#MURSDGratitude Hi everyone, I hope you are hanging in there and were able to get outside on Saturday when the weather was nice. Above, I share a great reflective tool for all of us to make sure we are taking care of ourselves and of others during our time at home. In speaking with colleagues and friends, all of us have our moments where we are feeling a multitude of feelings such as grief and sadness or anxiety and fear. This is where all of the self-care strategies we have focused on this year will really help us out through this difficult and anxiety-provoking time. Please know that you are not alone and we are all in this together. We are so fortunate to have an extended MURSD Community that we can draw upon for strength and support, so please reach out at any point. Keep checking on your colleagues, spreading joy, and taking time for yourself to get outside, get exercise, and do something just for you. Expressing gratitude is one strategy that I plan to focus on each week to help me to focus on what's important and I hope you can share your own #MURSDGratitude as well. 1. Thanks to my favorite dance instructors who have opened up virtual access for dance classes this past week. I always love the HipHop dance by Alycia Beatrice and the Zumba class with Olga Grau was just what I needed! 2. Thank you to all of the essential workers who are working at local businesses to help sustain us with deliveries, medicine, and food. I saw my former students working hard at the local grocery stores, pizza restaurants, and Dunkin Donuts this past week and was amazed by their positivity. 3. Thank you to all of our health and medical workers who are on the front lines. Their compassion and dedication to helping those in greatest need are literally saving lives. ResourcesExtended Learning Website The following website has informational updates, FAQs, and digital resources for families. We continue to add to the website weekly as new updates come out from the state. We also have added social emotional learning and behavioral support information for families, as well as technology support for teachers on this website. Please bookmark this and share it with parents. District Norms for Zoom Conferencing This past week we dipped our toes in the water of Zoom Conferencing. As we look to use video conferencing with students on a more regular basis, we will be sharing out finalized district norms and best practices for live conferencing. We are waiting on specific legal guidance from DESE this week, but here is a draft of the norms so you can begin reviewing the information. We will update this when we receive the legal guidance. This can be formally shared with students and parents by the end of this coming week. MURSD Online Learning Resources
PD opportunities Coming UpAs you may have heard, that PBSLearning is partnering with MA. Here are a series of webinars regarding their resources. other updatesEducator licensure: Governor Baker has issued an executive order extending licenses for certain licensed professionals, including licensed educators. The order states that a license that is “in good standing” as of March 18, 2020, and that has expired or will expire during the state of emergency, is now extended and will remain valid until 90 days after the end of the state of emergency. The Department expects to issue guidance to implement the terms of the order. Governor Baker has issued an executive order extending licenses for certain licensed professionals, including licensed educators. The order states that a license that is “in good standing” as of March 18, 2020, and that has expired or will expire during the state of emergency, is now extended and will remain valid until 90 days after the end of the state of emergency. Guidance on Remote Learning Commissioner Riley's office released the following guidance on remote learning. We are working on our district's plan for remote learning and will release that to everyone by the end of this week. We have more guidance coming out at the beginning of the week from DESE that will impact our long-term plan. For Laughs
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#MURSDGratitudeCongratulations everyone! We have made it through one week of our new reality! I know it wasn't easy, especially in the beginning of the week, but hopefully as we head into the second week, we will all keep adapting. One way to help us all stay positive is to keep focusing on what we are thankful for. Here are my three gratitudes to share with you. 1. I am so grateful for all of you! It has been amazing how quickly you adapted to online meetings, and have reached out to your students and families to support them. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated group of educators in our district. You have been extraordinary and have gone above and beyond! 2. I am grateful for the leadership team. We have pulled together in rapid fashion to collaborate on communications, provide resources to families, and to shift to online format for meetings (lots of meetings!) 3. I am grateful for my family and friends. This weekend I tried to be a lot more present with my family to make sure I stepped away from the computer and with that new space, we went on walks with the family and even taught Liam how to bake his first cake. I even had an online meeting with my friends from my Cast in Up With People '97 who are experiencing COVID-19 from all parts of the world (Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and across the U.S.) It put things in perspective to pause this weekend and realize we are all in this together and we will get through this together. My hope for you is you find some ways to balance your life, take a step away from the news, and to find your own moments of gratitude. EXTENDED Learning Online ResourcesWe will keep adding to our resource-bank to support all of you. Thank you to those of you who have reached out to me with ideas. I will continue to add them this week. Extended Learning Website The following website has informational updates, FAQs, and digital resources for families. Online Learning Resources Just for Laughs... Remember...
