“We are always saying we want our students to take risks; right now our educators have been doing just that, trying out new tools to interact in this remote learning world.”

— Tammy Fay, Department Head for Science, Technology, and Engineering

 

Image: A “social studies” slide from presentation shared during department head update

 

District Highlights:

 

• Class of 2020 Community Celebrations:
• Check out the “Celebrate a Masco Class of 2020 Senior!” FB page to post about your senior or choose one to “adopt”! For more information contact Jean DeMayo 
• 2-sided lawn signs that celebrate Class of 2020 and thank essential workers are available for $20, with proceeds going to Tri-Town food pantries; coordinated by local Rotary Club - To order click your town: Boxford/Topsfield, Middleton 
• Are you the parent of a Masco Senior? Join the 2020 Parent Celebration! Contact Chairperson Christine Callahan
• Masco graduation set for August 1st - Details in this “Celebrating the Class of 2020 & Graduation Information” email from PrincipalDelani
• Check the HS Principal’s Blog for great updates including the 5th Virtual Morning Update; Congrats Ms. Saitta for being named Copley Society’s “Artist of the Week”!
• We recommend @mascosuper on Twitter to follow superintendent Dr. Michael Harvey
• Local news: Salem News published some more “All-Decade Teams for 2010s” including Masco’s Mia Farnham in Girl’s Tennis - Congrats Mia!

 

Meeting highlights: 

 

• UPDATE FROM THE WEEK: Superintendent Mike Harvey shared a “Coronavirus Response Update” on events since the last meeting, attached here. 

 

• DEPARTMENT HEAD UPDATE for Math, English, Science, Social Studies, World Language
• This slide presentation was shared by Dept.Heads Meagan Hildebrand, Jeanne Ahearn, Denise Tenanty, Tammy Fay, and Jill Story
• The slide presentation includes links to examples of remote learning on slides #11 & #16
• PLCs, IT support, and structure of schedule were highlighted as positives
• “Time Capsule Project” was featured as a cross-discipline project for all 9th and 10th grade students that was “personalized” to each class and made connections relevant to this unique time in history 
• All that has been learned will help inform plans for possible “hybrid” form of education next year, and many of these newly acquired tools can be refined, expanded upon, and beneficial if applied in “regular” school in future as well

 

• “Reduction in Force Discussion” took place in regards to the two positions in Health Services that pose a unique challenge in the context of Covid19 pandemic.  The attached document provides a cost-neutral option to mitigate this impact by adding an additional 1.0 FT High School Nurse, as well as a nurse leader stipend. After a lengthy discussion on this topic, vote was tabled until the next meeting. 
• Preliminary FY20 Budget Forecast was shared, with some items still under review; the next update will be shared on June 10th. 
• Further notes can be found in the Summary Notes* from the 05/13/2020 meeting.  *These are not meeting minutes and not intended to be a transcription of the meeting.

Community resources:

 

• TriTown Council and their e-newsletter is a great place to find Covid19 resources, education, volunteer, and creative local opportunities; SEPAC is an excellent support resource for families. We recommend following both of these organizations on Facebook

 

• School Committee meetings:  Public is welcome!  Presentations from Masco leaders are a great way to be in the loop.  Email questions, comments or concerns to the committee Chair, Tasha Cooper, at tcooper@masconomet.org

 

NEXT SC Meeting: 5/27/2020 at 7pm via Zoom TeleConference. Meeting agendas, minutes, documents, and videos are posted on-line at: https://www.masconomet.org/domain/41 

 

“Teachers teach because they enjoy working with students. It’s certainly easier when you can see the faces. We would love to see more cameras turned on as students feel comfortable.”

— Ryan King and Ben Hodges, Tech.Integration and Digital Learning team at Masco

 

Image: from the slide presentation shared during digital learning update 

 

District Highlights:

(Recommended Reading and Viewing!)

 

• Middle School Newsletter for May includes some virtual events for 6th and 8th graders
• Check the HS Principal’s Blog for great updates including the 4th Virtual Morning Update
• We recommend @mascosuper on Twitter
• Local news: 
• There’s a region-wide effort to SALUTE THE CLASS OF 2020!
• Full story on Masco student response to food insecurity during pandemic
• Recent Masco graduate, Justin Lombardi, is releasing his second film; story here
• Dawn of a new era - story on Masco athletics joining the Northeastern Conference and the impact of this change on Cape Ann League 
• Salem News “All Decade Teams for the 2010s” include these Masco athletes:  Alexander Fizz in Tennis, Elias Varinos, Joe Klingensmith, David Hunter, and Speros Varinos in Baseball  Rachel Shamon in Softball, Kurt Hunziker in boys Lacrosse, Amy Arnold, Grace Fahey, Molly Gillespie, Kathleen Gillespie and Meghan Collins in girls Lacrosse - Congrats!

