Dear Greenwood Families,

Happy Monday! Last week was a busy one, both with the return to school from February break and the accelerated shift in the masking policy. It was clear from the smooth transition on Thursday that your conversations at home, along with conversations in classrooms, helped validate and support whatever choice was made by individuals regarding the wearing of masks. I’ve been pretty clear all along - masks or no masks, it’s just great to have everyone together in school! Thank you for everything you’ve done to make it work!

Conferences

While it feels like we just did report cards, it’s already time to think about conferences! Early release days for Conferences are Wednesday, March 30th and Wednesday, April 6th, and evening conferences for all four elementary schools will be from 5:00-7:00pm on April 6th. Please be on the lookout for communication from your child’s teacher with sign-up options.

PTO Cultural Arts Programs

Thanks to our PTO Cultural Arts Coordinator, Leigh Kelter, the Greenwood School was awarded a WEF grant to have virtual classroom presentations from Wee the People for each Greenwood classroom during the month of March! Wee The People is a Boston-based social justice project for kids, parents and educators exploring activism, equity, and resistance through interactive workshops

Our workshop is called The Water Protectors: Exploring Indigenous identity and Climate Change.

“When children look at maps of the United States, they are taught to see its land and waters in terms of who owns or controls them. But what if there were a different way of seeing and knowing these places -- and what if that different way of seeing held the key to protecting our planet from climate change?” The Water Protectors is an interactive workshop that introduces young students to the sacred connection Indigenous peoples have nurtured with water and land for thousands of years. Through children’s books, maps, and videos, we will explore what it means to be a protector and learn about the roles that young Indigenous Peoples across the country are taking on as leaders in climate change resistance. .

Talking with Kids About the News

With so much current talk about conflict, fighting, and war in a variety of media sources, it is likely that children may hear and/or see things that leave them confused, anxious, upset, or scared. Greenwood School Psychologist Jenny Beardslee shared this article with Greenwood staff members, and we thought it could be helpful to families at this time.

War, Crisis, Tragedy: How to talk with kids when the news is scary

As always, we want to remind families that one of our very important jobs at school is to make sure students feel safe and secure. If your child is experiencing worry and/or anxiety about things that they’re seeing or hearing in the news, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for support.

Communication - Masks Optional

The following message was sent out to the WPS Community on Wednesday, March 2nd.

In light of the recent guidance from the CDC and in looking closely at local COVID transmission rates, the Policy and Communication Subcommittee presented a newly updated WPS Face Covering Policy to the School Committee last night. The School Committee reviewed and discussed the new policy and voted to make masking a choice for students and families in the Wakefield Public Schools effective, Thursday, March 3, 2022.

It is important to note that some students and staff will need or choose to continue to wear masks. The COVID protocols for quarantine and isolation are still in place. Information pertaining to the protocols and masking are highlighted in the new policy. School nurses will continue to test symptomatic students and staff at school for those who have opted into testing and we will continue to provide at-home antigen tests for those participating in the DESE Program.

The new policy states:

All individuals and members of the school community should continue to mask if so desired. Faculty, staff, and students who choose to continue to wear masks will be supported under current WPS policies.

Students and staff returning from 5-day isolation following a positive COVID test must follow strict mask use, other than when eating, drinking, or outside, and conduct active monitoring for symptoms, through day 10 of exposure.

Masks will be required in all school health offices.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or to our school nurse, Mary Doherty.

MCAS Dates - Grades 3 & 4

We’re now about a month out from our first round of MCAS assessments, so I wanted to give another reminder about the dates for testing. Students in Grades 3 & 4 will complete computer-based testing in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. There are two sessions for each subject area, and tests must be scheduled within the window provided.

ELA - Thursday, April 7th and Friday, April 8th
Math - Monday, May 23rd and Tuesday, May 24th

Testing will begin at the start of the school day. Students who are tardy may have to test during a makeup session.

If you have a known conflict with these dates, please reach out.

Greenwood School Social Media

We are on Facebook and Instagram! Check us out - @wpsgreenwood on both Instagram and Facebook!

Updated Health Reminder

Thank you to everyone for their efforts that have allowed us to have in-person, full-time school this year! While we are now in a place where masking is optional, it is important to remember that COVID does still exist. We continue to ask you to keep children home if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

Fever of 100.0 or higher, chills, or shaking chills
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Muscle aches or body aches
Cough (not due to other known cause such as chronic cough, asthma, allergies)
Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, when in combination with other symptoms
Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

Our school nurse, Mrs. Doherty, is always happy to answer any questions you may have or provide clarification.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions. Thank you for everything you do to support your children and their learning! Let’s have a great week!

Tiffany Back