Message from Principal Chad Leith: November 19, 2021

Dear Morse School parents and caregivers,

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and that your week is off to a great start.  Most parent-teacher conferences will take place today and tomorrow, and our teachers are looking forward to sharing about your child’s progress during the first quarter of the school year.  If you have not yet signed up for a conference, please reach out to your child’s teacher or contact our Family Liaison Kasey Clermont or our Clerk Elaine Delaney.

Parent Coffee this Friday 12/3 - 8-9 AM

Family Liaison Kasey Clermont and I will be hosting a parent coffee this Friday morning from 8-9 AM at the picnic tables by the CitySprouts Garden.  Please come have a cup of coffee (or hot cider!), connect with other Morse School families, and share your questions, concerns, and suggestions.  We look forward to seeing many of you there!

Reminder - Morse Tardy Policy

We care about our Morse School students and want them to get the most out of the school day.  Our doors open at 8:10 AM and we strongly encourage all Morse School families to drop children off as close to 8:10 AM as possible.  Morning routines help students orient themselves for the day and are particularly helpful for students who need extra time making transitions or getting organized.  Arriving to school late affects a student's academic performance and social emotional development.  Students who arrive late miss important organizational and instructional time and important opportunities to connect with their classmates.  Any student who arrives after 8:25 AM is considered “tardy.”  The Cambridge Public Schools identifies any student who arrives late more than 5% of the time as “Chronically Tardy.”  I will be sending letters out this week to students who have been excessively tardy this year, with a reminder about this important policy.  If you need support in getting your child to school on time, please contact a member of our team.  For more information about our tardy policy - as well as other important rules, policies, and procedures that contribute to effective school functioning - please review the Morse School Student & Family Handbook, which I originally sent out to families in my September 15th newsletter.  Thank you for your partnership as we support all of our students for success!

Morse Winter Clothing Exchange

A special thank you to Kasey Clermont and Friends of Morse School volunteers Victoria Junior and Nuria Jané Chemeno, who are organizing a winter clothing drive to benefit Morse School families.  Our volunteers are looking for gently used winter hats, jackets, pants, long sleeved shirts, and sweatshirts in children’s sizes.  Please consider donating winter clothing that your elementary school children have outgrown.  We will have donation bins out each day by the main entrance.  Donations will be accepted beginning today, November 29th, through January 7th.  The clothing exchange for Morse families will take place on Saturday December 18th and Saturday January 8th (9AM-3PM) in the Morse School Gym.  All Morse School community members are invited to participate!  Donations are NOT required in order to come by and pick out items that your children need! 

December 1st Vaccination Clinic for CPS Families

As concerns grow about a possible new strain of COVID-19, I’d like to remind you that one of the best ways to keep our community safe is to get yourself and your child vaccinated.  This Wednesday December 1st the Cambridge Public Health Department will be offering free Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots to Cambridge residents, including CPS students aged 5 or older. This will include first and second doses of the vaccine as well as booster shots. Walk-ins are welcome, but you are encouraged to register here.  Wednesday’s clinic will take place from 3:30-7:30 PM at the King Open School, 850 Cambridge Street.

Finally, to those Morse School families who are observing Hanukkah this week, I offer my very best wishes for a very happy celebration!

Sincerely,

Chad

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