 

Meeting highlights: 

 

• UPDATE FROM THE WEEK:

Superintendent Mike Harvey shared a “Coronavirus Response Update” on events since the last SC meeting, 4/40-5/6, attached here.  

 

• DIGITAL LEARNING UPDATE on Digital Learning and Technology Integration:
• This slide presentation was shared by Ben Hodges, Director of Digital Learning and Ryan King, Technology Integration Specialist
• “It's amazing to see how much collaboration is happening among teachers and students even as they navigate new technologies and styles for teaching and learning while confined in their homes. We have no idea what the future may bring but our teachers are already thinking ahead about how to structure teaching in the fall so we can pivot quickly if needed.” - Ben and Ryan
• View the slide presentation to see what’s going well online; how structures offer some return to “normalcy,” how tools are helping maintain engagement, how breakout groups and such allow for individualized instruction, and what is still “work in progress,” as well as some of the “fun” side of this remote platform.  
• The team has been “in problem solving mode” and said things are evolving for the better day after day; they continue to improve tools based on teachers’ feedback/needs, and emphasized the benefits of idea-sharing among teachers via PLCs, with IT support during daily office hours.

 

• Further notes can be found in the Summary Notes* from the 05/06/2020 meeting.  *These are not meeting minutes and not intended to be a transcription of the meeting.

 

Community resources:

 

• Your input and feedback is wanted! Look for a survey from SEPAC soon - we hope you will share your thoughts!

 

• TriTown Council - keeps updating their Covid19 support resources, education, volunteer, and creative local opportunities

 

• School Committee meetings:  Public is welcome! SC agendas always include time for public comment. Community can also email questions, comments or concerns to the committee Chair, Tasha Cooper, at tcooper@masconomet.org

 

NEXT SC Meeting: 5/6/2020 at 7pm via Zoom TeleConference. Meeting agendas, minutes, documents, and videos are posted on-line at: https://www.masconomet.org/domain/41 

“Masco has always prided itself on providing a great education… This current situation has clearly changed the landscape a bit, but … we have always strived to be flexible and responsive to the needs of our kids.  I really think it is that attitude … that allows us to answer this present challenge and will allow us to continue to learn and improve how we educate our students.”

—Patty Bullard, Asst.Superintendent Student Services

Image: Teacher Appreciation Week is the first full week of May each year ~  THANK YOU TEACHERS for all you do, and for modeling adaptability and resilience this year by shifting to remote learning platforms where you continue to engage, inspire, and support our students!  

 

District Highlights:

(Recommended Reading and Viewing!)

• Local news: article about Masco during Coronavirus, and “Seniors Say” piece with Masco’s Liv McCarthy
• Virtual Morning Update, Week Three! 
• Check the HS Principal’s Blog for great updates including student generated PSAs for local food pantries, videos, a book challenge, virtual Best-Buddies, and more! 
• We recommend @mascosuper on Twitter
• Reminder that the FAQs Covid19 document is updated regularly, as is the Covid-19 Information page 

 

Meeting highlights:  

• UPDATE FROM THE WEEK:

Superintendent Mike Harvey shared an update on events since the last SC meeting, attached here - April 23-April 29 

 

• STUDENT SERVICES UPDATE:
• Virtual IEP & 504 meetings transpiring and Student Support Services in place 
• Transition Planning by grade level in progress
• Guidance & Adjustment Counsellors and Nurses are checking in with students: 
• Teachers monitoring participation, if a student is struggling or not engaged in remote learning, teacher reaches out to counselor, who checks-in with student and parent (by email and phone as needed)
• Middle School Lunch Groups each Friday, and Parent Group being developed; High School check-ins with students, group or 1:1 virtual meetings as needed; grade-level specific supports on track. 
• Any signs of concern for safety at home closely monitored, with support from DCF, Connections Program, and other agencies where appropriate
• Nurses touching base with students by phone and blackboard messages
• FAQ sheet and Handbook for parents and students being created to provide info. and resources addressing remote learning concerns
• Virtual Professional Development for teachers & staff to provide support, strategies, ideas on how to transfer SEL onto the remote platform.
• “We have a great team. They are working harder than they ever have.”
• Can’t emphasize enough: Student Services wants families to communicate with them! If something’s working well, they want to know so they can duplicate; if something’s not working well, they want to know so that can work to fix it

 

• Further notes can be found in the Summary Notes* from the 04/29/2020 meeting.  *These are not meeting minutes and not intended to be a transcription of the meeting.

 

Community resources:

• Your input and feedback is wanted!  SEPAC, TTC, Masco, and the School Committee  are all interested in hearing what’s working and what’s not during this time!  Look for a survey from SEPAC soon - we hope you will share your thoughts!

 

• TriTown Council - Has been collecting and archiving Covid19 support resources, volunteer opportunities, and community education and activities on their website 

 

• On Facebook, follow TTC for inspiration and coping strategies, and follow TriTown SEPAC for student support and Special Ed. resources 

 

• School Committee meetings:  Public is welcome! During Covid19, SC has been meeting weekly, and agendas always include time for public comment. Community can also email questions, comments or concerns to the committee via the Chair (current chair:  tcooper@masconomet.org)

NEXT SC Meeting: 5/6/2020 at 7pm via Zoom TeleConference. Meeting agendas, minutes, documents, and videos are posted on-line at: https://www.masconomet.org/domain/41 - 

 

If you have questions, please contact our committee chair, Tasha Cooper, at tcooper@masconomet.org

 

 

“The word I’ve been using is ‘mourning’. We are all in a little period of mourning.”

— Mike Harvey, regarding announcement of school closures through end of school-year

 

 

Image: Masco Envi-Club students with some inspiration for cleaning up litter in honor of Earth Day (our 50th)! 

 

District Highlights:

(Recommended Reading and Viewing!)

 

• Did you know that High School Morning Update (Week One link; Week Two link) is now virtual?  Have you seen Principal Delani’s touching message to the Class of 2020?  These are just a couple of the many inspiring things you will find on the HS Principal’s Blog - We highly recommend!  

 

• Have you seen Vision 2025 Challenge winners covered in the local newspaper?  Follow the Superintendent’s Blog for info. on Challenge #2 and more!  

 

• Thinking of our spring sports athletes, especially our seniors; Salem News took note of Masco Senior Rebecca Toomey for this very reason - Story here!

 

• Did you know that the Middle School created a “Virtual Building Tour” for incoming students? You can find it on the MS Principal’s Blog.  

 

Meeting highlights: 

 

• UPDATE FROM THE WEEK:  Superintendent Mike Harvey shared an update on events since the last SC meeting, attached here - April 17-April 22. This was followed by Q&A with SC members and audience as well. Below are some of the key take-aways:
  • Governor announced that Schools will remain in their Remote Learning Plans for the remainder of the current school year. 
  • The school buildings remain closed for access or item pickup for now.
  • Updated guidance is expected from DESE on Friday, including “power standards” to ensure students learn essential material for each grade and subject during remote learning.  
  • Masco is looking at options for holding Senior Graduation and 8th Grade “Moving On” Ceremony, either in-person or virtually.
  • Regarding grades:  Middle School will give letter grades of A, B, or Pass for the 2nd trimester and Pass/Fail for the 3rd trimester.  High School will be giving one Pass/Fail grade for the entire 2nd semester.  In both cases, any missing work prior to March 13 will not be part of grade calculation.  
  • Student clubs are actively meeting during the 10:30-12 meeting time designed into the Remote Learning schedule. Teachers’ Professional Learning Communities also meet during this block of time. 
  • There is a Middle School Virtual 6th Grade Parent Night scheduled for May 14th

 

• RESERVE FUNDS POLICY:  In light of the economic recession, the SC voted to reduce the minimum balance in the Excess and Deficiency Fund from 4% to 3% of the current year’s General Fund expenditures.

 

• Further notes on discussion can be found in the Summary Notes* from the 04/22/2020 meeting.  *These are not meeting minutes and not intended to be a transcription of the meeting.

 

Community resources:

 

• Covid-19 Information page by Masco’s Health Services continues to update helpful resources.  

