-4202 x 182 Darcie Edwards, RN Susan Dupras, RN Jaime Kjelgaard, RN Barbara Folan, RN There have been some significant new developments from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. On Friday, March 5, the Commissioner was granted the authority to determine when hybrid and remote learning models will no longer count toward meeting the required student learning time hours. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted the amendments which will result in some changes to our learning models.
Yesterday the Commissioner sent out a memo outlining additional guidance for in-person learning requirements and included the following phased in approach:
In order to accommodate these new mandates, DESE has changed the physical distancing recommendation from 3-6 feet to 3 feet. All other health and safety protocols remain in place, including mask wearing and hand hygiene. Families will retain the right to choose full remote learning for their child for the remainder of the school year. Should individual students or whole classes need to quarantine for COVID-19 health and safety protocols, remote learning will remain an option. Included below is a timeline, subject to change, which reflects our school's current state of planning for the upcoming learning transitions. Learning Model Planning Timeline
We will be scheduling informational Zoom meetings for families beginning March 24, 2021. Additionally, we will be sending out family surveys next week so that we can plan learning spaces the most effective way possible. Please check your email for further information as it becomes available. We will be keeping families up to date as we receive more information from DESE. Thank you for your ongoing flexibility and patience as this year progresses. Alicia Savage Executive Director South Shore Charter Public School Dear SSCPS Families,
We have received notification from the Facebook page that there are some questions regarding bus services for next year. We will be providing updates on school bus transportation over the next few days. There have also been some questions pertaining to remote learning Fridays. The last remote learning Friday will be on March 26, 2021. We will adjust the school calendar accordingly. Fridays will remain half days (8:15-12:05) until further notice. As a reminder, there will be no school next Wednesday, March 17 as it is a Faculty Professional Development Day and there will be no school on Friday, April 2. Have a good evening. Sincerely, Alicia -- Alicia E. Savage Executive Director South Shore Charter Public School 781.982.4202 Ext. 101 www.sscps.org Dear SSCPS Families,
Yesterday we sent an email to our school community to introduce all families to the new weekly COVID-19 testing program which will begin on March 15. The program is free and voluntary. Pooled testing of students and staff is intended to help us lower the risk of disease in our school by finding positive cases of COVID-19 quickly. This program will also help identify positive cases in people who do not show any symptoms. Testing will allow us to continue in-person learning while making everyone feel safer when in-person. We hope that you will participate by signing a consent form for your student. The higher the percentage of participation, the safer school will be. Below please find additional information and the Registration link. Registration link: https://app.beacontesting.com/register/with-code?code=WPWCQJ Please follow the link below for additional information on registering your student through the Project Beacon website. We have also included a link to FAQ’s about pool testing. https://help.beacontesting.com/article/83-registration-guide-for-parents https://help.beacontesting.com/article/86-faq-for-parents-k-12-pooled-testing What is the COVID-19 pooled testing program?
To participate in the testing program, please sign a consent form for your students. You only need to sign up once for the weekly testing. This form gives us permission to share student information with the technology platform we use to track testing. Student information will only be shared with the Department of Public Health and other departments if a student tests positive in an individual test. Please sign up electronically by using the registration link above. If you need assistance with the link, please call the SSCPS Health Office. The program is voluntary. Students are not required to participate in the program. If you do not consent to participate, your student can still come to school. We strongly encourage all students to participate to help us reduce the spread of COVID-19. How does it work? The type of testing we are using is called "pooled testing." Pooled testing makes it easier and faster to find individuals who might have COVID-19. Here is how it works:
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of the SSCPS Health Office nurses: Susan Dupras, RN [email protected] Darcie Edwards, RN [email protected] Barbara Folan, RN [email protected] Jaime Kjelgaard, RN [email protected] -- Alicia E. Savage Executive Director South Shore Charter Public School 781.982.4202 Ext. 101 www.sscps.org Dear SSCPS Families,
We are seeking ways to bring all of our students back to school safely. We are starting a voluntary free weekly COVID-19 testing program to help keep our students, staff, and community safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Regular COVID-19 testing of students and staff is intended to help us lower the risk of disease in our school by finding positive cases of COVID-19 quickly. This pooled testing program will also help identify positive cases in people who do not show any symptoms. Testing will allow us to continue in-person learning while making everyone feel safer when in-person. We hope that you will participate by signing a consent form for your student. The higher the percentage of participation, the safer school will be. What is the COVID-19 pooled testing program?
