Salem Public Schools

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the virtual Kindergarten Expo last night. For those who could not be there, please take the time to view the webinar, we answered many questions that incoming families have! http://bit.ly/Kexpowebinar Access Passcode: qXq3Dx?s Virtual booths with each school are coming next week (and again the week of 2/8)! For the most up to date information about registering your child for kindergarten and event schedules, please visit https://bit.ly/SPSKinfo

We have two upcoming webinars this week. Click through for info on COVID-19 Health Webinar and Kindergarten Expo links

Kindergarten Expo is just about a week away! Join us on Thursday, January 21st at 6:30pm. This year we are going virtual. You can find the link to the virtual expo as well as a ton of information at our new Kindergarten focused website.

We are both excited and sad to announce to the Salem Community the retirement of our much-loved Director of School Nutrition Services, Deborah Jeffers. Deb has worked for Salem Public Schools for 28 years, including the last ten years as Director. Deb worked tirelessly to ensure that all students have access to healthy meals each day and to address the food insecurity challenges faced by so many of our families here in Salem. ​

As of the evening of 12/22, the state has extended the deadline for the flu vaccine requirement to February 28th. Therefore, children without the vaccine will not be excluded from in-person learning until March 1st. However, time certainly flies! To avoid disrupting their in-person learning experience, if your child is still in need of a flu vaccine, we ask that you arrange for them to receive it over the break or during the remote week.

Free testing for all Salem Public Schools students and staff prior to return to school in January Following winter break, testing sites will be available throughout the City for all Salem Public School students and staff. Find a convenient location and time listed below to receive your test.

Good news! P-EBT cards will be reloaded by the end of the year and Salem Public Schools families with hybrid or remote students will receive their P-EBT benefits monthly for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. Based on federal rules, families will receive varying P-EBT amounts depending on your student's in-school status. Families with children in a fully remote learning environment will receive $117 a month per child, and children in a hybrid learning environment will receive $58 a month per child. Families can check their P-EBT balance by calling the number on the back of the card. P-EBT benefits can be used anywhere Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are accepted, including online from Walmart and Amazon. Learn more about P-EBT at MAp-ebt.org.

We want to provide an update to the community on the following changes for Food Services during the holiday season. The realization of food insecurity in Salem is stronger than ever and we want to make sure everyone who needs access to food can get it.

In the event of a school closure due to a snow day, extreme weather, or other emergency situation, Salem Public Schools is well-positioned to pivot quickly to remote learning on a temporary basis. This ensures that student learning will not be interrupted and the school year will not have to be extended to make up for lost days.

We would like to provide you with a reminder of the influenza vaccination guidance that is expected for all learners by the end of December. Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health established this requirement as a way to reduce the spread of the flu and to reduce the risk of hospitalizations. Parents and guardians are asked to provide proof of the flu vaccine to the nurse at your child’s school no later than December 31, 2020.

Dear families with students in grades 3-5, Saltonstall 6th, all 7-8, and 10-12, Salem Public Schools is planning to offer hybrid in-person instruction for all students who have not yet had the opportunity to return to in-person instruction. Students will either attend school on Monday & Tuesday, or Thursday & Friday, with remote instruction on the opposite days. A remote option will continue to be available for those who need or want it.

Salem Public Schools uses Aspen, a web-based student information system. Key information about each student including contact information, demographics, attendance records, grades, student schedules, and more is all stored within the Aspen system. Beginning November 20th, all Salem parents and/or legal guardians will have password-protected access to their students’ information via the Aspen Family Portal.

Please find below the specific half-day school day schedule for Wednesday, 11/25, the day before Thanksgiving.

We are excited to let you know that starting on November 16th we’ll be using ParentSquare across all of our schools and classrooms to communicate with you from the district, at your school, and in your classrooms and groups.

Welcome back to our PreK-2, 6th grade Collins, and 9th grade Salem High School students! Salem Public Schools has put together a series of videos illustrating how we return to school safely.

SPS continues to learn from experts, interpret guidance, and plan for changing circumstances. We cannot predict the future, but can instead rely on the advice of our local health experts and guidance from local leaders.