 

• TriTown Council - An excellent resource in regards to social-emotional supports and more through this challenging time - follow TTC on Facebook for inspiration 

 

• TriTown SEPAC - An excellent resource in regards to Special Education - follow TriTown SEPAC on Facebook for updates  

NEXT SC Meeting: 4/29/2020 at 7pm via Zoom TeleConference - Public is welcome! During Covid19 crisis, SC has been meeting more often (weekly), and agendas always include time for public comment at each meeting to support community access to information.  Meeting agendas, minutes, documents, and videos are posted on-line at: https://www.masconomet.org/domain/41 

 

If you have questions, please contact our committee chair, Tasha Cooper, at tcooper@masconomet.org

“This is not easy.  There is never a right answer.”

— Jeff Sands regarding dialogue on budget reductions

Meeting highlights: 

 

• UPDATE FROM THE WEEK:

Superintendent Mike Harvey shared an update on events since the last SC meeting. Attached is the report he shared for April 8 – April 15, 2020 (link here).  

(For reference here also are his previous timeline reports for April 2-April 7, March 25-April 1 and March 13-March25).

• BUDGET REDUCTIONS:

In light of the economic recession resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, two district member towns had recently asked the Masco SC to reduce the FY21 budget, and the SC had then asked Asst. Superintendent Jeff Sands to present options for budget reduction consideration. Jeff Sands shared the attached FY21 Budget Presentation for the SC to consider. After an extensive and thoughtful discussion, the SC voted to reduce the FY21 budget by $463,378.00.  Further notes on discussion can be found in the Summary Notes* from the 04/15/2020 meeting.  *These are not meeting minutes and not intended to be a transcription of the meeting.

 

District Highlights:

 

• MCAS test has been cancelled for 2019-2020.
• Feedback regarding the week of Remote Learning has been positive.
• Masco’s School Health Advisory Council provided bags of food, gift certificates for groceries, and local resource flyers to Tri-Town families in need; donations were from Christian Smile Foundation, Tri-Town Council, and Top Cupboard Food Pantry.
• Food Service Staff continue to offer lunches for any Masco family who needs it. Lunches are distributed from Door 27 (by small caf) from 11am–1pm daily. Any food that has not been distributed is picked up by Boxford Police and distributed to Senior Citizens via Boxford’s COA. 
• Middleton Magazine ran a featured article on Masco’s partnership with the Ronald McDonald House.  Check out the magazine article here (story on pages 14-17)
• Local paper recognized Masco students for top honors in DECA, article here, for MMEA All State Concert, link here, and for GS Gold Award, article here.  Several students were also recognized in Boston Globe All Scholastics for Hockey and Gymnastics, with junior Gracie Mowers named Athlete of the Year in gymnastics. 
• Remember to check out the Principals’ blogs for exciting highlights from Masco (ie. artwork, ways students are helping others, awards, and more!  HS Page link here and MS Page link here.
• Congratulations to the winners of the first Vision 2025 Challenge! View them and learn about Challenge #2 by following this link to the Superintendent's Blog post. 

 

Community resources:

 

• Covid-19 Information page by Masco’s Health Services includes helpful resources

 

• TriTown Council - An excellent resource in regards to social-emotional supports and more through this challenging time - follow TTC on Facebook for inspiration 

 

• TriTown SEPAC - An excellent resource in regards to Special Education - follow TriTown SEPAC on Facebook for updates  

NEXT SC Meeting: 4/22/2020 at 7pm via Zoom TeleConference - Meeting agendas, minutes, documents, and videos are posted on-line at: https://www.masconomet.org/domain/41 

 

If you have questions, please contact our committee chair, Tasha Cooper, at tcooper@masconomet.org

 

*Photos used in this post were from this Boxford news article and TTC’s Facebook feed. 

 

“We are appreciative of the teachers’ patience and willingness to navigate us through this new system of learning.”

—Masconomet student Shawn Callahan

Enjoy these videos of Masco Band students on Youtube!

