Message from Chad Leith: October 9, 2020

Dear Morse School Parents and Caregivers,

It has been a busy few weeks since we launched the school year! Even as our teachers, paraprofessionals, and specialists have been working hard to provide your children with engaging online learning experiences, many Morse School staff members have been here in the building preparing for the return of our in-person students on Tuesday, October 13th. 

staff wavingIn Person Schooling Begins on Tuesday 10/13!
We are ready and excited to welcome our in-person learners on Tuesday! We have implemented many new safety protocols and building procedures, and it is important that all of our children and families understand these new expectations in order to help keep our Morse School community safe. Please take a moment this weekend to review each of these important resources:

In addition to these resources, we are asking families to assist their children in safely transporting their CPS chromebooks to and from school each day. We will be using them to support both in-person and remote learning. Also, please send your child with a full water bottle (preferably a reusable water bottle) in the morning, as we have deactivated our water fountains as a safety precaution. Finally, please remember that all morse school students must wear face masks while at school (gaiters and bandanas are not permitted).

Fall 2020 Parent Classroom Meetings
Many thanks to the families who participated in our first round of parent classroom meetings! As a reminder, parent classroom meetings for our fully remote classrooms will take place during the week of October 19th. Please see the Fall 2020 Parent Classroom Meetings Calendar to “save the date” for your child’s classroom meeting.

Becoming an Anti-Racist School - Opportunities for Parents and Caregivers
I am very excited to share that as part of our collective work towards becoming an anti-racist school we have partnered with Wee The People to offer two evening workshops for members of the Morse School community. Wee The People is a Boston-based social justice project for children ages 4-12. The workshop, The ABCs of Racism: Starting the Conversation about Race and Racism with Kids, will be offered on two separate evenings. The program is free, but space is limited to 25 participants for each session. Seats are open to Morse School parents, caregivers, and staff members and will be filled on a first come/first served basis, so please register soon by following the links below:
– Register for the Tues. 10/27 (6-8PM) workshop >>  
– Register for the Wed. 10/28 (7-9PM) workshop >> 

Please also save the date for our next meeting of the Morse School Working Group on Race & Equity next Thursday, October 15th from 6:00-7:30PM. All parents, caregivers, and staff members are warmly invited to attend (you can join by using this Zoom Link or dialing in: 646-558-8656 | Meeting ID: 941 4122 7089). For more information about the Morse Race & Equity Working Group and a full list of meeting dates, please visit the Working towards Becoming an Anti-Racist School page on our website.

News from Morse Librarian Ms. Pennell!
Looking for places to read online? Check out Ms. Pennell’s Online Reading Suggestions! If you have a favorite place to read books that is not listed here, please email Ms. Pennell to let her know. Want to discuss what you are reading? Need a book suggestion? See opportunities below to connect with Ms. Pennell:
  • Family Reader's Advisorya time for families to check in regarding all your book needsThursdays & Fridays | 12:45-1PM
  • JK-Grade 1 Readers’ Advisory/Book Chata time for students in grades JK, K &1 to talk about what they are reading and/or get book recommendationsTuesdays | 2:30-3PM
  • 2nd & 3rd Grade Readers’ Advisory/Book Chata time for students in grades 2 & 3 to talk about what they are reading and/or get book recommendations. Wednesdays | 2:30-3PM
  • 4th & 5th Grade Reader's Advisory/Book Chata time for students in grades 4 & 5 to talk about what they are reading and/or get book recommendations. Thursdays, 2:30-3PM | Google Meet Code: yaybooks
Ms. Pennell encourages you to reach out with any questions or concerns, or if you need tips, resource suggestions, or read aloud ideas!

Morse Live Stream Hispanic Heritage Month Challenge
As we wrap up Hispanic Heritage Month, I am inviting all interested 4th and 5th graders to participate in our Spanish Challenge. Your child can participate by writing a paragraph talking about a Spanish-speaking country you would like to visit, and answering these questions:
  • Which country would you like to visit?
  • Why are you interested in visiting that country?
  • What are 3 things you would like to do if you went there?
  • What do you hope you would learn by visiting that country?
Please have your child send his/her response to Ms. Guillén or me by Tuesday, October 13th. We will share some on Morse Live Stream next Wednesday morning! Please remember that you can access Morse Live Stream each Wednesday from 8:25-8:45 by following this link!

Thank you for being partners with us as we make the 2020-2021 school year great for our Morse School students. I wish you all the best for a restful long weekend.

Sincerely,

Principal Chad Leith
  
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