Dear Medway families,
We encourage you to take part in providing feedback on our communication practices. The opportunity to share your thoughts about our method and content of communication will close tomorrow, Friday April 1. We will use this feedback to further refine our communication practices to ensure that we are providing families, and the community, with the information that they are seeking. In connection with the goal to improve communication, we are working on a new website and mobile app that will also enhance communication.
Please find the link to share feedback on communication, and other important updates below.
Be well,
Armand Pires, Ph.D.
Superintendent
LAST CALL: Medway Public Schools Communication Feedback Sought
Please click this link to answer a one question survey about district communication. You can then rate other comments that others have left.
The survey question is How are we doing and what could we do better related to communication? We are looking for responses that include both the method of communication, and the content of communication.
The opportunity to share your thoughts will be open until this Friday, April 1. We have only heard from about 300 respondents and we hope that this extension will provide others the opportunity to share their thoughts.
COVID-10 Updates
We continue to monitor COVID-19 cases within the district. Since January we have logged over 500 COVID-19 cases of faculty or students. Over the past two weeks, we have seen a slight increase in cases. We will continue to monitor this situation. For updates on our prevalence rates, please find a link to our district dashboard here.
Families may still opt into our bi-weekly rapid antigen home testing program. Families interested in signing up for this program must opt-in by completing the Opt-in Form.
COVID-19 Test Kit Opt Out
If you are currently receiving the At-Home COVID Test kits and would like to opt out of receiving them, please complete this short opt out form. Please note it may take a week to record your request which could result in your student receiving at least one more test kit. The opt out form can be found here.
Medway Middle School Robotics Team Qualifies for World Competition
Congratulations to Medway Middle School’s VEX IQ Challenge teams comprised of:
Team Bot Masters: Sophie Anderson, Ezra Anderson
Team Pinyachta: Lucas Bianco, Owen Broude, Jack Connolly, Dylan Taylor
Team Phoenix: Cami Flynn, and Kavya Viswanathan
The teams each competed earlier this month in the Southern New England Championship for the VEX IQ Challenge Rise Above, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation.
Thank you to the team’s advisor and Medway Middle School educator, Maryann Tourkantonis, for her support and efforts to prepare the students for competition. All of our student competitors were quite impressive. Team Pinyachta and The Bot Masters tied for 6th place which qualified for the chance to showcase their skills at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas in May, the culminating event of the season that draws the best teams from across the country in an effort to be crowned World Champions. Planning and fundraising efforts are underway to support their participation. Please be on the lookout for more details soon.
Student Services and Wellness Updates
During the March 24 meeting of the School Committee, Dr. Kathleen Bernklow, Director of Student Services and Dr. Ryan Sherman, Director of Wellness, presented departmental updates. The Student Services update presentation can be found here and the Wellness update can be found here.
Safe Routes to School
Massachusetts Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School was in the district last week. Safe Routes taught bike safety to Burke-Memorial students and were at McGovern earlier in the month to teach pedestrian safety. We are exploring partnering with them again this May to bring back the McGovern Walk to School Day.
Community Education Spring and Summer Programming
We are pleased to share our Spring After School program offerings for students in grades K-8. Flyers will be in your child’s backpack on Thursday, March 31 with registration on FamilyID opening at 5:00 p.m. The registration links may be found here: McGovern School, Burke-Memorial School and Medway Middle School.
We have continued our commitment to offer before and after school programs for students. While there are many options, some programs focus on supporting student learning as we continue to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. These programs, offered for free or very low cost, are targeted to specific students, or may be open to all students.
Our support programs for kindergarten through grade 8 students are running smoothly - the new Mustang After Hours program for grades 6-8 opened on Tuesday, March 8. The Winter/Spring WIN programs for grades K-6 are ready to resume, as well as the Wake Up & Grow before school program for grades 2-4. We hope to offer the Wake Up & Grow program to McGovern students, stay tuned for the details! Spring programs are slated to begin May 3, 2022.
We are also happy to share our latest brochure with the community. Online registration on FamilyID for Spring and Summer programs opened March 4.
Spring After School Programs for students in grades K-8 will begin the week of April 25. Flyers will be distributed to students on Thursday, March 31, with online registration via FamilyID opening that same day at 5:00 p.m.
We are excited to announce the return of Summer of Discovery for all interested families of rising K-8 students! This program will take place from August 15-19 from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. with an extended day option from 2:00-4:00 p.m. The goal of this week-long experience is to support students’ successful transition back to school in the Fall. Daily activities include a combination of academic skills, social and emotional engagement opportunities, arts, nature, and fun. A light breakfast and full lunch are available for all participants. Transportation will be provided. Please mark your calendars and be on the lookout for information to be shared soon.