Virtual Band April 1: https://youtu.be/yqYpQRyM2fU 

Virtual Band April 7: https://youtu.be/yC5eRyIv3GI

 

Meeting highlights: 

 

• APRIL VACATION and END OF YEAR DATE
  • The SC voted unanimously to set the last day of school for June 16th, with remote teaching  continuing during the dates of April 21-24. (Note: April 20 is Patriots Day, a state holiday that must be observed).
  • Key factors that led to this vote:
    • Guidance from DESE allows districts the option to continue remote learning over April vacation. This decision impacts the date for the last day of school in June. 
    • Students - From the perspective of Student Services, continuity would be beneficial to all students, and disrupting our new remote learning schedule could result in setbacks and increase unnecessary stress during this challenging time. 
    • Teachers - A survey of Masconomet teachers showed that 97% want to teach through April vacation and end school on June 16 - this was with a majority of teachers participating in the survey.  
    • Parents - All emails/messages the SC has received from parents expressed support of continuing with remote learning over April vacation.  
    • Ultimately, the SC sought to make the decision that is best for our students, given the current environment and information we know for certain (as opposed to based on unknowns or possibilities).

 

• UPDATE FROM THE WEEK:
  • Superintendent Mike Harvey shared an update on events since the last SC meeting. Attached is the report he shared on the timeline of events between April 2-April 7. (For reference here also are his previous timeline reports between March 25-April 1 and between March 13-March25).

 

• There were 27 people at this Zoom Teleconference meeting, with a Public Comment period following the updates. Further notes on discussion can be found in the Summary Notes* from the 04/07/2020 meeting.  *These are not meeting minutes and not intended to be a transcription of the meeting.

 

District Highlights:

 

• Remote classes began Monday April 6 as scheduled. 
• Teachers and principals are actively communicating directly with students regarding class schedules and related details.  
• Our local Newspaper asked Dr. Harvey about remote learning at Masco - view story here!
• Legal/Privacy Notification for Remote Learning was emailed to district families
• Health Services Update was sent to families as well
• Email updates sent from the superintendent’s office are posted on the Masconomet Website and the Masco App for community access. 
• Please note that Principals have also sent email communications to their HS and MS communities in addition to the district-wide emails. Visit the principals blogs, newsletter, or news feed on the Masco App to see all their updates, including links to watch last week’s assemblies, inspiring words, and fun feature-posts of great things going on (remotely) at Masco! HS Page link here and MS Page link here.

 

Community resources:

 

• TriTown Council - An excellent resource in regards to social-emotional supports and more through this challenging time - follow TTC on Facebook for inspiration 

 

• TriTown SEPAC - An excellent resource in regards to Special Education - follow TriTown SEPAC on Facebook for updates  

NEXT SC Meeting: 4/15/2020 at 7pm via Zoom TeleConference - Meeting agendas, minutes, documents, and videos are posted on-line at: https://www.masconomet.org/domain/41 

 

If you have questions, please contact our committee chair, Tasha Cooper, at tcooper@masconomet.org

 

Amidst the challenges we face due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there are many ways that our entire community has been showing active solidarity.  We would like to take a moment to highlight some of the swift and early action taken by our Masconomet staff and community to support physical health and essential services.

 

One example of this is all the students and families who are staying home - this coordinated effort of so many is unprecedented in our lifetimes, and speaks volumes about our collective character.  Thank you all.  

 

Many in our community do not have the option to stay home, those working on the frontlines of this crisis or providing essential services so that the rest of us can remain safe at home.  We share our deepest gratitude for you all.  

 

We also want to thank Masconomet staff for activating numerous services to ensure our families have what they need during this time.  The most essential example of this is the meal pick-up program, which was activated within days of school closure, and is available daily for anyone who needs it. 

 

Another example we want to recognize is that of our Health Services Department at Masco, collecting and donating PPE supplies and other health-related services.  Below is a summary* of what they have been doing since March 13th:

 

The Health Services Department has collected PPE supplies from our offices and other departments (especially health, art and science) to donate to our first responders and other local health care providers.  The IT department had some N95 masks that were donated directly to Ana Jacques Hospital. From the science department, surgical masks, gloves and other PPE supplies, including a number of goggles, were donated to the first responders of the three towns. Remaining supplies including purell and sanitizing wipes were made available to our local MEMA (MA Emergency Management Agency) for staging and distribution as needed.   Several nurses have personally donated supplies to North Shore Fabric Masks for Health Professionals to help address the shortage of masks in this manner.   

 

In addition to donating much needed supplies, all staff in our Health Services Department have been busy donating time and energy in a variety of ways during this crisis.  All nurses have offered professional assistance to the local boards of health, and most are members of their local Medical Reserve Corps or MRC.  Members of MRC  are individuals with medical training or ordinary citizens who render community aid during times of crisis - several of the nurses have begun fielding calls from a local COVID helpline.  On behalf of our entire extended community, we thank you for your dedication to health and medical care!

