Dear Greenwood Families,
Happy Monday, and welcome back! I hope that everyone was able to enjoy some downtime and didn’t get blown away by the gusty winds on Thursday and Friday. I’m always appreciative of the opportunity to not set an alarm clock for a few days, and it’s also fun to think about getting back to school with the kids! When we come back from April break, it always feels like time really starts to fly by. We don’t want to waste a minute of it!
No School - Tuesday, April 27th
There is a professional development day for all WPS staff on Tuesday, April 27th. This means there will be no school for students. The PD day was placed here to align with Wakefield’s election day, due to the use of Galvin Middle School for voting.
March Madness Tournament of Books
Sorry for the delay in reporting results! The winner of the March Madness Book Tournament is....All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight For American's with Disabilities Changed Everything. There was only a difference of 9 votes between the two books - it was close! Each classroom is receiving a copy of the winning book for their library, as well as copies of the two books that were in the first round!
AuthorFest Information
On Wednesday, April 28th, Matt Taveres will do a virtual visit to our 3rd and 4th grade classes.
9:00-9:45am Grade 4
1:00-1:45pm Grade 3
Scott Magoon will Zoom into our Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade classes on Thursday, April 29th.
9:45-10:30am Kindergarten
1:30-2:15pm Grades 1 & 2
An email will be sent out early this week to Full Remote Greenwood families with information about how your child can join the AuthorFest Zoom.
Message from the Wakefield Human Rights Commission - AAPI Heritage Month
The Wakefield Human Rights Commission is looking ahead to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May. As we plan ways to celebrate our AAPI community here in Wakefield we enthusiastically invite community members with AAPI identities to advise and work with us in planning appropriate commemorations. Celebrating the histories, narratives, and incredible contributions of AAPI individuals and communities is a vital part of celebrating American history, civil rights struggles both past and present, and the rich diversity within our town. This is as important today as it has ever been, especially in light of the anti-Asian violence that has escalated across our nation over the past year.
If you are interested in helping to plan or participate in the HRC's Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration, please reach out to whrc@wakefield.ma.us.
Travel Guidance
As we return from April break, a specific reminder about the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Travel Guidance:
As of Monday, March 22, all visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, are advised to quarantine for 10 days upon their arrival. Travelers in the following categories are exempt from this quarantine advisory:
Travelers who have received a negative COVID-19 result on a test administered not more than 72 hours prior to their arrival in Massachusetts. Travelers may also test out of the quarantine advisory after arrival in Massachusetts, as long as they quarantine until receiving a negative test result.
Anyone who is entering Massachusetts for fewer than 24 hours
Anyone who is returning to Massachusetts after being out of the State for fewer than 24 hours
Workers who enter Massachusetts to perform critical infrastructure functions (as specified by the Federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) during required commuting to or from work and while at work.
Travelers who are fully vaccinated (i.e. who have received two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines OR who have received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 14 days or more ago) and who do not have symptoms.
All travelers are encouraged to consult and follow the CDC’s guidelines and requirements for travel.
Health Reminder - Stay Vigilant!
Thank you for supporting us in our efforts to keep everyone safe by practicing and promoting safety precautions, which include hand hygiene, mask-wearing, social distancing, and avoiding group gatherings and travel to high-risk states where the rates of transmission are high (here is a link to the MA Travel Guidelines, in case a need to travel out of state arises). We are also asking for you to keep children home if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
Fever of 100.0 or higher, and/or chills
Cough (not due to other known cause such as chronic cough, asthma, allergies)
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Headache when in combination with other symptoms
Muscle aches or body aches
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
Nasal congestion or runny nose when in combination with other symptoms and not due to other known causes such as allergies
Unusual rash when in combination with other symptoms
Our school nurse, Mrs. Doherty, is always happy to answer any questions you may have or provide clarification.
Technology Support
Please email the WPS Tech Department at technology@wpsk12.org if your child is in need of technology support while at home.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions. Thank you for everything you do to support your children and their learning!
Tiffany Back