September 5, 2019
Dear Medway families,
This week we welcomed back our PK-12 students for the 2019-2020 school year. Central office leadership team members and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit all schools and we were pleased to see smooth transitions for both students and staff throughout. The new playgrounds at McGovern and Burke-Memorial Elementary Schools were a hit as students and adults alike had the opportunity to engage with the new and creative structures. Classroom routines and “getting to know you” experiences were also a prominent highlight.
Thank you to all of our families for remaining committed and patient with our transportation procedures and our transition to a new student information system. It is because of this partnership that we have been able to address questions in a timely and efficient manner. Please find important updates and information below.
Sincerely,
Armand Pires, Ph.D.
Superintendent
2019-2020 Calendar
Please find the 2019-20 school year calendar so that you are able to plan effectively: 2019-20 School Calendar
Family ACTION Required: Infinite Campus: New Student Information System
With appreciation to the Medway School Committee for their on-going support, the Medway Schools has spent the last several months transitioning to a new student information system, Infinite Campus. Our prior system, MMS/Visions, was no longer meeting our needs and we are very excited about the potential impact that this new system will have on our practices.
What Information Will Families Access in Infinite Campus?
All families, PK-12, will be utilizing Infinite Campus in the coming year. At the grade PK-4 levels, this tool will be accessed by families to ensure accuracy and updating of personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, and health information. For our grade 5-12 families, this tool will enable you to view student schedules, monitor student progress in their courses, view progress reports and report cards, and also update student information.
Setting Up Your Infinite Campus Account
In our August 15 communication, families were asked to set up their own Parent Portal accounts with the following instructions.
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Families should have received an email communication from messenger@medwayma.mg.infinitecampus.org with an activation code to log into Infinite Campus
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This code is unique to you and your address. Please do not share or pass this information onto anyone.
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Please do not worry; you will not have to memorize this number. You will simply be granted access to the portal with this number.
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Once accessed, you will be guided through the process of creating a username and password.
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From there, the instructions will assist you in the process of verifying/updating contact information for your household. If you have any questions, please complete this FORM.
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Additional directions and information can be found by clicking here.
Process for Reviewing and Updating Student Information in Infinite Campus
As families may have noticed, our typical paper forms were not sent home this year. Instead of the “beginning of year packet” which includes student enrollment, health, and demographic information, families are being asked to review all demographic information and submit requested changes via the Infinite Campus online registration portal. Families will be asked to complete the “Online Registration” option, listed under More to ensure we have the most current information for our students. If, for any reason, families are unable to access the Parent Portal, they are asked to please email us at parent@medwayschools.org for support or to request a hard copy of these forms. Requests for changes are reviewed internally and edits are approved or additional information will be requested.
Requests for address changes or custody agreements should still be brought into your child’s school office. A proof of residency will need to be provided to support an address change request. The proper court documents should be brought in to support any custody arrangements as well. If you have more than one child, you only need to visit one school to request the change.
2019-2020 Bus Routes
The 2019-2020 Bus Routes are available on our website and can be accessed here: 2019-2020 Bus Routes
Please know that the Medway Schools works closely with both Holmes Transportation and the Medway Police Department to address any concerns that are raised. We are thankful of this strong collaborative relationship. If you have any concerns or questions about bus transportation, please contact Don Aicardi, Director of Finance and Operations (daicardi@medwayschools.org), with questions. In your email, please include the following:
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your address
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the grade of your child
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your question/all pertinent information
Please review the following document that has some important information to assist with Medway Public School Bus Procedures.
