Spring Street Link

April 21, 2020

 

I hope your weekend was good and you and your family were able to get outdoors to enjoy the spring weather.  We’re looking forward to remote learning this week through Thursday.  Friday is a vacation day, enjoy another 3-day weekend.

 

Beginning next week, all Zoom meetings with teachers will require a Shrewsbury Public Schools Google account (email) to enter the meeting.  Our Grade 3 and 4 students already have an account and password as they use this with iPads in their classrooms.  Our Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 students need families to create passwords for these accounts so they can access classroom Zoom meetings beginning on Monday of next week.  The directions are below.

 

Speaking of classroom meetings and to clarify participation and learning expectations, students are expected to participate in all ‘live’ sessions with teachers and classmates during the scheduled time for their grade and days determined by their teacher.  These sessions are of utmost importance as teachers will be leading students through new learning experiences and these meetings foster a continued spirit of classroom community.  Students who do not participate risk not benefitting from either.  If there are extenuating circumstances that are preventing your child from participating, please let us know so that we can provide support to your unique situation.  We understand there are circumstances that prevent students from being as active as they’d like, we want to be sure we’re not expecting more than feasible, please let us know.

 

Thanks to the many students who have consistently submitted ‘highlighted’ assignments from the weekly Remote Learning Plans for their grade, excellent job!  Just as a reminder, although not all assignments are required to be submitted to your child's teacher, the entire Remote Learning Plan for each day is an assignment and students are expected to complete during the course of the week.  Much appreciation for your continued support...and learning!

 

Logging Into Zoom Using Your Child’s SPS Google Account

To verify that you can log into Zoom using your child's SPS Google account, starting on Wednesday, April 22, please visit https://www.google.com and click the "Sign In" button in the top right corner. (If you are already logged in to a different Google account, click on your account picture, select "Add another account" and log in using your child's SPS Google account information.) 

Once you have successfully logged into Google, visit https://shrewsburyps.zoom.us and click the “Sign In” button to be sure you can sign in successfully using your child's SPS Google account. If you have difficulty, please email parenttechsupport@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us for help. 

If you do not know your child's SPS Google login information, please follow these instructions to find this information:

Finding Your Child’s SPS Google Login Information

Parents can see their child’s SPS Google login information in the PowerSchool Parent Portal by clicking on the Shrewsbury Accounts/Account Information link on their Parent Portal page.

Virtual PTO Meeting/Open House, Please Join Us

The PTO Board, PTO Teacher Representatives, and I will be available for a Zoom meeting/open house on Wednesday, April 29th at 1:00.  We’d be interested in hearing how learning is going at home, brainstorm ways that we can all stay connected, and discuss other items of your interest.  Our PTO Board has access to an agenda that we’re developing.  Please reach out to any PTO board member (Kelly Sullivan, Jen Daley, Karen Axline, and Kerrie Topi) to suggest items to add to our agenda.  If you are interested in participating, you’ll need to register in advance, the link to register is here.  Hope to ‘see’ you there! 

 

Spring Street School Virtual Talent Show...The Show Must Go On!

We are moving the Spring Street Talent show ONLINE!   We know that the kids would still love to showcase their talents, and there certainly is time to practice at home right now.   The Talent Show will be hosted on the Spring Street School PTO Facebook page, but will NOT be a live event.  Members of the group can post a video directly to the page (must send a request to join), or you can send a video to one of the talent show chairs (emails below) who can post it for you.  In order to make this a smooth "event," we ask that the following guidelines be followed:

1.  Videos should be posted on May 14th and 15th (Thurs/Fri) only.  If possible, post them by 6pm on Friday 5/15.  Use the hashtag #SSSTalentShow2020 to make it easier to search for videos, in case there are lots of other posts those days.  Between those two things, it will make finding videos a bit easier on Friday night.

2.  Videos should be 3-4 minutes, max.  Shorter is fine, obviously.

3.  Max two videos per child (ie one solo, one group).  .

4.  Please have the kids introduce themselves and their performance at the beginning of the video.

5.  Grab your popcorn and watch the videos together as a family on Friday night (5/15).  The kids will love to see their friends from school, and maybe they can be watching the show (virtually) together.   

6.  Techies, feel free to video-edit kids from separate households together - get creative!  We know that many kids aren't living with their talent show buddies, but some of you out there have the skills to make that happen.  

We hope that this will bring the kids and our families together for a fun event.  For those of you not on Facebook, we will try to compile the videos in some way at a later date.  Please let one of us know if that would interest you.  Stay well, and we will see each other back in the auditorium for the 2021 Talent Show.  Meredith Boulay, miyboulay@yahoo.com, Andrea Finnegan, andrea_roderick@yahoo.com, and Leena Philips, leenaphilips@hotmail.com

 

Resources from Ms. Richardson, Adjustment Counselor and Mrs. Braun-Lush, Psychologist

We hope this week finds you well. Positivity can launch our brains into a safer, more peaceful and calm space and this can be a challenging time to find positive thoughts. Positivity has a ripple effect and will help the people around us. 

Here are some discussion starters to share with your family and friends: 

W-W-W - What went well today? 

Rose - Thorn - Bud = (ROSE) What was the best part of your day? (THORN) What was a challenge? (BUD) What are you looking forward to? 

What is something you are grateful for today? 

Set an intention for the day (to complement 3 people, do a kind deed)

What lifts you up? 

What’s making you happy this week? 

What strong emotion did you have today? 

What was the best moment of your day? 

Please know that If you or children are feeling overwhelmed or have specific circumstances that are impacting your family, you can reach out to the school adjustment counselor or the school psychologist for support or resources.

 “In order to carry a positive action, we must develop here a positive vision.”- Dalai Lama

Resource: 

Parent Support Groups with BRYT 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15AW5vnAlZAJaH1c0alhpmmzSefhYxXd6/view

 

Virtual 5K, Thank You Oak Middle School Nurses and PE/Health Teachers!

Are you ready to rock a Virtual 5K on May 2nd weekend?  We are hosting the “Rise Up Together Virtual 5K” for the entire Shrewsbury Public School community.  We all miss our students, families, and staff.  Right now, there is a need to feel connected, and completing this together while we are apart will benefit us all.  A virtual 5K means that you complete 3 miles anytime during our race weekend.  If you aren’t able to complete 3 miles, you can complete 30 minutes of any type of physical activity either inside or outside.  If you are completing 3 miles, there is no route that you must follow.  Make sure social distancing rules apply.  Get ready to walk, run, or bike virtually with your friends, teachers, and alumni anytime on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday during the May 2nd weekend.  Everyone who participates will be entered in a drawing to win a prize from Sneakerama!  As it gets closer, we will send out a Padlet link so you can upload pictures of yourself and your family completing this AWESOME virtual event together.  We look forward to seeing lots of pictures showing your SPS pride!  Let’s rise up to the challenge and support each other while we accomplish this exciting virtual event together.  Use the link below to access the “Rise Up Together Virtual 5K” flyer.  Make sure to register yourself and your family using the registration form that is located at the bottom of the flyer.  We hope that you will be able to join us as we “Rise Up Together” to complete this virtual 5K event. 

https://www.smore.com/569e8

 

 

 

I hope you and your family stay healthy and well.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us here at Spring Street School for any support, we’d be happy to help in any way we can.

 

Bryan Mabie