Hi everyone, This week's update will look a little differently than previous ones. I'll be begin by thanking everyone for their professionalism in helping create a sense of calm with our students as we have been reacting to the ever-evolving and fluid nature of the situation. For formal communications, Dr. Maruszczak will continue to provide you with regular updates as we get more information, guidance, and create both short-term and long-term plans. As a leadership team, we continue to have meetings scheduled with the Boards of Health, regional leadership groups, and internally to develop plans moving forward. Thank you for your patience as we navigate these uncharted waters. We will be putting together a webpage this week with information and resources for the community. Below are a few resources for you to review that have been shared out in the last few days that you may find helpful. At any time, feel free to reach out to your building principals or central office if you have any questions. However, I imagine there will be some frequently asked questions that may arise. Therefore, below is a link to a Google Form to submit questions and any FAQs will be addressed through our website and communications as we gain answers to the questions this week. COVID-19 ResourcesMURSD Updates
Statements from Across the State With unclear and mixed guidance from the state and deference to local decision-making, many regions of school superintendents worked together to have coordinated responses. The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents released a statement regarding the collective response of school superintendents across the commonwealth to make the critical decision to close schools to help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Information
Resources for Parents
Self-Care Inspiration
Portrait of a learnerPlease continue to share out your #PortraitofaLearner snapshots taking place with our students.! Check out these highlights from the last month. #Portraitofalearner We hope to see you engaging in this month's twitter challenge where you share highlights of students demonstrating the month's Portrait of a Learner Competency. Those who participate will be entered into a raffle. Please tag your posts with #MURSDInspires #Portraitofalearner This month's twitter challenge will focus on the Competency: Effective Communicator. The MURSD Leaner: 1. Articulates thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts 2. Uses communication for a range of purposes 3. Listens effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions. 4. Utilizes multiple media and technologies, and knows how to judge their effectiveness and their impact. Homework guidelinesAs we head into MCAS season, please review the district guidelines on homework. Open Budget HearingPlease join us at the Annual Open Budget Hearing, which will be this Monday, March 9 at 7:00 pm in the Nipmuc Auditorium. During this meeting, the proposed $38,961,150 operational budget for FY2021 (the 2021-21 school year) will be presented and deliberated upon by the Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee. The hearing is open to the public and is a great opportunity for anyone to ask any questions about the proposed spending plan. The final budget approval is going to be challenging, as in all likelihood, this request will require a significant Proposition 2 1/2 operational override from our two communities, as the trend of less proportional state aid has continued. If the override is not successful, the district will be forced to make significant cuts, resulting in larger class sizes at all levels and reductions to many important programs and services that are essential to our children's education. Last month Dr. Maruszczak shared some initial budgetary projections with the MURSD School Committee. At the Monday night hearing he will further elaborate on our necessary expenditures for 2020-21 and the required revenue. Please consider attending to learn more so that you may be well informed about this critical time for the MURSD. PD OpportunitiesCPI Training (In-District)
Primary Source Primary source registration is open for summer offerings. Please check out the following course offerings and let Maureen know if you are interested in registering for a course. As a member district, the cost is free to members and we have a couple of summer spots for our district. Math Pathways Presentation Math Pathways Presentation by Stephen Garschina-Bobrow, a math content specialist with DESE's Center for Instructional Support (CIS) STEM Team. Geared to 7/8th grade teachers, administrators, and HS. Sponsored by BVCC and willb e held at Uxbridge HS. Tuesday, April 28 12pm - 2pm (Optional-math leaders collaboration: 2pm - 3pm) Here is the link to register: https://forms.gle/SjnpQVhpV4eV7Gkq5 PBL Project Slice I'd like to invite you, any of your school leaders and key teacher leaders to attend one of our free Project Slice experience on March 4 (Burlington), or March 16 (Lowell). This one day experience will allow participants to experience PBL as a learner and reflect on how PBL can help their students achieve academic content standards and success skills that they will need for college, career and life. We're also currently accepting applications for our PBL School Leader Network, where 50% of the participation fees will be covered by the One8 Foundation. March 12-Ignite Learning with Education Apps (Apple) 8:30-12:00 Shrewsbury Town Hall March 18--MA Partnerships for Youth Student Cyber Risk-Taking and Potential Threats https://massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com/events/student-cyber-risk-taking--potential-threats Google Skills Digital Workshop https://edtechteacher.org/ett_events/googleskillsma/ ResourcesArticles/Resource from Twitter
