Dear Medway families,
We are thrilled to welcome you and your children to the first communication from the district offices of the Medway Public Schools for the 2022-2023 school year. We know that this year will bring many successes and some challenges. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to foster a collaborative relationship to meet the needs of our students.
The summer has been very busy with preparations for the upcoming school year. Below please find updates on strategic work that took place this summer and that will take shape and continue to inform our progress and partnership in the upcoming school year. One area of ongoing feedback has been around our communication practices. Please find some exciting updates below about adjustments to our practices that we believe will support improved communication. In particular, please find below information on items that require specific attention or action, connected to: Required Annual Information Update, 2022-2023 Bus Routes, Application for Free Breakfast and Lunch, and Chromebook Distribution.
Finally, we are hopeful that you found time during the summer months to reconnect and recharge with your children and those in your special circles. We are very excited to welcome our students back on August 31 (grades 1-12) and September 1 (PK and K).
Be well,
Armand Pires, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
ACTION REQUIRED Annual Information Update
The Medway Public School System is required to obtain the latest demographic and health information for our students. This information is always kept private and complies with all FERPA and HIPPA regulations. All families must utilize the online Parent Portal system to update information and stay current with your child's progress, schedule, and enter absence requests.
Beginning August 17, 2022, we will require all families to log in and complete the “Yearly Information Update” process by reviewing the current demographic/health information on file. If you need a Parent Portal account, please email parent@medwayschools.org, and we will be happy to forward an account activation code. The Parent Portal can be accessed by clicking here. Please log in and complete the review by clicking MORE > YEARLY INFORMATION UPDATE by September 15.
2022-2023 Bus Routes
We are pleased to publish the 2022-2023 Bus Routes. They are now available on our website and can be accessed here: 2022-2023 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. If you have any concerns or questions about bus transportation, please contact the Transportation Department (transportation@medwayschools.org), with questions. In your email, please include the following:
- your address
- the grade of your child
- 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
2022-2023 Free Breakfast and Lunch
Children need healthy meals to learn. Medway Public Schools offers healthy meals every school day. During the 2022-2023 school year, all students will receive free breakfast and lunch at school. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has provided money to do this for one year through the State budget. We need your help to ensure our district receives all the financial resources for which it qualifies. Please fill out and submit the application for free and reduced price school meals. If many families fill out and return this form, we will get more money from the federal government for free school meals now and in the future. We will also get more money for other school programs. Filling out this form also helps our community provide free summer meals to all kids, and free meals to kids in childcare. The information you provide is confidential. We follow strict federal rules to keep your information private.
Updates from Technology Department
1:1 Chromebook Device Deployment
We provide 1:1 take home / use in school Chromebooks for all students in Grades 5-12. Grade K-4 students have access to devices while in school and may request use at home, as needed. All 5th and 9th-grade students will receive new chromebooks to bring back and forth between home and school at the start of the school year. Fifth-grade students will receive their devices on the first day of school in their homeroom. 9th grade students can pick up their devices on 9th Grade Orientation Day on August 24. Grade 9 devices not picked up on August 24 will be made available through the Medway High School IT Office, room 031-2, on the lower level of Medway High School. Students in grades 5-12 but not in grades 5 or 9 who do not currently have a district-owned device will be contacted through the front office to pick up a device. All families K-12 should review the Responsible Use Policy and all Grade 5-12 students, families, and guardians must review the Policy, Care, and Insurance guide and complete the MPS 1:1 Consent Form by August 26 to receive a device to bring home and back to school.
Chromebook Insurance
For all Grade 5-12 families: Due to the high repair rate during the 2021-22 school year, the cost to insure devices has risen from $20 per year to $32. If you wish to purchase insurance, please visit the Insurance and Break/Fix website for more details, repair costs, and access to the insurance purchasing portal. We have secured one to four-year insurance options through Worth Ave Insurers. Please note that the insurance policy does not cover lost or stolen devices. The policy does not cover the charging unit. Charger replacement is available at $20 per charger through the Technology Department.
We encourage all families of students with district owned 1:1 devices to secure insurance and to also discuss the proper care of devices with their children. Stressing that these are school-owned, that families are responsible for the cost of repair, and that vandalism will not be tolerated are important. Damage inclusive of keys being pulled off the keyboard, carving into the device, disassembling, cutting cables, or personalization (stickers/writing), is not allowed. The cost of repairing the device is the family's responsibility, up to the full replacement value [$350] of the device. Any damage deemed as vandalism will not be tolerated and is subject to disciplinary actions including loss of device use and suspension.
