Principal Madden’s Weekly Message—Week of October 26, 2020
Greetings to Caregivers,
I keep reminding myself to deep breathe. There is so much going on that is unpredictable and anxiety-provoking. It is a hard time, and I hear so much about anger and divisiveness in our communities and in our nation. I recently read somewhere (not sure who said it), that disagreeing should not make us disagreeable. We all have to try to be the calm ones to lend reassurance and comfort to our children. Luckily, here at Ryan Road, we have such a strong school community, and I know that we can harness all our positive energy and love to get through these hard times together. Thank you so much for all your continued care and communication.
Photos
• This week’s photos show some of our school gardeners last week. Ms. Hope (our garden educator) was here for a bit and had a wonderful group of students digging up potatoes and picking corn and beans. Later in the week, our kindergarten students had a perfect pumpkin day. Our field turned into a pumpkin patch! Also, they painted and experimented. It was lots of fun. One photo also shows one of our amazing students making many words with my “Chunks” game. The last photo is of our fabulous first grade team! They all wore their matching shirts one day this week. Thank goodness for our incredible staff!
• I am sure that you received some information about the move toward some hybrid learning in our district and at Ryan Road. “Hybrid” means that there will be some remote learning and some in-person learning.
1. School is moving toward a hybrid model this schedule:
November 12: K/1
November 30: 2/3
December 14: 4/5
2. All families should complete the survey form that we sent on Friday. Here is it again.
3. I’ve attached the district’s current hybrid plan.
Transition-to-Hybrid-Learning-4. I’ve also included the previous Reopening Plan that was released in September. It has information about hybrid planning.
School-Reopening-Plan5. I will have a “Town Hall” for caregivers this Tuesday (October 27) from 6:00-7:00. Here is the link. However, as always, you can contact me anytime with questions or concerns. I’m sure I will not have all the answers to your questions on Tuesday, but I will make sure to figure them all out and continue to communicate with you.
https://zoom.us/j/96204304364
Meeting ID: 962 0430 4364
Passcode: 620896
• Thank you for all your flexibility as we completed our Aimsweb assessments. We managed through downpours and power outages! We are almost 100% complete, and I so appreciate you bringing your children here. It was wonderful to see them!
• 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
Tuesday, October 27 from 6:00-7:00: Town Hall with Principal, Sarah Madden (information above)
Saturday, October 31 at 3:00: PTO Virtual Halloween Party! PTO will send information and link.
Tuesday, November 3: No School—Election Day
Wednesday, November 11: No School—Veterans Day
Wednesday (1/2 day) & Thursday and Friday (no school), November 25-27: Thanksgiving Holiday
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