Message from Chad Leith: February 9, 2021

Dear Morse School parents and caregivers,


Over the weekend, the district and negotiators representing the Cambridge teachers union reached a tentative agreement to accept three-foot distancing between students in classrooms when wearing masks and six-foot distancing when eating.  We are hopeful that this step, if approved by union membership, will allow us to think more flexibly about our classroom spaces so that we can provide more options for Morse School families.  We are eager to add more spaces for children who wish to return to in-person schooling, but must do this in a way that prioritizes the health and safety of our students and staff.  Ms. Headley and I are meeting with district leaders this week to see how we might best accomplish this, given space and staffing constraints.  For the many children who will continue learning from home, we are also committed to maintaining a robust and appropriately-staffed online learning environment.  We hope to have more information to share with the members of our community by Friday.


Morse Parents of Color Affinity Group Meeting - Thursday 6:30-7:45PM

On behalf of parent organizers Alba Alexander, Jennifer Betancourt, and Kim Bostic-Williams, I wish to extend a warm invitation to our parents and caregivers of color to participate in this Thursday’s (6:30-7:45PM) meeting of the Morse Parents & Caregivers of Color Affinity Group.  The group is intended as a safe space for building community, sharing information, and advocating for children of color to be heard, seen, and thrive at the Morse School.  This Thursday, the group will be joined by members of the Cambridge Families of Color Coalition.  Participants will also have a chance to win a $25 Trader Joe’s gift card sponsored by the Friends of Morse.  Please see this flyer for more information and for a Zoom link.   


February Materials Pick-Up

This is February Materials Pick-Up Week for our remote learners!. Please plan to come by the Morse School building between 7:30am-3:00pm between today and Friday to pick up your child’s learning materials and library books for the remaining weeks of February and early March. Please remember that these materials are provided so that your child can participate actively in the learning experiences that our teachers have designed. It is therefore very important that you stop by to pick them up. We will also have 1st semester report cards available for pick-up (report cards for in-person learners will be sent home in your child’s backpack on Thursday). If you are unable to stop by during the hours noted above, please reach out to our Family Liaison Denise Sullivan.


Spotlight on Black History Month

February is Black History Month and Morse School students and teachers are celebrating African, African American, and Afro-Caribbean stories, histories, accomplishments, voices, and experiences in a variety of ways, from read-alouds to class projects (such as the 3rd grade projects pictured here from Ms. Gallant’s class).  Ms. Headley and I will also dedicate part of our February Wednesday Live Stream presentations to observing Black History Month.  As a reminder, you can access our Live Stream presentations each Wednesday from 8:25-8:45AM by following this link.


Out-of-State Travel Reminder

Finally, if you plan on traveling out of state for the February break, please keep the Governor’s COVID travel restrictions in mind.  As explained in the CPSD "What should I do?" document, after traveling out of state, individuals should quarantine for 10 days or obtain a negative COVID test.  Per the state guidelines, children under 10 years old do not need to get tested if all adults traveling with the child receive a negative test either 72 hours before returning to Massachusetts or upon their arrival.  Once you obtain your results, please share them with me or Ms. Headley.  Thank you for taking this important step to help keep our Morse Community safe.

 

Sincerely,

Principal Chad Leith





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