Please join us on Monday, November 9th for a town hall meeting. We will discuss bringing back our youngest learners in PreK-2, as well as our 6th grade Collins students and 9th grade SHS students.

Deb Jeffers and the Food and Nutrition Services team were recently awarded a competitive grant they applied for to help address food insecurity in Salem.

On October 19th, the Salem School Committee approved a plan to offer more students in-person learning opportunities for students in preK to second, sixth and Collins, and 9th and CVTE at SHS. beginning November 16, 2020. Those in-person opportunities do require some changes to the school day.

Looking for details about our return to in-person learning on November 16th? You can find them here.

On October 19th, Salem School Committee approved the plan to give more students the option for in-person learning opportunities. For kindergarten, first, and second grades, students have the option to return to school five days per week for in-person instruction. The school day for these in-person classes will be reduced by approximately one hour. For sixth and ninth grades, students have the option to attend a hybrid model, with two days per week in school and three days remote. For grades K-2, 6th grade as well as 9th grade, the plan will begin on Monday, November 16th.

The Student Advisory Council in the Salem Public School invites grade 6-12 students to a town hall/webinar forum next Wednesday, Oct. 21st from 5-6 pm to discuss student health and wellness during the pandemic.

First, we want to say thank you for your commitment and partnership as we navigate these times of new protocols and health regulations. We know that this year has required even more from everyone in our system, and we are grateful for the patience and dedication you have shown in supporting your students. We continue to listen, reflect, and plan how to better serve students while maintaining our high standards of safety. Last night, we presented our recommendation to the school committee to return to our original reopening plan, with a few adjustments:

In partnership with the City of Salem and as part of our efforts to be a more inclusive and anti-racist school district, today we are celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day. For many, the traditionally recognized Columbus Day has been a reminder of the oppression, abuse, and slavery that our continent’s first inhabitants experienced when Europeans arrived. It remains a source of pain for many families in our district and beyond who continue to be victims of discrimination and injustice. Today, we want to celebrate the contributions of the native Americans who have contributed to the diversity that makes our country so special today. As a school system, we are actively working to embrace the backgrounds of all members of our community, create a space where students and staff feel safe to identify inequities across our schools and where our curriculum represents a balanced and wide range of historical perspectives. We appreciate your support as we strive to create a culture in the Salem Public Schools where all of our students, families, and staff feel heard and valued.

Salem Public Schools is partnering with CVS Pharmacy to provide flu clinics at each of our school locations. This service will be provided to students ages 3 and above with parental consent. This year, per Governor Baker, all school-aged children must be vaccinated against influenza by 12/31/20 or they risk being excluded from school, both remote or in-person.

We are very excited to be adopting a new form of communication at Salem Public Schools. ParentSquare is designed to keep parents informed and facilitate participation at school. It provides a safe way for the school principal, teachers, staff, and parents to communicate in a variety of ways.

As a result of this increased demand for transportation, we need to push back the start of in-person Hub Connects until the first week of October. Schools will still launch the “Connects” experience virtually if they have not done so already, and we look forward to welcoming all students who want to attend in-person the week of October 5th.

The following sports will be competing this fall season. Boys & Girls Soccer, Golf and Cross Country. Tryouts/practices will begin the week of Monday, September 21st. More detailed tryout and practice schedules will be distributed the Week of 9/14. Football, Football Cheerleading, and Girls Volleyball have been moved to the MIAA Fall 2 Season, with tentative season dates of 2/22/21-4/25/21. Voluntary workouts will begin in October with dates and times TBA. ​ MASKS ARE REQUIRED AS SPECIFIED BY MIAA SPORT SPECIFIC RULE MODIFICATIONS for all participants and coaches at practices and games.

Join Salem Public Schools Kindergarten teachers as the teach live from 8:30am-11:00am on SATV Comcast channel 15. We are excited to bring this class live to your kids every morning through September 25th.

Salem Public Schools is working to expand options for those families who are struggling with a lack of childcare. Please understand that the community does not have enough spaces to support every child and we are working to prioritize those most in need. Please contact the provider for availability for hubs or after-school programming.

