Cambridge Public Schools: Message From Superintendent Greer: November 22, 2021

Cambridge MA

23 November, 2021

9:42 AM

Description

Press release from Cambridge Public Schools: 11/22/2021 Message from Superintendent Greer: November 22, 2021 Greetings CPS community! I want to thank the nearly 1300 families who have uploaded their child's vaccination card or exemption request to the portal. Please be reminded that the vaccination requirement deadline for our students 12 and older is one week from today on Monday, November 29. While students will not be excluded from school, those who are not vaccinated by the deadline will not be able to participate in before or after school CPS activities. We continue to encourage our students, families and the community-at-large to participate in the Department of Public Health's second COVID-19 and flu vaccination clinic on Wednesday, December 1 from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the King Open School. This Wednesday is an Early Release Day for all schools ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Please visit our website for how you can continue to protect yourself and your family this holiday season. I hope that you enjoy time with your family and close friends. Make it Great! Dr. Victoria L. Greer Interim Superintendent Cambridge Public Schools See the full FAQ about student vaccinations here.   Will COVID testing be offered the week of Thanksgiving? Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no weekly pool testing at school for students or staff this week. CPS will continue to offer symptomatic testing and the "test and stay" as needed.   Please note there will also be no COVID testing at the usual city sites on Wednesday or Thursday. There will be testing available today from 4 to 8 p.m. on the 3rd floor of the CambridgeSide mall.   Testing at the city sites will resume as normal this Sunday, November 28.   Whether you are traveling near or far, stay safe with these tips! See the full FAQ about student vaccinations here.   If you have not done so already, please upload proof of vaccination or submit exemption requests through the secure Family Portal. As a reminder, please do not share this information via email with school staff. CPHD's second clinic is scheduled for Wednesday, December 1 from 3:30PM to 7:30PM at the King Open School located at 850 Cambridge Street.   **Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are encouraged.**   Register               VaxAbilities is hosting disability-friendly vaccine clinics around the state. Additional staff will be at these clinics to provide skilled support to individuals with disabilities and sensory support needs.   Most of the clinics will offer the COVID vaccine to children 5+, adult vaccines as well as boosters. While the clinics are tailored to support individuals with disabilities, please note that anyone can visit the clinic.   **Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are encouraged.**   Register Due to continued national shortages of food and packaging materials, labor and vendor delivery delays and cancellations, for the month of December, Food and Nutrition Services will publish a weekly menu, rather than a monthly menu. This will ensure the menu is as accurate as possible. A weekly menu also means there will be fewer last minute menu changes. For any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to their office at 617-349-6858. Our Edulog bus tracker system has a new app! With the new Edulog Parent Portal app you can: Receive notifications as the bus approaches the bus stop Scan the QR Code above or to the right to download the NEW app and create a NEW account.   Last week, Superintendent Greer had the pleasure of sitting down with several students in focus groups.   She was delighted to connect with them one-on-one and hear about their high school experience.   Are you proud of something happening in your school, classroom or program? Share your "Caught Doing Good" story with [email protected]. 2022-23 JK/K Lottery     The JK/K Lottery for the 2022-2023 school year opens on January 3, 2022 and closes promptly at 4PM on January 31, 2022. All registrations must be fully completed, including all language testing to determine eligibility for Program Language Bonus points. Discussion of Student Health Survey   The Cambridge Public Health Department and Cambridge Public Schools have released summary results from the 2021 Cambridge Middle Grades and Teen Health Survey. The survey, which is conducted regularly to assess the health behaviors of our middle and high school students, was administered online in May 2021.   We have taken a deeper dive into the results, which will be presented at the School Committee School Climate Sub-Committee meeting on:   Tuesday, November 30 | 6:00 p.m.   Register   Cambridge Families of Color Coalition (CFCC): Community Gathering     Tuesday, December 14 | 6:30-8PM   Register CPS celebrates the life of CRLS alumna, basketball legend, NCAA, WNBA, international and Olympic champion Medina Dixon, who passed away from cancer earlier this month. Learn more about Dixon in this feature in the Boston Globe, which noted she "was the top-ranked girls' basketball prospect in the nation when she led Cambridge Rindge & Latin to a state title in 1981, the same year Patrick Ewing led Cambridge to a third straight boys' basketball championship." CPS 2021-22 School calendar   Wednesday, November 24 | Early Release Day, All Schools Thursday, November 25-Friday, November 26 | Schools Closed, Thanksgiving Sunday, November 28-Monday, December 6 | Hanukkah Monday, November 29 | Student Vaccination Requirement for CPS Sponsored Afterschool Activities Takes Effect Friday, December 24-Friday, December 31 | Winter Break Monthly CPS Lunch Menu: November 2021 COVID-19 Testing Consent Forms: Log-in to the Family Portal CPS Quarantine & Testing Protocols: English | Amharic | Arabic | Bengali | Haitian Creole | Spanish Holiday Gathering Guidance: Safety Tips   CPS is requiring all students ages 12+ to be fully vaccinated in order to participate in CPS-sponsored before and afterschool activities, including athletics, clubs, visual and performing arts programs, and school-sponsored social events. Learn more >> This press release was produced by Cambridge Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.