Metcalf School

Good Morning, As you may have heard, the vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 will be offered soon. Please look for detailed information on vaccination clinics that will be made available in our district this month for children in this age bracket. These clinics will be held after school hours, will be offered (not mandated) to interested families, and will require an adult (parent/guardian) to be present for the actual vaccine administration. During the week of November 15th, the district will be implementing on-site surveillance testing for asymptomatic individuals during periods of substantial or high community transmission. The test is not invasive, and will be administered by our school nursing staff. We encourage all families to consent to asymptomatic testing (for any child, whether vaccinated or not) so that we can monitor case positivity, isolate positive individuals, minimize exposure and keep our kids in school. Your child will not be included in our surveillance testing protocols if consent is not provided. If you have not done so already, please respond to the following very brief survey asking for consent to participate. We will also include staff in our surveillance testing protocols. The asymptomatic testing protocol for EWG will be the "pooled PCR" option. Basically, the nurse (or, as appropriate, the child him/herself) would take two non-invasive nasal swabs. One swab is pooled with the swabs of 5 other individuals and one swab is maintained separately. Samples will be delivered, by courier, to the state lab. The department of health will first test the pooled sample. If the pooled sample is negative, no one in the group is positive. If the pooled sample is positive, RIDOH will then test the individual samples to determine which individual(s) in the group are positive. Positive cases will isolate at home, following CDC guidance. This strategy is both efficient and cost-effective. Happy November! James Erinakes Superintendent

Hi Metcalf Families, I have a few announcements and reminders to share on this beautiful Thursday afternoon. -Don’t forget to visit the Virtual Book Fair at the following link: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/metcalfschool -Friday, Oct. 15th is Socktoberfest - wear crazy socks and bring some to donate! -Thursday, October 21st is an Early Release Day - Metcalf dismissal will take place at 1:00. -Thursday, Oct. 28th is Halloween at Metcalf! Please see the notice that was emailed. -Parent teacher virtual conferences are currently being scheduled so please reach out to your child’s teacher if you haven’t scheduled yours yet! -Clarification on Student Absences - If your child is absent for routine illness teachers will catch them up when they return and/or may provide work upon request if the absence stretches beyond a day or two. Virtual Learning opportunities are available to students that are absent due quarantines related to COVID-19 protocols. Please allow teachers 24 hours to set up a learning plan in this instance. Thank you. -Lastly, don't forget to root for the RED SOX and wear your RED SOX gear on Mon. Oct, 18th!! As always, please reach out if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions. Mrs. Ratigan :)

Soktoberfest @ Metcalf this Friday!

Dear Metcalf Families, Please see the important information and reminders below. Virtual Open House Nights are scheduled as follows: Grade 2 & 3 - Thursday Sept. 9th, 6:00-7:00 Grades 4, 5, and 6 - Wednesday, Sept. 15th, 6:00-7:00 Classroom teachers will be sharing the Google Meeting link soon. Information will be presented to families at 6:00 and repeated at 6:30 for those families that need to visit more than one grade level during the open house. Quarantine and Learning Plan Information: From Superintendent Erinakes: The Exeter West Greenwich Teachers Association and the EWGRSD agree that teachers are responsible for instruction of students who will face long term excused absences (including COVID 19 or otherwise). This instruction will not be the same as last year when teachers hosted “live” meets daily. The rationale for the elimination of this requirement is that in-class instruction will begin to return to more normalized activities, which may include group work, activities, and other educational experiences not conducive to “live” meets. At the teachers’ discretion, and based on what is appropriate for the lesson or planned activity of the day, teachers shall provide access to learning via a number of possible options which may include: “live” meets (Zoom or Google meet), Google classroom assignments, email communication, individual support (via live meets, chats, etc.) during the school day or by appointment, packet pickups, other simulated instructional ideas that the teacher develops, or a combination of the above strategies. As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Kind regards, Mrs. Ratigan :)

Hi Metcalf Families! What a fantastic first day of school today! The children were excited, parents were happy for school to begin, and teachers were thrilled to have their students back together again at Metcalf! I just love our Metcalf community! We’re looking forward to day 2 tomorrow to continue the celebration of friendships, teaching, and learning going forward. We’re also hoping you can help us out with one glitch we ran into at dismissal time that inadvertently caused delays with our buses. Many students came to school with uncertain dismissal plans. This required phone calls home to confirm if the students should ride the bus or were parent pick-ups. To avoid these delays, please be sure to send your child with a note indicating any change in normal dismissal routines for each day. It is also helpful if “future change of plans” are not discussed until the “day of” so students don’t question the plan for the day. Thank you for your help with this and your support as we embark on a new school year together! Kind regards, Mrs. Ratigan :)