Medway Middle School Presents, Freaky Friday
Medway Middle School students have been working hard in preparation for their performances of Freaky Friday. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time here. This year three performances will take place: Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 2 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. All performances will take place at Medway High School. We hope to see you there!
Best Wishes to Our MICCA Participants!
Medway High School’s band and chorus members will be performing at the MICCA Festival this weekend! The festival will take place on Friday, April 1 at Hopkinton Middle School and Saturday, April 2 at Westborough High School. Best wishes to the members.
Medway Public Schools State Assessment (MCAS) Schedule
Each year, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requires school districts to facilitate state assessments beginning in Grade 3 in the areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, Technology, and Engineering. These assessments are intended to provide districts and families with information about how our students are performing academically in relation to the state’s curriculum frameworks and standards. The important information that is gained from these assessments each year - along with other district measures, and work with educators and families - helps the district to make decisions about curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices moving forward.
We ask educators to support students’ participation in these assessments by encouraging them to do their best and show what they know. Students should not feel the need to engage in any specific preparation for these assessments and we hope they don’t experience a great deal of stress - a good night’s rest and healthy eating should be what we aspire to do everyday. There are make-up opportunities for students who are absent on the date of a scheduled assessment and we encourage families to please work to not schedule appointments or other out of school events during assessment dates so that students do not need to miss other school activities to participate in make-up testing.
We have compiled a district MCAS testing schedule which we share below. Should you have any questions about this information, please feel free to reach out to your child’s building principal.
Date | School | Grade | Subject Matter Test |
April 5, 2022 | Burke-Memorial School Medway Middle School | Grade 4 Grade 5 and 8 | English Language Arts (Session 1) |
April 6, 2022 | Burke-Memorial School Medway Middle School | Grade 4 Grade 5 and 8 | English Language Arts (Session 2) |
April 12, 2022 | Medway Middle School | 6 & 7 | English Language Arts (Session 1) |
April 13, 2022 | Medway Middle School | 6 & 7 | English Language Arts (Session 2) |
May 10, 2022 | Burke-Memorial School Medway Middle School | Grade 3 Grades 5 and 8 | Mathematics (Session 1) |
May 11, 2022 | Burke- Memorial School Medway Middle School | Grade 3 Grades 5 and 8 | Mathematics (Session 2) |
May 12, 2022 | Medway Middle School | Grade 6 and 7 | Mathematics (Session 1) |
May 13, 2022 | Medway Middle School | Grades 6 and 7 | Mathematics (Session 2) |
May 17, 2022 | Burke-Memorial School Medway High School | Grade 4 Grade 10 | Mathematics (Session 1) |
May 18, 2022 | Burke-Memorial School Medway Middle School Medway High School | Grade 4 Grades 5 and 8 Grade 10 | Mathematics (Session 2) Science/Tech/Eng. (Session 1) Mathematics (Session 2) |
May 19, 2022 | Medway Middle School | Grades 5 and 8 | Science/Tech/Eng. (Session 1) |
June 7, 2022 | Medway High School | Grade 9 | Biology (Session 1) |
June 8, 2022 | Medway High School | Grade 9 | Biology (Session 2) |
News from the Medway Friends of the Performing Arts (MFPA)
Music In Our Schools Month Video
As March comes to a close, the Medway Friends of Performing Arts wraps up our participation in National Music In Our Schools Month.
Music has a way of connecting people and its importance has never been more prevalent than over the past two years. The MFPA is excited to showcase all the wonderful work our teachers and students are doing in the classroom and at home. Check out our video! Music Connects Us
Special thank you to all our contributors, music and performing arts teachers and directors, MFPA video/photo team of Colleen Christie and Angela Carney, and Michele Hoben, our video editor who put it all together. Please be sure to let them know how awesome they are!
Annual Campaign
After a two year hold on our annual campaign, the MFPA is embarking once again on a month-long campaign to help us reach our funding goals for the 2022-2023 school year. $5 for Fortissimo is our way of saying that by giving a donation of $5, we can make a big impact collectively! Every donor that makes a donation until Friday April 8 will be entered into a drawing to win a Season Pass - (2) tickets for one show of each of the following; High School Play, High School Musical, and Middle School Musical for the 2022-2023 school year! The winner will be announced at the MFPA Family Concert April 10. For cash or check donations, utilize this form. There are collection boxes at the main office of each school to place the donations. The MFPA thanks you for your support as we continue our mission to foster and promote excellence in the performing arts programs in the Medway Public Schools.