How can my student participate in the program? To participate in the testing program, please sign a consent form for your students. You only need to sign up once for the weekly testing. This form gives us permission to share student information with the technology platform we use to track testing. Student information will only be shared with the Department of Public Health and other departments if a student tests positive in an individual test. Please sign up electronically by checking your email for a link which will be sent out under separate cover. If you need assistance with the link, please call the SSCPS Health Office. The program is voluntary. Students are not required to participate in the program. If you do not consent to participate, your student can still come to school. We strongly encourage all students to participate to help us reduce the spread of COVID-19. How does it work? The type of testing we are using is called "pooled testing." Pooled testing makes it easier and faster to find individuals who might have COVID-19. Here is how it works:
Learn more about the SSCPS COVID-19 Testing Program on the SSCPS Health Office website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of the SSCPS Health Office nurses: Susan Dupras, RN [email protected] Darcie Edwards, RN [email protected] Barbara Folan, RN [email protected] Jaime Kjelgaard, RN [email protected] -- Alicia E. Savage Executive Director South Shore Charter Public School 781.982.4202 Ext. 101 www.sscps.org As we map our road ahead, we actively seek to capture the perspective of all families. Mid-year is the time of year when we ask our families for input by completing the 2021 Annual Family Survey. Every year the Board of Trustees reviews key measures which help define student achievement and institutional strength. Never has this work been more important than it has been this year. To ensure data consistency, the first section of the survey consists of the questions we ask each year. This year, however, there are two additional short answer questions, numbered 49 and 50, that ask for your reflections on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your children's learning over the past year.
The data gleaned from this year's survey will become an essential component as we plan our way back from the challenges and disruptions created by COVID-19. We will be relying on data provided by families as we build programs, develop next year's schedule, and create avenues for students to access curriculum. Of utmost importance is how we maintain school culture and student life, and rebuild what has been lost over these past months. Please complete the survey at the link below by March 3, 2021. Dear SSCPS Families,
Thank you for your continued partnership during this unprecedented school year. In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have been working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) to offer free rapid COVID-19 testing for symptomatic staff and students participating in any type of in-person instruction. The purpose of this letter is to ask your permission to test your child should he or she develop symptoms at school. While we have asked all students and staff who are sick to stay home, there may be members of our school community who first present symptoms while in school. Being able to test your child at school will not only expedite results and therefore help you determine next steps to protect your student and your family, but also provide some peace of mind that a test is available and can be delivered by a nurse if the need arises. The Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Diagnostic Test is FDA approved and delivers results in 15 minutes. Our school nursing staff has been thoroughly trained on how to administer the test using a nasal swab. The decision to administer the test will be made by the school nurse. If your child develops symptoms at school, you will be called immediately. You will be asked over the phone if you would like to have a Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Diagnostic Test done. This test will only be administered when you arrive at the school to pick up your student. When you arrive you will call the front desk and let them know you are here. The nurse will then come out in full PPE (mask, gown, gloves, face shield) with your student. You will be directed to pull into a designated spot. At this time the student will sit inside the car, if younger they may sit on your lap. You will be asked to put the car window down. The test will be administered by placing a cotton swab into each nostril about 1 inch and moved in a circular motion. Then the cotton swab will be brought inside where the rapid testing will be completed. At this time you are allowed to start driving home. The test takes 15 minutes to get a result. You will then be notified of the results by telephone and given instructions on further quarantine/isolation guidelines. If the test results are positive:
If the test results are negative:
The SSCPS Health Office will report all test results to DPH and positive test results to DESE’s Rapid Response Help Unit. This is a voluntary program and you can enter at any time. To give permission for your student to participate in the Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Diagnostic Test, including permitting the school to share the test result information with the Department of Public Health and Project Beacon (a third party non-profit organization contracted to compile consent for testing and to share test results), please follow the directions you will receive from Project Beacon after creating an account by using the following link: https://app.beacontesting.com/register/with-code?code=EKMBEX A paper permission form may be requested if you cannot access the online site. At South Shore Charter Public School, we are extremely grateful to our committed staff and families that continue to show great flexibility and resilience as we navigate