Principal Madden’s Weekly Message—Week of November 9, 2020
Dear Caregivers,
I hope you were able to enjoy the lovely weekend!
Regardless of your political affiliations, it is nice to have the election over, and it will be good to have an educator (Jill Biden) living in the White House. And, here is one of my favorite Kamala Harris quotes from Saturday night:
“And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they’ve never seen it before.
And we will applaud you every step of the way.”
Thank you so much for all your continued patience and communication. I am planning on scheduling another Town Hall very soon after we hear more from the School Committee tonight (Monday, November 9). The agenda and link for that meeting are included here. Like I said last week, I am so sorry for the delays and confusion. Nothing will be ideal at this point, but we will keep working at it, together. I know that this is a very difficult decision and situation for all of you and your children, and I am so sorry.
In case you missed this letter from the School Committee in an email from me on Friday, here it is again.
Northampton-School-Committee-Letter.-11.6.2020Photos
• This week’s photos show our festive chalk appreciations that our PTO organized. That was really wonderful. Staff loved all the beautiful work. We are so lucky to have such a positive and caring community here at school.
And, this was the first Forest Friday for kindergarten when it wasn’t raining! It was a beautiful day. One photo shows some wonderful yoga shadows.
• If you have a Zoom issue during the day, the best thing to do is to call the office (587-1550) or email my Administrative Assistant, Vanessa Keillor. vkeillor@northampton-k12.us
I would love to help, but I am often not at my computer, and I usually do not know how to help. Luckily, Vanessa is becoming a genius with this stuff!
From Nurse, Karen Schiaffo:
Recognizing the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on children’s mental health, the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) joined forces with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to launch HandholdMA.org, a new family-friendly website for parents and guardians of school-aged children who are concerned about their child’s mental health.
HandholdMA.org provides families with tips, tools, and resources designed to help them navigate their child’s mental health journey with confidence. The content, which is targeted to families with kids age 6-12 years, was developed by a team of mental health and child development experts as well as family and community partners. A creative team from IDEO Cambridge designed the user experience and branding.
The content on HandholdMA.org is organized in three main sections:
- Should I worry? This section helps parents/guardians explore if their child is just being a kid or if their behavior is something to worry about. Families can learn about signs to look for and get suggestions on what to do next.
- What can I do? These are tips, tools, and strategies that have worked for other families in the past and are things they can learn about or do from home.
- Who can help? The final section includes carefully selected community organizations and government resources to help families find the right mental health services.
HandholdMA.org was developed with input from individuals representing the diversity of Massachusetts’ communities, and is available in six languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese.
Broken Chromebook??
• If you have a problem regarding your child’s chromebook, the plan going forward is listed here:
There are two options for caregivers (and if you need help with any of this, please call the school office (587-1550):
- Create a ticket for someone on IT to get back to you. The portal is at http://nps-support.northamptonit.info/support/tickets
- Schedule a drop off for replacement. You can schedule a time to come to James House (the IT office at 42 Gothic Street in Northampton). The appointments can get scheduled here, https://calendly.com/npschromebookrepair/chromebook-repair
Important Upcoming Dates
Monday, November 9 at 6:45: School Committee Meeting regarding Hybrid Models (Agenda and Zoom link are included here.)
School-Committee-MeetingWednesday, November 11: No School—Veterans Day
Wednesday (1/2 day) & Thursday and Friday (no school), November 25-27: Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, December 24-Friday, January 1: Holiday Vacation
Stay up to date (under normal circumstances or not!) with all of our school activities on our School Website’s Calendar!
I hope that all families feel welcome, comfortable, and valued at our school. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Sarah Madden
Principal