We know there are questions about school reopening that many have. We have created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document in English http://bit.ly/SalemReturnsFAQ and also in Spanish http://bit.ly/RegresoDeSalem This document will be continuously updated as we advance through the school year.

Welcome to the 2020-21 school year in the Salem Public Schools! We are eager to work with you to ensure that your child/ren have a meaningful and enriching school year. Whether in person or remote, the first day of school for students in Grades 1-12 is Monday, September 14th and Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students begin on Wednesday, September 16th

Please read for an important update to food service for the school year

Please join us this Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:30pm for a Town Hall meeting with Superintendent Zrike and Mayor Driscoll to discuss the start of school. There will be a Q&A session available.

Are you looking for the start and finish times for the school year? We have them for you here.

Since the announcement of full remote learning, many families have been reaching out regarding how they can obtain a Chromebook for their student or how to get a broken Chromebook repaired.

Weekly newsletter is ready! SPS Reopening Information Questionnaire includes questions about technology needs and more. Action needed! Please fill out the questionnaire. Also included is an "at-a-glance" remote learning information sheet including sample schedules. y en español... ¡El boletín semanal está listo! El cuestionario de información de reapertura de SPS incluye preguntas sobre las necesidades de tecnología y más. Se necesita acción! Por favor, rellene el cuestionario. También se incluye una hoja de información de aprendizaje a distancia "de un vistazo" que incluye ejemplos de horarios. https://www.smore.com/5dpfy

As part of the SPS reopening plan, we committed to ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff. We indicated that any changes in the community spread of the COVID-19 virus could result in a shift to our plans. Yesterday, the state of Massachusetts released a new, four-tier measuring system intended to inform districts planning for school reopening. This evening we learned that the City of Salem has moved from yellow (4-8 cases per 100,000 residents over a 14 day period) to red (over 8 cases per 100,000 residents over a 14 day period). As a result of this information, we believe that it is necessary to begin the school year with remote learning for all grades, including grades preK to 3. Salem Public Schools intends to move forward by adopting the remote learning model for grades 4-12 for the entire district. As we have reiterated throughout the planning process, we will prioritize the safety and wellness of our students and staff. SPS will share more details about this change for grades preK-3 in the coming days. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we respond to the changing environment. Thank you for your continued support,

There have been ongoing questions regarding the plan we are proposing. We are hoping to consolidate the answers to your questions in one place. Please read the proposed reopening plan FAQ here.

I am pleased to share our reopening plan for the 2020-21 school year. This plan represents our recommendation for returning Salem Public School children to school this fall. Over the last two months, the Salem Returns Reopening Task Force has engaged teachers, support staff, health professionals, building leaders and district administrators in ongoing discussions about a safe and educationally sound approach to welcoming our students and staff back to school after the life altering COVID-19 pandemic. As a group, we have weighed the academic, social and emotional needs of students with important health and wellness considerations for staff and children. In doing so, we examined scientific/medical research, analyzed parent and staff survey results, reviewed Department of Education (DESE) guidance, conducted assessments of our facilities (capacity, HVAC and outdoor spaces), explored learning managements systems and carefully studied our school-based routines and operations. The efforts of the task force were supplemented by information received from family, teacher and student town halls, staff focus groups, weekly Facebook Live sessions, meet and greets with parents and regular meetings with school leaders. Read more...

n response to the feedback and ideas that we have received on our reopening option plan since our school committee meeting on Wednesday we realized that we needed additional time to incorporate this input as part of our final recommendation for our return to school. For this reason, we now plan to release our recommendation at the school committee on Thursday evening rather than Tuesday. In doing so, we will delay the school committee vote from Thursday, August 6th until Monday, August 10th, the day that our plan is due to the Department of Education. This will afford the Salem community two opportunities to offer public comment on the recommendation (School Committee meetings on August 6th and August 10th) and provide the school committee additional time to consider the interests of the Salem community. Thank you for your continued support and engagement as we prepare to welcome our students and staff back to school this fall.

