Dear Medway families,
We have officially reached the end of the 2020-2021 school year. When our students arrived for their first day of in-person learning in mid-September, there was much trepidation and concern about what was to come. Very little could have fully prepared us for the year that is about to end. We have valued the partnership and trust of our community and know that we could not have navigated this year without you. Thank you to the School Committee and to our incredible faculty and staff for their hard work and dedication.
As we enter into the summer weeks, we do so with the hope that we can continue to see the extensive impacts from the pandemic lessen. We hope that the coming weeks provide for a return to experiences for our students and families that help them to heal and move forward. We expect that we will have additional information about any restrictions for the 2021-2022 school year as the summer progresses and will share them with our families as they become available. In the meantime, we wish you a wonderful transition into the summer!
Sincerely,
Armand Pires, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Last Day of School: June 17, 2021
Our last day of school will be today, Thursday, June 17. Please note that this will be an early release day. Virtual School students will follow the same scheduled dismissal time as their in person peers. Dismissal times are as follows:
McGovern Elementary School (including McGovern Virtual School students): 12:00 p.m.
Burke-Memorial Elementary School (including Burke-Memorial Virtual School students): 11:30 a.m.
Medway Middle School (including Medway Middle Virtual School students): 11:02 a.m.
Medway High School (including Medway High Virtual School students): 11:34 a.m.
Last Chance to Respond! What Are the Silver Linings?
We are seeking feedback from the community about what went well during the pandemic that should continue moving forward. What were the silver linings for you? We appreciate the feedback that we have received and ask families to consider: What practices would you like to see continue into the future?
Please take some time to share your silver linings, via ThoughtExchange here. This ThoughtExchange will close on Friday, June 18, 2021.
Responses Requested: Federal Funding: Community Input
As we have shared in our updates and with the School Committee, school districts across the nation are benefiting from federal funding to support pandemic and school closure mitigation efforts. We were able to present some ideas for use of that funding to School Committee at the meeting on June 10. Please find a copy of that presentation here.
As we continue planning for the best ways to expend this funding to meet the needs of our students, we will be seeking input from our community. The funding will be available to us for one time or short term costs through September, 2024. We are asking that you participate in our next ThoughtExchange which will focus on gathering feedback about how to use the funding received by the Medway Public Schools. You can access the ThoughtExchange by clicking here.
Summer Food Program
Medway Schools will offer free meals to anyone under the age of 18 this summer. Those interested can pick up a week’s worth of breakfasts and lunches (14 meals) on Tuesday mornings between 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. at Medway Middle School, door 24 (enter from Kelley St.) To order, please complete the Summer Meal Order Form each Sunday at 5:00 p.m. If you have questions or need special accommodations (food delivery, allergies, etc.), please contact Shawn Fallon, Director of Food Services, at sfallon@medwayschools.org
Medway High School Choral Ensembles
Medway High School Choral Ensembles held an impromptu concert outside this past week. A video of their performance can be found here.
Summer of Discovery Program Release and Parent Webinar
The Community Education Department, in collaboration with Medway Public Schools, is excited to offer a unique back-to-school opportunity for all students at no cost for families. This program aims to support a successful transition into the 2021-2022 school year. Our Summer of Discovery will run for eight days during the last two weeks of the summer break. Detailed information about the numerous offerings can be found here.
An informational webinar was held last week for families to receive information about the Summer of Discovery Program on Tuesday night. Over 80 families signed up to participate and registration is now open. You can view a recording of the webinar here as well as the communication that was sent to families as a follow up here.
Have An SEL Summer: Action for Healthy Kids
By registering for Action for Health Kid's Summer SEL Challenge, you'll receive four weekly emails starting July 5 with a list of engaging activities for kids to help foster key SEL skills and build healthy habits. Each week will also include a "pay it forward" activity to spread kindness and support throughout your community. The weekly themes include Celebrate the Senses, Connect with Others, and more.
Summer Family SEL Resource Guide
The end of the school year is met with a great deal of excitement as the start of summer vacation allows for some much-needed and well-deserved downtime for our students. Summer break is also a time when some students are without the benefit of the daily structures and supports that accompany the routine of school. In anticipation of summer vacation, we have compiled a guide that contains articles and resources that can help parents and guardians support the social, emotional, and physical well-being of their children this summer. Please find information and resources in the Medway SEL Family Resource Guide.
Student Handbooks For the 2021-2022 School Year
The parent-student handbook for the 2021-2022 school year was approved by the School Committee last week. The updated handbooks for each school can be found below.
Summer Activities to Keep Teens and Tweens Healthy and Engaged
After a year or more away from group gatherings, kids may need extra time this summer to work on social-emotional skills like communication, conflict resolution, empathy, and self-management. The summer is the perfect time to let kids practice these skills. These ten summer activities that will support the social and emotional growth of teens and tweens.
Special Olympics
This year’s Special Olympics were held virtually. Please enjoy this short video of our athletes competing in the virtual Special Olympics.
Guardian and Student Information Changes
MPS would like to advise guardians that the Infinite Campus Parent Portal system provides a mechanism to request changes of email and phone numbers. Simply select MORE > Family Information from the menu options, then Update on the individual you wish to update. Please note that address changes can not be made through this system, as they require proof of residency. Please forward any address changes to parent@medwayschools.org, including a copy for proof of residency.
Technology Update - Year End Procedures
Please use the following link to review our year end procedures, including our summer expectations and timeline for inventory collection for grades PK-4, found here. In summary, all students in grades 5-11 are expected to retain their devices over the summer; students in grades K-4 will leave their devices in the classroom by the last day of school, and virtual students in grades K-4 should plan to return the device and charger to the middle school technology office by June 25. Year End Procedures can be found here.
Medway Athletics Newsletter
The latest edition of the Medway Public Schools’ Athletics Newsletter, Mustang Nation, can be found here.
2021-2022 School Calendar
The 2021-2022 School calendar was approved at the February 25 School Committee meeting and can be found here.
Medway Public Schools In the News
Medway Public Schools to Welcome Three New Assistant Principals
Medway High School Student Achievements on Display During Engineering Showcase
Upcoming Events
June 17, 2021 | Last Day of School: Early Release McGovern Elementary School (including McGovern Virtual School students): 12:00 p.m. Burke-Memorial Elementary School (including Burke-Memorial Virtual School students): 11:30 a.m. Medway Middle School (including Medway Middle Virtual School students): 11:02 a.m. Medway High School (including Medway High Virtual School students): 11:34 a.m. |
June 24, 2021 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m. |
September 1, 2021 | First Day of School: Grade 1-12 |
September 2, 2021 | First Day of School: Kindergarten |
September 3, 2021 | No School |
September 6, 2021 | No School: Labor Day |
September 7, 2021 | No School: Rosh Hashanah |