Self-Care Strategy Morning messages: Being anchored in the present moment helps you practice appreciation and see the bright spots. It also goes the other way: Practicing gratitude can help you stay anchored in the present. We often think that happiness comes from big wins or achievements, but the sum total of all the little things is often greater than the big things. This week, focus on the little things by sending at least one thank-you email or text each morning--two short minutes to take stock of the present and appreciate those who are making it better. Write the days of the week out and write the names of the people you will thank this week. Inspiration "We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same."--Carlos Castaneda District Events
March 3 PD DayKeynote and Featured Presenters: We are thrilled to welcome two featured presenters. Our opening speaker is Matthew Dicks. Matthew is an educator, author, and a nationally-syndicated storyteller on NPR's The Moth. Matthew will also run a workshop on storytelling at the convention. Additionally, we will welcome Richard Byrne, educator and founder of Practical Ed Tech. Richard will facilitate several hands-on sessions focused on practical practices that leverage technology to create Inspired Learning experiences. They are tentatively scheduled to focus on Augmented / Virtual Reality & DIY App creation for kids related to different content areas. Schedule: We posted the schedule for the March 3rd Inspired Learning Convention. We have over 40 interesting sessions available led by a mix of our colleagues and other educators from around New England. We're looking forward to a day filled with thought-provoking conversations and tangible takeaways that you can use in your classrooms. Based on the feedback we received in 2019, we now offer three formats of sessions. The formats include:
Logistics: As you are aware, Tuesday is also Primary Day so many of our Upton community members will be voting at the primary in the Nipmuc gymnasium. They will be parking in the faculty parking lot by the gym and some spots will be allocated for the public in the front as well. We are expected to have thousands come through to vote, so we do recommend that people meet first at their respective schools (Clough, Memorial, Miscoe) and carpool over as parking will be limited on the PD day. We appreciate your assistance with this. Registration takes place from 8:00-8:30 with the Keynote speaker beginning promptly at 8:30. Lunch: We will be providing boxed lunches for those in attendance as well as coffee/tea in the morning. We asked that those with dietary restrictions reach out to Dave Quinn by last Thursday. The orders were placed for lunch last Friday. In-District Workshops: Please note that a few in-district closed offerings are taking place such as CPI Refresher and iReady professional development. Registration for these in-district workshops can be found in Teachpoint and not in Sched. Thank you! Thank you to the work of the PD Committee in helping with the plans for the upcoming PD Day. Thank you to Dave Quinn for his leadership in the Inspired Learning Convention and bringing many great presenters to our doorstep. Thank you to all of our in-district teachers and staff who have come forward to share their experiences, knowledge, and passion. Portrait of a Learner Twitter Challenge#Portraitofalearner Welcome to March! We hope to see you engaging in this month's twitter challenge where you share highlights of students demonstrating the month's Portrait of a Learner Competency. Those who participate will be entered into a raffle. Please tag your posts with #MURSDInspires #Portraitofalearner This month's twitter challenge will focus on the Competency: Effective Communicator. The MURSD Leaner: 1. Articulates thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts 2. Uses communication for a range of purposes 3. Listens effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions. 4. Utilizes multiple media and technologies, and knows how to judge their effectiveness and their impact. PD OpportunitiesCPI Training (In-District)
PBL Project Slice I'd like to invite you, any of your school leaders and key teacher leaders to attend one of our free Project Slice experience on March 4 (Burlington), or March 16 (Lowell). This one day experience will allow participants to experience PBL as a learner and reflect on how PBL can help their students achieve academic content standards and success skills that they will need for college, career and life. We're also currently accepting applications for our PBL School Leader Network, where 50% of the participation fees will be covered by the One8 Foundation. March 4: MA Partnerships for Youth Real Talk: Lessons in Uncommon Sense--Mental Health Series https://massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com/events/real-talk-lessons-in-uncommon-sense---mental-health-series-utcewaghqg32 March 12-Ignite Learning with Education Apps (Apple) 8:30-12:00 Shrewsbury Town Hall March 18--MA Partnerships for Youth Student Cyber Risk-Taking and Potential Threats https://massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com/events/student-cyber-risk-taking--potential-threats Google Skills Digital Workshop https://edtechteacher.org/ett_events/googleskillsma/ REsources |