A Note from Superintendent, Dr. Stephen Zrike We are pleased to share Salem’s reopening plan that offers three distinct options for students to return to school this fall. Our plan has been informed by a task force of parents, school committee members, educators, district administrators and city officials. In an effort to engage our stakeholders we have surveyed families and staff in addition to hosting town halls, focus groups, meet and greets and Facebook live sessions. These discussions have been invaluable in shaping the proposed models for in-person, hybrid and remote learning. Our collective efforts are guided by our four critical values of wellness, equity, community and flexibility. We are committed to keeping our students and staff healthy, prioritizing learning experiences for our most vulnerable students, designing a plan that matches the needs of our community and remaining flexible and nimble as we prepare to welcome students back to school. We appreciate the collaboration, input and advocacy of so many constituents who are invested in providing Salem’s children with a first-rate educational experience. This plan is the DESE required plan outlining all three options and how we are thinking about them. The full plan for the reopening of schools will be released to the public next week and public feedback opportunities will be made available before submission to DESE. Respectfully, Dr. Stephen Zrike

We want to give you an update as it pertains to timelines and deliverables. Tonight at 5:30pm there will be a Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting of the School Committee. At this meeting tonight we will be presenting the initial school reopening plan that we will be submitting to DESE this Friday outlining the three options for reopening schools this fall: in-person, hybrid (some in-person, some remote), or fully remote. Here is link to the agenda and zoom link for tonight: https://www.salem.com/school-committee/agenda/committee-whole-salem-school-committee-meeting-july-29-2020-530-pm-revised

Today we learned that a bus monitor for the summer program hosted at the Horace Mann Laboratory School tested positive for COVID-19. At this time, we have called the families of all who may have had contact with the bus monitor and have provided information about next steps based on guidance provided to us by the Salem Board of Health.

The reopening taskforce has engaged families in our work, we could not do the heavy lifting of this work without including family voices as diverse as our community.

Updates on Food Distribution Sites and Times Starting 7/01/2020 there is a slight change of time to one site as well as a couple of site closures.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of Pride. Usually, this means events are held worldwide to celebrate the progress within the LGBTQ community, but the COVID-19 pandemic means a change of plans. The virus forced the cancellation of hundreds of events around the world, including the North Shore Pride Parade in which our district participates. In-person celebrations are simply too risky at this time, but this is an important anniversary that must still be celebrated.

In April, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced that schools may file an appeal of the 185th day school end date to the Commissioner if they can demonstrate that their remote learning model was fully functional during the week of March 16 or can present other exceptional circumstances. Salem Public Schools was able to provide remote learning opportunities, as well as launched the SalemLearns website during this first week. For these reasons, Salem Public Schools has applied for and was granted this appeal. What this means is that we gain back days lost this year from snow days and school closures from power outages. See the information below to determine what your student’s last day of school will be for the 2019/2020 school year.

We are seeking feedback about the district’s remote learning plan. (Remote learning includes any instruction taking place outside of the classroom, such as lessons assigned through online platforms, instructional videos, packets posted on salemlearns.org, printed packets, and virtual meetings with teachers and classmates). This survey is designed for parents and guardians of Salem Public Schools students. Students and teachers will receive a different survey so we can evaluate each group’s feedback.

As we wrote on Monday in our statement on racism, Salem Public Schools commits to building upon the equity framework already established within SPS and will pull together disparate, anti-racist efforts, programs and agendas to create a cohesive district approach to tackle racism head-on. Assistant Superintendent, Kate Carbone wrote a letter to staff on Wednesday, June 3rd to provide educators with resources to support talking about George Floyd and racial inequity. We are sharing the letter with you in full not only to create transparency, but to offer families the same resources we are providing to staff.

The tensions and circumstances that continue to unfold in Minneapolis and across the United States this week are painful and difficult to watch. The death of George Floyd is a travesty and reveals that the pain and suffering created by racism is still so present within our country. These acts of violence continue to create a massive divide in our society and these injustices caused by fear, unchecked racism and deeply rooted biases will continue until we take a stand. We have heard this a lot this week -- when we look the other way or remain silent, we are perpetuating the status quo. We cannot remain silent.