 

UPDATED 04/06 - A comprehensive and compassionate Health Services Department Update for parents was posted by email as well as to the Covid19 Info Link on Masco Website.  Click the Update link to view it in full, and to see how the nurses are connecting with students and parents during online learning!

 

We are physically apart, but we are in this together, and as evidenced above: TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG.  

 

*This information in this summary was shared by our Health Services Director Karen Trevenan. 

As always, if you have questions, please contact our committee chair, Tasha Cooper, at tcooper@masconomet.org

 

Chair Tasha Cooper expressed the School Committee’s gratitude to our entire “Masco team” for working hard together over the past week to come up with what appears to be a great plan for remote learning, given the latest guidance from the Commissioner of Ed.  The Digital Learning and Technology Integration Specialists have offered endless energy to train and support everyone in preparing for and adapting to the remote learning plan. The teachers and department heads are to be commended for their hard work always, but especially for the dexterity and enthusiasm they showed during remote meetings and tech-trainings this week, and as they enter this unchartered territory.  

 

Superintendent Mike Harvey shared an update on events since the last SC meeting.

Attached is the report he shared on the timeline of events between March 25-April 1.

(For reference here also is his previous report on the timeline of events between March 13-March25).

 

Email updates sent from the superintendent’s office are now posted on the Masconomet Website for community access.  Please note that Principals have also sent email communications to their HS and MS communities in addition to the district-wide emails.  

 

There were 42 people at this Zoom Teleconference meeting, with a Public Comment period following the updates. Further notes on discussion can be found in the Summary Notes* from the 04/10/2020 meeting.  *These are not meeting minutes and not intended to be a transcription of the meeting.

Community resources:

 

• TriTown SEPAC - An excellent resource in regards to Special Education - follow TriTown SEPAC on Facebook for updates  

 

• TriTown Council - An excellent resource in regards to social-emotional supports and more, through this challenging time and always - follow TTC on Facebook for inspiration 

 

NEXT SC Meeting: TBD - week of 4/7/2020 via Zoom TeleConference -

~There is no playbook for this~

 

The 3/25/2020 School Committee took place remotely via Zoom, using the adapted guidelines for Open Meeting Law relative to the restrictions on gathering due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  

 

There were 75 people on the Zoom meeting, and the School Committee appreciates the participation of all who took part.

 

The recording of this meeting is available here, and a "glossary of terms" related to this meeting is available here. There was an extensive update that included a day-by-day account of events and actions taken from March 11 through March 25.  This was followed by discussion in which audience participants were encouraged to bring all their questions forward after school committee members had had a turn to speak.  This proved to be a very informative exchange.  The best way to access the information is to watch the recording, but these meeting notes also include the superintendent's "summary of events" update.

 

In addition to the update, the School Committee approved the following letter to be shared with our community:

---

Dear friends,

 

We are facing an unprecedented situation together, and our School Committee cares deeply about how our community can help our students continue to thrive.  We understand that this situation is putting a lot of stress on all involved, and see our role as one of support - for our administration, for our staff, for our students and their families. This involves a great deal of patience, trust, listening, and flexibility.  For the moment, we would like to share the following messages with our community.

 

COMMUNITY

We are grateful to parents, families and our community for the support, patience, and grace that has emerged during these unprecedented times. We commend you on finding the bright side and employing creativity amidst everything you are handling. 

We appreciate everyone adhering to the“stay at home” advisory from the state, along with the healthy social distances of six feet between people. This measure is essential to our success. From the CDC:  “Discourage children and teens from gathering in other public places while school is dismissed to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community.”  Please continue to keep your families home in our collective effort to slow the spread, protect each other from harm, and minimize the long-term negative impact on our societal systems. 

 

LEARNING and SUPPORT

We thank our school leaders and staff for being deliberate and thoughtful as they reinvent how they will facilitate care, education and learning in our community during this uncertain time. The SC expects this to progress in the coming days and weeks, as the wellbeing of our students is always our highest priority. 

 

Our patience with this process is not to be misunderstood as indifference. We are confident that our district remains intensely dedicated to our student community, and we anticipate that the remote support to all families of our student population will reflect this dedication as the relevant adjustments unfold in due time (at federal, state, local, and district levels). We have heard from concerned parents and understand their position; there is some reassurance in knowing that serious efforts to address these concerns are taking place daily. Of one thing we are certain: we share the same goal when it comes to providing all our students with what they ultimately need. 

