Dear Morse School Families & Caregivers,
It was wonderful seeing so many of you at last Thursday’s Math & Literacy Carnival! Many thanks to the staff members and parents who volunteered their time to prepare for the event and to those who stepped in to facilitate fun games and activities for our children and families. I look forward to crossing paths with many of you again this week when you come in to meet with your child’s teacher for our second trimester parent conferences!
New Granite Street Parking & Traffic Pattern
MBTA bus route #47 has ended its long-term diversion; as of yesterday, it will travel all the way down Pearl Street and turn left onto Granite Street. The MBTA bus stop at the Morse School’s entrance has shifted to the other side of the raised intersection and the school’s bus zone will be extended into this former bus stop area. Accommodations have also been made to move the handicapped space closer to the main entrance of our building. Illegally-parked cars will make it difficult for the bus to make the turn from Pearl Street onto Granite Street. I respectfully ask that all Morse School parents and guardians follow the new signage and be mindful about the importance of parking in legal parking areas during pick-up and drop-off. Thank you!
Spring 2019 MCAS Dates
The MCAS assessment helps to measure students’ progress towards meeting grade level standards in English language arts, mathematics and science. It is a standardized test used by all public schools in Massachusetts. The results will give us information about teaching and learning at the Morse School and will help us to make sure that all of our students are developing the foundational skills they need to be successful in middle school, high school and college. Only students in grades 3-5 participate. This year, there are two MCAS sessions for English language arts (ELA), two for math, and two for science (5th Grade only). All tests will be administered on computers. The testing dates for students in grades 3-5 are indicated below:
- Grade 3
English Language Arts: April 25th & 26th
Mathematics: May 9th & 10th
- Grade 4
English Language Arts: April 23rd & 24th
Mathematics: May 13th & 17th
- Grade 5
English Language Arts: April 29th & 30th
Mathematics: May 14th & 16th
Science: May 20th & 21st
Student participation in the MCAS assessment is very important, and we ask that you please avoid any appointments or family travel during the dates your child’s grade is scheduled to participate. I’ll be sending more information to Gr. 3-5 parents and caregivers in early April with some additional information about Spring 2019 MCAS testing.
Thank you and best wishes for a great week!
Sincerely,
Chad Leith
Principal