Don't miss Metcalf School's first Virtual 5K! Check out the link below! https://runsignup.com/Race/RI/Exeter/Metcalf5K

Hello Metcalf Families! Tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, is Groundhog Day! And just like today it will be a DL day for our students due to the weather. I wonder if Bill Murray is pulling some strings ;) Children should engage in the activities and lessons provided by their teachers, find time to play in the snow, and stay safe & warm! We'll see you all on Wednesday. Mrs. Ratigan :)

Hello Metcalf Families, We have just learned that tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 1st will be a DL/Snow Day! Please stay warm, engage in the DL lessons that your child's teacher prepares, and enjoy the unexpected snow and family time. Mrs. Ratigan :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Evening, I am pleased to announce that our water issue has been resolved at Metcalf, and ALL buildings will be open for business tomorrow. Metcalf will remain on a mandatory boil water order (for cooking/consumption) until we have gone through the required water tests after a system failure. We are well-prepared to comply with this temporary requirement. I apologize for the inconvenience of today, and thank you for your patience and understanding. Sincerely, James Erinakes Superintendent

There is no in-person school today, Tuesday, October 20th. Today is a Distance Learning day for all students due to a burst pipe/no water at the school.

Welcome back to all our Metcalf friends! We can't wait to see you on Monday! :) https://youtu.be/bTnr0rCz3Vg

Bus Schedules have been published on the district website. https://www.ewgrsd.org/o/ewgrsd/browse/38289

First: Supply lists are on the Metcalf website under "Current Families" and then "Parent Resources" but here is the direct link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WvwZ34NcDUYLkLwPThGgZEgX0cssV7Z9?usp=sharing Second: I will send out transportation information as soon as it is available. Third: I am the mom of four grown children so I completely understand how difficult the opening of our schools are this year. We're in this together my friends! :)

Dear Metcalf Families, I write to you today to provide as many updates and reassurances as I possibly can while we wait for the governor’s announcement on Monday. As Superintendent Erinakes shared at the last parent forum, reopening plans are being adjusted minute by minute to reflect our community’s needs and the most up-to-date guidelines available. I thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this together. First and foremost, we miss our students and families very much! We can’t wait to start the school year even though we know it will look and feel different. We are focused on the health, safety, and hearty welcome of all our students, faculty and staff under whatever reopening plan the governor announces on Monday. While the current circumstances present challenges we have never before faced in public education, I believe that creative minds and the can-do spirit of our entire school community will continue to lift us up during this time. We will implement the reopening plan as designed, adjust where necessary based on current information, and work to ensure all students, faculty and staff stay healthy, safe, and fully engaged in learning. Through open communication and strategic planning we will meet the needs of our students together. Metcalf’s teachers have been absolutely amazing as they have transformed their classrooms to get ready for opening day. Our maintenance crew has worked non-stop to ensure we have the proper cleaning protocols and safety measures in place as well. Additionally, we have spent the summer reflecting back on our time distance teaching/learning last spring to prepare for the 2020-2021 school year. Based on what we learned and your input, we will spend the next few weeks engaged in valuable Professional Development (PD). The focus of some of this PD will be: the social/emotional needs of students and adults upon our return, identifying curriculum adjustments that may be necessary, health & safety protocols, and learning the online platform, Seesaw Remote, which is being implemented by all PK-6 teachers to provide consistency within our school community. Additionally, we are finalizing faculty and staff changes, In-person and Distance Learning (DL) class lists, transportation routes, and some details of our day-to-day logistics. Grade level supply lists have been updated and can be found under the “Parent Resources” tab on our website. Specific In-person and DL teachers may have additional requests as well. I will be sending out teacher assignments as soon as I possibly can in the form of an email to families. Please understand that with roughly 600 Metcalf students and still many moving pieces, placement is a very time consuming process. I expect teacher assignment emails will be sent to families on or about September 9th but we may need until that Friday to ensure everything is accurate in Aspen, our Student Information System. Again, I thank you for your patience and understanding. Some frequently asked questions and answers that you might find helpful: -Are lunchboxes and backpacks permitted? Yes, these will be kept in classrooms instead of lockers. -Will the parent drop off and pick up routines change? Yes, this information will be sent out to all families before the first day of school. -Will children have “mask breaks” built into their day? Yes, we are working out those details. -Are gaiters allowed or do children need to wear specific masks? We are not recommending a specific face covering. We do ask that at least one spare be sent with your child in a ziplock bag and that all face coverings be labeled with your child’s name. -Will children share materials? Students will use their own materials. I hope to be able to see you all in person before too long. In the meantime we will partner together to ensure our students have an exciting and successful school year. Kind regards, Mrs. Ratigan :)

