Message from ENSATS 1/7/2022

Good Morning Families and Students:

So we have our first snow day of the year and on a Friday to boot! These kinds of school calendar and meteorological alignments are rare, so we hope students enjoy the day. We are eager to get back to learning this week after our first weeklong vacation of the year and thank you for helping us to make this happen.

Upcoming Schedule

Here is a preview of the schedule for the next week.

Monday, January 10, 2022	Day 9: Green
Tuesday, January 11, 2022	Day 10: Green
Wednesday, January 12, 2022	Day 1: Blue 8:45 am Late Start
Thursday, January 13, 2022	Day 2: Blue
Friday, January 14, 2022	Day 3: Blue

Saturday Detention

The January 8th Saturday Detention has been canceled. Please contact your Assistant Principal with any questions about rescheduling.

***Change in Date for the End of Quarter 2***

Due to the snow day today, we have decided to add one more day to the second quarter. Therefore, the last day of quarter 2 will be on Tuesday, January 25th. Third-quarter will now begin on Wednesday, January 26th. This will also provide a logical start to the second semester on a Wednesday with the cycle shift. All new Semester 2 classes will now begin on Wednesday, January 26th. We will update the school calendar and send it out next week.

Drama Club Performances

Drama Club is proud to present their production, The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens on Friday, January 14 at 6:00 pm and Saturday, January 15 at 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm. This whodunit murder mystery is full of laughs, zany characters, and even the chance for the audience to interrogate the suspects! Watch as the tyrannical millionaire, Edward Worthington, is murdered, and the police lieutenant searches for the culprit. Please reserve your tickets in advance to guarantee a seat at the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-plot-like-gravy-thickens-tickets-225390879187

Mask Reminder

With the uptick in COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks, we want to remind students that masks need to be worn at all times (unless outside or at lunch) and that the masks must be worn over BOTH the mouth and nose. We have been wearing masks for almost two years now, and students should not need these reminders at this point. We will send students home if they do not wear masks properly.

Update: Socially-Distanced Assemblies to Refocus on Student Learning

As a follow-up to our socially-distanced assemblies on Monday, we introduced members of our DEI Team and then talked to students about our expectations that will hold them accountable to our Graduate Profile by being kind, tenacious, responsible, collaborative, culturally proficient, and entrepreneurial. We shared with students at these assemblies anonymous examples of when this has not been the case, especially when it comes to what they say to others and to their inappropriate cell phone use.

The timing of these assemblies underscores the sense of importance and urgency we have with these issues. We will hold follow-up smaller meetings with students in the next two weeks to offer them a smaller venue to discuss these issues and ask questions.

Peer mediation training and DEI training will become an area of focus for our school community so that we may engage in truthful and often difficult conversations about race and equity.

Reminder: Student Cell Phones

As we made clear to students at these assemblies, cell phones are not allowed to be used in the classroom. Students are expected to bring their Chromebook or laptop devices with them to class each day. Any student using a cell phone in class will be sent to the Assistant Principals’ office and will be required to leave their cell phone in the office for the remainder of the day. We will enforce this expectation consistently throughout school and thank you for your support. As we visited classrooms this week, we did see a remarkable improvement in student engagement. Thank you for your commitment to this! This is certainly a team effort!

COVID-19 Mobile Vaccination Clinic

As we mentioned in our last email, Essex Tech will be hosting a mobile vaccine clinic for students and staff to be held on our campus on January 21, 2022. There is still additional time for any student who wants to get vaccinated or boosted. If you are interested, please complete this pre-registration link so that our friends at Transformative Health Care can bring the appropriate amount of vaccine. Let us know if you have any questions.

COVID Dashboard and COVID Information Update

Here is the link to our COVID Dashboard. The Dashboard can be accessed directly on the families page of our website in the COVID-19 section. We have also added DESE COVID-19 Protocol Flowcharts and Test-and-Stay information to this section.

Have a restful (long) weekend.

HTR SBD TJO