For those students who are not eligible for bus service, please note that the Medway Public Schools, in collaboration with Massachusetts Safe Routes to School, the Medway Police Department and Project Alex, has mapped out “safe walking bus routes” for our K-8 students for use to and from school. Each walking bus route is equipped with several drop off locations and multiple "walking stops," which are similar to bus stops, along the route. Please refer to the school specific maps for more details about the walking routes your child can safely use to get to and from school: Walking Bus Maps
Excellence for All: A Medway Mindset, 2019-2024
Our five year strategic plan was published in early Spring, 2019. This document serves as our North Star and delineates the adopted mission, vision, core values, goals, and competencies that were identified through several collaborative discussions. Our annual District Improvement Plan as well as our School Improvement Plans are aligned to the higher level aspirations of the strategic plan and communicate the specific work targeted for each year of the plan. The strategic plan as well as the District Improvement and School Improvement Plans for the 2019-2020 school year can be accessed here:
Excellence for All: A Medway Mindset, 2019-2024 Strategic Plan
Medway Public Schools District Improvement Plan, 2019-2020
Medway High School Improvement Plan, 2019-2020
Medway Middle School Improvement Plan, 2019-2020
McGovern Elementary School Improvement Plan, 2019-2020
Burke-Memorial Elementary School Improvement Plan, 2019-2020
Communication
Ensuring that families understand the best pathway to address their questions and concerns is of high importance to us. In most cases, the first point of contact regarding a classroom question or concern is with the appropriate classroom teacher. Our teachers are the ones closest to the student experience. If a conversation with the classroom teacher does not support the clarity sought, please contact your child’s assistant principal or principal.
Questions connected with a student’s schedule at the middle or high school should be directed to the appropriate school counselor is appropriate. These individuals work collaboratively with teachers and administrators to ensure that student schedule needs are addressed.
If there are questions connected with our special education or 504 processes, these should be directed to special education liaisons (if currently on an Individual Education Plan) or to a classroom teacher (if not currently on an Individual Education Plan).
When in doubt, please contact the school directly either through email or by phone. Each building secretary can support you in getting in touch with the person most directly connected with your question. While we recognize that social media is a popular forum for asking questions or raising concerns, the school system does not actively monitor nor respond to inquiries posted here.
In addition to these updates from the Superintendent, families can expect to receive bi-monthly updates from building principals. We have increasingly used Twitter and Facebook as one way communication/information sharing tools. These platforms provide us with a great opportunity to share information with our community in short, informative snippets. Please see below for official Twitter handles of our schools and the district. Please note that we can not actively manage these accounts and provide responses to questions or messages. We invite you to follow us!
Medway Public Schools Facebook Page
Medway Public Schools @MedwaySchools
Medway High School @MedwayHighInfo
Medway Middle School @MedwayMiddle
Burke/Memorial School @BurkeMemorial
McGovern School @McGovernElem
Medway Athletics @MedwayAthletics
Medway Public Schools In the News
Lynnfield Company putting police alert buttons in classrooms and offices
Medway High student athletes participate in leadership development event
Up to the challenge: Medway's Ava Vasile prepares for UVM lacrosse experience
Medway’s Use of InForce 911 Emergency Notification System
Medway's Burke-Memorial Elementary School Partners with YMCA on Healthy Lifestyle Program
Medway Holds Annual Convocation to Open School Year
Upcoming Events:
*These represent district events that impact multiple schools. School based events will be communicated through school based communications
September 5, 2019 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 7:00 p.m. |
September 8, 2019 | MSPTO Alex Handy 5K, Medway High School, 8:00 a.m. |
September 9, 2019 | Grade 2 Curriculum Night, Burke- Memorial Elementary School, 6:30 p.m. |
September 11, 2019 | Grade 3 Curriculum Night, Burke-Memorial Elementary School, 6:00 p.m. Grade 4 Curriculum Night, Burke-Memorial Elementary School, 7:15 p.m. |
September 12, 2019 | Medway High School Open House, Medway High School, 6:30 p.m. |
September 19, 2019 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 7:00 p.m. |
September 24, 2019 | Middle School Open House, Medway Middle School, 5:30 p.m. |
September 26, 2019 | McGovern Back to School Night, McGovern Elementary PreK and K: 5:30-6:30 p.m. 1st Grade: 6:50-7:50 p.m. |
September 30, 2019 | No School: Rosh Hashanah |
October 3, 2019 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 7:00 p.m. |
October 9, 2019 | No School: Yom Kippur |
October 14, 2019 | No School: Columbus Day |
October 16, 2019 | T.H.R.I.V.E. Event: Screenagers Next Chapter: Empowering Youth with Stress Resilience, Auditorium, Medway High School, 7:00 p.m. |
October 17, 2019 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 7:00 p.m. |