Communication Practices
Communication and family engagement is crucial to the success of our students. We hope that these bi-weekly (~twice per month) updates will provide you with insights and information into the work of our schools and our continuous efforts to improve our practices in service to students. These communications, in partnership with communications from our building leaders and educators, are intended to support your understanding of the work of our schools. We recognize that these communications are often quite lengthy. We will be seeking your input on ways to ensure that the communications remain informative and transparent while working to improve on the length and mode of delivery.
2022-2023 School Calendar
The approved calendar for the 2022-2023 school year can be found here.
The first day of school for all students in grades 1-12 is August 31, 2022.
The first day of school for Preschool and Kindergarten students is September 1, 2022.
COVID-19 Updates
As you may have read in updates through the media, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has adopted the most recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Department of Public Health (DPH) Guidelines for COVID-19 mitigation practices for schools for the 2022-2023 school year. A full release of this information can be found HERE.
In summary:
- Vaccination is strongly recommended by DESE and DPH
- There is no statewide requirement for masking in schools apart from in school health offices
- COVID-19 screening testing and test-to-stay programs are not recommended
- Contract tracing is no longer recommended
- DPH isolation and exposure guidance should be followed
- Children who test positive should isolate for at least 5 days
- If symptoms are improving and they have been fever free (without the use of medication) they may return to school on Day 6
- If the child has tested negative on Day 5 or later they may return to school unmasked
- The child should continue to wear a mask on Day 6 - 10 while in school until they test negative
- Guardians should continue to report positive COVID-19 cases to the child’s school nurse
As was our practice last year, we will continue to support family choice regarding masking.
Student Services / Special Education Reconfiguration
We are pleased to welcome an enhanced administrative and support structure to our Student Services Department. This Department is responsible for the oversight and implementation of all special education programs, support of homeless students and families, 504 regulations, civil rights, behavioral health (social and emotional learning and behavioral supports), and compliance with reporting of all of the above. We have welcomed new team members to this department as well as a few new roles which we have delineated below:
- Dr. Ryan Place, Director of Student Services
- Ms. Susan Frederick, Assistant Director of Student Services
- Dr. Ryan Sherman, Director of Wellness
- Mrs. Carol Cohen, Special Education Evaluation Team Supervisor, Grades 5-12
- Mr. Kevin Lynn, Special Education Evaluation Team Supervisor, Grades K-4
- Team Chairs at each of our schools who will support the facilitation of annual meetings and support educational testing.
Thank you! Feedback Gathered on Federal Funding Ideas
We are appreciative of the feedback and ideas that we received from our community regarding their ideas for spending of Medway’s short term ESSER III funding allocation. You can view all of the feedback offered here. We will be bringing a final proposal to the School Committee regarding this funding usage in the coming weeks. Thank you again!
Free English Classes for Adults
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recently announced the launch of MassLinks, the first fully virtual educational option for Massachusetts adults statewide who are seeking their high school equivalency or English language instruction. MassLinks classes are free for all adults, and Mount Wachusett Community College, in partnership with DESE’s Office for Adult and Community Learning Services, will deliver the instruction.
Community Education
The Fall Brochure, with programs for all ages, will be in home mailboxes and online by August 31. After School and Support Programs (W.I.N.) for students in kindergarten through grade 8 will begin in mid-October. Program details will be shared with families in late September/early October.
Follow the Medway Public Schools on Social Media
Medway Public Schools: Twitter: @MedwaySchools; Instagram: @Medwayschools
Medway High School: Twitter: @MedwayHighInfo
Medway Middle School: Twitter: @MedwayMiddle
Burke-Memorial Elementary School: Twitter: @BurkeMemorial
McGovern Elementary School: Twitter @McGovernElem
Upcoming Events:
| August 30, 2022 | Meet the Coach Night, Auditorium, Rm. 1337, 1338, 1339, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m. |
| August 31, 2022 | First day of school for Grades 1-12 |
| September 1, 2022 | School Opens Kindergarten and PK students School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m. |
| September 2, 2022 | No School |
| September 5, 2022 | No School- Labor Day |
| September 7, 2022 | SEPAC Meeting, via ZOOM, 6:30 p.m. |
| September 13, 2022 | Back to School Night (Open House), Medway High School, 6:30 p.m. |
| September 15, 2022 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m. |
| September 21, 2022 | Medway High School Tri-M Induction Ceremony, Thayer Homestead, 7:00 p.m. |
| September 22, 2022 | McGovern Elementary Back to School Night, 5:30 p.m. |
| September 26, 2022 | No School - Rosh Hashanah |
| October, 1, 2022 | Homecoming Dance, Cafeteria, Medway High School, 7:00 p.m. |
| October 5, 2022 | No School - Yom Kippur |
| October 6, 2022 | School Committee Meeting, Presentation Room, Medway Middle School, 6:00 p.m. |
| October 10, 2022 | No School - Columbus Day |