Families have recently begun receiving P-EBT cards in the mail. However, we have heard that there has been some confusion around activating the card. Please see the below information to help correctly set up your P-EBT cards.

Introducing Dr. Zrike! Dr. Zrike will be transitioning in as our new Superintendent as of July 1st and he is excited to meet all of you. Take a look at this video he made and if you would like to meet Dr. Zrike at a new online weekly meet and greet on Wednesday evenings at 6pm, please fill out this form and we will reply with information about how to attend.

Everyone in Salem qualifies for food assistance. Whether you were already receiving it, or it is new to you, we have many options to help. If you have questions or new needs for food support, you can call 781-771-0724 and a Salem Public Schools staff member will assist you.

Internet for Families—The City of Salem through Mayor Driscoll's office has signed an agreement with Comcast to offer six free months of internet for families who currently do not have access to wifi in their homes. Two of the six months will be free as part of Comcast's Internet Essentials program and the other four months are being paid for by the city of Salem Relief Fund through a donation by the Salem Children's Charity.

As I write to you, we are in our fifth week of the school closure that was prompted by the coronavirus crisis—it is hard to believe that this much time has passed already. I know that these past few weeks have been enormously challenging for you and your family as you have the weight and concern of keeping yourself and children safe and healthy while simultaneously having to play a significant role in supporting your child’s/children’s learning at home. Our thoughts are with you, and we are trying to do everything we can to facilitate quality student learning and engagement remotely. As you know, we started with an early version of our remote learning plan on March 15th soon after the school closure began. Our immediate concern and goal, at that time, was to connect with every student and family to ensure they were safe and to also set up access to remote learning opportunities that were made available on www.salemlearns.org. These opportunities included activities across content areas and a supporting printable packet. We are now taking steps to implement enhancements to our remote learning plan that will include the components listed below. The goal of this plan is to provide a consistent structure where students are able to interact more often with their teachers and classmates. Teachers are already implementing many of these components and will do so with increasing consistency over the next couple of weeks and now that the school closure extends beyond May 4th.

This afternoon, Governor Baker has made the decision that all Massachusetts schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year. This decision includes the Salem Public Schools and we will now plan for reopening the schools in the Fall. Other decisions about end of school such as locker belongings and milestone events will be forthcoming after the April break.

AN UPDATE ON REMOTE LEARNING PLANS As you know, we started with an early version of our remote learning plan on March 15th soon after the school closure began. Our immediate concern and goal, at that time, was to connect with every student and family to ensure they were safe and to also set up access to remote learning opportunities that were made available on www.salemlearns.org. These opportunities included activities across content areas and a supporting printable packet for grades PreK-5. We are now taking steps to implement enhancements to our remote learning plan that will include new components. NEW LEARNING PLANS FOR ALL GRADES CAN NOW BE VIEWED AT www.SalemLearns.org.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Samantha Meier as principal of Salem High School. Dr. Meier has been serving as the school’s interim principal since last July and has the necessary skills to lead Salem High School going forward. She is committed to leading the high school into a new era of teacher leadership, student voice and a positive learning environment for all who enter our Salem High School community. In addition, we are also pleased to announce the promotion of Gavin Softic to principal of Bates Elementary School. Gavin has earned the respect and support of the students, teachers and families of the Bates School community to lead the school as the new principal beginning on July 1st. We know Gavin will continue the mission and vision of academic excellence and support for the social and emotional learning for all students.

I am pleased to announce we are entering the final phase in the process of selecting a long-term leader for Salem High School. Unfortunately, with the current Massachusetts state of emergency and current global pandemic guidelines, our revised timeline will not include on-site visits to Salem High School to meet with staff, students, and parent focus groups. However, I am confident that Dr. Stephen Zrike (incoming Superintendent) and I will be able to complete the final interviews remotely during the week of April 6-10. Once these interviews are completed, we will select a principal for Salem High School with a start date of July 1, 2020 as planned.

As part of our efforts to support our students away from school, our Instrumental Music teachers will be providing enrichment opportunities for all of our band and string students. Depending on the student's grade, much of this information can be found in Schoology or on the Salem Music Dept website

Commissioner Riley from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has sent a letter addressing families.