through this school year. It takes all of us working together to contain the spread of this virus. If you have questions regarding the Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Diagnostic Test, please reach out to one of the nurses in the SSCPS Health Office Thank you, Susan Dupras, RN [email protected] Darcie Edwards, RN [email protected] Barbara Folan, RN [email protected] Jaime Kjelgaard, RN [email protected] -- Alicia E. Savage Executive Director South Shore Charter Public School 781.982.4202 Ext. 101 www.sscps.org Happy New Year! We would like to remind SSCPS families that the USDA extended free meals for all students through June 30, 2021. This allows every student access to breakfast and lunch at no charge. We encourage families to take advantage of this opportunity that will provide nutritious meals to both in-person and remote learners. SSCPS offers “Grab and Go” meals free to ALL enrolled SSCPS students during remote learning. Meals are distributed twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Meals can be picked up at the K- 8 building at 100 Longwater Circle, Norwell. When SSCPS returns to in-person learning, daily meals can be ordered on a weekly basis. In order to receive Free Meals, families must register and place an order for your child(ren) through FamilyID.com. Please visit the SSCPS Familyid Programs webpage to register your child for meals. To learn more on how to register your child click here to watch a quick video. If you need any assistance with FamilyID registration, please call (781)205-2800 or email [email protected]. All meal orders will be placed directly through this system. If you are unable to travel to SSCPS to pick up your meals please let me know and I can assist you. Project Bread also offers information on how and where to receive free meals in your local community. Click here to find a list of where you can receive free meals for your children. Update: P-EBT Household Resources What is P-EBT? The Pandemic - Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Program was created in Spring 2020 to provide funds for families to buy food while schools were closed due to COVID-19. More P-EBT funds are being issued for the 2020-2021 school year. Funds for October & November were issued on December 30th. You will get P-EBT if you qualify for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program AND are in a hybrid or fully remote learning situation. Eligible students in hybrid learning situations: you will get $58.60 per month Eligible students in remote learning situations: you will get $117.20 per month Using P-EBT does NOT impact you or your student’s immigration status. The public charge rule does NOT apply to P-EBT funds. What can I buy? Buy food like fruits, dairy, breads, meats/poultry/fish. Use P-EBT at stores that accept SNAP, like grocery or corner stores, and online at ALDI, Amazon or Walmart. How to use your P-EBT benefits? For questions related to P-EBT card status and activation? For questions related to lost P-EBT cards Need More Food Help? If you get P-EBT you are likely eligible for SNAP, monthly food funds. Apply at DTAconnect.com. Additional places to receive “Grab and Go” school meals by visit meals4kids.org. Finally, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call 781-982-4202 ext. 156 or email [email protected]. Charlene Salamone Dear SSCPS Families,
Good morning. We have been monitoring the impending weather conditions over the past three days. Due to the forecasted heavy snowfall expected late Wednesday night through Thursday morning, the South Shore Charter Public School will be transitioning to full remote learning on Thursday, December 17. We are informing families of the decision now so that you will be able to best prepare for the upcoming full remote day. Teachers and school administration have shared schedules or will be doing so today. Instruction will be synchronous barring power outages. This year the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has issued new guidance providing charter schools and school districts with the option of transitioning to full remote learning in situations of inclement weather. Because we will be facing this circumstance this evening and tomorrow, we will be using full remote learning to maintain the continuity of synchronous remote learning. We will be sending additional emergency notifications this afternoon to notify our school community of the remote snow day. Please be sure your contact information has been updated with the school to ensure that you receive all messages through the SendWordNow system. Good afternoon,
Thank you for your efforts to get the wellness portion of the SchoolPass application up and running this week. The majority of our families were able to use the app or the SchoolPass website to complete their wellness checks this week. This significantly streamlines our arrival process. You can expect a reminder email in your inbox each day your child is expected at school. Wellness checks must be completed for every child every day they physically attend school. Wellness checks may be completed before you leave the house. Next week we will be using SchoolPass for dismissal at both buildings. When you arrive on campus you will be asked to check yourself in using the app. To check-in, click the Pick Up button in the app. Next, click "Carline Check-in." Please wait to click the button until you are asked to. We are working hard to make sure that we keep students physically distanced. Spacing the carline check-in helps us in these efforts. If the driver does not have access to the SchoolPass app an administrator will check-in for you. Please let me know if you need access to SchoolPass. I can resend the welcome email so that you can get up and running. Thank you for your continued understanding and patience. Best, Angie -- Angie Pepin Principal, K-12 South Shore Charter Public School 781-982-4202 x102 |
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