Principal Newsletter 4/8/21

Thursday, April 8, 2021

  • It’s so great to have so many students back in school!! They have been fabulous at adhering to all the safety guidelines we put in place to keep them, their peers, and teachers safe.  I’m so proud of them!

  • Students in grades 3-5 eat breakfast outside under a tent.  It has been great, however when we experience rain, your child will still be walking to the tent to eat.  Please consider dressing your child to be walking a short distance to the tent on these days.  Second graders (except 4) all eat breakfast in the cafeteria.

  • MCAS dates: this year we will be having one day of ELA, one day for Math, for all third-fifth grades,  and one day for Science for grade 5.  The following dates have been scheduled for our school.  May 13; 5th grade Science,  May 20; Math, May 27; ELA.  Make ups will be the next day for each subject.

  • April vacation is April 19-23.  

Beginning around late April, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program will make $3.2 billion available to qualifying households to lower the cost of high-speed internet service and provide discounts on internet service bills, as well as a one-time discount on a laptop, desktop computer or tablet. The EBB program is similar to the Lifeline Program with expanded eligibility, vendors, and subsidies. 

Please click the below link for additional information and resources for the upcoming FCC program.

 

  • As we near April vacation we would like to send out a brief reminder on the travel advisories that are in effect in Massachusetts. Travel increases your chance of spreading or getting COVID-19. The CDC recommends that you do not travel at this time. Delay travel and stay home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Travel | CDC 

 

The new travel advisory urges all persons entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, to quarantine for 10 days upon their arrival if they have been out of the state for 24 hours or more. 

You must quarantine for 10 days. 

  1. You can come off quarantine if you're able to produce a negative* COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your return home while monitoring your symptoms for the entire 10 days. 

  2. If you are fully vaccinated (completed your prescribed doses of the vaccine and it has been 14 days post final shot) you are exempt and do not have to quarantine or produce the negative test. 

  3. Children 10 years and younger, who are traveling with an adult from their household should follow the quarantine advisory and testing options completed by the household adult they accompanied for travel. If the adult quarantines, the child should also quarantine. If the accompanying adult chooses to obtain a test, the child and the adult should quarantine until the results of the adult's test is received. 

If you travel internationally: 

  1. MA Travel states you must quarantine for 10 days. 

  2. You can come off quarantine if you're able to produce a negative* COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your return home while monitoring for symptoms for the entire 10 days. 

 * You must show a negative PCR test (not an Antigen test or Rapid result test, unless it is an Abbott BinaxNOW Antigen test). 

Open these links below for more detailed Massachusetts travel information. 

 https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-advisory 

  https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-advisory#potential-other-traveler-scenarios- If you have any questions or concerns please contact your student’s school nurse. 

  •  

With Sheffield Pride,

Melissa Pitrat

 

Friends of Sheffield will be holding an online fundraiser to raise money for class t-shirts.  The annual t-shirt tradition wasn't able to happen last spring so we are hoping to bring it back and raise enough funds for these wonderful keepsakes.  We have partnered with Pierce Bros Coffee (newly branded as Fogbuster Coffee Works) for a 2 week online fundraiser starting Monday, April 12 and running through Monday, April 26.  There are a variety of items including different blends of coffee (AND a special SHEFFIELD PRIDE blend), hot chocolate, KCups and chocolate covered espresso beans.  30% of all proceeds from this sale will go directly to the purchase of a t-shirt for each child at Sheffield.  If you'd prefer to make a straight donation there is a button on the website just for that.  This fundraiser is strictly online so you may ask family and friends from near and far to support us.  Whoever purchases will have a choice if they want to have the items shipped (however you will have to pay for shipping) or if you want the items to be picked up at Sheffield (free shipping this way).  We will advertise on our Facebook page (search Friends of Sheffield) and in this newsletter.  Thank you in advance for your support of Sheffield Elementary School!

You may access the fundraising website starting on Monday, April 12:

 https://piercebrospromos.com/collections/fundraiser