7/28/2020 Dear Metcalf Families, I hope you are well and finding ways to enjoy the summer months. It is certainly a different kind of summer that we’re all experiencing where we try to find creative ways to enjoy our beautiful state. That being said, we are also anxious about the coming school year and working hard to find answers to our questions. I thank you for your patience and understanding as we’ve worked together to create the first draft of the Metcalf reopening plan in hopes of providing some of the information you need. I also thank you for completing the parent surveys that Superintendent Erinakes sent your way so we can begin to get a sense of how our families feel, the questions and suggestions you have, and the information that you still need. In the coming days/weeks we will receive feedback from RIDE regarding the reopening plan and make the necessary adjustments. We will also analyze the recent parent survey results to make changes that reflect the needs specific to Metcalf School and the district as a whole. I am providing the following link if you have not yet completed the most recent survey: https://forms.gle/1saxypm6idgAfQfJ8. Please note that there will be an opportunity for you to provide us with your final decision in August regarding schooling your child(ren) based on the updated information from RIDE, decisions on reopening schools from Governor Raimondo, and our reworked reopening plan. In the meantime, please know that we are working incredibly hard to address all questions and concerns in a timely fashion. Additionally, the team at Metcalf has been hard at work all summer. We have spent time carefully researching Distant Learning (DL) platforms in an effort to find one DL program to ensure we all “speak the same language” across our schools, grade levels, classrooms and families. We will be providing more information and family tutorials on this topic, as well as “video tours & welcomes” to our students as opening day approaches. I hope these things will help ease anxiety and keep things running smoothly in the event we need to implement DL during the school year. Our team is also working to create class lists that equally balance our Exeter and West Greenwich students across classrooms. This will allow us to implement the Partial In-person Learning Plan, if directed to do so by Governor Raimondo, with minimal disruption to the Metcalf community. With changes to schedules and routines likely, we are also committed to placing grade level siblings in the same class to ensure consistency for families during the upcoming school year. I hope these bits of information help alleviate some of the unsettled feelings you may be having this summer. Again, I want to thank you all for your support during these unprecedented times. I will continue to keep in touch and share updates as more information becomes available. While it is not easy to plan for the unknown we are all fortunate to be part of such a wonderful and caring school community. Kind regards, Laurie Ratigan

Happy Summer and Happy Reading Metcalf friends! Let's pass along our favorite books! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T85VDfo9AFCNooI2wUlFEcrmVWSMY5GD/view

Hi Metcalf Students and Families- How is your summer going? We hope well! Reminder - This summer, Metcalf is partnering with Exeter and Louttit (WG) Libraries for our Summer Learning initiative. Summer Learning is about so much more than old-fashioned worksheet packets - learning happens in so many fun ways and we want all children to enjoy learning this summer! 1. Register for Exeter Library's Summer Reading Challenge or Louttit Library's Summer Activity Challenge (or both). Both Library Challenges are completed at home and logged virtually and include all kinds of activities for students to earn virtual badges and possible rewards. They both have adult versions, if you want to play along, too! 2. Metcalf students can share what they are learning and doing this summer on our summer Padlet at tinyurl.com/SummerLearningMetcalf and check out what others are doing, too! 3. Check out other ideas and resources for Summer Learning Fun at the Metcalf Summer Learning Website: https://tinyurl.com/MetcalfSummerLearning. If you lose this link, you can always access it throught Parent and Student Resources on the Metcalf Website: https://www.ewgrsd.org/o/metcalf-school 4. This is a great time to get started reading the books for the 2021 Rooster Games (Grades 3-5) and Book Battle (Grades 6-8). Get details at the Metcalf Library or Summer Learning Websites. Have a safe, fun summer! -The Metcalf Rooster Games & Summer Learning Team

We're happily and virtually at the beach today! More pictures coming soon! :)

Mackenzie, Madison & their puppy are wishing it was summer! Don't forget that it IS summer tomorrow at Metcalf & Wawaloam!