Medway Family Concert 2022
The MFPA is so excited to bring back our Medway Family Concert after a year hiatus from the Pandemic. In partnership with Medway Marches, we are pleased to provide a free concert, open to all, on April 10 at 2:00 p.m. in the Medway High School auditorium. We will be listening to the Caribbean sounds of the PanNeubean Steel Band. Members of PanNeubean Steel Band have extensive resumes that include both national and international tours, music awards and recordings. They have worked alongside numerous popular artists in the music industry. With the help of these fine musicians, PanNeubean Steel strives to showcase the steelpan so that it may be heard in a variety of music genres and therefore secure its place as the latest and most versatile acoustic instrument. We hope your family will join us for a fun afternoon of music. Complimentary refreshments will be provided at the end of the performance.
News from Medway Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (MEPTO) Attention all 4th grade parents! The video slideshow/yearbook committee needs your photos! The last day for fourth grade pictures is tomorrow, Thursday, March 31, 2022. See here for the requirements. Remember to email your photos to Medway.Memorybook@gmail.com.
A reminder that the last day to order your 2021-2022 elementary school yearbook is Friday, April 8, 2022. To order your yearbook, please visit this link. Click “order yearbook” and use password BMYB2022.
Save the date! The MEPTO Ice Cream Social & Basket Raffle is taking place on Friday, May 6th at 5:45 at Medway High School.
Follow the Medway Public Schools on Social Media
Medway Public Schools: Twitter: @MedwaySchools Instagram: @Medwayschools Facebook: @medwayps
Medway High School: Twitter: @MedwayHighInfo
Medway Middle School: Twitter: @MedwayMiddle
Burke-Memorial Elementary School: Twitter: @BurkeMemorial
McGovern Elementary School: Twitter @McGovernElem
Medway Community Education: Twitter: @Medwayce Instagram: @Medwaycommunityed Facebook: @medwayce
Upcoming Events
April 1, 2022 | Medway Middle School Spring Musical, Freaky Friday, Auditorium, Medway High School, 7:30 p.m. MICCA Band Performance, Hopkinton Middle School, 6:30 p.m. |
April 2, 2022 | Medway Middle School Spring Musical, Freaky Friday, Auditorium, Medway High School, 2:00 p.m. Medway Middle School Spring Musical, Freaky Friday, Auditorium, Medway High School, 7:30 p.m. MICCA Chorus Performance (Overtones), Westborough High School, 9:40 a.m. MICCA Chorus Performance (Undertones), Westborough High School, 11:00 a.m. |
April 7, 2022 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m. |
April 8, 2022 | Coffee House, Cafeteria, Medway High School, 6:30 p.m. |
April 10, 2022 | Medway Family Concert hosted by Medway Friends of the Performing Arts, Auditorium, Medway High School, 2:00 p.m. |
April 12, 2022 | MFPA Meeting, Virtual, 7:00 p.m. |
April 15, 2022 | No School: Good Friday |
April 18- April 22, 2022 | No School: Spring Vacation |
April 26, 2022 | McGovern Kindergarten Information Night, Virtual, 6:00 p.m. |
April 27, 2022 | MSPTO Meeting, Middle School, 7:00 p.m. |
April 28, 2022 | Permanent Art Gallery Viewing, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 4:30 p.m. School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m. |
April 29, 2022 | Medway High School Sophomore Dance, Pavilion, Medway High School, 6:30 p.m. |
May 4, 2022 | Pre-K Afternoon of the Arts, McGovern Elementary School, 3:15 p.m. Kindergarten Night of the Arts, McGovern Elementary School, 5:30 p.m. |
May 6, 2022 | MEPTO Ice Cream Social & Basket Raffle, Medway High School, 5:45 p.m. |
May 10, 2022 | MFPA Meeting, Virtual, 7:00 p.m. |
May 11, 2022 | Medway High School Art Walk, Medway High School, 6:00 p.m. Medway High School Pops Concert, Auditorium, Medway High School, 6:30 p.m. |
May 12, 2022 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m. |
May 18, 2022 | Medway High School Honors & Small Ensemble Concert, Auditorium, Medway High School, 6:30 p.m. First Grade Night of the Arts, McGovern Elementary School, 5:30 p.m. |
May 19, 2022 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m. |
May 20, 2022 | Early Release: All Schools Medway High School Prom, Lakeview Pavilion, 6:00 p.m. |
May 24, 2022 | Medway Middle School Spring Band Concert, Auditorium, Medway High School, 6:00 p.m. |
May 25, 2022 | MSPTO Meeting, Guidance Area, Medway High School, 7:00 p.m. McGovern Elementary School Art Show, McGovern Elementary School, 5:30 p.m. |
May 26, 2022 | Medway Middle School Spring Chorus Concert, Auditorium, Medway High School, 6:00 p.m. |
May 30, 2022 | No School: Memorial Day |
May 31, 2022 | Medway High School Superlative Night, 6:00 p.m. |