 

In order to best support students through this history-making experience, it seems appropriate to embrace opportunities to experiment with new kinds of learning. We encourage our administration to empower faculty to presently reimagine how they engage with and what they can offer their students as they charter new territory. Should the DESE Commissioner adjust guidance now that we know the shut down will extend beyond April 7th, the School Committee expects to see the results of purposeful cooperation between the Masconomet Leadership Team and Masconomet Teachers Association in establishing an online learning platform; one that can be used long term if needed, can deliver rich content and guidance for all students, will maintain student engagement, and will allow for the connection that serves teachers and students alike. 

 

CRISIS RESPONSE

Thanks to our dedicated Crisis Management Team for handling this turbulent situation with a steady and proficient approach for the safety of our students and staff. It is reassuring to know that this team has been hard at work during the rapid evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on our district . We extend our support to our superintendent and leadership team as they continue to collaborate with the region’s leaders to coordinate the response where possible.

 

Shout out to those staff who quickly put into motion access to meal pick-up starting last week, and those currently working to offer first responders in the TriTown (through the town administrators) a supply of medical safety equipment from Masco’s inventory, such as masks, gloves, and capes.  

 

COMMUNICATIONS

Please continue to use official sources for information updates, and direct any concerns to appropriate parties.  

 

For information sources, we recommend the following: 

Masconomet’s FAQ COVID-19 document is an active resource being updated directly by our school staff as questions about the school, closure, learning and concerns arise. This includes a link to Online Enrichment Resources curated by Department Heads. 

Masconomet’s Health Services web page also lists official resources.

www.tritowncouncil.org/mental-health offers several resources for families, and they update their TTC facebook and email listserv with ideas to create a “new normal” through this time. 

We would like to highlight Project Safety Net, a 24/7 telephone support service where students can talk with a local counselor at any time, day or night: (978)771-4619.

The Tritown SEPAC is keeping up their facebook page with resources, tips, and news for families as well:  https://www.facebook.com/tritownsepac/

 

Thank you also for being mindful when using social media. As you know, courtesy, kindness and consideration help to elevate the quality of life in our community. Each one of us plays a role in that responsibility, and we are grateful for those who keep this in mind. Our youth are looking to our example as they learn about resiliency, resourcefulness, and patience in a time of crisis. 

 

We ask that families read through the FAQ document and check it for updates regularly before contacting the administration with any specific questions.  

 

We are all in this together.  With patience, creativity, good intentions and hard work, we hope to come out of this stronger than we started.

 

Healthiest Wishes,

Masconomet School Committee

 

School Committee Highlights:

 

• Coronavirus Update - 

Dr. Harvey made a statement and will communicate with the community as things develop.  Masconomet has convened an Infectious Disease Task Force that will provide updates on the school’s Pandemic Illness Response Plan. More notes on this are contained in the full summary notes.  

 

• Budget Adoption - 

The FY21 Budget was adopted by the School Committee by unanimous vote on 3/11/2020.  For FY21, Level Service plus an Investment in Critical Priorities translates into a spending increase in Total Operating Expenses of $1,635,097 or 4.7% versus the FY20 Budget. Member Towns’ Total combined assessment of $29,669,841 for the FY21 General Fund budget (includes both operating and debt) increased $547,792 or 1.9% versus the FY20 Budget.  The amounts apportioned to each Town are presented on the slide titled "Assessments by Town" in the attached presentation. 

 

• Many thanks to SEPAC Grants for Books, Technical Equipment SEL Summer Program Fees, and Gifts for DECA from Granite Telecommunications and North Shore Networkers

 

• CONGRATULATIONS to our gymnastics team for winning state championships!

 

Click here to read the full Summary Notes* from the 03/11/2020 meeting *These are not meeting minutes and not intended to be a transcription of the meeting.

 

In the news:  

• Masconomet Gymnastics - will be featured on Channel 5 News High Five segment on Thursday, March 12!  This team, having won back to back state championships in 2019 and 2020, is also featured in this local news story   

 

NEXT SC Meeting: March 25, 2020 at 7pm in HS Presentation Room.  

Meeting agendas, minutes, documents, and videos are posted on-line at: https://www.masconomet.org/domain/41 

If you have questions, please contact our committee chair, Tasha Cooper, at tcooper@masconomet.org