We can all look forward to warmer and brighter days ahead. Spring begins on March 20, and full in-person learning for our elementary students begins April 5. Please see updates and more information from the Return to In-Person Learning Working Group under the School Committee section below.
In this issue:
School Committee
Kindergarten Registration
School News
Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE)
Belmont Special Education Parent Advisory Group (Belmont SEPAC)
Useful Information
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Chair's Report: Please see the School Committee Chair's report from the March 9 meeting which answers the Google questions submitted to the School Committee.
Special Education and English Language Services Update: Director of Student Services Ken Kramer and Director of English Language Services Lindsey Rinder each presented an update on the Special Education and the English Language Education programs at the March 9 School Committee meeting.
CMS Hybrid Schedule Update: Although we are currently planning for our middle school students to return to full in-person learning by or before April 28, we continued the work to amend the CMS hybrid schedule now. On March 17, students began receiving additional live instruction online in the afternoons.
Return to In-Person Learning Working Group: As you know from the March 4 email to the Belmont community, we are preparing to return our elementary students to full in-person or full remote learning on April 5 per the mandate from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Our Return to In-Person Working Group put together recommendations supported by the School Committee at the March 9 meeting. For more information, please see the Superintendent's report presented at the February 23 School Committee meeting as well as all working group materials on the BPS website.
The working group met on March 15 to begin planning the return for Chenery Middle School students. The transition to full in-person or remote learning for grade 5 may take place earlier but no later than April 28. We will announce the date as soon as planning allows. Grades 6, 7 and 8 transition will be on April 28. Yesterday, Chenery families were emailed a letter and FAQ about the planning to date and to expect a survey in their mailboxes today, March 19, to choose either in-person or full remote learning. Please submit survey responses by noon on Tuesday, March 23, so we may begin the complexity of scheduling this large number of students. Please note a link to an information session for grade 5-8 families scheduled for March 22 at 6:30 p.m. is also in this letter.
The work is unfolding quickly and influenced by changing DESE guidance. In order to provide as much information to elementary families as possible, we offered the following resources and upcoming events:
- March 11: Held a Q&A session with administrators, principals, and families to discuss each learning option (full in-person or fully remote). Please see the slides presented or watch a recording of this session for more information.
- March 12: Sent a survey to all K-4 parents asking for a remote or in-person choice along with an FAQ document responding to questions. Survey was due at noon on March 16.
- March 15: Held an information session specifically for families considering the remote classroom option.
- March 17: Began the work of processing the choices listed in the survey for remote-only or in-person learning beginning on April 5.
- March 18: Sent a letter and FAQ to Chenery families as preliminary information to help make a remote or in-person choice.
- March 19: Sent a survey to Chenery families asking for a remote or in-person choice; the survey is due by March 23 at noon.
- March 22: Holding a Chenery Parent Information session at 6:30 p.m.
- March 23: School Committee meeting where the working group will give an update on the elementary in-person and remote choice survey numbers and moving forward. The working group will also update on the middle school planning thus far.
BHS COVID-19 Pooled Testing: The pooled testing pilot for BHS students attending the hybrid model began at the high school on March 9 for Cohort A students, and on March 12 for Cohort B students. Please see the BHS Pooled Testing page on the BPS website for more information and updates on this initiative. We are exploring our pool testing protocols for expansion given the DESE increase of full in-person time.
Budget FY22: We presented the budget and upcoming override to the middle and high school community on March 3 followed by a Q&A. for those who missed this informative evening or who want to look at the information presented, please go to the BPS School Budget page for the FY22 Budget and Belmont Media Center website to view the elementary and the middle and high school presentations. The Warrant Committee presentations are located under the FY22 Budget Information tab on the town website.
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
This is a reminder to register your incoming kindergartner for school year 2021-2022 by the end of March to be in the April placements. BPS offers free tuition for kindergarten. Please see important registration information below for current BPS families:
- You do not need to register a grade 1-12 existing Belmont Public Schools student again.
- You do need to register your incoming kindergartner even if you are a current Belmont Public Schools family. To ensure placement of your incoming kindergartner at the same elementary school as your grade 1-4 child, please submit all required documents to complete registration for your incoming kindergartner by the end of March, 2021.
- Current Wellington preschool families will be emailed registration instructions.
- To enter Kindergarten, the child must be five years old on or before September 1st of the year they will attend school.
If you have any questions regarding your registration, please contact the school you registered with.
SCHOOL NEWS
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On March 2, BPS reached 100 days of school, and elementary classrooms marked the occasion with decorative capes and hats and special activities. Please see pictures in the gallery below.
- Elementary schools celebrated Read Across America Day on March 2 with live virtual read a louds and welcomed children to dress up as their favorite character and/or share a favorite book or character with the class.
- Butler PTA hosted a Family Virtual Art Night on February 26. Staff member Michael Mann guided the children to paint a picture using paints and mini-canvasses provided to all students by the PTA. Butler Art Teacher Marissa Wakeen then held an art show of student work.
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Butler kindergartners and first graders had a visit from author Sam Wedelich on March 5, organized by the PTA. Ms. Wedelich shared her ideas, planning, and some tips about writing and illustrating.
- Congratulations to BHS student scientists who received awards for their projects in the Region IV Science Fair and will continue on to the Massachusetts State Science Fair:
-Outstanding Computer Science/Math Project: "Predicting Stress in Remote Learning via Advanced Deep Learning Technologies" by Daben Liu
-Outstanding Chemistry Project: "Green Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticle Grafted Graphene Oxide Nanosheets" by Dahlia Liu
-Honorable Mention: "Machine Learning Stock Market Simulation and Trading Bot Implementation" by Derek Chen
In addition, BHS student Derek Chen progresses to the Semifinalist Exam in April after scoring very well on the USA Biolympiad Open Exam in February.
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BHS student Helena Sena organized a food drive for the Belmont Food Pantry after learning about food accessibility in class and thinking about how the pandemic has impacted low-income families. A successful drive, BHS volunteers picked up 75 bags outside participating homes on March 6 for the food pantry. This is her first year doing a food drive, and she is starting a club next year to do more.
- BHS students again are in the competition bracket in the WGBH High School Quiz Show. Season 12 of the academic WGBH series is using a hybrid model, with teams competing remotely and the host asking questions from the WGBH studios. The new season premieres at 6:00 p.m. on April 3.
- BHS Marauder of the Week for March 19 are Graham Backman and Nathan Sheffield, for the week of March 5 are Kiwa Shinoda and Rachel November, and for the week of February 12 is Erika Carneiro. Please read more about Marauders of the Week on the BHS website.
FOUNDATION FOR BELMONT EDUCATION (FBE)
The FBE announced seven Rapid Response Grant awards awarded on February 5, totaling $12,217. The FBE created these grants to provide quick and responsive funding to educators for needs that arise due to COVID. We thank the FBE for their continued support of our educators and students. Please see the FBE website for a summary of the awards.
BELMONT SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (Belmont SEPAC)
The next Parent Information Session is Understanding the IEP, held on March 25. Please see the Belmont SEPAC page on the BPS website for all upcoming events, access, and how to view past events.
USEFUL INFORMATION
For your convenience, below are links to useful information from previous newsletters.
Belmont Public Schools:
Town and State:
Organizations: